The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-04
It Also Will Be Centre of Fashion
and Seat of Govern
rnent.
ny La sIARaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.

BY LA MARaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.
COwES. during tho next eight or
ten days, will be not only the
headquarters of English society
and the centre of fashion. but like
wise the seat of government OF the
vast British Empire. For King George,
with Queen Mary. is living on his
yacht, tho Victoria and Albert. an
chored off Cowes. and it Is on board
that superb boat that he is transact
ing all his multifarious business, in
connection with tho affairs OF state,
signing the hundreds OF apers sub
mittcd to him each day by the Cabinet
minister In attendance. and even hold
Ing meetings OF the Privy Council on
the yacht, whence all tho DEGREES and
official documents are dated
What distinguishes the race week at
Cowes from all others is its exclusive
ness, and the absence not merely of
tho general public, but likewise OF all
those hanEers-on who may be de-
scribed as tho fringe of society. The
Royal Yacht Squadron-the premier
yacht club OF the world in point Of
seniority and importance-blackb
most numerically candidates who in
Its eyes do not possess the birth and
breeding requisite to render them con-
genial associates. and as one blackball
is sufficient TO exclude n candidate. the
The Royal Yacht Squadron pills" can
didates even when they have been
sponsored by the sovereign himself
Edward VII having failed in ali his
attempts to secure the election of Sir
Thomas Upton. 1t is, moreover. ex-
tremely chary about according the
privileges of the club temporarily to
strangers. even when they arrive there
on fine yachts flying the flags of tho
principal foreign yachting organiza-
tons.
Now. to be at Cowes during the
Cowes week and to be excluded from
tho. subsequently, from tho club
grounds. which constitutes the centre
of all social activity and fashion
throughout the regatta weeks to
expose oneself to the humiliation Of
virtual ostracism. People thus dis
eliminated against are out OF every
thing and. so to speak, invite atten-
ton to the fact, if they are foolish
enough to persist in remaining. Few
care to expose themselves to this treat
ment, and most prefer to stay away
on some prcteXt or other.
One of the features of the week
VIII be the annual dinner Of the Royal
Yacht Squadron at the club, under the
presidency OF its admiral lin chief the
King, assisted by the commodore and
working president of the club, the
Marquis of Ormonde, n familiar figure
on this side of the Atlantic. Alfonso
MIL. who is at Cowes on board his
steam yacht, with his consort also
Prince Henry of Prussia, and several
other royalties. will be among the
guests. though not Prince Paul of Ser
via. who has returned to Belgrade,
very much affronted by the marked
manner in which he has been ignored
during tho past season by tho King,
the Queen. and the entire royal fam
lily. When he first came to England
he was most kindly received by tho
King and Queen. who were disposed to
be very friendly towards him, In view
OF the fact that he was to be a fellow
student OF their son, the Prince Of
Wales, at Oxford. But he got into the
hands of a fast set in London, of peo-
pie OF whom neither the King nor
the Queen could approve, and went
the pace. lndiscretions that might
have been treated with more indulg-
ence If perpetrated by scions OF reign
Ing houses whose royalty was more
firmly established than that of the
swineherd descended Servian dynasty,
were resented in his case. and as Eng
lish society in the long run always
takes its cue from the Sovcreigns.
Prince Paul ended by finding London
no longer congenial, and took his de-
parture before the end OF the season
The Royal Yacht Squadron is the