GOSSIP NOTES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12531, 28 June 1906, Page 10

GOSSIP NOTES.

("Wwkly Press and Referee.") It is just'four and iorty years (writes ii I/ondou correspondent on April 22nd) Bincn King Edward made his first acquaintance with Athene. This was m 18G2, when, having aliT.uly l>??n to Canada ami the United States, lie pet out on. hi.s first tour to the Near East, *o as to counterbalance h'.n v?xperienoo lof the Far West. Ho returned; homo by way of Athens, but this was a year before his Danish brother-in-law to be had boon elected King of the Hellfinerj. Seven years later, in lSOS). the Prince, accompanied this time- by the Princ-cru, undertook his second-tour in Mcditorr.Tiiean lands, including tho Crimea, where the battlefields were explained to the.ir Royal Highnesses by the best of all guides, Sir W. 11. Rt:f.sell, and they spent fjt-veral days at Athens in tho company of King George. When tho Print , :? and Princess of Wales return to England from their long tour in India they will hear many . interesting stories about their children's ' attainments. PrLnoe- Edward, Princo I Albert, and Princess Maty Jiaye much? remarkable progitvis both in their studies and their pastimes since- their f'ther and mother hnvi; been absent J from England. Thr children have spent ' ;iH>st, o!' their time at York Cottage, S.uidringbam. Th:.'ir leisiir;' liour.i have been aluicst w.hcliy dovnltd to gaining proficiency in all branciu'.s of English sport. il:>vw>!)r.ck rkling ir-; one of their favourite p:\stimes. The elde-.-'t Princes and thciir sister are continually out ruling together on the finr , road>> which surround the King's Norfolk estate, and 1 .so well do they sit their ponkf, that th?y 1 already give promise of becoming expert I equestrians. Cycling used to bo popular with tiie Princes up to n year ago, but although they istill ride to foir.o extent, this form of oxercisn h;:-> had to giro way to othor bnuiches of sport, including golf on tho Sandringhain Park coiir.v?.

Durinp; the p:ist winter Prince Edward and Prince Albert have played football, a;nd a. match was played at West Xewton (whitli is on tho estate) some days ago. The home team was composed *>f West Newton boys, captained by thi' Princes, who wero oppoan'l to Mr M. A. Harbor's Hiinstanton School. A k«;n game, in whicli tho Princess are said to have played splendid Iv. onded in a po-Ln-tle/s draw.

"The wodding tonk plnce privately at Cnthcle Hriuso, Cornwall, of the Earl c( Moini/o Tv-l'icuinbe and the Coant-CK? of Kavc: widow of lh> third £i'.i-l of 11 ;v:'!i.-v.-nrtb, ot JJaven»sworth Qistle, near Gatcshc-lad, who died in 1004. The Kari's eidrst. i" :ii. Viscount Valictort. vrsp pveisrri't i:i tilt? littie ch.apoJ attached to tlie ancient manilm wher? t;he coroniouy w.-is p.rformod. Tn? Earl'« f : 4t'r. Lady I'lrnr.stiriO Eclgciimbp, alurt present. The Earl of .Mount i- y:'vent.vfn::r, and w,.-i3 married in ]3")S to Lady Kα',''m. , tin? Ham:'.inn. or of tlie Di;ko of Al:c>fcc! n, who died in 1874. The earl ir» 0n , . , of King Ktiward's o!d:v'it friends, linrirc; b?en ornifn-y to the future monarch Mx-and-thirtv vcars

iirjo. and aitenvardi a Icrd-in-waitiivac. In three days tho Earl w;-.i> \jDid Valletcrt, and tho Prince of Walrw found him i-ndispeiisal !•». and him t'm» Admirable Criohtcn. Tho family is on>? of t'io oldesi'.- atul fan.oiis in Devon, end all its tv:">r.s hive fif/nred l.irg? in their cTi'nt--y'ts ]ii.«tc"y. freri the <lavi when Wiiliam Edgcimilje in 1353 "bouc-fiit- a A\-i!'o for fcrty shriliiifrs' , —that b.i::?; th? hiiii fixi'd i).v tne JJiuek Prine? for the ani of Hillaria do Cothelo—to tlir.so of the Sir Riclwi'd. who was ELizabc til's Sheriff of Devon and builder of Mount El.^eumbe.

