The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-08
Dignity to Which Amy
Woman in British Empire
Can Aspire.
ny Ia MARau1sE DE roNTESoY.

SdIl ASPIRE.
ny Ia MhRQUIsE DE FoNTENoY.
n DISTRESS OF tho robes. tho Office
MI to which Queen MARY has just
appointed the tall and stately
Duchess of Portland, is the highest
dignity TO which any woman in the
British empire can aspire. But she
must bc British born. and should be
the daughter Of n peer, though this
latter disqualification has been dis
pcnsed with IN the present instance.
tho Duchess OF Portland being the
daughter OF commoner, namely, OF
Thomas Dallas Iorke. The matter ot
tho nationality OF the mistress or the
robes is insisted upon. No woman OF
foreign birth IS eligible; she Is not
even qualitcd for the post Of lady Ill
waiting TO tho Queen. For this rea-
son. no woman of American birth can
ever expect to become a member OF
the queen OF England's household.
In the days Of Queen Victoria. there
was sometimes difficulty in securing 4
duchess Tor tho post OF mistress OF the
robes. For. owing TO the fact OF her
being = Queen rcguant, inGcad or
merely Queen consort. il Was ncces
sary that tho mistress OF the robes
should belong TO the Same political
persuasion as the administration In
power, and then, as now. duchcsscs, cs-
pcciaily duchesses qualified by birth
and b. knowledge Of court life for the
post. were rare In the ranks OF the
Liberal party.
IN the case of Queen Alexandra and
Queen Mary, that is To say, Queen con
sorts. the mistress of the robes does
not change with the administration,
ana there has been nothing. therefore,
10 prevent the Duchess OF Portland
at.Es,
vonshire Ct the head OF Queen Mary's
household, although she. like her hus-
band. the Duke OF Portland, IS an en-
thusinstic Un!onist
Tho mistress OF the robes exercises
powers equivalent TO those OF grand
mistress Of the court ut St Peters
burg. Berlin and Vienna, and TO that
OF tho Camarera Mayor dc Palacio ut
Madrid. That is TO say. she IS the head
OF the entire household and court OF
the Queen consort, having fun author
ity over the latter's ladies In waiting
and maids II honor. lords in waiting,
ctc. 1t is She WHO ariangcs the
waits"--tAat is 10 say the terms OF
attendance of the various ladies OF
the Queen-and the latter's lord
chamberlain vice chamberlain. treas
nrer, private secretary and cqucrrics.
are also under her orders
She has ALI sorts OF preroeat:vcs ana
perquisitcs. the latter including the
robes OF state Worn by the Queen AZ
the coronation. ON that occasion only
She bears tho queens train: but mt all
other court functions and official core
monies. stands either Immediately hy
the queens side CT else walks right
behind her. Tho salary Is merely nom
inal, amounting 10 about $4,000 a year;
and, OF course. the mistress OF the
robes has certain OF tho royal carriages
and royal servants always al her dis
posal.
So far as can be ascertaiucd, the 81
iicc. rs now constituted, dates from
the reign Of Queen Anne when It was
held by Sarah. first Duchess OF Marl-
borough. who. rs every reader of Eng
iish history krows. exercised tho most
extraordinary d"spotism. not 10 say
terrorism. over that monarch In those
days the badge OF Office was 4 golden
key. and when Queen Ammo at last
pluched up suiIl ,icnt courage to cman-
cipatc herself from tho tyranny OF the
duchess, and 10 dismiss her from the
post, there was n difficulty about re-
covering the key. The duchess abso-
lutciy refused to surrender II. and ~
length her husband the victor or
Ilenhcim was ordered To secure it's
restitution. 1t is on record that when
ho notified her OF the commands which
he had received and Of the necessity OF
complying herewith, she In n more
than usually violent outburst OF tenn
per, lung the key at his head
Since tho accession Of Queen Victoria,
the mistrcsscs OF tho robes have been
in turn tho Duchess OF Sutherland.
Wife e The second duke: two success
sive Duchc.scs OF Eucclcuch the late
Duchess OF Atho!l: the late Duchess OF
NellinSton: thu lato Duchess Of Ar
CYL; the lato Duchess OF Bedford: the
wife of tho third Duke OF Sutherland;
the Dowagor Duchess of RoXburghe:
the Duchess of Dcvonshire, and now
the Duchess of Portland. The latter
has never until now held any Office AT
court. although she was ono OF the
canopy ladies and supporters o[ both
Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary. on
tho occasion OF their respective coro-
nations But her husband, the duke
was for a number of years master OF
the horse: so that she Is Thoroughly
acquainted with the ms and outs of the
court OF St James.
Although tho names OF both Generals
SIR Douglas iIaig and Sir James Will
cocks. have been mentioned In con
ncction with tho command In chief in
India, that OF sir James Willcocks, in
deed. being actually announced in tho
London Times ~ having been nomi-