The Washington herald., 1911-11-01
Last Remaining Link with -,
The Family of George iii.

Now that the British court once more
has taken residence in London, Queen
Mary is about to undertake her long
anticipated trip to visit her aunt at Neu-
Strelitz, one of the most interesting old
ladies that the royal house of England
can boast of. She is the Dowager Grand
Duchess of Mecklenburg-S -Strelitz, a Ger
man principality, and also the last re-
naming living link with the family Of
George Ill
The Princess Augusta Caroline, Of Great
Britain and Ireland, is daughter of
the late Duke of Cambridge, who was
the sixth son of King George III, and
she therefore is the sister OF Princess
Mary of Cambridge, who became the
mother OF the present Queen Mary of
England. Born in 1922, Princess Augusta
Caroline was married at Buckingham
Palace in 1913 TO the hereditary Grand
Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelit She thus
became Germanized just like the late
Princess Royal of England Empress
Frederick), which cannot have been
difficult matter, seeing that they both
are scions of the House Of Hanover.
The venerable grand duchess always
has preserved the keenest affection for
the children OF her sister, the Princess
of Teck and Queen Mary. The entire
Cambridge family, in fact, always has
presented to the world at large a fine
spectacle OF unity. The old lady Of Neu-
Strelitz has been present at the corona
ton of King William ", Queen Victoria,
and King Edward VII. At the second
OF these functions she was almost the
only youthful member OF royalty pres
ent, and was conspicuous by her tall
slight figure. She is three times related
to the late King Edward and Queen
Alexandra. She is first cousin to Ed
wards mother, a first cousin ION her
mothers sideJ Of the late Queen Louisa
of Denmark, and she Is the aunt OF
Queen Mary.
1t would seem that London journals,
especially those which claim to be pub
Iished solely in the interest of society,
ought to be posted about the movements
of those to whom they pay special atten-
ton. But they do not, and that is the
cause why we often read misstatements
which are cabled across by representa-
tives of the American press after perus-
ing these misleading paragraphs. A lead
ing journal prints the news that the
Duke and Duchess of Connaught have
the daughter, Princess Patricia, with
them to Ottawa" The truth is that the
young princess is on a visit to the Crown
Prince and Crown Princess OF Sweden at
Stockholm. On her return, after a stay
of about six weeks, Princess Patricia will
pay a visit TO Queen Alexandra at Sand
ringham, and to Prince and Princess
Christian at Windsor. She will not leave
Liverpool for Canada until December s.
Princess Pat can boast that she has
done more travelling in the course of her
short twenty-five years of life than any
other British princess who ever lived.
AS a little girl she was in India with
her parents when the duke commanded
the forces in Bombay. Those were fine
times for the Connaught children at
Poona, and the house built there for the
princess and her brother now is known
as the Connaught Hotel. Later Princess
Patricia lived for a time in Ireland,
where her father was stationed upon his
return from India. Many years later my
lady Pat" went East again. and spent
most of her time in Egypt. while her
father was IN command in the Mediter
ranean. Last winter she went with her
parents to South Africa, when the duke
was sent there by the King to open the
first Parliament of the South African
Union, and now she will become a resi-
dent of Ottawa during her fathers term
as governor general Of the Dominion.
Princess Patricia is sure to be popular
in Canada. for she is devoted to every
form OF British sport, but most of all
to those forms provided by Canada al
most alone. ! Skiing, skating and to-
bogganing win not find a novice in her
royal highness, for she has had expert
ence Of all these in Sweden, where her
sister is the crown princess. Princess
Pat" too. is a good shot, a graceful
horsewoman, and a capable whip, and
she has heard such glorious accounts
from the daughters Of the Earl Of Minto
of the fun which Canada so easily pro-
vides in the way of sport that she is
quite excited at the prospect OF being in |
residence at Rldeau Hall
Rideau, by the way, will have in the |
duke a host who is a brother Of the |
first member OF the royal family to be !
there. He was the Duke Of
Edinburgh, though he had not then re-
ceived any territorial title. being but a |
young man Of twenty-three. He landed |
in Canada from the ship upon which he |
was serving.
At Rideau Hall. which to Canada Is !
what buckingham palace is to England, |
the young princess will have all of her |
most favorite sports ready to hand |
Some years ago new toboggan slides were
laid down which afford a speedway of |
two to three hundred yards, and from
which the slides shoot straight down to |
the banks Of the Ottawa River. Not far
of. in a tree-encircled dell, is a small
skating rink. Then there is a curling
rink with dressing rooms and tea rooms. |
Skiing has been great sport at Ottawa
since the Minto regime. and one of the
interesting bits Of Rideau Hall is the
room that contains an impressive array
of skins and toboggans and netted
rackets.
Rideau Hall looks like an ugly Indian
among the lone hills 1t was
never intended by its builder to house
the representatives of the sovereign Of
Britain However, it has been the Of
hcial residence of the viceroy ever since
the time Of Lord Monck, who was the
first viceroy. Before that Ottawa was
known ss Bytown, after a Col BY. who
was sent out by the British government
TO survey the Rideau Canal, and the set
tlement took its name from him. When
an act of the British Parliament had es-
the Dominion of Canada and
Bytown was selected as its capital, the
name OF the new center of government
was changed to Ottawa, and as the
little city, RIdeau Hall was hit upon as a
IL rather an undignifed resi-
1ence for the viceroy, and It has held