The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-20

London. July J.-tSpGCldlJ-N ell, the westminsters have done it at last. And now that a ducal menage has had the searehlight of divorce court proceedings turned upon it one wonders whether cer- tain other equally highly-placed couples will bring out their dirty linen and air it for the benefit of the world general and the British public in particular One knows quite well that strawberry leaves Ghe insignia that surrounds the coronet of a British duke) do not necessarily shelter happy hearts or hearths. In fact, the Duke and Duchess of Westminster are not by any means alone in the in- felicity of their private relationship. The affairs of the Duke and Duchess of Marl- borough have been more or less public property for goodly number of years, while the Manchester menage has been anything but happy.
 There are whispers that more than once threatened decidedly outspoken comments in regard to the domestic re- lations of the late Duke of Sutherland and his beautiful wife, who, after the dukes death. married a.commoner and is apparently, like the fairy story prin- cess, likely to Tive happy ever after.' But all these ducal dissensions were during the lifetime of the late King Ed ward, screened much possible from the public and never allowed to come into public courts. Bohemian and, up to a point, happy-go-lucky as was the late monarch, he had an immense sense of the dignity that should surround high rank and it was entirely owing to his influence and indeed, to his command, that the matrimonial difficulties of these exalted couples were kept out of the law courts. King Edward was dubbed ',The Peacemaker," and his influence was al- ways definitely felt in the highest ranks of society.
 At any rate, a ducal pair have made their debut in the divorce court, and I am told that this first plunge is the fore runner of more than one action of the same kind that will follow.
 Everybody naturally feels a good deal of sympathy with Lady Ursula Grosven- or, the 17-year-old daughter of the recent litigants. Lady Ursula ought to be mak- ing her debut this season, but I am told that she is to postpone her looming out until next year. She will be one of the wealthiest girls of high rank in England and was expected to have made a momentouS match. Whether recent events will prevent the contemplat ted and rather sensational union of hearts and hands, remains to be seen, but it seems to me very unfair should matters concerning the infelcity of her mother and father interfere with the position of a young and pretty girl.
 In spite of the fact that the Duke of westminster has always been considered a somewhat mauvais sujet, he is un- doubtedly immensely popular. and by men and women of all ranks he is praised and petted as regular fel- \ low" The Duchess is actually not very well known to the outside public. The :. Cornwallis-W Vests are never very popu- - lar in London, and sne was married 7 when she was so young that she can scarcely be said to have made any par { ticular position for herself beyond the faf Ch fIsa fa 1f 61 who invariably created an atmosphere of rather Bohemian responsibility. Something has always been happening in the Corvallis West family since the days when Mrs. Cornwallis- West and Mrs. Langtry Qady de Bathe) ran neck and neck course for the professional beauty stakes. Everyone recalls, for in- stance, Lady Randolph ChurchilFs mar riage to young George Cornwallis- West, who is only few months the senior of her own son, the Right. Hon. Winston Churchill. And when George proved himself to be just little too flighty for his wife's complete approval, how she divorced him and he married en secondes noces, the famous actress, Mrs Patrick Campbell, who is not many years Junior to the lady who was her predeces- sor and also her most intimate friend
 And then also we have that other fa- nous member of the Cornwallis- West
 
 who about dozen or more years ago, married the German princeling of that name and is now under suspicion as an alien and an enemy. I remember that during the early years of the war, there were many strange rumorS to the effect that Princess Pless was more or less in the service of the German ex-emperor and that she had been in prison in the Tower of London. I don't believe in this story bit, however, and fancy that <<Daisys is quite a good-hearted and loyal soul who made the fatal error of marry ing Hun. At any rate the Corvallis Vests have always been seen in some sort of social nneltfng-pot.
 And in this they do not differ 50 very much from the MarTboroughs, whose pathways have been beset by snares and pitfalls for two or three gen. erations. I fancy that the late Duke of Marlborough was one of the only hold CTS to the title who had then been pub licly sued for divorce It will be remem- bered that after that famous divorce action which was won by the then duch- ess of Marlborough twbo was given the title of the Marchioness of Blandford) the late duhe married the famous Amer ican beauty and heiress, Mrs. Lily Ham, mersley who however. seems to have led quite happy life with her some what besmirched duke. But when you really settle down to talk scandal con corning some of the noble families of