The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-27
FAMOUS AMERICAN
SOCIAL LEADER IS
DEAD IN LONDON
Mrs. ROnalds Was Friend of
Kings and Queens During
Long Life in Europe
NO SEASON" DURING
WAR IN GAY WORLD
This, However, Does Not Mean That
British Capital Is~~Deserted by
Smart Set-Week- Ends Are
Fashionable

LONDON, august l2.-Within a few
weeks there has passed from the London
world figure whose loss four or five
years ago would have called for COM
ment and elaborate obituary throughout
the press of London and many parts of
the provinces. 1t is probably owing to
the war that practically no special notice
has been taken of the death of Mrs.
during the past 80 years had been so alb
solutely bound up in the social and ar
tistic centers of London that her going
OUT is a mark that must be counted
among the events of modern memories!
Undoubtedly Mrs. Ronalds was an
amazing personality; no paper has as
yet stated her age, but those who know
something of her history remember that
during the final brilliant years of the
French empire when beautiful Eugene
and Napoleon III reigned Mrs. Ronalds
was belle in Paris and it is said one of
the few women of whom the Empress felt
much jealousy regarding the ascendancy
of her own beauty. Also there were tales
told of the lovely Mrs. Ronalds in the
midst of the Oriental splendors of an
Egyptian palace where her fair loneliness
made her many slaves among the dusky
princes of that period. 1t was in Egypt,
if 1 remember rightly, that she first met
the late King Edward, who was then
Prince of Wales, and newly married.
Later on, when she came to live in Lon
don she became a persona grata at MARI
borough House, and then began a friend
ship with both the Prince and Princess
that lasted through the period when they
became King and Queen of England and
went on until the last days of Mrs. Rom
aids life. Queen Alexandra always re-
mains true to old friends, and of Fanny
Ronalds'' she was very fond
MRS. AUTHORS FRIEND r
Mrs. Ronalds' long association with the
late Sir Arthur Sullivan, the famous
composer of 1.-THE Mikado," Patience"
1.-THE Yeoman of the Guard" and vari-
Gus other celebrated comic operas is a
matter of history; that they were gen.
timely devoted to each other is fact
that was warmly acknowledged and re-
spected by people even of the most con-
vential susceptibilities. Mrs. Ronalds
pretty house in Cadogan Gardens was for
rs years the center of fashionable and
artistic London.
Everybody who is anybody" went to
her Sunday afternoons, and mixed with
the "Everybodies' were a good many
.'Nobodies,' who came to see the celebri-
ties much as you or I might go in order
to look at some strange animals at the
zoo. l remember on one occasion many
years ago going to Cadogan Gardens and
seeing May Yohe, the we'll known Ameri-
can actress who became for a brief
period Lady Francis Hope, in earnest
conversation with Ii. r. H. the Duke OF
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Che was King
Edwards brother and formerly Duke Of
Edinburgh. Nearby was Mr.. Arthur
Halfour talking very happily to Mrs.
Jopling-Rowe the famous portrait paint
err. while in another corner of the
room the Warehouses Of Ripon (she was
then Lady de Grey, the Duchess OF
Sutherland and one or two other great
ladies were listening to Mademoiselle
Zelie de Lussan singing the Habenera
from Carmen" notable gathering
truly, and probably more heterogeneous
than even a hostess of today could
muster.
Mrs. Ronalds always had a treat affec-
ton for dramatic artists, and the great
est singers and actors and actresses
were invariably to be found at her
parties. think it was at the little
house in Cadogan Place that King Ed
ward as Prince of Wales first met the
beautiful Mrs Brown Potter. believe,
however, that it is fact that Mrs.
Langtry, now Lady de Battle, never
gained an entrance 10 Mrs Ronalds
salon. 1t was her daughter, Mrs Richie,
who was the first lady of London's So
cial world to write the synopsis of ballet
and have it produced. This latter feat
was accomplished of course, by Mrs
Ronalds, who worked all the wheels pos
sible and pulled the strings within her
great circle of influence. She finally sue
ceeded in getting "L'Amour' (Mrs.
Ritchie's ballet) set upon the stage of the
|Alhambra theatre. Greatly to every.
bodys surprise it was big success and
AUNT Fanny" as she was usually known
tby her artistic coterie, received many
Congratulations upon her skill as an en-
|trepreneur. About three years ago Mrs.
Ronalds had very bad stroke of