ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12955, 26 August 1905, Page 6 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[FROM THE SOCIETY PAPERS.] Lord lJrrciiKXKU is a very keen Freemason, ami is vrv high up in 'ha ranks of devotees ol the ancient mysteries. In London Mrs. Drrxcl is recognised as one of the successful American hostesses. [She is a- very charming woman, and has a talent for making friends. The Duchess el Marlborough, at a musical party in London the other night, wore pale Who' chilfon work with silver ami diamante, one arm-strap of bine ostrich feathers, the other of chiffon bows. The Duke of Cmiitatight and his sou are a!, present the next heirs to the throne of the United Duchies of Coburg and Gotha, and alt?]' them comes .Prime Albert, of Wales, The Prince of Wales' hoys gruff very fast. The Duke ami Duchess of Manchester, who have recently been enterfainiug some American friend?'in Ireland, are in London to meet the duchess' father. Air. Zimmerman, who is said to be looking out for a suitable town house which he may present to his daughter. King Edward, the .Kaiser, and the young King of Spain are all possessors of dogs which were recently bought in Paris. King Edward's purchase, was a splendid specimen of the French bulldog, for which no less ■than £180 was paid during His Majesty's last visit to Paris.

■; Hot Arcle.lia.iAo, the Viennese hairdresser 'J' who was, "commanded" to Berlin to dress the hair of the Crown Princess on her wed- [ ding day, has received the Order of the Iron j Grown from the Kaiser, and a decoration, a I scarf-pin, cuff links, and a watch-charm i ircoa the CrowD Princess and her mother. | There was a- very /.ending leave-taking 1 Between Princess Gustav of Sweden and her family, and the poor Duchess of Gonnaught j: .looked very sad and tearful as she said goodjj| bye. There were many parting words and 1 Stare-wells said, and the Crown Princes* turn- | ed back from the railway carriage at VicI toria to give her father two kisses for the | test time, Botlushe and the Crown Prince I '(says the World) looked as happy ae two I people ought to look under the eireunaI 'stances.. p > * The. habits of no other monarch are mors i Simple than those of the King of the Belli gians. His Majesty rises at six o'clock, I and work for a couple of hours before p breakfast, a meal which consists of coarse, f dry bread, tea, and an apple, .i The morn- | ing is spent in the transaction of State |-• business. Luncheon is of homely fare. The I King usually drinks filtered water, rarely 1 wine. He takes outdoor exercise in the ! afternoon. Dinner is a plain meal, for the | King is fond of simple joints. I I The Duke of Argyll was ones visiting a | school at Ascot, and noticed a small boy | running as hard as he could round the | cricket ground. When he had been round it I three times and stopped, the duke asked I the headmaster why he was running alone 1 in that extraordinary way. "Oh," said the - master, "that's Lord Randolph Churchill's \ sou. When ho talk's too much we make him | go three times round." The truth was that I Mr. Winston Churchill had just been inI bulging in chatter, and had been sent round I the field to silence him. I I Queen Alexandra delights to go about un- ! noted when the requirement of State matters j do not make it impossible. When Barnnm I -opened, his show at Olypmia, the King and 1 Queen visited it. Then, some time after, our I present Queen went again, accompanied by 1 her sons. Barnum, who met Her Majesty., I expressed his pleasure that he should be I .thus honoured by a second visit from Her ; Majesty. " Oh," she said in a half whisper, ] with a comical attempt to conceal the fact | from those about her, "I have'been here ! three times before!" She had gone privately, 1 and nobody had known. I . I At evening functions in London rich and | simply-made satin dresses are much worn. I They are far more popular than thin ethereal I fabrics. The other night a very great lady j wore rich white satin, cleverly arranged in '■. large box pleats, with a .trail of shaded vel- ; vet petalled •pahsies placed across a lace \ bertha on the bodice. One tall and.statues1. que countesv who .is fan, wore pale blue S satin in folds so simple as to be almost .pic- < toesque. .A- peeress- one 61 the richest in I the laud—. white satin; the bodice ; beautifully embroidered with white bugles f and pearls. .The wife of possibly''the most I' discussed -statesman of the day was in white |.i satin. '•', ~'•"' ■■;

I The Duchess of Newcastle is very learned I in the matter of dogs, and has acted as judge I at important shows, and even visited AmeriI ca for that purpose. She is fond of dogs of ': all kinds, and the kennels at Clumber are I one of the most interesting sights of the ; place, her borzois and wire-haired tenders I being among the best in the kingdom. The [ iuchess has quite a gallery of her dogs' porI traits, many of her pete having been immorI talised by the best animal painters of the ;' iw. White dachshunds are the special pets I of Lady Chesham. Lady Charles liuies-Ker Lj&-W great dog-lover, Raw black and white J" dachshunds are bred at her Hampshire home, [ but collies are her favourite dogs, and of j these she has a large number.

It is a- common saying that " ft is better to I be bom lucky than rich," but it is most dei arable of all to be both lucky arid rich, and i feat evidently was the good fortune, of Lady I Bingham. She was Miss Violet Spender- • Clay, daughter of Mrs. Beresford Melville • by her first marriage, and her brother is ; Captain Spender-Clay, of the Second Life ; . Guards. A great heiress, pretty, clever, and highly educated, she made her debut in so- 1 \ piety under the most happy circumstances. Balls and parties were given for her by her | mother in the house she then occupied in ! Grosvenor Square, and soon the announce- | ment was made that Miss Spender-Clay was | engaged to Lord Bingham, eldest son of I Lord Lucan. Lord Bingham is a good-look- [ ing man in the early forties, with pleasant ; manners, and apparently plenty of" friends. | He and his wife have a house in Portman '; Square, but they are not a great deal in j London.. They have three children—two ' little boys and a daughter, who has her i mother's name of Violet.

I The engagement of Lord Hugh Grosrenor [ V) Lady Mabel Criehtou hits excited quite an i unusual amount of interest. It is only about J Swo years ago since. Lord Hugh's eldest sis- ! ier, Lady " Mbllie" Grosvenor, married Lady j Mabel's eldest brother, Lord Crichton, so j there will now be double tie? between the two families. Lady Mabel Crichton is the ; second daughter of the Earl of Erne, and for some years she has been one of the most i admired and popular girls in society. Less I beautiful, perhaps, than hoi sister, Lady : Evelyn Ward, she is yet exceedingly pretty j —tell and fair, with a- slender, graceful : figure. Though she lias been described as a . typical " suinmei girl," enjoying every sort j of country pleasure, she is an excellent | Saucer, and when she is in London she goes | about everywhere, and is to be seen at most 1 of the smartest balls. As Lady Mabel's ; sister is the wife of a brother of Lord Dudley, she naturally is very much a member u the Vice-regal set, and she spent the whole j of the last season at Dublin Castle, During ! that gay time the young couple saw a great | deal of each other, for while Lady Mabel | was the guest of Lord and Lady Dudley ; Lord Hugh was staying with Lady Grosj vcuor, and afterwards with Lord and Lady ! Iveagh. It is said that the late Duke of I j Westminster sold Cliveden, his beautiful \ place on the Thames, in order to provide . portions for the younger members of his j family. Be that as it may. Lord Hugh is ! not merely lucky in love, but also in having j ah ample'fortune, an' 1 there are few men of I twenty-one whose prospects in life equal | fchoso of this popular young officer of the First . ife Guards.