Evening star., 1963-05-01
BY BETTY BEALE
Star Staff Writer

Gus world, 1t is a charming
thing to see sweetness and
warmth combined with ele-
gance-the essence of gentil-
ity without a trace Of
hauteur.
This is Charlotte, Grand
Duchess of Luxembourg.
II was at once apparent
that Washington will re-
member the visiting sover-
eign Of the little Grand
Duchy for a radiance Of ex-
preston that bespeaks an in
1er loveliness.
One could see 1t in her
greetings as she shook hands
with each guest at the lunch
con given in her honor yes
terday by Acting Secretary of
State and Mrs. George Ball.
ONE COULD HEAR 1T in
her remarks. After she had
been to the state luncheon
and to the afternoon recep-
ton at the General Fed
Grafton of Women's Clubs
when she had still to be re-
ceived in the splendor of a
White House official dinner
she told American Ambas-
sador to Luxembourg William
Rivkin. What can I say
that you have done this for
me and my little country
BY you" Of course, she
meant you Americans"
And on leaving the lunch
con table yesterday she OBJ
served "If I we're not so
shy, / would have loved to
have stood and said some
thing. But, believe me-" she
said to Undersecretary Ball,
my heart was speaking"
The official reply to Mr..
Balls toast was made as
planned by her Foreign Min
lister Eugene Schaus. Prime
Minister Pierre Werner was
also present, but the member
of the royal party nearest in
rank to the host responded.
THE SIGHT THAT
GREETED her royal high
ness when she entered the
dining room was one of pink
and white petaled beauty.
isn't this a table fit for a
princess from a fairyland
country" asked a member
Of the protocol office. Twen-
ty-three low bouquets Of pink
and white snapdragons. pink
carnations and white iris
were interspersed on the
white damasked covered o.
shaped table with IL stand
ing bouquets of the same
flowers springing from tall
slender crystal stems.
If the setting Of the table
and the magnificent view of
washington from the eighth
floor terrace was enchanting
to her, so was the unexpected
appearance in line Of an old
friend and former hostess.
Petite, Dresden-like Mrs.
Herbert Pell, stepmother Of
Senator Claiborne Pell and
widow Of the former Ameri-
can Minister to Portugal,
curtsied almost to the floor
when she took the Duchess
proffered hand.
Then Charlotte saw who it
was and kissed her. The
Grand Duchess lived with the
Pells In Lisbon when the
Germans invaded her coun-
try and she and her family
had to flee.
It was in Lisbon. said Mrs.
Pell, that she made the de-
cision whether or not her
presence was needed over
there or should she follow
her family to America. But
she first sent her husband
Prince Felix ahead with the
children.
Prince Felix was reluctant
to leave her behind, but he
said at the time, Besides
being her husband I am also
her subject and she is my
sovereign so I must obey"
THE EDITARY
GRAND DUKE, Prince Jean,
remembers that arrival in
america we'll. He was l6 at
the time. That was when the
six children and their father
went to Mrs. Herbert Mays
tthen Mrs. Joseph Davies)
estate on Long Island and
the latter took them all shop
ping to outfit them with
summer clothes since they
had arrived In August with
Only the woolen clothes on
their backs.
Those clothes lasted q long
time" Prince Jean observed
with a charming laugh. ex-
planning that they were OF
such good quality. Naturally,
II Marjorie bought them"
was the rejoinder.
He mingled with the SO
guests after lunch while his
mother eagerly chatted with
Mrs. Pell on a corner settee
The 78-year-old Olive Bige-
low Pell, by the way. is an art
ist who used TO do the covers
for Vogue and Vanity Fair
back in 1910, and is still
painting portraits on COM
mission.
GEORGE BALL paid many
tributes to Luxembourg and
It's chief OF state In his after
luncheon remarks.
"For q period In my life be-
fore I assumed any official
obligations II was my great
pleasure TO visit Luxembourg
two or three times a year" he
began. In that. time he dts
covered that Luxembourg was
the eighth largest steel pro-
ducing nation In the world