ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13650, 18 January 1908, Page 5 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS

' 1 ' noit TifK SOCIKtT TAPEIIS.] The Kaiser has given another fx&roplff *. ;v of his wonderful vmatslity lw p*inttnj ' six minutme illustration* for fiictofiit ' postcards (says she Berlin correspondent ' of the Daily Express*. Thews pointing* ' will be reproduced by the thousand and tvold tor clwi'abie purpose*. They will form part of a series of pictorial {X»teards vrhich the widowed Queen of Saxony and the Princess Mithilde of Saxony. are get- ■ ting out for the benefit of homes for ton- 1 sumptives. I A topic of interest in the ento«r.».;«' a! the Court i> the renewed jest wish v;hie • v i the King has indulged in kiddie ex«ntw • '* ( i this season. Although the primary in ten* - tion of His Majesty's rides hi* Won to moderate the fatigue of spurt, it is to he remembered th.it under simitar conditions '* in previous seasons lie has prefixed to uso « motor-waggon. The more vuiisUnt use of the shooting pony, r.ot only in lite Itoyal demesnes. but when engaged in country house visit,*. a welcome testi- j mony to the completeness of the King's recovery from hi* knee injury of socn« ' years ago.

Another instance "1 the King's kindli* lies.- v.-is afforded during Hi* MtjeotyV visit to the Ku;l <>i Shrewsbmy, (Joe of the employees on the li:g<nU»: oolite, who was laid on a li.'d of ."ickiiet*. constantly expressed a desire to see the Royal visitor. This becoming known to the King. His Majesty arranged to gratify the invalid's desire by passing his cottage whilst be waa shooting one day. The sick man's bed was placed near tire window, *nd he was enabled tr> sit no and see the Monarch, whom lie loyally saluted. His Majesty smilingly acknowledged the greeting, raising his hat and waving his hand to the sufferer as lie went on his way.

Many ft range ruimurs arc current con. cerning the political crisis iu Portugal, amongst them, being one that the King of Portugal has lam'shed the Crown Prince to tho Royal residence at Villa Vicosa, . an isolated part of Portugal, because the Prince asked his father, king Carlos, to effect, a radical change in his policy or to abdicate in his favour. The suspension of newspapers continues. The Madrid correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says it is stated that the Crown Prince had a most violent neene with the King, but the correspondent. adds that he cannot vouch for the accuracy of the statement. The Republican party increases in strength every day, and the gravest events aro predicted unless tho King immediately summons Parliament.

Princess Victoria some time ago found! herself in rather a curious predicament I " ■ Escorted by an intimate lady friend, she determined to go to a picture gallery one morning. They were out for a walk', it is said, and seeinjr the hoards announcing the exhibition "they thought it would bo amusing to <?o in like the ordinary public. Tlfev reached the gallery and got. into t>ie vestibule I*. ' fore they realised that there was not a. purse among the two of them. The gatekeeper caw the ladies suddenly stop, but he did not recognise them ; and the Princess would not allow her friend to disclose her identity, 80 it was explained to the attendant that one of the ladies ' would wait until the other hurried back for some money. This was agreed to, and she hastened away, leaving the Princess sitting humbly on the ottoman in the hall. There she sat until the hansom had brought the lady back from Marlborough House with the shillings, and doubtless a .mild parental wigging."

Princesses are for .some reason or other all possessed of the curious passion of keeping an album in which certain curious questions are asked which' they require" their guests to answer on the spur of the moment. The Queen of Greece has one of these, which has been signed by a large number of monarch and members of Royal families. The first question is tho following " What kind of people do you find the most disagreeable?" To this difficult question the King, her husband, replied: "Tho most disagreeable people are those who, while shaking your hand in the most cordial manner, say to you with the greatest gravity, ' Good heavens, how you have aged.'" The Duke of Con naught replied: "The most disagreeable man is lie of whom you have borrowed money and who asks you to return it." The late Duke of Cambridge gave the following answer :- —" The most disagreeable person is ho or she who at a theatrical performance or a concert sucks candy or eats oranges." The Crown Princess of Sweden, who is a real psychologist, writes :—" The moat disagreeable woman is the one who in talking of one of her friends says, 'that poor Madame So-and-So.' "

The Due do Chaulnes is just thirty year® of age, and has been twice prominently before the public, each time as a prospective bridegroom. First tins goreipe mated him to one of the daughters of the Princess Dolgorouki; next he was reported to : be engaged to Miss Eva Gcbhard, the daughter of Mr. William Oebhard, of New York. He is the son of that beautiful but unfortunate ladv, Princess Sophie Galitzin, Duehe&se de fchevreuse. whose tragic death some year* «inoa supplied Europe with a profound sensation. She was one of the loveliest women in Europe, and was for a time a notable figure in St. Petersburg society. From a. marvellously beautiful complexion shone two deep violet eyes which held one spellbound by ■their intensity. Her hair was of" a wond«<fill Titianesque auburn, and her dress -v;,* always exquisite. When she went to mas« she- used to be followed by a gorgeously attired footman who carried a bag ,of crimson velvet 011 which was embroidered the arms of Cherreitie, and whifh W;<s Billed with small coins. The** she used to distribute among the numerous begets who waylaid her at. every turn, for her reputation for philanthropy spread rapidly. The Due has a hereditary caelle in one of the French provinces and a. house in. Paris. Otherwise Wg, income is. small. ' "

Under a bilge crimson canopy, fringed with white satin, embroidered with the precious metals, and supported by four golden pillars, members of two notable Jewish families were married recently at the Central Synagogue, Great, Portland - street, W. The bridegroom was Mr. Geoffrey Edgar Duveen, son of Mr. Henry J. Duveen, head of the Bond-street firm of art and treasure dealers; the bride was Muss Ethel Lewis, daughter of Mr. Isaac Lewis, the millionaire chief of the South African mining firm of Lewis and Marks. The bride's magnificent robe was of rich white satin, embroidered in silver and draped with priceless old lace. Attending her were four pretty little bridesmaids—Doris Joel, Dorothy Duveen, Evelyn Weil, and Doris Weil— three pages, carrying long staffs, acted as hearers of the costly train. They wore Van Dyck costumes of white satin and l?c<». The gorgeous dresses of many of the ladies witnessing the ceremony were surely the limit of the dressmakers /art. Fortunes were represented in he *lavish display of superb jewellery swl gems worn by the leaders of Jewish: society. At the reception at 2, Hamilton Place, Piccadilly, the magnificent wedding presents bestowert-ftn both bride' and bruit--groom were displayed. The bride received innumerable articles of jewellery; a fortune was represented in* the diamonds and other gems presented to her by hat parents-and relations -Mr. Isaac Lewis, the father, of the bride, made his huge fortune in the early- of the Ktraberley diamond mines. How he t made that fortune is one of tire romances of the financial world. He purchased large tract* of land in South Africa before their worth as mining centres were realised by the Boers. Then the boom fame, and in a few yeans lit- was a millionaire many v times over. The bridegroom's firm i» ; Bond-str«ot recently paid the huge «ur* i of onfeiiiftUUoa sterling for thd Battolptt JSain collection of art treasure*