The Washington herald., 1911-09-17
THE DISLKES OF QUEEN MARY
She Abhors Smoking by Women and Condemns Ultra Styles
in Feminine Dress

There has been no little waiIing among
the smart set Of Mayfair since King
George and Queen Mary ascended the
| British throne. Especially the Queen
is not attracted by the whirl Of fash
| ionable life and eccentricities in dress
she abhors.
The fashion which Queen Mary has
set her face against most strongly Is
smoking among ladies. 1t is a we'll
known fact that 1t is quite customary
at certain European courts for the
Queen and her ladies to indulge In cigar
cites after dinner. Such a custom, how
ever, never has been adopted at the
British court, though many ladies smoke
in private. The practice is one that
finds no support by Queen Mary, and her
| we'll known dislike Of the habit will
doubtless have considerable effect in
minimizing the number of women smok-
ers.
There is hardly any doubt that the sud-
den death Of the h0Sole skirt and the
harem (trouser) skirt was due to the
fact that the Queen was determined not
to countenance any such fashion. Queen
Victoria preferred that the ladies attend
ing at court should wear low cut dresses
but Queen Mary looks with disfavor on
an extreme display Of arms and should
ers, which was a characteristic Of for
mer courts.
There is another decree which Queen
Mary has issued in regard to dresses
worn by members of society. She has
always favored British-made garments.
All her robes for the coronation. festiv-
tiles were made in this country, and
as far as possible Queen Mary always
patronizes British firms for her ordinary
dresses. The members of her household
were given to understand that they
should not go to France for gowns or
millinery. and a broad hint was sent
out that all who attended court functions
would find royal favor by following the
same rule of devotion to British fashions
and fabrics.
Neither has Queen Mary much SYM
pathy with ladies who resort to artificial
means for heightening the effects of
nature. Her dislike of ladies appearing
in her presence who have treated their
compilations with paint, powder or
enamel Is we'll known, while, although
the toilettes at Ascot races this year
were some OF the most beautiful on
record, there was a notable absence of
Merry Widow" hats IN the royal in
striking creations
With regard TO the recreations of So
ciety. the Queen is bringing about
change rapidly. Card playing is a diver
sion not looked upon with favor at court.
The King enjoys a game OF bridge now
and then. and from time to time patron
ICES the race course. but he makes neither
a hobby, and is content to divide his
time between the cares of state and the
society OF his family with fishing and
shooting by way of recreation. The
Queen cares very little for racing and
still less fo- card playing. Therefore
this diversion will not be the fashion for
ladies during the present reign, except
among a certain set. which is, after all,
a small section of society
Now that the great British crisis is
over, many ask the question why King
George agreed to make 800 new peers.
Since Mr.. Winston Churchill frankly ad-
mitted that it was the intention of the
government to enact home rule in the
present Parliament. the raison d'etre of
Mr.. Redmond's programme for the so
peers is obvious. The Irish and the labor
members actually hold the government in
the hollow OF their hand, SO to say. and
hence the raison d'etre OF the premiers
backing the bill also is plain. And, or
the Other hand, the fact that a peerage,
once created. can be extinguished only by
failure OF heirs, makes Lord LansdOwne's
position equally plain.