KING EDWARD VII AND HIS OFFICERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11602, 16 March 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

KING EDWARD VII AND HIS OFFICERS.

London - , February 2.—Already King Edward is beset with difficulties in selecting his personal suite. In ordinary course, Sir Francis Knollys, an ideal Royal private secretary, would become private secretary to the King, whom he so invaluably served as Prince of Wales, but Sir Arthur Bigge, whose qualities are equally high, and whose qualifications! are even higher because of his unique experience with a monarch's State business gained under the Queen, stands in the way. It is believed the King will solve the difficulty by retaining both. The beautiful and talented young Duchess of Sutherland, a half-sister of the Countess of Warwick, will probably be the new mistress of Robes, instead of the Duchess of Buccleuch. The King is being subjected to strong pressure to provide places at Court for some of his boon companions of the Marlborough House set, but he has firmly refused, though he will probably exercise his prerogative of conferring orders and peerages on friends like Reuben Sassoon, Alfred Rothschild, the Hon. Sidney Greville, who have no political, claims for inclusion in the Premier's list. Henry Labouchere entertains high hopes that the new King will tread in the footsteps of his mother as a constitutional ruler. Mr. Labouchere writes : — " I am not a courtier—l somewhat despise courtiers. I regard the entire human race as little animals fussing about 011 the rind of one of the millions of millions of globes that float in infinite space for a second or two of eternity and then disappear. " Articial distinctions between these little animals have no more significance to me than those between ants in the nest, which the foot of some passer-by sweeps out of existence. But—l say it in no spirit of flattery —if X had a vote as to who should be King of these realms, as I understand such kingship, my vote would be given to the gentleman on whom it has devolved by the chance of birth."