ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 6 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

J, «,,V".; ', [«10M THE SOCIETY, PAPERS.] '■i J ■><■ ' ' i« ' ' ' The Hon. Gwen Molesworth, youngest daughter of Viscount Moleawortlj, who was '• married on May 6 at .St. Luke's Church, . Chelsea, &> Colonel Dyson. Laurie, wore ' i«me wonderful lace. Her white satin ' gown was almost covered with Brussels lace , ' • which has been worn by every bride in . - the Molesworth family during the last two ~ ' hundred years. ■W'XJSV:-';^'*;;/ "'■ ??■'"■? '■ '"'/' ■--'■•■■ ■"■•-- ' ■-'■ -■ ■'--"■-,:::•-:,::.' ,■;;::-; ■ Two recent social functions, functions ; ' \ that had been postponed until the King's return, mark (says the'■ Tatter) a record-i '' . one, a ball, cost £6000, the'flowers costing £2000, and trio other, an afternoon con- ., cert, must have dipped into tho puree of • the lady who gave it to the extent of £4000. One of the artists' fees consisted of a cheque for £600. ~ The, two sons of the Prince of ..Wales, Prince Edward and Prince Albert* took fmrt in'.a cricket match at Windsor recentyi;^ Both shaped ;well at the wicket, land they are said to have in them tne making of first-class batsmen while both did some -.smart things in the field. The elevens, .'which were composed of small boys, princi- • ~ pally from Eton' College, . were captained ".by the two Princes. The King and Queen were interested spectators: for a time. .' • ■' Some time ago Queen Victoria of Spain, accompanied by one of her cousins, was paying an informal call, when the* four-, year-old son of her hostess expressed his "/" dissatisfaction that the Princesses did hot wear their crowns. Crowns, so tho child . evidently thought, were part of the ordinary, apparel of Royal personages, and, in his disappointment at not seeing those of his ■ ■ mother's visitors' he inquired where they were. " Oh," said the Queen reassuringly, "we have our crowns all right, but we "■•; wear them under hats!' f fM:"WMp^-^ m -' : txa-: ■'■. ■' ■-, .#-v vr ; , ' The bankruptcy of the late Marquis of Anglesey was a very recent scandal; The ,' financial affairs of the late Marquis of Ailes- ';■■'. bury and the present Marquis of Queens- ' . bury have been more or less before the pub- ■'•■'■'■,. lie,. and the late Marquis of; Donegall: was a, bankrupt nearly nil his life. The melan- '■ choly end of the late Marquis of Hastings ; ik well known,, and many people will remember the sad; pecuniary trouble: ; which ; Shadowed the closing days of that great, - i and. noble statesman - the Marquis of Duf- ,; ferin. It seems to be a bit unlucky to be ;'■■"■' ■ft Biarqui6. . ; The Grand Duchess Xenia "is one of the vi proudest of all the proud Romanoffs, and > ■, therefore not so popular as she might be. : In fact* she is rather a' dreaded visitor at the palaces of St. Petersburg, in spite of her undeniable good qualities, ,and ; ;it,is said that she looks upon the democratic tendencies of her- sister-in-law, the Tsarina, With something akin, to horror; s The Grand Duchess Xcnia is, of course, a niece of ;V • Queen Alexandra, though she resembles her mother's family but little. She is "•. thirty-ono years of age, and on July 27 will celebrate the twelfth anniversary, of her marriage with- "Duke Alexander : Michailovitch. | i , , „ ; ; ;' ;' Lady Ranfurly was the Hon. Constance '.. ' Coalfield, only child and heiress of Vis- , count Charlemont, and although she has. been married for more than a quarter of a , century, she still maintains a youthful ap- .. ■•'.• pearance. . Lord Ranfurly. is an Irish peer, and his country place is Northland House, in County Tyrone. ~ He. owns the greater. part of the town of Dungannon, a home of the linen industry.; By the way, several well-kn,own men are the lucky possessors of . ' entire towns. Lord Hindlip owns Kilmarnock; Sir John Ramsden, Huddersfield, i ; with the exception of one solitary house;" V ;'.,'."". Lord ■ Newton, is ' the . ground-landlord • of ,'- . Newton, in, Cheshire; and Sir Michael: , . Shaw-Stewart is the proprietor of the flourishing seaport' of Greenock. ■■•'..; ."; r* .■■- T" 'V 1 !■""" ' 'V" """"■ J "-"" .... ;., ■, ' - .That Mrs. Langhbrne-Astbr has not been , .'