Pars about Notabilities.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 271, 13 November 1909, Page 15

Pars about Notabilities.

Before the Prince of Wales leave 3 for South Africa next spring he will have been promoted to the rank of fieldmarshal in the army. The announcement of this promotion was made upon the occasion of the King's Birthday. It is only about seven 3"ears ago that the Prince became a full general in the army, and -considerable surprise has often been expressed that he has not been promoted to be field-marshal at an earlier date. As is well known, however, his Royal Highness takes comparatively little interest in military affairs, and prefers to be more particularly identified with the navy, in which he has been a full admiral for two years. So impressed -was a visitor to the London Hospital with an inspection of the institution that he made a very handsome gift before leaving. A °-entleman, who gave the name of Mr. c! T. Le Champion, and who is said to he a Frenchman, paid a call at the hospital. He was escorted by the secretary round the wards, of which he made a" careful inspection, expressing himself as being much pleased with everything he saw. The sequel came in an interesting announcement made by the chairman (Mr. J. Hampton Hale) at the quarterly meeting of the Governors. Mr. Hale was able to inform the Governors that Mr. Le Champion, before he went, away, not only made a gift of £1000 to the general fund, but pave a further donation of £500 to found a bed "in memo, y of his mother." His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Michael of Russia is evidently enamoured of England and England's ways. He has now ior several years tried the experiment of living in England, having made Keele Hall, Staffordshire, his residence. Now he Jias leased from the Earl of Mansfield, for a long term, Kenwood (more properly spelt "Cacnwood"), which lies between Hampstead and High' gate. It is a residence with a long history intermixed with politics. The Grand Duke Michael is a eecond ooiv'n of the Czar of Russia. He was born at Peterhoff in 1801. For a time he was lieutenant-colonel of the Caucasian Sharpshooters. His wife is Sophie Countess of Merenberg. She takes the tile of Countess Torby. She is the daughter of Prince .Nicholas of Nassau by his morganatic marriage with Countess Merenburg. Kaiser Wilhelm's only daughter wat I "sweet seventeen" in Sep*«mb,er. Prin- I cess Victoria Louise is a charming, sunny little woman, goo-od-looking, a thorough sport, a good English scholar, and ambitious in the way of amateur acting. Like all "only daughters," she is -her father's pet; and, when the Kaiser is in the dumps about the affairs of the Fatherland, or scowling because he has been indiscreet in his telegrams, or frowning because England has the "boss" hand in Dreadnoughts, she is the only person who dare disturb him. The German "prinzessin" has a few escapades set down to her credit. She once had the distinction of being "arrested" by a pompous Berlin policeman. She waa driving in her English-made pony cart when, unfortunately, a little boy got in the way, and was knocked down. The Princess, who wa3 then 15, left the cart and ran after 'the men who carried the dazed youngster to the doctor. Thinking she was running off from the terrible consequences of the German law, tlie man in blue put a heavy hand on her and said, "You must come -with mc. What's your name, and who are your parents?" The little Princess put up her eyebrows and straightened her shoulders: "My name," she said with quiet dignity, "is Victoria Louise, and my father is your Emperor." Collapse of Hans X 21.

