The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-10-05

about years of age and his wretched mother existed in the seciusion of a prt- lvate madhouse at Arundel for 10 years. Lord Arundel, in spite of his yeara,
 never developed mentally beyond the age of or D. Also. his legs were par
 alyzed and he was practically dumb.
 once saw this tragic heir to q great dukedom when he was about 2 years of age. He was seated in a huge chair in one of the state apartments of the 1 Duke of Norfolks town residence in St. James square. He had kong fair hair. which fell in curls over suit made like
 Little Lord Fauntleroy's'' of black vel
 vet, with collar of old rose point lace- His shrunken legs were resting on a
 crimson velvet cushion with the black
 silk stockings and buckled shoes look ing as if they had been put upon the
 shapeless wooden limbs of a doll His
 eyes were large and very blue. and the awful emptiness of their expression was most painful I believe he never stood up. therefore if was difficult to judge
 whether this poor creature was short or of medium height He just sat there
 surrounded by luxury and care. the most pitiable sight in all creation.
 It was not until after this wretched in-
 heritance of tragic marriage died that the Duke, in 1904, married the Hon. Gwendoline Constable Maxwell, whose
 son, a healthy, sturdy English boy. now reigns in his stead. As I looked at the lovely country that Is ideal in it's calm English serenity-upiands and lowiands, rich in trees and green turf and verdant felds-I thought how fortunate a thing it was that the boy who has inherited all this historic and splendid property is full of health and mental vigor and bears no taint of the terrible heritage that was the destiny of the step-brother who came before him. -
 COURT IN SCOTLAND
 London is rather quiet just now. With fashionable weddings and great deal of ttheatre-going there Is really very little doing in this ''big burg" The court still fingers in Scotland. but I fancy only
 a short time will elapse before it moves down to Sandringham. for Queen Mary Is none too fond of Scotia, stern and wild" Tn the meantime, Balmoral cas-
 tie and it's environs are objects of much interest to the inhabitants and to the thousands of touring visitors who like
 to gaze upon the royal family in their
 days of relaxation. Every Sunday the King and Queen and Princess Mary and
 the rest Of their entourage go to the little
 church at Crathie which was built some
 years ago in place of the queer old kirk
 of former days, where Queen Victoria and her court used to sit on Sunday
 mornings. But the Bibles and hymn
 books that are among the furnishings of the pews used by the King and Queen are those which Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort were given more than 50 years ago by Lord Beasonsfieid. The names of their former royal owners are illuminated on the fly leaves Of these volumes, while each royal prince and princess who was born to the Queen had his or her name and date of birth in- ! scrfbed beneath the autographs of the A.Y1 fb,rx< Good" On the Queens little bookshelf there stiIl remains the cut glass smell ing salts bottle which Queen Victoria al
 ways used while the red velvet collect ing bag is still passed around on the end of long wooden pole, to the great ana undisgused amusement of all ofstin- l suished foreign visitors.
 l While rn the subject of royalties. by the way. I am told that the ex-E Empress Dowager of Russia is to return to Eng Hand early in December. This marvellous lady, who must have suffered martyr dom in Russia, seems sun 10 DC pos 1 scssed of amazing energy and spirit Sne is very fond of London, and 1t Is said would rather live at Marlborough house
 with Queen Alexandra than at any other place now that she is exfied from her one-loved Petrograd. She does not in- tend however, to take unto herself s per manent dwelling place in England She
 prefers making visits rather than hay ing the responsibility of her own estso- Iishnent.
 Mariborous7, house. when the Empress Marie is added to it's inmates shelters three amazing old ladies-the ex-Enprcss
 of Russia the Oneen Dowager of Eng land and Miss Charlotte Knoilys. Their com btned ages must total close on Sa Ivearsl Miss Knoitys has been in close Attendance upon Queen AlexandrS since [ nFh haN ~f IS regarded as part of the family. and while yhe elder royalties such as the King s sunts and uncfes and sisters can ner l ~(,hatty~ the younger members, such ss inc Prince of Wales, his brothers and the children of the second and third gen Ierations, call her "Aunty. She IS s"'" | to know "everything about anybody who
 is worth Knowing anything about" And 1 certainly if in years to come her ir' @ , ter.s. "reminiscences and diaries are pub | lished they will cause stir such as never was occasoned, even by the fam
 ous ..nemoirs'' written few years ago by the Countess of Cardigan
 ~Aunty Kno1Iys" scarcely ever passes | \ night away from Marlborough house but her quaint figure dressed in black
 with her "poval fringe" Gas the coiffure favofed by the elder ladies of the Ensiish royal house is called) is q very familrar one in St James street, Bond street ana | Pail Mall. She always walks to the top { of St. James street every afternoon. AT rived at the Piccadiliy end, sine buys an afternoon newspaper, crosses over to the other side and walks back to Marlporoush house The old man who has stood al the self-same corner of P1ccadily ana 1 St James street for years selling ms papers knows her well. and as rule sne gives hi-, siynepee every Friday after noon. The interchange of greetings De- 1 tween the Queens lady-in- waiting ana the ancient newspaper seller IS always the same Good afternon, Henry, says Miss Knoilys. Anything interesting Tn the paper this afternoon" Thank you kindiv. miss. there aint nothing to grum- ble about. and God save the King II has been like this year in and year out and even the war made no difference 10 i the greeting or the reply only, of course. it used to be God Save the Queen
 when Victoria was alive and feoos
 was Prince of Wales.
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