ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13501, 27 July 1907, Page 5 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[from the .society tapers.] M.A.P. rrv.LiM! the following list of -th« wealth of American millionaires: Mr. John 1). -Rockefeller (oil). 150 millions sterling; Andrew Carnegie (steel), 80 millions; ,W. K. Vanderbilt (railways), 25 millionsr-Geo. ■J. Gould (copper), 20 million*; W. ■A. Clark (copper), 20 millions; Mrs. : Hetty '; Green (money-lending). 20 millions; D. O. Mills (banking), 15 millions; H. O. Hove- ' mover (sugar), 14 million?: J. J. Hill (railways), 10 millions. It is understood in diplomatic circles in St. Petersburg that Prime William, second son of the Crown Prince of Sweden, who is at present staying in the Russian capital, ■■.'■ is to marry the Grand Duchess Maria, daughter of the Grand Duke Paid,. and ward of the Grand Duchess Klizabe'lli''Jister of the Tsarina. The Grand , Duchess Maria is 17 years old. Prince Charles William Louis, Duke of Smi iina'.ii.i, was born at Tullgarn on June 17, 1881. lie is an officer in the Swedish .;navy. The Grand Duchess Maria Pavlona is the,daughter of the Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovieh (uncle of the Tsar) by his first marriage, her moth- , er having Wen the Princess Alexandra Geor- . gievna of Greece, who died in 1891. Major Powell-Cotton has just returned. with his young wife, after a romantic and somewhat lengthy sojourn in the wilds of Central Africa, and there is great rejoicing iii the quaint little corner of Thanet which he adorns. His place, Quex Park, at Birchington, is one of the most interesting seats, in Thanet. Before the Powells, the place belonged to the Crisps, and further "back still to the Quekes, from whom the mansion takes its name. It was one of the Crisps that the notorious Captain Golding kidnapped from his bed and 'transported in an open boat to tho Continent, demanding a, ransom of £5000 from the Roundheads, of whom this particular Crisp was a sup- ■ porter. Cromwell refused to grant the payment, and property at Stonar had to-be j) sold to pay the amount. ~' Princess Marie's son. Prince Carol. i)», says " P.T.0.," now the most beloved child in Rounumia. Were King Charles of Ronmania to abdicate, as his health may necessitate, there is a possibility that" Prince. Carol would succeed to the throne over the head of his father, the heir-presumptive, , who is not a member of the Greek Church as Carol is. A pretty incident of which Carol was the hero 'lighted the. manians last year. King Charles was discussing with one of his Ministers the pover- * ty of a certain district, ami Prince Carol, who was' playing with his toys 'within hearing, suddenly left his game and van across the room.' "Do not be sad. uncle," said the little fellow;" 1 have a gold piece' in my purse mamma gave me. I will send them that." Very wisely- King Charles pocketed the coin and sent it to (lie Mayor of the troubled district; who had it'framed, and when Prince Carol conies of age the ' piece of money will be returned to him. There was a brilliant scene at Buckingham Palace on the occasion of their Ma- v jesties' third Court of the season. The at- ' tendance was exceptionally large, the pre- ' sentation list a full one, and the Royal and diplomatic circles more fully represented ■; than at either of the preceding functions of the season. Something like 500 ladies l passed the Royal presence, over a dozen Royal) personages took supper together, and, the . Lord Steward's department made prepara- . tions for about a thousand guests. The or-. nate and splendidly-lighted state-room! looked.theirbest, and the array of glittering jewels and orders, gorgeous' British and foreign uniforms, and beautiful dresses and '. flowers all helped to lend brilliance to the . assemblage. The Indian Princes now in London attended the Court. ' The Queen wore a mauve gown, embroidered with gold in India, a corsage and train to correspond, and a tiara of diamonds. i Her Majesty also wore ruby and emerald ornaments, and the. ' Orders, of the Garter. Victoria, and' Albert, Crown of India, and the Danish Family Order. . ' . - "--■' ■ ' ""v ; : The King and Queen of Denmark have been royally entertained in England, and will assuredly not complain of the welcome accorded them. The English ■ have ever a