BRIDES AND “BUDS" AT HOME

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1679, 4 May 1904, Page 27

BRIDES AND “BUDS" AT HOME

in M.A.P:) j REFERENCE TO LADY CONSTANCE KNOX. TO COME BEFORE THE- KING. The dates of the before-Easter. Courts are at last announced, and 1904 bids fair to make a record in the number and importance of its debutantes. There are many interestiin? “buds.” and as to brides, a social wit was heard to say that her friends “had been marrying’ as hard as they could.” The South African War caused a slump in weddings, but this recent boom ha.s more than made up for lost time. Place aux mariees. Princess Alexander of.Teck will be the Royal bride of tire year, but Iren* appearance at Court may be probably delayed until after Easter., Two duchesses head the list, The Duchess, of Norfolk—premier peeress of England—will •be presented early in the year, as also the Duchess of Roxburgh?, our most recent recruit from the ranks of millionaire American heiresses. These ladies both possess priceless jewels. But the Norfolk gems are practically unknown, as they have not seen the light of day for more than sixteen years. .Lady Normanby—wife of the clergyman-mar-quis—is to be presented on her marriage, and another marchioness —Lady Salisbuiy —on her husband’s succession, to the family honours. Lady Dallious.e—a beautiiui young countess and a bride of last year—wdl be another married debmante; and Lady S'cair, alsp a countess, must be again presented on her lord’s accession to the earldom. HEIRS’ BRIDES.

Lady March will appear at Court on her husband having succeeded to his place as the eldest son of a Duke of Richmond. The new Lady Kerry, wrie oi Lord Lansdowne’s eldest son, is certain to make her curtsey at Buckingham Palace; and no fewer than five brides of the eldest sons of earls are to be presented on their marriage at the coining Courts. These are as follows: Lady Mary Ciuenton—once Lacly “Mollie” Grosvenor,. and now the wife of Lord Chjcliton, eldest son to Lord Erne; Lady Gariocri, who was Miss Sicyl Heathcote, and married the only son of the thirty-third Lord Mar; Lady Fincastle, the lovely Miss Lucmda Dorothea Kemble, who recently became the bride of Lord Fincastle, V.C.; Lady Helmslcy, nee Lady Marjorie Greville, whose January bridal was “the” wedding of the winter; and Lady Herbert, formerly Miss Beatrice Paget, who has married Lord Herbert, son and heir to Lord Pembroke. These five brides are all beautiful, and their official introduction to Society will create considerable interest. Three brides, certain of much, admiration, are the young and pretty wives of Lord and Lady Iveagli’s three recently-married sons— Lady Gwendolen Guinness, Lady Evelyn Guinness, and Mrs Ernest Guinness. And two charming bride® —also the wives of brothers—Lady Beatrix Stanley and Mrs Ferdinand Stanley, are certain to be shortly presented art Court. The former was Lady Beatrix Taylour; the latter, Miss Alexandra Fellowes, and they both married sons of Lord and Lady Derby. ' SOME PEERESSES. Quite a bevy of- youthful peeresses will be presented on their marriage. These include two American brides —Lady Mouson, once Mrs Turnure, of New York; and Lady Bagot. who wav Miss Lilian May. of "Maryland. Among Englishwomen are Lady Denman, the heir ess-daugh-ter of Sir 'VV'ecunan and Lady Pearson; Ladv Vivian, only child of the widowed Mrs* McCalmonlfc; Lady Oraafwortli, once Miss Vera Ridley; Lady Farnham, nee Miss Aileen Coote, Lady Fairer, and Lady Kensington. Baroness do Forest, nee Miss Ethel Gerard, will make a brilliant married debutante, and so will Mrs Marshall Roberts, the young and pretty wife of the popular American Guai'tiaman. Lady Juliet Duff, Lady Muriel Digby, and Lady Florence Norman aae to appeiv at Court as married women, as also Mrs Mark Sykes, Mrs Arthur Levita, and Mrs Samuel Whitbread, once the exquisitely pretty Miss Madeleine Bourke. BEAUTY AND JEWELS. English, Irish, {Scots, and American beauty will be seen at its beat and brightest at these March Courts. Nezfrly every bride has radiant loveliness, and all possess chajrm, grace, or distinction. As a man about town observed: “It will be a big beauty-show at Buckingham Palace.” And millions of money may be represented’ by the jewels worn at these Royal recep i*cis. The treasures of the two Duchesses are world-renowned. Lady Helmsley will wear her crown of turquoises and diamonds'. Lady Herbert will doubtless don the priceless’ jewelled collar given her by an Indian Prince, and Lady GAvendolen Guinness is safe to appear with some of her wonderful rubies and diamonds. But the pearls will display the largest amount of converted capital. Baroness de Forest’s are said to be worth .£50,000, and Lady Denman possesses a. rope of 400 pearls, each pearl priced at £ls0 —the necklace being worth <£60,000. A GARDEN OF GIRLS.