Mr. Henri Ponger, the well-known manager of the Savoy Hotel, London, has just resigned his position, and will shortly sail for Kew York to take up his duties as manager of a. new restaurant there. He will receive the salary of a Cabinet Minister, and his commission will bring his income up ito nearly £10,000 a year. The Duke of Cumberland, who is 64, ■though the claimant of the Kingdom of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick, prefers a quiet country life as a "roi en exil" than figuring as the storm-centre of a political or dynastic agitation. The great-grandson of George 111., he is a cousin of King Edward, and ie also the brother-in-law of Queen Alexandra., whose youngest -sister he married. Apo-rt from his German connections, the Duke is a peer of Great Britain and Irish Earl of Armagh, and a General in the British Army, but he has lived for about 40 years at beautiful Gmunden. in Austria, and it is only a. few months ago since he suffered the loss by fire of his palace in Vienna. Personally, the Duke is very distinguished looking, tall -and slight, with a merry twinkle of the eye that often relieves a somewhat haughty expression. All Portugal (writes a correspondent) is excited over the story, confirmed by dignitaries of the Court, that King Manuel is to marry Princess Alexandra, elder daughter of our Princess Royal and Duke of Fife. It is declared the official announcement will be made on the 15th November, the King's Birthday, during His Majesty's visit to Windsor. Rumour has previously betrothed the young King to Princess Alexandra, and in July last it was stated that there was in official circles no knowledge of such an alliance. It may be noted, however, that, without naming the bride, Reuters correspondent at Lisbon has reported that the King's marriage would take place next April. Princess Alexandra, the elder of the Duke of Fife's daughters, was born at Sheen on May 17. 1801, and is thus only eighteen years old. She enjoys the distinction of being King Edward's eldest grandchild as well as heiress by special remainder of her father's dukedom. She is a highly accomplished girl, a good linguist, horsewoman, and gymnast. She is also credited with some artistic skill. King Manuel is twenty years old on November 15. Ho ascended the Portuguese throne in the tragic circumstances of his father's assaseination in February last year. To find a parallel for the reeling which has been aroused in certain quarters by the appearance of Lady Cardigan's Reminiscences (writes a London correspondent), we must go back to 1810, when Lady Caroline Lamb published "Glenarvon," described as a romance, but In reality a rechauffe of society scandal and gossip. Byron was the central figure, some of his letters to Lady Caroline being included in the book; while the Hollands, Granvilles, Melbourne, and other leaders of Whig society were, pictured with an unsparing hand. In a letter to Mrs. Creevcy, Lady Holland describes the effect produced among the victims of "this singular libel," in which, however, she goes on to say "the traits are exact. I nm sorry to see the Melbourne family so miserable about it. Lady Cowper is frightened and depressed far beyond what is necessary. As for myself, every ridicule, foil} - , and infirmity is portrayed. . . . The book has a prodigious sale, as all libellous matters have." Mrs. Hartmnnn, whose bankruptcy has, startled English society, has long enjoyed the intimate friendship of the Royal family. In appearance she is not unlike Queen Alexandra—tall, slender, refined, and wonderfully youthful for her age. Her late husband, Mr. Hartmann, left her the mistress of a large fortune, which for some time brought her an income of about £50,000 a year. Her father's fortune was made out of the fabric known as "Turkey red," and it was divided between Mrs. Hartmann and her sister, the Marquise de Jancourt, at whose fine old mansion in the Faubourg St. Germain the King has often been entertained during his visits to Paris. Three years ago the King conferred a signal favour upon Mrs. Hartmann by assigning to her White Lodge, Richmond Park, so full of close associations with the Royal Family. Mrs. liartmann's daughter-in-law, Mrs. "Freddy" Hartmann, is very popular in society, and is in what is called tho smart racing set. Mrs. "Freddy" is young, pretty, and rich, and is a niece of the late Lady Glenesk. Mr. Lloyd George is understood to have established a new record. He is naid to be the first Chancellor of the Exchequer to get a big Budget through the House of Commons "on water." Politicians of all kinds are much more temperate in the use of stimulants than they used to be, but absolute teetotalism is practised by a comparatively snimll number, and it cannot be said that it flourishes on the two Front Benches. Ministers and ex-Ministers may be classed as moderate drinkers. They like a glass of wine, and some of them, if all accounts bo tme, are in the habit of dining rather luxuriously. The endurance shown by Mr. Lloyd George throughout the Budget fight 'on teetotalis.ni has surprised all who pin their faith to the helpful comfort of the wine-cup. "How does he i?o it?" is a question that has been a.sked over and over again. While others have been exhausted by late hours at Westminster, Mr. Lloyd George has been as fresh .and good-tempered at the end of a long sitting an at the beginning. The teetotalers may be expected to use him as a splendid vindication of the utility of their principles on public platform's for many a year to come. j Nothing escapes the German Kaiser's eagle eye during the manoeuvres. It must, however, not be thought that .he always stubbornly insists on his own ideas. More than once, at the "Critik," has he been beard to say to his staff: "You know, gentlemen, that my views differ .from yours, but ' Tnktik ist Ansichtssache ' —tactic is a matter ct opinion." The Kaiser controls all the strings of his manoeuvres. He is here, there, and everywhere. At times he will lie down in the grass with his men, and see wnether they have sighted correctly. "My son, worauf zielst dv eigentlich?" he once said (o a soldier, I "do you want to shoot the sun from out of the heavens?" And never does the Emperor lose liis good temper and spirits. Frequently he cheers up his tired troops by a single word. During the Kaiser-manoeuvres in Posen last month he asked a column of infantry marching past (it was scorching .hot, and the troops had marched ' many miles) : "Are you thirsty, my men?" "Ja wohl, Majestat!" was the retort from a thousand parched lips. "leh auch —so am I!" said the Kaiser. "We all have nothing to drink. But tiheer up, it is soon going to—rain!" All the men broke out into a roar of laughter, and marched off grinning and happy. They forgot how thirsty they really -were. *