ROYAL ROMANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22202, 31 August 1935, Page 13

ROYAL ROMANCE

KING'S THIRD SON BRIDE FROM SCOTLAND DAUGHTER OF A DTJKE NEWS OF ENGAGEMENT By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON. Aug, 29 The Duke of Gloucester has become engaged to Lady Alice Christabel Montagu-Douglas-Scott, third daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch. The Duke obtained special leave from his regiment to seek the King's consent to the engagement. Lady Alice, who is shorter than the Duke, is a brilliant conversationalist. She has spent much time in Kenya paiuting in water colours and her pictures were exhibited in the London Gallery last month. The Duke is a friend of the family of Buccleuch, the head of which sits in the House of Lords as Earl of Doncaster. He has a priceless art collection, portion of which was destroyed by fire in 1929. Lady Alice was born in 1901. She is at present with Jier family at Bowhill, Selkirk, her father's Scottish seat. She is prominent in social circles in the West End of London, and is a sportswoman and lover of horses. The Duke and Lady Alice have been close friends for some months and often danced together. The Duke travelled to-day to Balmoral with the Queen to join the King. There have been rumours that he intended to acquire a residence in the West End, and these were strengthened 'when in the past few days he bought some furniture.

LADY ALICE HAPPY PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS KNOWN DUKE FOR YEARS LONDON, Aug. 29 The tenants of Balmoral and Bowhill were enthusiastic when the news of the engagement of the Duke of Gloucester leaked out. The Duke visited Bowhill a fortnight ago and the romance was not oven suspected, as nothing came of rumours that he was engaged to Lady Alice some years ago when he was a frequent guest of the Duke of Buccleuch. His Royal Highness met his fiancee through her brother, the Earl of Dalkeith, with whom he was a very close friend when they were schoolboys at Eton. The announcement of the engagement was made a year to a day after that of the Duke of Kent. The Duke and Duchess of Kent and the Prince of Wales immediately sent messages of congratulation. The Daily Mail states that Lady Alice loves the quiet life on the Scottish moors. She spends much of her leisure in needlework, specimens of which have frequently been seen at charity and church bazaars. She is a commandant of the local Volunteer Aid Detachment, and is a great favourite with tho girls. She dresses in excellent taste.

The date of the wedding has not been discussed yet. The Duchess of Buccleuch is reputed to have the finest collection of jewels in Britain with the exception of that owned by the Queen. One of her husband's pictures, a magnificent Rembrandt, a self-portrait, sold for £IOO,OOO a few years ago. " I am so terribly happy I can scarcely put my feelings into words," Lady Alice told a representative of the Daily Express. " I think the wedding will bo within, six months. The Duke and I have known each other for many, many years, and have much in common. We have spent a good deal of time together." The Daily Mail says the wedding probably will follow the precedents set by those of the Duke of York and the Duke of Kent and will be held in Westminster Abbey. Their first home will be either at White Lodge, Richmond, or at Frogmore.