ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13453, 1 June 1907, Page 6 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

■• . [FROM THE society PAPERS.] Tub Pope has consented, at the request of the King of Spain, to be the godfather of the Spanish Prince. It, is a rule in the Spanish Royal Family that no heretic can act as sponsor to the heir of th« Spanish throne, so that the- report tba» King Edward and the German Emperor are also to be godfathers is without foundation, unless Queen Victoria can upset this rule, as she already has done so many others since her arrival in Spain. It is noteworthy that while the Queen allowed her Royal spouse to decide that the Royal shopping' for the event should be done in Spain, she was quite firm in the matter of having a doctor brought from England (Dr. Glendinning, formerly of New; Zealand). . _:. ............ i — | The report that Miss Muriel Wilson, daughter of Mr. Arthur Wilson, of Tranby Croft (the scene of the famous baccarat scandal), is to marry Prince. Francis of Teck.| brother of the Princess of Wales, is one of many similar reports that have been in cir-! culation in London for the past year or two. Miss Wilson is one of those society beauties who are always supposed to be engaged to i some celebrity or: illustrious personage. She has been a good deal in the public eye as an J amateur actress. She has. been the heroine j of the Chatsworth theatricals, and lias also| acted many times in London, once securing! the warm "approval of Beerbohm Tree when she appeared in the War Fund tableaux five] years ago. I Commodore Colin Kcppel, who, as com-; modore of His Majesty's yachts, is in command of the Victoria and Albert, during Their Majesties Mediterranean cruise, is | the only 6on of that genial old salt, the late Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Harry Kep-, pel, whom Queen Alexandra- was wont to. | call her "dear little admiral."' He is no! "carpet knight, but has knocked aboutj almost as much as his famous father. One narrow shave he had when he went up the Nile to rescue. Gordon, in which enterprise he was too late, but his gunboat was wrecked on a rock, and the whole party were taken off just' in time by Lord Charles BcTesford, who stated his opinion in despatches that they all owed their safety " to the untiring energy of Sub-Lieutenant Keppel." Further exploits in Egypt won for him Lord Kitchener's commendation of hi» "readiness of resource, daring, and ability." Lady Dickson-Povnder is the wife of the popular baronet who has represented the Chippenham Division of Wilts since 1892. She was Miss Anne Diaidas, and is a member of one of the oldest Scottish families. Lord Napier of Magdala is her uncle. • Lady Dickson-Poynder belongs to the intellectual and artistic set in society, and in her girlhood, when she was often chaperoned by the Duchess of Rutland (then Lady Granby), she was attached more or less to the now ' defunct Society of Souls. Her marriage took place in 1896, and in the following year her only du<rhter, Miss Jean Poynder, was born. , This little lady inherits much of her mother's beauty, and is * general! favourite. ;'; Nearly every society woman.'hat now her own bookplate, and Lady; '■'• Dickson-Povnjder's is exceptionally charming: , The design is of moonlight on an evening sea, with a motto: "The soul is nob where it lives, but where it loves." An exciting experience befell the Duchess of ConnaughtTand Princess Patricia, whilst visiting Ceylon during the course of their Eastern trip. An excursion had been made from Colombo to the famous ruins of Anuradhapura, and a portion of the party, consisting of Princess Patricia, Miss Pelly, Mrs. Arbuthnot. Captain the Hon. Miles Ponsonby (A.D.C. to the Governor, Sir Henry Blake), Messrs. Paley, Bowes, and Hodgson, had visited, another show place of the island, Sigiri, and on reaching the top of the hill were attacked by bees. The Duchess of Connaught and the Governor, who awaited the party below, came in for a share of this unwelcome visitation, and had to run for it. After the first encounter the party on the top took refuge in a hollow, and the Governor sent mosquito nets from the rest house. The Princess, Captain Ponsonby, and Mr. Hodgson, accomplished a dangerous and difficult descent under the nets without mishaps, though the bees were attacking all the time. _ . r In naming- his new yacht Alexandra, the King-not only pays a charming compliment to his beautiful Consort, but also continues what is-really a very old custom. Up to the last reign, the Royal yachts were named after - the feminine relatives of the monarch, with exceptionssuch as the Royal George, which was built for the use of the ■ Prince' Regent. Royal Adelaide, Royal ' Charlotte, and Royal Louisa, are names, that have all been used for Royal yachts; and the Victoria and Albert, in which Their Majesties are at this moment cruising, had a predecessor in the William and Mary. But the most extraordinary name ever borne by any Royal yacht was Fubbs, a frigate-built vessel of the time of Charles 11. It is said that a good many of her decorations were transferred to the Royal Charlotte, built in the; eighteenth century and it is a curious fact that quite within the living memory there was a tavern at Greenwich called the Fubbs, no doubt after the yacht.

Mrs. "Lulu" Harcourt, who now joins; the comparatively small group of "Wives of the Cabinet," will add the always welcome American element to that essentially British institution. As Miss Burns, she was one of the most agreeable transatlantic heiresses in European society, spending together with her mother and "the brother, who has now become to all practical purposes an Englishman, much of her life in London and.on the Continent. At the time of his marriage, Sir William Harcourt's eldest son was regarded as being more or less a confirmed bachelor, but he was blessed with an exceptionally charming American stepmother, and so he had been familiar with wha.t may be called the American point of view of " Sovran : Woman" from childhood. Mrs. Harcourt has a strong individualitv of her own, and should make a notable political hostess. Her splendid house in Berkeley Square is if course admirably adapted for entertaining as is also beautiful Nuneham, the estate near Oxford, which was inherited by the late Kir William Harcourt but a short time before his death.

' Miss Douglass, the lady lawn tennis' champion of England, was married in April to Mr. Lambert Chambers*.- Miss Douglass is certainly the best lady player that" the world has ever seen, and, curiously enough, her strength lies in her marvellous accuracy of play—usually a weak point with lady players. Miss Sutton, for example. America's lady champion, is a more brilliant player than Miss Douglass, but no' nearly so accurate. It will be remembered that in 1905 Miss May Sutton wrested the championship of England from Miss Douglass, but the latter was suffering at the time from a sprained wrist, a fact which largelv accounted for her defeat. Last year Miss Douglass regained the championship bv defeating Miss Sutton at the Wimbledon meeting, and also won the northern championship at Liverpool, which had beer held the previous year by America's ladj ehampion. Miss Douglass lived at hci father's vicarage at Ealing, where she learnt to plav lawn tennis under somewhat curious conditions, but with very happy results. There is no tennis ground at the vicarage, but Miss Douglass used, to amuse! herself at odd moments.by knocking up a; ball' with a v tennis* raquet against one of the side walls of the house. Someone i watching her so employed one day told her that she ought to take up lawn tennis, as she displaved such a wonderful :ommand •ver the ball with the raquet. "I ami sure." added her adviser, "you will make a very good plaver." Miss Douglass followed her friend's advice, and a few years later won the championship of England. ... I