Evening journal., 1913-09-18
GOSSIP OF THE COURTS

No marriage in recent years has eN- !
cited such interest as the approaching
union of Prince Arthur Of Connaught and
the youthful Duchess Of Fife. Great
preparations are being made for the Oc
tober ceremony The duchess is staying
with her mother. the Princess Royal,
King Georges sister, in the Highlands Of
Scotland, and is devoting much OF her
time to the preparation of her trouscnu.
! The making Of the wedding gown has
been intrusted to the same dressmakers
who have made the young princess
since she was a child. They have been
instructed that simplicity in design IS to
be the dominating note. Much has been
written in society journals as to the ma
ture of the dress materials-the rich
brocades. Irish poplins tout of compli-
ment to the bridegroom's ttle), cloth Of
silver. and all lace--have been suggested,
but when the young bride appears at the
/ Chapel Royal st. James, for the we'd
ding ceremony IL will be seen that her
choice has fallen upon a simple white
satin, perfect in texture and OF Iingtish
make.
The duchess has been offered the
! loan of historic wedding wells by the
/ Queen, Queen Alexandria, and several
other members of the British royal
! family: but il is said that she viii
select a tulle veil. and nothing could
/ be more becoming to her features
and complexion The question OF
bridesmaids dresses is still under
discussion, and instead of being white,
as at first proposed, they will be
either of the palest blush-rose or OF
light tone of blue. Precedent is that
/ there shall be eight bridesmaids, and
up to the present five have been
chosen, of whom four are princesses,
the fifth being Lady Mary Cecil
daughter of the Marquis of Salisbury
The princesses are: Princess Maud
of Fife, Princess Mary. Princess
Patricia of Connaught, Princess Mary
of Teck.
The other three attendants will be
friendship of the Princess Royal. The
train bearers will be: Prince Olaf OF
Norway, Prince John (the King S
] youngest SOM. Prince Arthur is to be
supported by the Prince of Wales and
the Duke of Soxe-Coburg, as his best
men.
Much of the Duchess trousseau is
. UtlHk UldUt III ll1lonuf AhN >
fashion for colored embroideries does
not meet with royal approval, and
everything is made of fine lawn work.
ed i'm white. and threaded with white
satin ribbons. Hand-worked linen
sports shirts. in many designs, are oc-
cupying the workrooms of one Irish
finn, and from Scotland tweed coats
and skirts. serviceable golf coats and
Jerseys. and travelling wraps in Scotch
tweeds. have been ordered
Mount street. London, where Prince
Arthur of Connaught is TO make his
home. has previous royal associations
but not OF a pleasant kind. In the first
place the street took its name from
aOliver's Mount" a line OF Notifications
hastily erected by the Parliamentarians
i'm 1913 to defend the western suburbs
from the expected attack by kine
Charles. A century and half later. II
April. l7S4. George, Prince Of Wales
. with three companions. was arrested FOL
disorderly conduct and taken TO Mount
street Police station. He was bailed by
e his tailor.
The British public would be not a lit
\ tie surprised if it knew the extent t.
+ which the records of Somerset Hous
). are ramsacked by inquisitive person
r for purposes fair or foul, The original
8 or copies Of wills proved since 1888 ar
q to be found al Somerset House, wher
b any one of them can be read on pay
ment of a search fee Of one shilling
I Thus the financial affairs of tens q
s thousands Of families are laid bare t
Y the eyes of the curious or designing
b who care to pay this small fee.
d II is easy to sec what valuabl
r mine Of information thus is svailabl
= and what improper use could be mad
of IT, Many of these wills reveal famil
secrets which are worth good deal
r unprincipled persons. Some little tim
ago a gang Of sharpers kept a man coI
stantly employed hunting skeletons
u and reaped a rich harvest by blackmai
n ing the families concerned. To none
lenders and traders this facility for e.
ploring wills is invaluable; for it en-
l. ables them to know exactly the fnar
, cial position of their victims and the
Is customers. and thus to know to wha
y extent they can be trusted Many me
J. have thus been lured into extravaganC
$ and ruin who otherwise would probabl
i have escaped both.
"a Every year these wills are explored b.
"a calculating men who are in search ,
- wealthy brides. It is, Of course. mo:
useful 10 know the precise degree ,
- gliding of the ladies on whose money
bags they have set covetous eyes; an