The Washington herald., 1911-06-22
Wealthy americans in England.


recent visit, accompanying the Kaiser to
LONDON on the occasion Of the unveiling
OF the Queen Victoria memorial. The
Empress, it is whispered in certain cir
cies, had heard Of Queen Mary's com
mand" not to have ladies appear at
court functions wearing such headgear,
and proceeded to teach her narrow-mind-
ed relative a lesson. This-must be really
so, for II Is known that at home in
Germany Empress Augusta Victoria, who
knows the art of how to grow old grace
, fully (she is several times grandmother)
never thinks OF appearing in public in
anything like the creation she sported in
London. But what was Queen Mary to
do? She could not hinder her august
guest from wearing anything she pleased
and she would call down upon herself
the resentment OF the Empress when,
after that lady had worn such hat,
Queen Mary should insist upon her ukase
against large hats.
To tell the truth Oxford street milliners
have not yet succeeded to design a hat
| that would become Queen Mary When
woman is ugly and does not even know
how to be interesting and affable, she is
doubly ugly, and poor King George, who
in reality is a nice, IL not very bright
man, has his hands full as peacemaker
between his wife and the ladies of the
noblesse, unless Queen Mary learns quick
ly how to make herself agreeable to the
world.
Now there is Queen Alexandra. When
she was the arbiter OF fashion at the
court of st. James, she used to issue no
edicts, but she displayed always a gen.
ius for costume which failed as an in
fluence often only because so few pos
| sessed the slight and graceful figure
that was essential to imitation. In op-
posing new-fangled dress ideas the court
should steer clear of the danger OF dis
couraging certain designs. which, though
unusual TO the eye, really are return
to simplicity and revolt from the drab
era Of antimacassars.
Blenheim, where the Duke of Marl-
borouh is giving the coronation ball,
is the place par excellence for just
such mamoth functions. The spacious
mansion always has been a white ele-
phant on the hands OF the Marlboroughs,
for only a multimillionaire could afford
to run the place in accordance with its
vast requirements. The very park in
which it stands is a dozen or more miles
in circuit and contains a lake so ex-
tensive that its designer said: THE
what / have done at Woodstock" The
mansions imposing front is 116 yards.
while as for its windows the late duke
used to say that they required $500 worth
OF putty every year to keep the panes
in order.
Another good Blenheim story is to the
effect that on one occasion a govern
ment messenger went there with import
ant dispatches for Lord Randolph
Churchill. and It took him three quarters
OF an hour to locate his lordship, who
had been amusing himself, by racing up
and down the fifteen staircases, and ex-
plorfng the 40 rooms OF the palace.
Perhaps in time BIenheim may become
the property of the nation, or a royal
palace, for only the state, or perhaps
Rockefeller or Carnegie, could keep that
pile in adequate repair. When last the
place was done over its ducal owner
had to sell his pictures and books to
pay the bills, which amounted to more
than ESQ.,. 900. At that sale one painting
alone, the "Ansi-Die" Madonna, brought
the fabulous sum of 10000
1t is well known that when the pres
ent duke married Consuelo Vanderbilt
the greater part of her cash dowry also
was spent to once more put Blenheim
castle and the great Woodstock gardens
to their former glory. Another instance
where American dollars were begged and
gladly accepted to furnish up a British
title with the result that Queen Mary
now refuses TO admit the duchess to her
court, because she has made use of her
right to rid herself Of a scapegrace hus-
band, who after spending her wealth upon
himself, and his rusty family name. had
so little manhood as to deceive and ne
glect her, one Of the most charming
women of all England, and whom King
Edward and Queen Alexandra particular
ly had singled out as a true noblewoman
owing to her many charities and fine
personal qualities. FLANEUR.
Copyright, 1911, by Court Gossip syndicate)