A barony came to tho house of Edger.mbc in 1742. tho vi~-<ccunty of Mount Kdgcum.be and VaHctort fallowing in 1731. and the earldom ei'jjht yearn !-at>r. The present earl, acco;xii;i.2 to Deron-

shire trarl'tirn, otvps iiis <'xi»toaee to t!i*j ''accid-rnt of an arcider.!.' . An anctetro=B of Iris vrv.fi Iviriod in a trance, and as destiny -wcuJd hnrc it. eon:e of Ivor l iolir.st jewels -«-:th A tc-rvitor vit?H°d ht?r tomb with intent to t-ht» d-ad fnivcfw of their <<-,v.\h .and !o! dead caino to life and the robber wont f.h:i<?ki."2: away. ir.Mi:: , . Four yoan; Lvtor .1 soTi wrs l>3r:i to thi* Ir.'ly. .T'cJ from that «nt;;• v>:" •si-it -?ari d-o*<-<?.:idH. Ths of nmrriv';! tiu' third t-a:i in 18()t:i. a::d is now fixt γ-toro.:?. Tii_> <.o<'.:ixo~fi was t!if vi tho Hen. Kd,icumln.'. the s:-co:id ioa of tho ettoud

Earl of Moun.t Edgcnmle, and is, thereforo, her husband's cousin. A i-tory is goin.pc the rcands of tho Rcnuiii clv)* ivliioli t?1!s hotv tho Ouc-on Marjjlierita w?e r«-Mi-cm at most vigoroiifsly by a C 3-.1 "(babr. The Qu<v?n has a prirato i-lenlir;]-? wire *icr room in th? PaJaco which she inhabits n-ear tlio Qulrinal with King Victor EmmajHipl's private apartment. Whrn t'iio hell rings calling the Quern tip on this iin.? noHady over touches tho receiver. Ibo Quoni* is r.<ntifi«l, and everybody ietires from tho apartment whib ;-lie wirh .hor rcn. Tho otlior day tho br. , .! rang fnrioiieJy and γ-t tho Queen's inquiring what was wanted a gruff v-cico doniaiuhd when fhc intrinlr<l to p:iy "that bill." "Bill; what, bill?" a<kod t'ho Qncnri. "You knew w.-ll enough what "bill," ropliod the voic. "I hare boon at you for five wioks now and I'm iibout tirorl. and it" you doit pay up pretty so«7n*' —anrl hr-ri , foliown-d a frtri'.".: of ai! the in-cet t.;'iTi'l»h> ca'.!;s <?onta : iKKl in th<? Kalian j !/'.:i;';i,r.!;o. When tho psr&rvn at Ih'j orh'.r e::<\ of tl:o Jinx.' stopped fer | biT.ith Her Majf.-ty reqnosti'J that li« ! nio:\? fully and pUiis hi" iden- | tity. 'I'm tlr. l onal dealer, and you j kiif.w it ppifoctly.'" was tho reply, and ; fir.-'t <:i' ricii oarhfi rollo'l cvor j til:' wii'->. In i!k-> piH-st of tlrrni. how- ! ever. I.!i.> c..;:t:a! <:fficc omrlnvpcß pet- ' t!:a-; a iniMalw hnd been in giving tho foininmiieations, shut off : tiK) e'inl de.ilor. Thr , Qi'oon, who at t!io timo of bivng cu.'bd to the 'phons ' lvns h-o'd;! , .;: a nHvption. went back t"> h:-r R.-ilwi and told tli-r* with lnnc'ii , Tier ?<i.:i having a capital sc-r.Bi? of humour. j