The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-17
HISTORIC HOUSE
 GIVEN ENGLAND'S
 CHIEF OF STAFF
General Sir William Robert son Falls Heir to Use of York House on
 Ascendancy

London, November S.-The King has granted General Sir William Robert son, chief of the imperial general staff, the use of York House, one of the most famous of all royal residences. Early in the war the apartments of York House were turned over to Lord Kitchener. Since he died they have not been occupied York House is check by-jowl with St. James palace and not far from the war office. It has not always been York House for the place has had several names and some remarkable royal tenants.
 It was originally set aside as the residence of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, fifth son of George III, soon after he had been created a peer in 17s9. He was residing here in May. 1910, when a great scandal occurred. The duke was found in bed with a terrible wound in his head and his Piedmontese valet, one Sellie, was found in another room with his throat cut
 The coroner's jury returned a yer dict that Sellie committed suicide aft CT attempting to assassinate the duke, but the dukes unpopularity caused the
 
 lis to prevent an exposure, and the af- fair created a profound sensation. As late as 1882 a pamphleteer received six months for accusing the duke of mur- dering his valet, and the subject Is discussed at length In the court me- moirs attributed to Lady Anne Hanlil- ton.
 The Duke of Cumberland married in 1915 his cousin, Princess Frederick of Mecklenburg- -Strelitz, 8 princess who had been twice previously married. Queen Charlotte was violently opposed to the match, and never received her daughter in-law at court.
 In 1887, on the accession of Queen vic- toria, the Duke of Cumberland by the Selic law became King of Hanover, and spent the rest of his life there. But with characteristic obstinacy and meanness he refused to give up his apartments m St. James.
 When Queen Victoria was about to be married, the Duchess of Kent said she must be provided with house, as the greater part of her income was appro- priated to the payment of her debts The only royal apartments then unappro- priated were those of the King of Han over, and he was requested to give them up. The King declined, making the ex- cuse that he could not spare time to come over and remove the valuable pa-
 
 opposed to any public scandal, and as the King refused to budge, Queen Vic toria had to hire house for her mother at a rent of S10,000 a year. The King Duke held on to his apartments nnui his death in November 1851, when they were granted by Queen Victoria to the old Duchess of Cambridge, mother of the famous commander-in-chief.
 This wonderful old lady, who was born a daughter of the Landgrave of Hesse til April 6, 1889, and died In these apart time the oldest living member of the royal family and had survived her hus- band g years. Immediately after her death the apartments were renamed Clar- 1r-e House and decorated in readiness for ee Duke of Clarence, eldest son of the then Prince of Wales. On his un- timely death they were handed over to his brother. the present King, and re- named York House. There had been an- other York House in St. James, but this was the huge building known so long as Stafford House. and now as Lancaster House, the home until the war of the London Museum.
 After their we Sqing in 1894 the present King and Quee.. spent their early mar ried life when lin town at York House. Early in 1915 lis majesty granted York House as a residence to Lord Kitchener, who spent most of his short leisure there. He had a bedroom at the war office, so that he did not always sleep at York House, As he was unmarried, nothing like a household grew up there.