The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-26
THE R1cMosD vA TUESDAY MARCH 2e 1912
One of Most Impressive Look
ing OF Great Women Of
British Aristocracy.
ny Ia MARuUisU DE FONTENOY.

British Aristocracy.
ny LA MARuUisE DE FoNTENoY.
YALF tho great world OF England
III has been thrown into mourning
by the death OF the aged Ducn-
css OF Bucclcucn and queens ber-
ry. VINO celebrated her golden wedding
three !ears ago, and who was the
centre about whom always gathered
an immense crowd OF kinsioik. WIN
her, TOO. there disappears one OF thY
personaGcs VINO figure In the novels
OF Lord Bcaconstield and especially
| I'm that entitled "Lothair," she plays
an important role as the daughter o.
Thc duke in question was IN req.
life the late Duke Of Abcrcorn. one
OF the handsomest .nen Of his DAY.
whom King Edward when Prince OF
Wales. nicknained old Splcndid' hy
reason OF the maSn!ncence OF his ap-
pcIrancc aud the extreme care OF his
person. When NlccrOy ut Dublin lie
Was wont to suspend presentations foT
live minutes at intervals In the eve
| ming during tile course of a court or
drawing room and TO retire TO an adj
superb long silky beard rebrushcd, re-
coinbed and reperfumed. SO that 1t
might not prove disngrecuble to the
lair matrons anu young girls 10 whom
he was required to administer u vice
regal kiss on the check when present
ed TO him.
-AlluOusu inc luCncSS OF BNCCleOEn
rescmbled her father IN many respects
and was perhaps one OF the most I'm
pressive looking of the great ladies
Of the British aristocracy. yet she
pirate nickname OF "riny" among her
contemporaries until .ong past her six
ticth year
BY Americans she may we'll be re-
enbercd as the one great power in
London society who set her face
strongly against the project organized
very rigorous boycott against those
hailing from the United States. VINO
had aroused a considerable amount of
jealousy BY the favor shown 20 them
BY the then Prince or Wales and by
their own perhaps somcw nat indscreet
manifestations OF great wealth. The
organization was very influential one
headed by several duchesses. with their
dukes. by peers and peercsEes of high
and low degree, publicly proclaim
ed It's object. the members engaging
americans, even those Americans who
had married Enslishmen. and to In
duce their relatives and friends TO do
likewise
The Duchess OF Buccleuch, although
| representing the most conservative Gle
ment in English society, was appealed
10 In the matter by the then Prince
of Wales. and after careful considera-
t!on and discussion with her husband,
who was as conservative us herself,
came TO the conclusion that Il would
70 socially boycott an entire nation.
ality merely because some had given
onense by their WAYS and by their
ethics. traditions and me-honored in
| stitutlons.
True. she never allowed any OF what
were known as the circus set OF
| Ang o American society to pass with
In her doors; ignored them. Indeed, al
| together. But she made II her bust
ness TO show courtesy and ,civility to
A amer OF oirtn and breeding. whose
| quiet manners and speech appealed to
her. such as Mrs. George Cavendish
Bentinck, daughter OF Mrs. Maturin
| livingston, of New York
Among those whom she took UP In
those days and to whom she proved
| a friend OF Infinite value were Will
liam Waldorf Aston and his deeply
lamented wife. the former Mamie Paul.
OF Philadelphia, one or the ioveliest
and sweetest women OF her day. Astor
! was then. as he IS to-day. q man set
ritabie. disposition, and had allowed
| himself TO be drawn into a foolish dis
pute with the late Luke OF Westmln-
ster about a visitors autograph book
cluded in the purchase OF Cllveden.
Astor had paid very large sum In
DEED, cash down, TO the duke for
stood. After the duke had got the
| money he seemed TO regret the sale,
developed an intense luminosity to the
| making
demands upon him to- objects which
had been left behind. and which he
claimed were not intended to be tn
cluded in the purchase. Aston yielded
demand came for the visitors auto
graph book Of Cliveden. which had
! been par, and parcel of the belong
ershlp by the Duke Of Westminster,
Aston declined. and merry war en-
sued. in which tho Duke Of West
| minister endeavored to enroll all his
friends and acquaintance against AS
1t was in these difficult days for the
Astors that the Duchess of Buccleuch
/ der har shelter!ng social wing. gave
! them all the benefit of her powerful
support; and when their daughter.
old e enough to pe go into ,As soc.ety
I! Gas the girl had meanwhile lost her
| mother) II was the duchess who
| chaperoned her and presented her q,
court and gave many entertainments
| in her honor. I need hardly say that
thu duchess did this out of pure sense
OF fair mindedness and kindness OF
interest, since the Buccleuchs have for
hundreds OF years been the very rich
est members OF the British peerage.
Among those who are placed In
mourning by the duchesss death ar!
her brother. the Duke of Abercorn, and
his children; her sister Lady Bland
ford. and the latter's children. includ-
ing the Duke OF Marlborough and his
American wife: her other sister. the
AIarchioness of Lansdowne, with all
her tribe of married children. besides
many others. In fact. the mourning
resulting from har death is so wide
spread that II bids fair to put the
fatal touch to all prospects OF bril-
liancy OF the London season already
heavily compromised by the grave in
dustrial and political troubles.
But what London VIII miss even
more this season than the duchess her-
self is the closing OF Montagu House
her home, In Whitehall Gardens. It Is
a purely modern building, that is tc
say from an English point of view
dating only from some seventy years
ago, and among its features are its
big courtyard. and its beautiful gar