The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-21
The Queen of England
 Does Her OlOn Shopping
By LADY MARY.

By LAD
 London, December Special Jour royalties are becoming very democratic .hese times, The Queen and Princess Mary have been doing good deal of christmas shopping lately, and it is no uncommon sight to see the royal ear outside some well-known shop, : while the Queen and her daughter. at tended only by lady-in-waiting make their purchases along with the rest &of the world. This is an entirely new Departure on the part of Queen Mary, |who hitherto, following the example set by Queen Victoria, had great consign- nents of goods sent to Buckingham Palace in order that she might do her purchasing far away from the public
 Dye; but times and manners change, {and probably Queen Mary sees no req son why she should not come into more intimate touch with her loyal and ad- miring subjects.
 The shopping list of royal lady at Christmas time must be indeed a for midable document. The Queen chooses personally all the presents that she and the King send to the many relations and members of their household who must of necessity be "remembered'- no light task to be imposed upon SC busy woman as the English Queen undoubtedly is
 I hear rumors of a wonderful young peoples ball that is to be given at Windsor during the Christmas holidays By that time the Prince of Wales will, of course, have returned from his wan derings in the New World.
 RENTING OF COTILLON
 London is indeed returning to old habits and customs. The other night went to a particularly jolly private dance in Eaton Square, and, after SUD- per. we danced cotillon, or, as l re- member 1t used to be called in New York (and I suppose throughout the United States). a german" All the old figures were gone through after the time-honored custom-the mems favors and the womens favors; the sheet held up so that you had to choose your partner by his boots; the mir TOT figure" the -powder-puff figure and all the rest of it. and really it was quite amusing.
 I believe Coti1lons are still a spe- cfal feature of all dancing entertainments given in tho south of France, but in Lon don a german" (so far as can remem- Der) has not been danced for many a long year, even before. the war. However. we are in such full swing of winter gaieties that obviously any re-rashed old custom or any distinct novelty, is eagerly snatched at and adapted to present-day uses.
 
 Ever since the Armistice Day anniver- sary. November il, things have been mov- ing fast and furiously, and, if the present pace IS kept up until spring time, fancy that when the real London Season" ar rives it will introduce a rather jaded lot of debutantes and seasoned pleasure seek CTS to the more ceremonious. entertain ments that will characterize the opening months of 1920.
 FAMOUS ACTORS MARRIAGE
 People are still talking (although it hap pened some time ago now) about the mar riage of that famous and fashionable comedian, MT. Charles Hawtrey, to the Hon. Mrs. Petre I fancy only a few very intimate friends of the bride and groom knew that such denouement was to be the climax of a friendship that has extended over 35 years MT. Hawtrey has confessed in the marriage register to be- irtg 6l, while his bride acknowledges 56 sulmmers. Mrs Petre and the late Lady gArthur) Padget have for many years been conspicuous figures at every first performance of theatrical importance in London. Mrs Petre, like Lady Padget, in her younger days, was celebrated for her beauty, her charm and her wit. She still possesses great elegance of figure and her manner is irresistibly attractive.
 Her late husband Colonel Petre. died about IS months ago.
 Like several other Englishwomen of breeding and high social position, Mrs Petre. or rather Mrs. Hawtrey has for a good many years past been the proprie- tor of a very smart and expensive dress making and millinery establishment off Bond street. Her trade name'' is Ann Talbot and. whenever MT. Hawtrey has produced plays, her firm has invariably supplied the gowns worn by most of the feminine members of the company. She is also usually entrusted with arranging the color schemes and furnishing details of all the interior scenes of plays pro- duced by the well known actor and social light.
 Perhaps few people remember the tragic conclusion to the first Mrs. Hawtrey's life She was a very beautiful and in- teresting woman. whose special passion was music For many years she and MT. Hawtrey had agreed to live apart, and she had 8 suite of rooms in the Alexandra hotel, an exclusive though old-fashioned place. standing opposite the rark at Hyde Park corner. She was of highly nerv- ous and somewhat neurotic temperament, and for years had had a companion who looked after her welfare. About F or 14 years ago. when the poor lady was in specially distressed frame of mind, she escaped the vigilant eye of her attendant and flung herself from her drawing room window in flol sight of the crowds of people thronging the park and Piccadilly in the early hours of lovely summer evening. The accident was so terrible, and was witnessed by so many, that 1t became more than a nine days wonder l am told that one ofsher last actions was tho composition of the music and words to song which she had dedicated ITO Charles"
 FINE OLD CASTLE FOR SALE
 I was very interested to hear recently that Ldndisfarne castle in Scotland has been put up for sale, and will doubtless fetch very high price for it's owner, Edward Hudson. This wonderful old cas- tlo Is built on the original St Cuth- berts Holy Isle, spoken of in Scott's ''Marmion," and is said to be the best specimen of rock castle extant in the British Isles. People travelling by rail to Scotland catch glimpse of it as they cross the border. It is set on basaltic eminence called Beblaw. like "a bird on a dark wave"
 It was originally a fortress erected in
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