THE KING AT HIS CLUB.

Hastings Standard, Volume XIII, Issue 4310, 13 November 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE KING AT HIS CLUB.

HOW HIS MAJESTY SPENDS HIS SPARE TIME AMONG FRIENDS, AND THE UNWRITTEN LAWS OBSERVED TO ENSURE HIS PEACE OF MIND.

His Majesty from his youth has been a great clubman. At one time his name *\\ a.s on the books of many of the leading Loudon institutions of this character. When he came to the throne, he relinquished his membership of the bulk of Ins c'ubs.

As a young man his Majesty desired to have some club where he could meet his intimate friends, and have a quiet tjamo of cards or billiards and yet not be brought into contact with those whose acquaintance he had no desire to make.The Marlborough Club in Pall Mall was therefore founded in 180'J, and his Majesty gave the name of his then town re-idence to it. Two of the original members of tho club .along with tho King, and who still survive, are the Duke of Fife and Lord Farquhar, two of his Majesty's oldest and■ most intimate friend*. The membership of the club now is about six hundred.

To this day any nomination for election to the Marlborough passes under the personal scrutiny of tho King, and upon his decision depends the verdict of the club. There are men to-day well known in society, and apparently possessed of all with which this world can endow them, who would give hall their belongings to be enabled, to place the magic words '"Marlborough Club on their visiting cards. The King, however, has reasons of his own for objecting to their presence, and therefore their election is impossible. NO CEREMONY. Even during the .strain of a London season. with his many public duties, the King finds time to run into his favourite club for an hour or two's rest and quietness. No particular ceremony marks either Lis entry or his exit. The attendant at the door swings it open a.s his Majesty's private motor-ear or brougham draws up in much the same fashion a.-- he would for any other member. Tin re is. however one interesting exception. By special desire of the King the attendants at "Marlborough Club, as far as possible, are either exsoldiers or sailors It is impossible for them to forget that they have worn his Majesty's uniform and sworn allegiance to him. Therefore, they come to the salute as he passes thorn. As far as the other members of the club art 1 concerned it is well understood that when his Majesty enters the building ho desires, and even expects, to be treated in purely a private capacity. His favourite seat is rather near the fireplace in the siiieking-rcorn. with his back towards the window. Therefore, anyone occupying this ;;e:it at once vacates it. with a bow to the King, and finds a chair somewhere else. Tb? members present, too, all ri-e in their seat* when the King enters the room, but this is a formality that is quickly over, since with a bow and a smile the King with a wave of his band intimates his desire that they should all resume' their feats and tacitly ignore his presence. NO POLITICS Another unwritten law of th" Marlborough Club is that no member must directly address the, Kinir without first being spoken to by him. ~ This is a rule that may be infringed by only one member of the club, the Duke of Fife. As son-in-law to the King, of course, the Drke stands in a unique position. The King, however, <h sires company when he visits the club, and after he has glanced through the evening papers he Will get up and stroll round the rooms, exchanging a cheery word here and there with such of his friends as he chocses to recognise. The one subject that is taboo to all in the King's presence is that of politics. The political situation neither at home nor abroad may be mentioned when his Majesty i s in the room.

Though, as has be n said, his Majesty when visiting the club expects his incognita t-r> bo strietlv observed, he is keen to lesent anything i.i the nature of undue familiarity.. A rather wellknown Peer discovered this to his cost a few years ago. Presuming upon a tnendly conversation ho had just had withthe King he called across the room to him, "Just ring the bell behind you. will you please, sir ? The Prince of Wales, as lie then was, looked at him for a moment and then rang the boll. The waiter entered, and the Prince sa?d to him iu a voice that could he heard all over the room. "Please call .Lord —"s cariiage." The Peer took the hint and left the club. The following morning he had a polite note from the secretary intimating that the committee would be extremely obliged if he would consider his membership terminated, and would rot make use of the club for the future. A RUBBER OF BRIDGE.

i As a general rule, it i.s late in the evening before his, Majesty can reach his club, and then he" chiefly desires a rubber o-' bridge with some of his old triends. Tin l King is an extremely good player, and greatly dislikes having a duffer at his table. Every member in the card-room who plays anvil ing of a decent game is a ware that he may be summoned to take a hand at the Royal table, and no matter how interesting the game he is then engaged in may be, he must be piepared to reliiujui.h it cheerfully and to obey the command to join the Royal table. Further, he must be prepared to make agreeable "small talk" between the I since the King desires to be entertained as well as to play cards. Of recent years his Majesty has lost practically the whole of the interest he formerly took in billiards. At one time, however, iu played almost nightly at the Marlborough Club, an 1 up >;i £©-,*( ral occasions he entered for the club handicaps. Upon one occasion he was in for the final when he was ultimately beaten by a very narrow margin by a very distinguished sailer, who i.s .still at the i club. The prize he won on that occasion is ftti 11 to be seen in the cosy smoking-ivoni at Sandriniham. Xow. hew. ver, he is content to play the part of .spectator, and to leave it to the Prince of Wales and Prince Arthur of Counaught to uphold the reputation of ths Royal Family for skill with the cue.