COURT GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 54, 2 July 1887, Page 4 (Supplement)

COURT GOSSIP.

__al>oucliere's ..o.es on Royalty.

London, May 10. — I understand that Prince Selim Effendi, the Sultan's eldest son, is coming from Constantinople to represent his Majesty ab the jubilee celebra" bion nexb month. Prince Selim, who was born in 1870, is a very intelligent youth and understands bhe European languages and manners. He will be accompanied by a large retinue, and in all probability he will reside, while in London, ab a large private residence which has been placed at bhe Queen's disposal from June 15th to July _bh.

The Queen is to geb some splendid and valuable presents from India. Many of the jubilee gifts arc of truly Eastern magnificence. The Rajah of Cutch sends an immense casket of solid gold, all carved and chased by the famous Cutchee of Hyderabad. It is to be brought to England by his brother-in-law, who is to represont him ab bhe jubilee fetes. The following story is told of the Princess of Wales :- A libtle while ago she visibed Milbank, bhe female prison, and was shown over bhe place by the devoted chaplain, Rev. George Merrick. In one of the cells the princess was shown a woman who was so violent, thab ib had been found necessary bo handcuff her. Her Royal Highness spoke kindly and tenderly to the woman, remonstrabed wibh her as bo her conducb and complebely broke down her sullenness. The refracbory woman bursb inbo bears, and on bhe Princess asking her to promise that if the handcuffs were removed she would not be violent, she falbered oub in a voice choked wibh sobs, "I will really be good, my lady, if they take off them things." They were taken off. -

When the Prince of Wales was leaving Manchester a member of the Town Council pushed himself forward, and in a burst of loyalty said : " Bring the old woman with thee -next time!" The Prince looked surprised, not exactly understanding to whom the civic dignitary was referring. Observing this, the latter said: "I mean your mother," for in this familiar and local fashion had he alluded to Her Majesty.

The Princess of Wales was looking very ill at Manchester, and people were painfully struck by her languid and worried appearance. The Princess will go into society as little as possible during the illness of the Duchess of Cumberland.

One of the papers has recently announced that the Queen has sent a message to a lady who was divorced from her husband a few years ago, but was perfectly blameless and whose position excited general sympathy, that her Majesby is prepared to receive her at court. There is no truth' in - this sbabemenb.. The rule bhab divorced ladies cannob either attend or be presented at court is rigorously enforced. The Queen was exceedingly anxious bo relax bhis regulation in cases where the lady's conduct has been unexceptionable ; but after bhe advice of the highest legal authorities had been taken, including the late Lord Cairns and Lord . Selborne, it was decided bhab ib would be injudicious to make any exceptions. A few years _ ago most desperate efforts were made in the highesb quarters to pass a well-known lady, who had divorced her firsb husband under somewhat sensational circumstances, but they failed, to the greab discomforb of bhe' lady, who, being badly insbructed in such mabbers, had deemed herself as certain bo receive bhe magical sards ; she had nob only ordered her dress, bub exhibibed ib bo many of her inbimabe friends. On bhe obher hand, a lady whois judicially separabed from her husband is ab liberty bo go bo courb if bhe separation were brought about by his misconduct. Sunningdale Park, where the Prince and Princess of Wales are going to reside during Ascob week, has been recenbly decerabed by Marolda. The grand salon is a sorb of royal ■'apartment.■■'.• The walls are covered With old brocabelle or surrounded by frames, and all bhe woodwork is breabed in gold enamel. The effecb of a number of shades in gold is exceedingly rich. Opening into bhis aparbmerib is a boudoir in which blue is subsbibubed for gold. The dining-room is hung wibh old bapesbries after designs of Guilib, and there were not enough pieces for over doors. They have been imitated by paintings on canvas so well thab ib is difficult to distinguish between tho tapestry and this imitation. The ceiling represents the setting of the sun. The entrance hall is in marble, and above ib bhere is a cupola which is painbed bo represenb bhe morning, wibh a cornice, on which bhere are palms and creepers which seem to hang down the hall. The rare and splendid collection of pictures, miniatures, and French china which was forwarded by the second Earl of Lonsdale, the Eskdale of "Coningsby" and " Tancred," is to be sold during the jubilee week. It is one of the finest in the world in those departments of art. The famous Sevres dessert service, which was made for Mme. Dubarry, is only surpassed by the Louis XVI. service in the green drawing-room at Windsor Castle, which is valued at L 60.000. The Lonsdale service was stolen from Paris during the early days of the revolution, and Lord Lonsdale gradually collected ib piece by piece. I believe ib is a facb bhab he only succeeded in obbaining bhe lasb piece fifty years afber he had purchased bhe firsb. The Quakers, having decided bo present a jubilee address to the Queen, began to look up the best manner of reaching the Queen, and they found upon examination that the members of their sect having business with the Queen have the same right to audience as have embassadors and privy councillors. This claim was ab firsb disputed by the Lord Chamberlain, bub in looking over bhe precedenbs he found thab the right was unquestioned, it-having been granted by King Charles 11. to William Perm for services rendered. The Quakers have been notified that this ancient right will be respected.

The Prince of Wales was riding in the Row last week and looking very well, and by no means thinner. He usually keeps his eyes pretty straight, but not so straight bub bhab he noticed and prompbly returned bhe salube of an artisan who was leaning againsb the railing. There were crowds of pebby horse-breakers racing- and tearinoafber and all round him, as if bhey imagined bhe race to princely favour lay in being run away with and perhaps thrown in his sight. On speaking of the Queen's Birthday, a society paper says: In the evening the official world feasts each other. Lord Salisbury gave his dinner on this occasio in Arlington-street, and not, as hibherbo, ab the Foreign Office. This innovat on caused no little trouble toPhelpe,the American Minister, since, suspecting nothino-, he duly arrived ab bhe Foreign Office and sent his carriage away. Too late he discovered his mistake, jumped into a hansom, and, alas, on arriving in Arlington-street bo his horrorfound bhabhehadnomoney. Was there ever so sad a conbrasb ? On one side of bhe door bhere awaibed him a sumptuous feast provided by the Prime Minister of England; on the other side, in the dark and drizzle, was an angry and determined cabman demanding his shilling, thab shilling which he had not got. However, I believe Lord Salisbury's porter eventually advanced the sum and gob the American Minister out of pawn.