ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15122, 12 October 1912, Page 6 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[f ROM THE SOCIKTY riFERS.]

V j'Exmsi- divorce case. in which the parties concerned have been connected -'villi two of the biggest commercial concerns in England is likely <<> he 1,1 a. very interesting character.

Tiie Duchess of Portland writes to 1 no Times pleading for the discouragement— both l>v men and women— the wearing of osprev plumes, the procuring of whieli causes dreadful suffering. Ihe Queen i* stated to have worn a mil aigrette (osprey plume) and to have given special instructions that nothing of the kind should be employed in her millinery. The 1 w liPis of Portland hopes that this example will bo followed. If there were no demand the supply would soon cease.

Lord and I.odv Sackvil'ie una their daughter. Miss fcfackville West, who is a wild annua! tamer in a -mull way. will bo at the Knole during tho autumn ami '•will have a succession of house parties. Miss SackviUo West's special pet ,is a youii" bear, who is so tame that lie is allowed to follow her about the house like ,i clog. She has named him "Ivan tho Terrrible." though he by no means deserves so alarming a definition. lho curious oart- about Ivan is that he takes absolutely no notice of anyone save his vonnc mistress, to whom he is quite devoted". He is groomed to perfection, and behaves irreproachably when he sits in the drawing-room.

The richest woman in Europe, next, to Frau Krupp vou Bohlen, owes her fortune to ttu> be?t sugar industry. Madame* Lebaudv. mother of J aquas. Emperor ot Sahara,* is worth at least £8,000,000. She holds her wealth in horror, and lives under an assumed name in order to avoid publicitv. Her residence iill tho y^' round is a small flat in Versailles, where, the domestic staff consists of one servant, who is assisted in her work, by the mistress. Madame Lebaudv gives away pretty nearly the whole of* her income, most ol donations being bestowed anonymously. It is an open secret, however, that lor many years past she has made up the annual deficit of the leading French Kovalist newspaper. which usually amounts to about £16,000.

Tlie King has conferred a peerage on Sir Thomas Banks Borthwick, Bart., the eldest son and heir of the late Sir Thomas Borthwick. Bart., whose name appeared among the new peers in the Birthday Honours list-, but- who died on July 31, before the necessary formalities in connection with the peerage had been completed. The now" peer's title will bo "Baron Whitburgh of Whit-burgh,' in the county of Midlothian." . The King has also decided that the widow and children of the late Sir Thomas Borthwick shall bear the same style and enjoy the same precedence as they would have done had Sir Thomas lived. That- means that the younger children have the title of Honourable. The new peer celebrated his thirty-eighth birthday recently.- His father was chairman and senior partner of Thomas Borth■wick and Sons, colonial merchants, and chairman of the Midlothian Liberal Association.

It is stated with regard to the futuretrips of Iloyalty to Wales, that in all probability, some - retired spot in the beautiiul county of Carnarvonshire will be 'selected for the summer residence of the It oval children. Their parents will not -always accompany them, and-the strain, on the Queen of personally superintend- *"~ '-ing them will be relaxed. Princess Mary will spend most of her time at Frogmore "Cottage, which is now fitted up expressly ior her. By the way. the girl Princess has had a glorious time on her first trip .- abroad. She is a- born sightseer and 'visited Potsdam quite "on her own." Here she wandered about the rooms of the lovely palace expressing pleasure at every turn, but'' she was much chagrined at not • being able to meet her cousin, Princess Luise of Prussia, the Kaiser's only daughter. Among other sights she visited was the Hohenzollern Museum, and she also did a tremendous lot of shopping both in Berlin and- Neu Strelitz.

It is now certain that, owing to indifferent health, the German Empress will ho unable to take part in any Court functions for several months to come, and the

Crown Princess will take her Majesty's place. This is interesting if only by reason. of the fact that it has been notorious for tome years past that the Kaiser and his vivacious daughter-in-law are by no means the best of friends, and their wills liave clashed sorely at times. His Imperial Majesty likes dearly to exercise a more or less benevolent despotism in his family ' circle, and this lias been considerably resented by'the Crown Princess, who is credited with having upon one occasion roundly informed the Kaiser that she married his oldest son and not. himself.' The winter season at the Berlin Court is

usually a brilliant one, and the absence of the Empress will be greatly felt, since her Majesty- is most popular with all with whom she is brought into, contact. In preparation for the Crown Princess's arrival at Court, the Crown Prince has just been transferred to Potsdam.

Enclosing a, photograph of herself, the j Hon. Irene aw ley, who this year inlieri- j ted the estates of her father, Lord Wen- ! . lock, has written to her tenants stating j that she cannot live on the pioperty at Escrick Park, near Yoik, owing to the death duties. The letter reads:—"Dear •sir, — I am sending you this photograph of myself, which 1 hope you will like. 1 trust it may serve in remind you of me daring' those -years' in which 1 am most unfortunately prevented - from living at Escriek. owing to the, heavy 'death duties which have to f,..s paid out of the estate which 1 have -inherited from my father. I. cannot tell you how ".sorry I.am*that this .-hou!'i be t-ho e.we, nor how much 1 desire U> live among you and to bo associated in all the work of my estate, but I have no choice but to let Escriek Park and live somewhere else, unless the standard of N " -oilieiujcy at which thu properly has been kept, in recent years is to bo considerably lowered. .So you see that my absence is forced upon me through. causes which I cannot- control, but I hope very much that some day I shall be- able to live in mv home again, and to renew personally those'.happy relations which I know always existed between my father and all of you.—Yours very truly. Irene Law ley.'' The tenants of the estate have received Miss Lawley's letter with regret. Cordial relations have always existed between them and the owner of the estate.

It is .seldom that the engagements of a mother and daughter are announced so closely together a-; in tin; case of the Countess of l.atlu.ni and her daughter, Lady Helen lioolle Wilbraham. It. was only lately that the news was received of .Lady Lathon's i'm'i-hconiuig marriage -to Major-General Law son. and now comes the announcement- -of l.adv Helen's engagement to Mr. Hugh Sartorius Whitaker, youngest, sun of'the late .Mr. William _ Whitaker. of Pyhv.eil l'atk. Lvmington, Hampshire. Mr. Whitaker's eldest" brother married Lord Melville's daughter Hilda, and inherited I'viewell Park, "with a considerable fortune * from his father. The Countess of Lathoiu. who is the sister of Earl Radnor, is one- of the most accomplished women in society. She is a clever actress and has phenomenal musical gifts, being an accomplished violinist, and also sings extremely well. Her talents have often been exercised in the cause of charily. The countess's marriage with the late Earl of Lathom, then Lord Skehnersdale, „ took place in 1.889, just nine years before he succeeded his father in the, peerage. The sudden death of her husband at sea in March. 1910. left her a widow with three children, of whom her only sou. the, holder of ?Jio title, Was seventeen years old 1.i.-1 May.