THE SOCIAL ROUND

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 134, 4 December 1930, Page 9

THE SOCIAL ROUND

MR. FORBES AT HOME

ROYAL FUNCTIONS

A VISIT TO OXFORD

(From "Tho Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 31st October. Mr. and Mrs. Forbes visited Oxford last Sunday, where they were the guests of Sir Francis Wylie (Oxford secretary to the Rhodes Trustees), and Lady Wylie. A very interesting morning was spent going over some of the colleges. After lunch with their host, the Prime Minister and Mrs. Forbes went on t:> New College for tea, where they met about a dozen members of the Hongi Club (New Zealanders at Oxford), under their president, Mr. C. A. Sharp. The Prime Minister had a conversation with each of the students. The Prime Minister's chief mission '■o Oxford was to address the Raleigh Club, a representative Imperial oi'ganisation of undergraduates and senior members of the University. Here iie spoke on tliO subject of "New Zealand and the Imperial Conference." Afterwards the meeting resolved itself into an informal chat Yon Imperial matters. On Monday, Mr. Forbes, with other Prime Ministers, was sworn in as a member of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. Afterwards he attended his first meeting of the Council, when there was a rather unique ceremony. A new Great Seal was presented to Scotland. This was necessitated through the alteration in the King's titles consequent upon the creation of the Irish Free State. The old Seal was placed upon the table, and two hammers were brought in and handed to the King. His Majesty then took one hammer and smote the face of the seal. "This Seal is now defaced," lie said, "and is superseded by a new Seal." The old Seal now becomes a curio and a record. OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. The event of Tuesday was the State opening of Parliament, a function of great brilliance and Eoyal dignity. Mr. Forbes and Sir Thomas Sidey had sea J 3 in what is known as the King's Gallery, and Mrs. Forbes and Lady Sidey were in the Queen's Gallery. It was the first Parliament opened by the King since his illness, and the first time that he had read a speech prepared by a Socialist Ministry. His Majesty's voice was strong as of yore, and his reading was_ deeply impressive. The King was in his robes of State, and the Queen was a splendid figure in a dress of cloth-of-gold, embroidered all over in a design of wheat-ears in diamonds and seed pearls, and forming a train. Over this she wore a crimson velvet State robe, bordered with miniver and embroidered with gold, and a long miniver cape. Her Majesty wore a crownshaped diamond tiara of fleurs de lys and crosses-nattee raised from a deep band of diamonds, and necklets, pendants, and corsage ornaments of diamonds, with the insignia of the Order of the Garter. This function, so effectively set, once seen, can never be effaced from memory. Following this ceremony came a private luncheon given by some members of the Executive and Hospital Committees of tho Empire Parliamentary Association in the House of Commons. Mr. Forbes and Sir T. Sidey were among the guests. In the evening there was the dinner party given by the Prince of Wales at York House. AFTERNOON AT PALACE. Among the guests who had the honour of being invited to Their Majesties' afternoon party at Buckingham Palace on 29th October were the following: The Prime Ministers of the Dominions, with their wives, Sir T. K. and Lady, Sidey, Dr. and Mrs.- E. Marsderi, Colonel tie Hon. J. J. Astor, M.P., and Lady Violet Astor, the Eight Hon. L. S. Amer'y, M.P., and Mrs. Amery, Sir H. and Lady Batterbee, Cardinal ■ Bourne, Lord and Lady Burnham, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Berendsen, Sir A. and Lady Chamberlain, Dr. G. Craig, and .Mrs. Craig, Sir H. d'Egville,' General Sir Charles and Lady Alice Fergusson, Sir Maurice and Lady Hankey, Lord and Lady Islington, the Earl of Iveagh, the Countess of Iveagh, M.P., Dowager Countess of Jersey, Lord and Lady Liverpool, Dame Nellie Melbn, Lord and Lady Passfield, Lieutenant-General .Lord Baden-Powell, Lady Baden-Powell, Professor Sir Ernest and Lady Rutherford, Sir Godfrey and Lady Thomas, Sir' Thomas and Lady WiJford, and Miss Wil-/ ford. I In the evening came the very pleasanjt reception given by the' Minister of External Affairs of the Irish Free Stat*, Mr. and Mrs. Gilligan, at Grosvewor House. I The following afternoon, Viseountfees Elibank received the guests at an fat Jiome" given at the Lyceum Club to fthe Sadies accompanying the delegates to jthe Imperial Conference. f LEAGUE OF NATIONS BANQUET^, Mr. and Mrs. Forbes and Sir Thq/mas 'and Lady Wilford were among the Ijhrge number of guests at the Guildhall in/ the evening, on the occasion of the Lcpague of Nations' Union banquet, in hono/ur of the delegates of the Dominions and/India to the Imperial Conference, and thi£ British and Dominion delegates to the el.eveuth assembly of the League of Nation^. The Prince of Wales was the chief /speaker, and a special message was read from the King. In the absence through i/llness of Lord Grey of Falloden, Lord J Cecil of Chehvood presided.- On the o/hah'inan's table lay the hammer used by .'the President of the Assembly of the 'League of Nations when Germany wna admitted to the League. It bears the signatures of Sir Austen Chamberlain, M. Brianfl, and the late Dr. Stresemann. The Prince of Wales spolt^ on behalf of what he termed the., "greatest crusade I of all" —the crusade for world peace. In that gathering, the Prince observed, was to be seen convincing proof of the posmbility for international amity and cooperation on an extensive basis. There ■were met together representatives of onefourth of the entire human race, peoples •who, under the British Crown, had solved the problem of disarmament. "Is it mere idealism," the Prince asked, "that the remaining three-fourths should be able to tread the same path?" Mr. and Mrs. Forbes were guests at a luncheon given by Mi1. Ramsay MacBonald and Miss Mac Donald. Mr. Forbes ■was the chief guest at a lunch given by the directors of the Bank of New Zealand at the Cannon Street Hotel.