ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10479, 26 June 1897, Page 3 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[FROM THE SOCIETY PAPERS.] The Queen has been pleased to accept from Mr. Charles Stewart, Eaton Place (of the family of Fanasloich, Appin), a silver model of Prince Charles' Monument at Ulenfinnan, which is erected oh the spot where the Prince's standard was firsb raised in 1745, The beautiful and old-fashioned structure, which was visited by' Her Majesty many years ago, was erected, as the inscription on it tells, " to commemorate the generous zeal, the undaunted bravery, and the inviolable fidelity of those who foughb and bled in the arduous and unfortunate enterprise of '45," and the inscription further refers to " thab daring and romantic attempt to recover for the Prineo a throne lost by the imprudence of his ancestors." The silver model which has been presented to Her Majesty bears alto a separate inscription, stating that it it offered, "in the sixtieth year of her glorious and beneficent reign, to Queen Victoria, the representative, by the grace of God, of tho unfortunate Prince," and further sets forth that the presentation i> made by " a member of the clan who now yield to none in loyalty to their Queen." The model, which was executed from drawings by Mr. W. Skeoch Camming, will be placed either in the library ab Windsor Cattle, or in the room at Balmoral where o number of Jacobite relics are displayed. Her Majesty takes a lively interest in all historic memorials of the ancient* Royal House and of the Highland clans. Mr. Charles Stewart had tho honour of being personally received by the Queen at Windsor, when the model was delivered to Her Majesty and graciously acknowledged.

The Grand Duke Michael Michailovitch, of Russia, at the Villa Dulone de Rosnaj, Cannes, was the World's "Celebrity at> Home" the other week. The Grand Dukt was not in the least reluctant to tell the writer the story of his life. The eecond son of the Grand Duke Michael fllichailovitch, who is the only Field-Marshal in the Russian Army, his mother being a sister of the reigning Grand Duke of Baden, he w»j born in St. Petersburg thirty-six years ago, but when ho waa barely a year old his father was appointed Viceroy of the Caucasus, and held that office for nineteen years. So that the Grand Duke, like his brothere and eiater, the Grand Duchesa oi Mecklenburg, saw little of Russia in Europe until after he had commenced hie military career in the School of Officers at Tiflis. He returned to St. Petersburg with hie father and entered the Horse Artillery, which was then known as the " Rifle Regi. ment of the Guard." He had been promoted to the rank of Captain, when he met) his fate in the charming daughter of Prince Nicholas of Nassau, by his morganatic marriage with the Countess Meremberg. The young Grand Duke saw and was at once conquered; but the late Czar was strongly opposed to the matcb, and would not listen to anything that was said in its favour, so that when his cousin was martied to the Countess Torby, as she is now called, at Venice, on February 26,1891 he was forthwith deprived of his rank and 'his uniform, while his appanage has been reduced by two-thirds. Such was the intimation conveyed to him a b Ventnor, whither he went for a two months' honeymoon before taking his bride to Cannes where she at once became immensely popular. And the Grand Duke makes no secret of the pain which he feels at so lengthy an ostracism for having married the woman of his choice. As he says, he has now been punished for six years; but if he regrets the diminution of his fortune which prevents him from indulging in his taste for horses and for miniatures, he feels still more the exclusion from Russia. In the meanwhile the Grand Duke and hie youug wife, who not long since bore him a second daughter, upon whom the suggestive name of «fl ope " has been bestowed, make the besb of life, and they are so uni.versally liked and esteemed that) theit sojourn is made pleasant for them wherever they go.

The Poet-Laureate is naturally a great favourite with ladies, for his tastes, beeidej being those of the sportsman, are of the gentle order. He loves flowers and gardens and country life, and is of a most amuein* as well as chivalrous disposition. To the friends with whom he is most intimate in London, he is in the habit'' of sending telegrams of this peremptory description :- Are you in town, and is iny room ready!" Far from giving annoyance by such a dicta, tonal message, the poet's "wires" beai with them matter for congratulation on the part of hia hostesses, for it is really difficulti to charm him away from his beautiful country home, and the offer of a visit is i high honour from him.

In an article on the Royal Family of Greece, in the May number of the Century Jlr. I. de Wheeler describes the King a> personally n sociable, companionable man, fond of a joke, particularly susceptible to the flavour of American humour, not at all stringent in the minutis of official etiquette; and sometimes giving the impression thab he will be glad when the formal part of the ceremony is over. He is ofton seen walking in the parks or on the sidewalks of hie capital, and in the seclusion of his garden rejoices in the use of an American bicycle, which no interpretation of royal license would permit him to ride upon tho highways. He is, however, a rigid dieciplinariau, and bis children have been brought up to feel the full force of the authority of the Teutonic house-father. King George's natural sympathies and tastes (says this writer) lead him towards Prance. It is in Paris that he loves best of all to spend his weeks of relaxation. (Jermany has little charm for him, and no wonder, Dane as he ie. For him the person of the present German Emperor adds nothing to the attractiveness of Berlin. Between them ther< is a deep gulf fixed. Mr. Wheeler append! a eketch of Queen Olga, who, he says, is i Russian heard and soul. She never fails to

f how the warmth of her allegiance, whether it be to individuals, to political interests, or to religion. The Queen does not speak Danish freely, nor the King Russian. Hence when by themselves they converse in German. Both speak English and French freely. In the family of the Crown Princo English is the established language. When the whole family is together, it is made the rule that Greek shall be used at) table, but at other times English or German is the usual language. Fortunately, the Queen's enthusiasm for Russian interests is not shared by her sons.

On May 10 the Prince and Princess o! Wales and Princess Victoria, with the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, lafti Eaton Hall' for Hawarden Castle on a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone, : The visitors were te< ceived at the Golden Wedding porch, tb( meeting being a cordial and, as regards the Princess of Wales and Mrs. Gladstone, a mosb affectionate one. The Royal and Ducal party afterwards visited the ruined keep, Mr. Gladstone'conducting the Princess, and the Duke Mrs. Gladstone." Aftei luncheon the Royal and;l>Bcal party, with Mr. and ' Mrs. Gladstono and Messrs. Her* bert and Henry Glads tone,' drove to Sandy* croft Station. The ; parting; between . the Princess of Wales and Mrs. Gladstone was again an affectionate one, and the Prince of ■Wales expressed ! the wish that, bo night - -Boon oMjeb Mr. Gladstone again*