MUSICAL TASTES OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1581, 18 March 1887, Page 3

MUSICAL TASTES OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.

In a new book entitled " Music in the Land of Dogs," the author, M. Remo, a Frenchman, gossips as follows ■>n the musical tastes of the Qupen's children: —The Prince of "Wales {.lays c tic ily on the rifle; but still it is said t.iat be occasionally improvises a little on the banjo, and taat he uted, when

he was a younger man, to be very fon" of a collection of nigger Rons a. But his wife—the sympathetic Princess, with whom all England is in love, as Belgiur? was in lovo with the beautiful Duchess of Brabant, now the Queen — the Princess is a really good musician, and one day, when she little thought it, I had the pleasure of hearing her p\ay, with exquisite taqte, the pretty caprice in F which Mdme. Napoleon Voarine had dedicated ti her by her permission. The Princess ha? also taken letsons on the guitar from M. Curt-Schultz In the Princa of Wales's domestic circle many a pleasant evening is devot?d to light music. But the true minstrel of the Court is the Duke of Eliuburgh, who tortures a fine Stradivarius in public concerts. Bjrn with a trident in one hand and a bow in the other, he is at once a violinist and a sailor. The Princesses are also more or less musical. Princess Christian accompanies on the piano the, Duc'm ss of Connaught, who made her first appearance in public at a concert at Ascot in 1883. Princess Beatrice ploys the piano, takes singing lessons with Signor Tosti, and has composed a Kyrie. The Duke of Connaught, to keep up the traditions of the family, also plays an instrument, a very humble one, it is true 1 , but in keeping with his military profession—namely, the drum—the drum with its noisy jollity the drum which has only one note, hard and dull, but a note which can stir the populace, and call forth herfles, which can be mournful at a funeral solemnity, and irresistibly catching at the head of an army on the march. It has only one note, but this is the note of the flag, which summons rounds its standard the patriotism of a nation.