The Washington times., 1920-11-21
Will the
Dignifed
Chatelaine of
Famous Old
Floors Castle,

-HE Duchess Of Roxburghe. who was
formerly May Goelet. of the New
l. York multi-millionaire family. has
new sister-in-law. Miss Jose Collins, who
has enjoyed 1--WE years of success in the
London music halls. .......
The cable dispatches have already an
nounced that Lord Robert Innes-Ker.
younger brother Of the Duke Of Roxburghe,
had secretly married Jose Collins, vaude-
Vile actress and music hall singer and
daughter of the once celebrated Lottie Col
Inns, who sang "Tara-ra-boom-de-ay" to
crowded vaudeville houses in America.
Perhaps the most interesting part Of this
astonishing marriage is the embarrass-
ment It will cause to the dignified Amer
lean Duchess of Roxburghe. Her husband
as Duke holds the highest rank in Eng
lands peerage, and the Dukes come next
to the King at state ceremonies. The
Duchess occupies a correspondingly high
rank to her husband, and arrayed in robes
and coronet stands near the Queen at GER
tain ceremonies.
Indeed, the Duchess is especially prom
inent at court, because Queen Mary has
particularly high regard for her and es-
teens her as highly as any Of the Amer.
lean women who have married into the
peerage.
When Miss Goelet married the Duke of
Roxburghe in 1903 1t was considered a
very brilliant match, not less so than the
marriage Of Consuelo Vanderbilt and the
Duke of Marlborough. The Duke Of Rox-
burghe belonged to an extremely ancient
Scottish family and his mother was
trusted confidante Of the revered Queen
Victoria. His castles and estates spread
over $4,000 acres Of the Scottish border
counties.
The Goelets are, next to the Astors, the
largest owners of New York real estate,
and Miss May Goelet brought to her hus.
band q fortune that was extremely useful
in helping him to maintain his ducal rank.
It Is estimated on reliable authority that
she inherited $15,000,OO0 from her late
father She has spent her wealth with
great liberality in improving the Rox-
burghe estates and in other ways that
would add to her social influence and pop
ularity, but without foolish personal ex-
travagances The Duke had no London
house at the time of his marriage, and the
Duchess purchased and restored Chester
field House, the largest mansion In Lon
don, for their use.
Ever since the Duchess's marriage her
career has been q brilliant and dignifed
success from the social viewpoint.
And now she finds herself saddled with
a sister-in-law who has appeared for years
at the Tivoli and other music halls In Lon
don; who has been billed at many vaude.
VILE houses in America; who has starred
In such lively musical skits as Alone at
Last" and "Matrimony, Ltd" 1t does not
add in the least to the social eligibility OF
the Ducness's new sister-in-law that her
mother sang "Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay and
other music hall ditties; that she has
father occupying some minor theatrical
post in America; that she has younger
sister on the music hall stage who has
SING 81 Could Be Coaxed" and other little
masterpieces.
Readers of the present generation may
need to be reminded that the BRIDES
mother, Lotte Collins, belonged to the old
fashioned type Of noisy, slap-bang vaude-
VILE performers. When she sang her most
famous song she stamped her feet on the
floor with a noise that shook the house
and waved a wealth Of lingerie In the air
They we're robust, full-blooded charmers In
those days, rather different from the
shrinking types of refined girlhood who
are now sought in vaudeville. The present
Lady Innes-Ker would be able to amuse
her ducal relations with some entertaining
"reminiscences of old-time music hall per
formers.
There appears to be a very serious COM
plication In Jose Collins's past. The cable
dispatches state that she was divorced IN
1918 by her first husband, Captain Leslie
Chatfeld, an Englishman. Could the
Duchess dream Of receiving woman who
has been involved In q divorce suit!
And what would Queen Mary think about
such q matter? Her Majesty holds the
strictest views about divorce and has only
recently given orders that no divorced
woman can be presented at court. She
expects those members OF the nobility who
enjoy her friendship to follow her views
on divorce.
Now the divorced Jose Collins Is the
wife of Lord Robert Innes-Ker, and ordi-
narily q dukes sister-inlaw moves in the
highest society and is presented at court
Immediately after her marriage.
The Duchess Of Roxburghe would be the
natural person to present her new sister
in-law to the Queen, but we may be sure
she will not attempt to do that. Will she
even receive her sisterin-law in her home
or recognize her II she sees her in the
street? Those who know the Duchess's
social pride, the dignity Of her life and
lher Intimate relations with the Queen be-
lieve that she would never recognize her
divorced music hall sister-in-law.