COURTIER'S STORIES

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 3182, 6 January 1928, Page 5

COURTIER'S STORIES

LATE QUEEN VICTORIA

INCIDENT AT A DINNER

Lord Ribblesdale, a handsome Lord-. in-Waiting of the Victorian Court, has left some good stories in his "Impressions and Memories," just published. Queen Victoria's face always gave him the impression of an over-taxed mind. Hence, he says, "the half-cross, halftired expression she often wore."

This expression is seen in Yon Angeli's portrait—painted in the late 70 's—of which the Duchess of Athol 6aid to the Queen in robust Scots accent: "It's justice without mercy,

ma 'am.''

At the Queen's dinner table plates were removed as soon as the Queen had finished and appetising delicacies were often whisked away from guests before they had begun to eat. This happened once to the Marquis of Hartington, who was no more shy at Court than anywhere else. He was seated next the Queen, and was conversing with her, when the mutton and peas in front of him were taken away. Stopping in the middle of a sentence, he called out to the scarlet-clad marauder, "Here, bring that back!" The Queen was amused.

Here is a pleasant picture of Gladstone at Windsor, late in the even-

ing:—

I heard Mr Gladstone telling the Queen —he was drinking a large cup of strong tea—that he had just had a colloquy with his hatter. None of his hats fitted^ as when he was in office the bumps of his head enlarged. "Oh, Mr Gladstone," the Queen said, "I cannot believe that." But he-stuck to it in the lighter ironical manner which he sometimes resorted to, and, at times, excelled in. -

A political story which Gladstone "used to tell and enjoy" is given in a footnote:

An Admiral Wemyss stood for Fife at the time when better education for the people at large became a political question. Admiral Wemyss waa told he might strike something sympathetic in that line. This is what he said: "I'm all for the people, damn them, but T wouldn't educate them, blast ithem." The Admiral, said Mr Gladstone, carried all before him, and headed the poll with flying colours.

Lord Ribblesdale tells this story of his father, who combined a fondness for church-going with, a love of < racing: "My father was fond of his Bible, and knew it well, and read it without compunction. I have it still. The few fly-leaves are employed indifferently for old-fashioned commentaries of that day and the handicapping of longforgotten horses." ;.'

While staying, in, his younger days, with his grandfather, Lord John Russell, at Pembroke Lodge, Lord Eibblesdale remembered meeting Charles Dickens. He says: "Dickens was extremely smartly dressed —over-dressed, I should say. With a lesser man, I should have described the whole look and character as dapper but Dickens was one of our heroes, and I was

charmed by everything about him."