warm, corner in their hearts for Danes. ; Some even can claim descent from the bold Norse adventurers who sailed to our coasts with intentions less scrupulous and amiable than those animating His Majesty King Frederick. It is certain that in portions of * England the traces of the Danish occupation : are distinctly .discernible in the population. At the present day Denmark has no terrors : for any country, and is chiefly renowned for the marvellous prosperity created by ' the wost wonderful system of " petite cub ttire" and co-operation ever known. The English are Denmark's best customers, and their friendship for Danes needs no ostentatious manifestations. The intimacy which '■ exists is,'however, shown by the fact that in 1893 the late King Christian was a guestof the nation, and since his visit the English have been proud to receive the. King of Greece, who, as all know, is a son; of King Christian ; the King of Norway, who . is .his grandson ;. and,lastly King Frederick, '. the actual Sovereign of Denmark. Nor can we ever forget that Denmark gave to us the fair Princess who shares the throne of King ; Edward, and has by a thousand, gentle deeds won a degree of affection rarely vouchsafed to crowned heads. Enough has been said to show how strong are the links which bind England and Denmark^ ~';'"„*,, ,' The King of Denmark is a splendid specimen of manhood, and without being so pronounced an athlete as the King of Greece, •who could compete with satisfaction to himself, and in a manner disconcerting to his adversaries, inmost trial* of strength and agility, is, nevertheless, fond of outdoor life and athletic exercise, and is a clever ■ gymnast.' Of course., as? "'lie increases; in years these amusements are less." within the power of the thew and sinew; but, never-., theless. King Frederick keeps himself in first-rate training, and his slender, upright figure, which far younger men might envy, recalls that of his f'econd son. King Haakon, who. curiously enough, took precedence of his father as: a European Sovereign b?fnr.ji;; the accession of the . latter to the .- Danish ; throne. King Frederick hr.s the singular fondness of all the members* of' the Danish "J Royal family lor performing dexterous tricks with bottles, corks, chairs, poker;-?, and the like. The Queen of Denmark, who was a. Swedish Princess, and daughter of King Charles V., from whom she inherited her immense fortune, and net of King Or.- - car, would, but for the accident of eex, have succeeded her father on the throne of Sweden. The Queen is a rerious-minditd ''■ Royal lady, and the State bails and banquets,which are more or less obligatory, are, says Vanity Fair, undertaken from :•- strict sense of duty, so that her reign is not likely to add much to the gaiety of nation:;.. A curious feature of. the Court scandal '. which still furnishes a daily .-tbeieo of conversation to Germans is the light- which it has shed on the Kaiser. It is a well-known fact that William 11. has ever prided himself on being the best informed man in the Empire. He habitually sp:-::ds laborious days in receiving reports from i/!ie'nK\ h.« is an industrious reader of news-papars and periodicals of all sorts, and has private correspondents all over the world wh'oss "business it is to keep him instructed as f.> wi:.*' is passing in " Court, Camp, end Cibiult.'' The Kaiser's machinery for oKahiint; information is onlv surpassed in per:e--.';on.by that of King Edward, who ■ brv». tr.h*iik'.i ;,:■■ from Queen Victoria the iiefcwoik of pr;<-a'*> correspondence and correspondents c**ii*d by that wonderful woman. It may lx» iir.fcgined, therefore, how deep Hie humiliation'''•"; of the German Emperor has.";-fcc*a on"dincovering that he bad been kept wholly ignorant of the doings of Prince l*hi)»p'KyJj»nburg. Count Cuno von Moltke. arei all to-? other members of the "Euieid.-n-'i" Clan. ' Even the articles in' the Ziilcnn:t of ITt'f Maximilian Harden appear to Ivsvc. ."-'ap-l, the Kaiser's attention, and while *!! Germany was gossiping and tittering over wh\t is Called the " Court Scandals," poor Wi'listm 11. knew nothing about the mott*r a.id ■■ would have remained in ignor.inea if the Crown Prince had not taken pity ipn hlny and opened Jus.ftVfi.vto the truth '■• ,; ". : .-'''-:' :; -'-''"-.-"-'-' : - "'■'- ; ;"■ ' w^:^i^^*^'' ' : -n:^^H^^MSS