The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-19

sociated Press.)-The hearts of Lon
 dons forthcoming debutantes are all
 a-flutter and the palms of caterers
 Itch in keen anticipation of the com
 ing social season, which officially
 starts with the Duke of York's mar
 riage and which is already being
 heralded as recCrd-breaker in Eng lands modern history.
 | According to all forecasts, the Brit fish metropolis will become an ire sistible magnet for many of the mo- bility of the continent and in fact | for all those members of that society which is spelled with capital "S" | Added to these, it is expected, will | be an unprecedented number of early | American tourists, many with their hearts full of the hope of being pre- sented at court.
 With the coming of the first warming rays of the spring sun there are already many signs of a | flourishing social season. Society, and | this includes both the large and small varieties, already is appearing in ever-increasing numbers each Sun day morning along the famous promenade of Rotten Row, in Hyde Park, where there are more morning suits, new and antiquated. monocles, walking sticks and poodles to the square inch than anywhere else in
 England.
 Royalty To Entertain.
 The most brilliant functions of the season will, of course, be the courts held by the King and Queen, the first
 of which is expected shortly after
 Easter. Many famous hostesses are
 arranging entertainments in behalf of debutante daughters. Among
 these entertainers will be the Duch-
 ess of Norfolk, who is planning an elaborate affair at her home in St. James Square; Lady Desborough. who Is expecting to entertain fer her daughter, Imogen Crenfell, and the Duchess of Buccleuch who is giving ball for her daughter, Lady Anne Scott.
 Princess Mary, Viscountess Las celles, at Chesterfield House, is ex pected to give her quota of colorful entertainments. There are also brew ing innumerable other functions of lesser importance at the fashit nable
 hotels which are stocking up in preparation for the expected floods
 of American and other tourists. The management of one hotel es- inmates that the Americans visit | ing London last season spent more than 12,O00, ,000 pounds to say ncth- ing of the 3,000.000 pounds they ex- changed for diamonds and other gems while here. This year the ho- tels expect to reap even greater harvest from these tourists.
 FRINGE TURNS SAILOR
 European court circles were stirred this week by the announcement that Prince Nicholas, 19-year-old son of the King of Rumania. had decided tc' adopt the life of sailor in the Brit ish navy in preference to an impor- tant position in the Rumanian gov ernment or a place in the gay and rich court at Bucharest.
 The young prince has joined the British battleship Benbow and will at once take his place with the rest of the bluejackets in swabbing the decks, splicing ropes and painting the masts. Queen Marie was anxious that her son gG to America and enter Yale university. but Nicholas was eager to gain the practical expe- rience at sea which would fit him to become an, officer in the Ruma- nian navy, which is composed largely of river and coastal defense craft.
 The democratic crown prince. who
 is a great grandson of Queen Victo- ria, was educated at Eton. and has the British public school boys out
 look upon life.