- presented at Court as a bride has given.rise ■ ; = (saysah American exchange) to the report . that Queen Alexandra has made absolute her rule not to receive any woman who has been a party to -a divorce, even the most :,v innocent of parties.' When the Queen, . ■ makes_up her mind her august spouse can- •. not-. move her. She has never forgiven ■ | ' Ldrd Rothschild for having invited to meet l:\ ' • her, at a reception he: gave three years ago, ;Sk-v a very prominent New York divorcee and : her new husband- Ambassador Whitelaw :':■' Reidi intervened to secure young Mrs. As- ■ tor's presentation, but in vain, although he , Was aided by Lord. Althorpe, the Lord Chamberlain, who is a special friend of •■ * the Queen. . " ' ■.■.■...■.: , "-,'' J '"' ' !""' ""' Wkv'^W>M'i:.~^. :•«■;'■::''i••:■?:•:■.■.•■';.'.' ■■■:"■ V-'-:~:-:': ';■ ■iW;' .?:■■:■'.-+'■' ;.V ?.:'.'•>■ ; : 1 ,An amusing story*,of the little: Grand ■'' * Duchess Marie is. now'going the rounds of '"',' St. Petersburg! The child, who is now six arid a-half years old, when walking with , * her German governess, met a white-haired! moujik, one Ivan Leikin, who complained" of hunger and asked for alms. 'Having no teoriey the child applied to her governess, ..who, however, : declined to give it, and - advised the, okl man to go to the Tsaritsa's ■ • . labour colo,uy close'by. Piqued at the refusal, the Grand Duchess took off her hat and gave it to the peasant, who walked away. The governess then; being.afraid to .'■■• take her charge home hat-less,-'. ran after the' mpujik and demanded t,he hat.' He .refused '• • • to give it up except in - exchange rfor • a ti 1 ■[ rouble, t and.got the-money. ■ ; The eldest,tcliild of "■ a British duke is • bound to occupy an important position,in; society, and that' even if that child be a ' daughter. Lady , Gucndolen Osborne ' holds that position among tho several daughters and only son of the' Duke and Duchess of • Leeds..- , She is' an * elegant, accomplished % I git and was one of the debutantes of the hew reign, for »he was eighteen during tlid ■ ' year following the accession. • ' Through hey mother, Lady Guondolen is connected with - , the great Lamhton clan, and she is a favourite niece of Lord Durham. .The Duchess of Leeds is very clever, and has published some chatnnng volumes of short stories. She • much prefers the country to the town. , Her ■■ yonug daughter" have been brought up at ' - •"! Hornby' Castle, but they spend the winter at - ißordigherai, where the much ilonged-for baby brother as born five years.ago. . ''•■■• Lady Redd and • her popular husband, Sir Rennell Rodd, His Majesty's Minister at Stockholm, • are receiving innumerable congratulations from their friends, oh tho won"''* ; dcrful recovery of their eldest boy from ill- | ! . ness:; The ■> child, after three operations . or an almost unique internal complication, ■•:</■■ . which for five weeks was declared by the •:S . ; : greatest surgeons of the day to be hopeless, is' now convalescent. The little fellow seems likely to have a great career before him, for already he is quite a distinguished linguist, speaking five languages. Be-' lievers in tho doctrine of reincarnation would probably take this as a proof of ,! former existence; but most people will ac- , . count for the boy's linguistic feats, by saying that he , inherits his brains from his parents. / Sir Rcnnell Rodd is one- of the. , ; -■;. .; Severest diplomats of the day, .while Lady! Rodd, nee Miss Lilias Guthrie, is a very ." gifted woman. ' . . .*-'.■. : , An amusing little story is told of King ' . Alfonso's ; visit to a big shop during his last visit to London. Though His Majesty ' -.. ''/ his Syvscn English since his childhood, when: ho had an English nurse, and speaks ' '.; it exceedingly well, Princess Ena laughing- .' ly told, him she felt sure that he would not dare go into a" big London shop by. himself and ask ' for'some simple article. '■ King Alfonso was 1 sure, he was equal to the occa- ' sion.,>Princess Eria doubted it, and finally ;; - ■ they had a bet on the subject—a.■■cigarette- . case to a fan. A little after ten o'clock ■ ' next morning King Alfonso strolled into } the shop, walked into the fish department; ; and bought a pint of shrimps. lie paid ,-i'; ,'; for them, and carried them off in a paperhug. Then he* chartered a hansom and '•■ '<"'drove off to, Kensington Palace, where he •?■■',;, proudly handed over his .purchase to the ' '■"' V laughing ■ Princess.' Moreover, lie insisted . on her eating some of the ,' shrimps for luncheon, and himself chose the trophy which shows that he won his wager.