The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-06-15
VTFHEN the most courted woman in society
W is won, the reasons why it happened
-" must be of human universal interest.


wealth and distinction courted her for ten years.
our curiosity concerning the successful sutton
must be very great
When we learn that modest elderly noble
man of sixtynve has succeeded where scores of
younger men failed we feel obliged to pay him
a tribute of attention.
Mrs. Ava Willing Astor, the former wife of
the late Colonel John Jacob Astor, of New York.
is generally credited with being the most courted
woman in society. Thomas Lister, fourth Baron
RibbIesdale, of England, enjoys the distinction
of having ended the pursuit.
Unlike the many men who were reported as
counting Mrs. Astor, Lord RibblesdaIe was never
mentioned in that way. Society never knew how
much Mrs Astor thought Of him until they were
married That event occurred very quietly, al
most secretly, at st. Marys Church Bryanston
Square, London, June 1.
That Mrs Astor should have been the object
of widespread devotion is easy to understand. At
the time of her marriage to the late Colonel John
Jacob Astor in 1891, she acclaimed as the
most beautiful. young woman that New York So
ciety had ever seen. That beauty she has never
lost but it has only acquired added dignity with
wears Although her hair has been prematurely
gray for many years. her superb figure retains
all its vouthful grace and elasticity, and her ex-
0uisife> features show none Of the lines and dis
fgurements that too often come with middle age.
Her beauty was indeed the chief reason Of her
first and unhappy marriage. According to so
ciety gossip, the late Mrs. William Aston, the
noted social leader, said to her son, then uesh
from Harvard:
girl who will worthiy perpetuate the house OF
Aston"
Soon after that Mrs. Astor, who was herself
q PHILADELPHIA woman, saw young Ava Willing,
then in the first flush of her girlish beauty, at
ball in Philadelphia. She said to her son:
Jack there is the girl you ought to marry"
Jack Astor, who was devoted to his mother,
obediently proposed marriage to the beautiful
Miss Willing without much thought OF other points
of suitability She accepted him, perhaps more
Influenced by the prestige of the Astor name than
other considerations.
So great was young Mrs Astor's tact and
dignity that few people knew how uncongenially
the young couple found life for many years, and
society was astonished when in 1909 she obtained
a divorce. Two years later Colonel Aston mar
ried young Madeleine Force and in the following
year died heroically in the Titanic disaster.
From the date of her divorce Mrs. Ava Willing
Aston became a resident of England and hence
many Of her most prominent admirers have been
Englishmen. After her first husbands death she
came to America for few months Of every year
to see her son Vincent properly settled in life
and launched in society but when that had been
successfully accomplished she returned to her
beautiful house in Grosvenor Square, London, and
her congenial life in England.
Among the charms of Mrs. Ava Willing Astor
her great wealth must not be overlooked At the
time of her divorce from Colonel Astor, it was
announced that the settlement made upon her
amounted to considerably over S5,000 900. Since
then the managers of her sons New York estate
have done everything in their power to-increase
her wealth. In addition to this source she in
herited large wealth from the Willing family and
the death Of her brother, Barton Willing, few
years ago alone added about $1000,000 to her
property.
But wealth and beauty are far from complet-
ing the list Of her charms. She is generally pro-
nounced to have charming manners and to be in
Variably tactful, entertaining and sweettempered.
The long experience she has had Of social and
public affairs has helped to make her conversation
very interesting
Everybody who has met her in connection with
the innumerable Red Cross and other philanthropc
affairs in which she has been interested, has
been impressed with her good nature and ability.
Whenever anybody made any allusion to her IN
fortunate disagreements with her first husband,
she always met the question with perfect grace,
dignity and selfpossession.
II Is small wonder, then, that nearly every
eligible man in society was eager in pursuit Of
this jewel among women.
We shall now see who were the leading figures
among this host of suitors in what respects Mrs.
Astor found them defective and what are the
qualities that stamped Lord Ribblesdale as the
one man.
EARL cURzoN OF KEDLEsToN.
Back in 1910 and 1911 the bereaved Lord Curzon
of KedIeston, who had long been an intimate
sduous in his attentions to Mrs. Aston She had
entertained in New York him and his first wife,
Miss Mary Letter, of Washington.
Lord Curzon was of the most brilliant men
in the British Empire, statesman, author and ad-
ministrator. He had been Viceroy of India, the
highest administrative post in the Empire, and
mentioned as likely to be the next Prime
Minister.
But he had an irritating arrogant, very
Superior" manner. These are the pecuarities
which have prevented him from becoming Prime
Minister for even a Tory leader must have per-
sonal popularity in these days They were also
presumably the qualities that decided Mrs. Astor
not to become Countess Curzon
EARL KITCHENER OF KHARToUM.
When Lord Kitchener. the first soldier Of the
British Empire, returned from the command Of
the forces in India, in 1871, it was observed with
some establishment that he was quite attentive to
the beautiful Mrs. Astor. He was considered the
most confirmed bachelor in the Empire and So
ciety thought that the charming American had con-
WINGED him of the lifelong error of his ways He