Pars about Notabilities.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 209, 2 September 1911, Page 15

Pars about Notabilities.

The Princess Xenia. of Russia, who was in London last month, is a sister of the Czar. She married the Grand Dnke Michael Alexandroviteh, and both her hußband and she spend as little time in Russia as possible. They have a house :it Biarritz, and were always there during King Kdward's annual visits. They have n family of five. The Princess is not at all like the Czar. She is very animated, and has many friends. When in Biarritz she made many trips into the mountains, usually with men friends, and she was often seen at the Cafe de la Plage, both her husband and herself having democratic tendencies.

Brigadier-General G. A. Fanshawe, C.K.A., v.-ho has been commended by the King for his bravery in saving the life of n soldier n't the recent Royal review in Dublin, comes of a very old and most distinguished family, as Mr Harold Armitage shows in his new book, entitled "Chantrev Land: An Account of the North Derbyshire Village of Norton." The author shows the family of Kanshawe to have been seated at Fanshaiwe Gate in very early times. Since then Fanshawcs have won distinction in diplomacy, in the Army, in the Navy, in literature and scholarship, in the Civil Service, and in many other directions, as Mr Armitage has shown. Apart from this book there is a well-known volume containing the particularly charming memoirs of the Lady Fanshawe of the reign of Charles the First.

Next to Mr Chamberlain. Birmingham honours no citizen more than Mr Jesse rollings, who received the freedom of the city in July. In politics and friendship, Mr Chamberlain and Mr Collings have been inseparable for many years. They even shared their platform anecdotes, and in regard to one story they arranged th.it when both were taking part in a meeting the first speaker was entitled to its use. It so happened that Mr Collings arrived late at a meeting one nisht, hut was due to speak before Mr Chamberlain. As he was launching out into tht; story lie felt his coat-tail pulled, and a voice behind him whispered, "I've told it." So Mr Collings desisted, but what was his surprise to hear Mr Chamberlain tell the story as soon as he got en his legs. "I thought you said vou'd told it?" he asked afterwards. "So I had." replied the imperturbable Joe, "but not to-night." Mr Alfred Lyttelton. apart from his general concern as an ex-Colonial Secreitary in all matters affecting the Dominions beyond Seas, has a special interest in the movement now proceeding at Wellington to erect some memorial to that Tarnous one among modern colonisers, Fdwflrd Gibbon WakerMd. His father, the first Lord Lyttelton. when visiting Wellington not lone before his death. noW that in that town there was "the plain tombstone of the renowned Gibbon Wakefield; a name almost like a spell to those interested in colonisation, that of New Zealand in particular, that of Canterbury mo-u; intimately of all." And the story of Wake.fields colonising connection with New Zealand, especially in the Parliamentary phase of it. would be singularly incomplete without reference to the share in it of two of Mr Lyttelton's uncles. Mr Gladstone and Sir Stephen Glynne of Hawarden.

Miss Mildred Watts Sherman, whose engagement to marry Lord Camoys was announced recently, is a daughter of William Watts Shermans, who live at No. BJB, Fiftb-avenue, New York, and at their marble mansion in Newport. She and her elder sister Irene, who married Mr Lawrence Gillespie, were known as the two most beautiful heiresses in America. Miss Sherman's mother was daughter of the immensely rich Mrs John Carter Brown, and is aunt of John Nicholas Brown, the "richest baby in the world," whose wonderful toys and nursery have inspired many articles in the American Press. Lord Camoys visited America for the first time last winter, to act as usher at Lord Decies' wedding to Miss Vivien Gould. He remained for two months after Lord Decies returned, and many stories were published even then to the effect that he would shortly marry an American heiress. Queen Amelia, formerly of Portugal, is quite unlike the queens in fairy tales, who sit all day looking dignified and bored. She is always busy. She makes work for herself, and is happy in it. Her Majesty is not only a qualified nurse, •hut also has a medical degree, and passed all her examinations with more than ordinary distinction. She did wonders in advancing medical science and founding hospitals in Portugal. Her free dispensary in Lisbon, where twice a week she came herself and tended the sick, was much appreciated. Her late husband. King Carlos, was once her patient. It was, in the first place, interest in him which made her take up medicine, she having become worried about his increasing stoutness. She put him on a Spartan diet, but he soon rebelled, and said if it was a question of dyinn or starving he really must choose the former.

The desith of Louise Duchess of Devonshire at tk2 end of July, took place under circumstances which constitute a somewhat remarkable coincidence. Her last illness came upon her at Sandown, her late husband's at Ascot. The Duke so far recovered that he was able to winter in Egypt, and was on his way home when he died at Cannes. His widow, who had devotedly nursed him, was to hold the Dowager rank for nine

years. For half a century she was ,i great social personage. Her connection with the last century goes further back still. She was a Hanoverian Von Alton, and a Von Alten was at Waterloo—she was a beauty at the Blind King's Court. At twenty, she was Lady Mandeville, and one of the four ladies who. with Norman Macdoaald, of the Tx>rd Chamberlain's Department, to assist them—"foreman of a jury of matrons, - ' the husband of one of these ladies called him—presented an historic bracelet to the French Ambassadress. Comtosse Walowska, at Albert Gnto. As Duchess of Manchester, and Mistress of the Robes, she was Queen Victoria's correspondent, when onr newly married Princess Royal was present, in 1858, at the manoeuvres on the Rhine. It was in a letter that she wrote to the Queen from Hanover that the latter learned how her daughter was winning all hearts by her charm of manner. Th« writer's own charm of manner and political sagacity were to win her golden opinions from Disraeli. She had known the late King from his boyhood, and neither of them ever forgot it. They were always great friends. She was the last grande dame of the Victorian Age, and never ceased to be one of the first In this.