AT HOME AND ABROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 163, 12 July 1928, Page 11

AT HOME AND ABROAD.

A daughter of Rasputin is suing a Russian prince and a grand Duke for 200,000 francs as damages for the murder of her father in 1916.

The Duke and Duchess of York and Prince George were present at the Empire Day ball, whirh was held at the Mayfair Hotel, in aid of the University College Hospital.

In the course of the next year Princess Elizabeth will almost certainly have her portrait painted, writes a London correspondent, and in the art world of London a good deal of speculation has been going on as to who will be t" e lucky artist selected. Whoever may paint it, the picture, apart from its merit as a work of art, is destined to become historic, and it is possible that it will be known some day as the first portrait of Queen Elizabeth 11.

One always finds an interesting gathering of people at Mrs. Somerset Maugham's parties in her Chelsea home, comments "The Queen," and always the hostess has had some idea which marks the evening as a successful one to be remembered. Last week's party had an especially decorative air, for many of the women guests were wearing flowing chiffon frocks in vivid colours for which her famous white room made a charuing setting. Walls, ceiling, furniture, even the pine floor, are white, and only white flowers had been used in the decorations.

A posy of flowers was one of the most treasured gifts which the Queen received on her 61st birthday. It was from her little granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth, who, with her father, the Duke of York, motored to Buckingham Palace to give her own greetings to the Queen and to hand to her grandmother her special birthday present. The present was a closely guarded secret. Even members of the household staff of the Duke's Piccadilly home did not know exactly what it was that the Princess held tightly clasped in her hand. IV war a Stevens' posy with a colour scheme of pale pink, shading through pale mauve to blue.

Mrs. Amery was at home on Wednesday afternoon (writes our London correspondent on May 25) at 112, Eaton Square. Among her guests were:—Lady Lavery, the Dowager Countess of Antrim, the Hon. Lady Dalr'ymple- White, Lady Phipps, Sir Charles and Lady Cottier, Sir Thomas Stranginan, Lady Fitzgerald, Mrs. Ernest Schwa rz, Prebendary Gough, the Hon. Mrs. Rupert Gwynne, Mr. and Mrs. Dusral, Sir John and Lady Aird, Lady Henderson, Countess Stanhope, Lady Parx and Miss Parr, Mrs. John Dent, Colonel and Mrs. Stephen Butler, Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Leroyd, Mrs. Clifton Brown, Mrs. and Miss Macarthur Onslow, the Hon. Mrs. Robert Lindsay,' Mrs. A. Fitzherbert, the Countess of Clarendon, Sir Ransford and Lady Slater, Lady Byrne, Dame M#ud McCarthy, Sir Henry and Lady McMahon, Colonel and Mrs. F. Stanton, Sir George and Lady Duckworth, Mr. and Mrs. Heathcote Helmore, Mrs. Heathcote Gray, Mrs. Guy Warren. Mr. and Mrs. John Walter. Afterwards gifts and favours - from the various Dominions and Colonies were distributed among the guests. People strolled" about the ballroom for nearly fifteen minutes admiring their presents of New Zealand honey, Indian tea, or Australian wine. These commodities had very largely been the gifts of the various High Commissioners. On Thursday, Empire Day, Royalty divided their patronage between the Empire Day ball, also at the Mayfair Hotel, and tie bric-a-brac dance, for which Lady Mullens lent her lovely house in Belgrave Square. At the Empire Day ball the Duke and Duchess of York saw a pageant of "pre-Raphael ite women," in which well-known beauties posed as pictures. Amongst others Lady Carlisle was Steevens' "Mrs. Collman," Lady Massereene Rossetti's "The Sea Shell," and Lady Warrender Roasetti's "Monna Vanna." Lady George Cholmondeley and Lady Lavery arranged these living pictures, and the Duchess of Roxburghe, the Duchess of Grafton, the Duchess of Portland, Lady Carisbrooke, Lady Louis MountbatteD, Lady Clarendon, and Mrs. Arthur Glasgow, were some of the ticket holders.

The Empire Eve ball, writes our London correspondent on May 25, in aid of the Dominion Students' Athletic Union, founded by Mr. A. E. Porritt, the New Zealand athlete, drew crowds to the Mayfair Hotel on May 23. Lady Cholmondeley, Lady Douro, Lady Birkenhead, Lady Elibank, Lady Joynson-Hicks, and Mrs. Amery all took parties. In place of a cabaret there was a magic ark of Empire, out of which Mr. and Mrs. John Bull (Sir Harry Brittain and Mrs. Hilton Philipson) stepped at 12.30 and ushered in the dawn of Empire Day. Mrs. Amery, dressed in pale pink beaded georgette, with the Lady Hawke and Sir Harry and Lady Brittain, received the guests, many of whom were overseas visitors to London, the majority being from Canada and Australia. Among those of interest to New Zealand were the Baroness Furnival and Miss Eileen Myers, who was on the ladies' committee. Miss Myers was wearing a frock of blue tulle with pink roses appliqued on the skirt, and Lady Furnival wore white trimmed with diamante. It will be remembered thax the Baroness Furnival was in New Zealand with her husband, Commander Agar, V.C., from 1921 to 1924, when he was attached to the New Zealand Navy. Sir James and Lady Parr were not present, neither were the' Duke and Duchess of York, who had promised to attend. Many debutantes came from their Majesties' Court, several appearing in the full regalia of train, veil and feathers. Soon after one o'clock the Empire Pageant began. H.M.s. Ark of Empire produced from its depths all the animals that in childhood we looked for in the Ark. They were made of wood and were exceedingly cleverly designed, each being accompanied by a keeper from the country intimately connected with it. Thus the Irish Free State, in the guise of a dainty colleen, led a terrier, Australia led a kangaroo, and a very dashing New Zealand farmer led a weird and wonderful kiwi. The counties had a very doll-like and Noahish appearance as all the frocks were made of American cloth, which looked as though it had been highly varnished as all true Noah's Ark figures always are. Instead of Mr. r.nd Mrs. Noah, Mr. and Mrs. John Bull led the procession of animals and keepers roqjid the ballroom, and later Mr. John Bull (Sir Harry Brittain) spoke to the guests for a few moments, thanking them for their support tuid begging it for another jrear.