The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-23
Duke of Atholl Gets Chancel-
lorship of the Order of
4. the Thistle.


ny LA AIARaUIsE DE FoNTENOY.
- ING GEORGES appointment OF
Is the Duke of Atholl to the chan
cellorship of the Order of the
Thistle. IL particularly appropriate.
torShe is The senior member Of this
Scottish counterpart OF the English
Order OF the Garter. antcdating the
foundation of the latter by several
hundred years. The Order Of the
Thistle. to- which only Scotch peers be
long, and of which the Duke of Atholi
has been knight for forty Fl We years,
is said to have originated in the vision
of bright St. Andrews Cross in tho
heavens. seen by Achaius, King OF tire
Scots, and fungus. King of the Picts.
while they were engaged in prayer
the night before their battle with
AthcIstane. King Of England. in the
eighth century. The thistle was chosen
as part of the badge OF the order, ow
ing TO its being the national floral
emblem of Scotland. James V. reor-
ganized the order III 1910, assigning
Chapel Royal OF Holyrood, at Edin-
burgh. James IL, last of the stuart
Kings of Great Britain; Queen Anne,
and "a later years George ", modi-
fed its statutes. Now 1t has it's
chapel in ST. Giies's Cathedral, at
Edinburgh.
The Duke OF Atholl is splendid
type OF the old feudal nobility, such
as survives nowhere save in certain
parts or Germany and Austria, and in
Scotland. He enjoys several distinc-
tions. unique not only in Great Britain,
but also In Europe, among them that
of being permitted to maintain "a full
nedged armed bodyguafl, with artil-
lery complete, about thousand strong.
composed exclusively of members of
that great Murray clan of which he is
the chieftain; and its regimental colors
were presented 10 It fifty years ago
by no less 4 parsonage than the late
Queen Victoria. or the occasion OF one
OF her many stays at Blair Atholl his
ancestral home in Perthshire.
Another distinction. also unique. is
that he owns u cathedral. namely. that
OF Dunkeld. also In Perthshire. The
sacred edifice at Dunkeld was created
a cathedral, and the seat of a bishopric.
by King David. in 1127, with tho sane
ton of the Pope and 1t bears some
resemblance to the cathedral at Sails
bury. Beneath tho chapter house is
tho burial vault OF the ducal honse OF
Atholl. and within the cathedral walls
rest the remains of many nlustrious
sons OF Scotland, the most remarkable
monument being that erected over the
tomb of the Wolf OF Badenoch." Earl
of Buchan and Badenoch, fourth son
OF King Robert II.
Blair AthoI is, as far as the exterior
is concerned, a hideous old place, of no
architectural preteusions whatsoever,
its only remarkable feature being the
Incompatible double avenue OF ancient
elms by which it is approached. a
portion OF the cdihce dates back to
the thirteenth century, and it is held
by the Duke OF Atholl from the crown.
by one Of those strange tenurcs which
are occasionally to be found in Great
Britain, the duke being under the obli-
cation of presenting TO the sovereign
a white rose whenever he or she visits
the castle, under penalty of forfeiture.
The consequence is that white roses
have from time immemorial been kept
in bloom at Blair Athoil, all the year
through so as to be prepared for any
sudden and unannounced visit of the
monarch; though the latter would
hardly venture in these modern times
to exercise his undoubt>l right OF con
fiScating the castle and the huge es-
tates If there were no white roses ut
hand.
Another feature OF Blair Atholl,
though of more modern origin, Is the
copper plated final which surmounted
the dome OF the Mahdi's tomb at ON
top of ono of the towers of Blair
Atholl. 1t was brought home from tho
Soudan in 1898 by the dukes eldest
son, the Marquis OF TulliDardne, who
greatly distinguished himself under
Lord Kitchener at the battle of Omdur-
man. and who picked up this trophy as
his own particular piece OF loot
The marquis is married to very
pretty Miss Ramsay, and when he
Tn plui hII In
first time. as his wife, lie caught her
UP in his arms and carried her across
the threshold of tho castle, in accord
ance with the requirements OF the an
cient custom OF the house. that the
bride who enters the castle for the
first timo must not walk into it.
Tha duke. who is the only member
of the House Of Lords to speak Gaelic
with fuency, owns considerably more
than 100000 acres in Scotland, and
lives almost entirely on his estates,
where he has planted above 1000, 900
lnrches. tree which he has been tho
first to introduce into Scotland He is
very useful member of the British
peerage, beloved by all his people on
his extensive estates, and for whose
moral and material welfare he CON
siders himself responsible. His mother
was one of the favorite women and
most intimate conndantes of the late
Queen Victoria lie himself was a boy
hood friend Of Edward VII. and was
with him at the university. His wife,
who died about ten years ago. and to
whom he was devoted. was. perhaps
tho most beautiful of the daughters of
the late Sir Thomas Moncr:eTc. the
others including the now Dowagor
Countess OF Dudley: Helen. Lady
Forbes. of Newc and. Lady. Muir Mack
enzie OF Deivine.
Tho mention of his marriage re-
minds mo that there is in the neigh
borhood Of Blair Atholl an inn which
goes by tho name Of The Duke of
Atholrs Arms" In former times there