The Washington herald., 1919-06-15

rulers of Great Britain. italy. and
France may wend their way across
the ocean during the next year or
SO.
F1Rss REIGNING MONARCH
TO PAY VISIT HERE.
King Albert has been here before
but not since he has occupied the
throne. In fact believe he II the
nrst reigning monarch to honor us.
though at one time plans were
made for the reception of King AL
berts uncle. the late King Leopold
OF Belgium, whom II was thought
was coming. but his visit did not
materialise. King Albert will prob
ably be the first monarch to come
over. but according to present PROS
poets. the Prince Of Wales will be
the nrst royal guest. 1t 10 said that
he 10 coming In August. He 10 CON-
ing to this continent to attend the
ceremonies incident to the opening
Of the new Parliament building at
Ottawa and win come down here
afterwards.
1t may be said that the son and
heir of King George will include
several cities OF the United States
in his tour. and that he will par
tcipate for some time In the mid
summer gayeties at Newport.
The prince will visit Newport
during August, and while there. II
Ia said. VIII be guest of Mrs.
ogden Goelet. at Ochre Court. her
beautiful villa. Even as far In ad-
vance as this. arrangements are be-
ing made for his entertainment at
Newport. and II IL said that one of
numerous social courtesies to be ex-
tended to Britain's future ruler will
be by Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Cornelius
Vanderbilt, brother-in-law and sis
ter of Mrs. Goelet.
This week the Prince of Wales will
take possession Of that particular
portion Of st. James palace known
as York House. which is to be his
have home OF his own. with q fully
manned royal household. at the head
Of which as comptroller II the Earl OF
Warwick's younger brother. Sir Sid.
ney Groviile.
York House. which overlooks Cleve-
land row, Is the most commodious
portion Of st. James palace. 1t was
In York House that Queen Mary
spent much of her childhood. with
her grandmother, the old Duchess of
Cambridge. After the duchess death
II became the London home Of King
George and Queen Mary on their
marriage. and the present Prince or
Wales and several OF their other chill
dren were born there.
During the reign Of King Edward,
when George and his consort. as
Prince and Princess of Wales. moved
across the way to Marlborough
House. York House was used for the
entertainment Of foreign visitors or
state. and the various presidents Of
the French republic were quartered
there during their stays in London.
YORK HOUSE OCCUPIED
BY LORD KITCHENER.
At the outset OF the great war King
George placed York House at the dis
posal of Lord Kitchener. and after
his tragic death in q storm of the
coast Of the Orkneys, the King lent
the apartments, not to Field Marshal
French. but to Gen. Sir william Rob-
ertson. who relinquished them the
other day on his appointment to COM
mand the British forces on the Rhine.
Recently they have been undergoing
a thorough restoration and repair.
and will be ready next week for the
use of the Prince of Wales.
This wing Of st. James palace owes
its name of York House. not to the
fact that IL was occupied by King
George when still Duke of York. but
because II was the home Of James
II prior to his accession to the throne.
He. too, bore the title of Duke of
York before becoming King. and
whereas his elder brother. Charles II.
held court at Whitehall. he and his
English wife. Anne Hyde. the grand
daughter OF a washerwoman and the
mother of Queen Mary and OF her
sister, Quenn Anne, held court at
York House. st. James.
Fortunately the apartments in York
House are lofty, roomy and spa acious;
also very beautiful. and entirely be-
lie the dingy and mean appearance
of the exterior OF the palace. In
fact. the aspect of st. James palace
from the outside Is extremely gloome.
so much so that II serves to recall
that the site was originally occupied
by a hospital for lepers and con-
verted into a royal palace by Henry
VIII, has since been the scene of
so many tragedies OF one kind and
another that Il Is difficult to under
STAND now any SuperStitlous people
can care to live within its precincts.
A portion OF the palace was
planned by Holbein. the painter. and
the gatehouse which he created still
faces St. James street.
II was in the palace OF st. James
that Bloody Mary" breathed her
last. where Henry Prince OF Wales
was poisoned and where his younger
brother. King Charles i. slept the
night before his execution at White
hall.
1t was from st. James palace that
King James ii escaped. disguised as
woman. and in the old bed cham
ber next to the throne room. the
mysterious birth took place of that
so-called pretender who was de-
clared by the Jacobites to be the
true son and heir of King James
II, and by the partisans OF the House
Of Hanover to have been a mere
changeling, conveyed to the apart
ment of the queen. concealed in a
warming pan.
PRINCESS MARY CONSIDERED
TO BE GREAT CATCH.
The Princes sister. Princess Mary.
Is the greatest catch" in Europe.