Evening star., 1924-01-09
BY THE MARaUIsE DE FoNTENo1

BY THE mARa t1SE LIE 1t o-N \ AS-sO -
Both in the United States and in
Great Britain imposing genealogical
works have been compiled claiming
to enumerate the list of people who
can boast Of royal ancestry. The
American work of that title is OF
much larger size than its transat-
lantio counterpart. For, whereas
the latter limits the names contained
therein to those who can claim de-
scent from British sovereigns the
roster of Americans of royal de-
scent" includes very large number
of people who insist that they have
In their veins the blood of the for
mer kings of Ireland.
Now the English compilation con-
sists of over 100000 individuals of
royal descent. including people of all
sorts, classes and conditions, one OF
the best authenticated cases being
that of a small village butcher, in
the vicinity of Rugby, whose for
bears go back in an unbroken line
to the wayward sister of King
Henry VIII, who. after becoming the
widow of King Louis of France
contracted a love match with the
Duke of Brandon and Suffolk. 1t is
natural that body numbering over
100000, comprising butchers and
bakers and candlestick makers can
not be regarded as very exclusive,
and the result of this has been the
formation of new and far more
blue blooded organization. society or
club entitled "the Plantagenets."
4 4
to those who can show an unbroken
line of descent. Legitimate or even
illegitimate, from the Plantagenet
kings of England, the presidency
having been accepted by the Duke
of Beaufort, ninth of his line, and
qualifications.
i, Up to the present time the Plan
tagenet Club has membership of a
little over 100, and If among the
Americans of royal descent record
ed in the genealogical work bearing
that title there are any who find that
they can bark back to the Plantage-
net rulers of England. they might do
worse than communicate with the old
Duke of Beaufort at Badminton, his
1t is worthy of note that this new
society, following SO closely upon the
birth of that new and very numerous
.quasi-religious' and patriotic society
entitled 'the Crusaders" which was
accorded the privilege of holding
special cereE- ony characterized by
! considerable amount of medieval pa
geantry in Westminster Abbey the
other day, comes into the public eye
just at the very time when the
laborites, to whom the principle of
heredity is anathema, are about to
undertake the administration of the
government of the British empire.
with the object of putting into execu-
tion many of their wholly revolution
ary doctrines.
Great Britain's choice of her new
Ambassador at Madrid is of interest
here in the United States, not only be-
cause Sir Horace Rumbold spent
some time at Washington during the
great war as counselor Of the British
embassy, but also by reason of the
fact that he is half American. His
mother, the first wife of the late Sir
Horace Rumbold. eighth baronet OF
his line, was Miss Caroline Harrins-
ton, daughter of George Harrington
of Washington. D. c.. some time
United States envoy at Berne. More
over. his cousins. Henry and Cumber-
land Rumbold, have married BaIti-
more women, while Annie Rumbold'
another of his kinswomen, is the WlIe
of Ernest K. Richardson of Philadei-
phia. Sir Horace Rumbold is, there
fore, connected with many families IN
this country.
He is related, moreover, to some OF
the greatest houses of the arlstocracy
of continental Europe, including those
Of the Dukes de la Rochefoucauio,
of Harcourt,- of Noailles and. Poll
gnac, in France, and that of the Prln-
cess of Lebanof, in Russia: Indeed,
the late Sir Horace Rumbold, father
of Great Britain's new ambassador at
Madrid, was born in Calcutta and
educated in Paris under the care and
roof of his aunt, the Duchess of Poll
gnac, in the Faubourg st. German.
/ Sir Horace is descended from
Thomas Rumbold, who was one of the
cavaliers of King Charles the First at
| the battle of vascby, also from VIII
| liam Rumbold, who was master of
| the robes of Charles II, and from
Henry Rumbold, who was gentle
=,