Girlish debutantes have an interest of their* own —the charm of uncertainty. They are unfolding buds that hint at pose sfTSTe perfection in the future flower; and the world, to them, seems still a mystery, as they have, as yet, scarcely turned the first page in_their book of life. Royal debutantes will not affect the social fortunes of 1904. Princess Patricia, of Connaught appeared last year, and 1 Princess Ena of Battenherg does not reach her seventeenth birthday until next October. But there will be at least two. if. not three, ducal debutantesI—Lady 1 —Lady Helen Gordion-Lennox, the Duke of Richmond’s youngest, daughter; Lady Olga Osborne, the Duke and Duchess of Deed’s second daughter; and l , possibly, Lady Eileen Wellesley, the pretty seven teen-y ear-old daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Wellington.VfLittle Lady Olga Osborne is dark ami handsome; she resembles, her talented mother, and has much of the Duchess’s grace and charming' cosmopolitanism.. Her education lias been chiefly on the Continent. The Ladies Eileen.

and Ruby Elliott,'daughters of Lord and 'Lady Mmto, will be among the girlish beauties of this coming season. They are both charmingly pretty, and, although so young, have already seen much of Society in Ottawa and in New York, besides travelling with their mother through China and Japan, Lacly Viola Talbot, only daughter of Shrewsbury, is another interesting debutante. She is a wonderful needlewoman; and—curiously opposite tastes —is a keen .motorist, and also a daring whip, handling the reins in a very masterly manner. Lady Constance Ivnox, elder daughter of Lord and Lady Banfurly, makes yet another attractive “bud.” She is dark and comely; and, like the Ladies Elliott, is familiar with foreign climes and Colonial Society, m.a«i., „ .is of her young life liar nig been, spent &«, Govern me at House, Welling lon, New Zealand. MORE GIRLS.

A notable presentation will be that of Miss Phyllis Windsor-Clive, only daughter of Load and Lacly Windsor. She is fair and graceful, with much of the cultured charm of her still young and lovely mother. A very smart “coming-out” is certain to J>e that of Miss Alexandra Bertie, only daughter of Lord and Lady Norreys, and a goddaughter of Her Majesty Queen Alexandra. And another equally important debut is that of Miss Ivy Gor-don-Lennox, only daughter of Lord and Lady Algernon Gordon-Lennox, and niece to a galaxy of beautiful women, including Lady Warwick. Lady Westmorland', and (he Duchess of Sutherland. Lady Calthorpe is to introduce her youngest daughter, Miss Dorothy Calthorpe; Lady George Nevill will bring out her only girl. Miss Madge- Nevill, who is tall, fair, a'■ d amply proportioned; and Lady Henry Nevill may possibly present her only daughter, the youthful half-sister of Lacly Camden. Miss Gwladys El in vVil-liams-Wymi is an important debutante. 'She is the only daughter of a notable baionet, Sir Walkin' Williams-Wynn, one of the richest and most powerful proprietors in “gallant little Wales.” Miss Blanche Combe, daughter of Lady Constance .Combe, who ivas a Conyngham, is to make her fust appearance-. This has quite a special interest, as the young lacly belongs to a family of noted Society beauties. Lady Wilmington is to present another girl; and Lady Moysey--Thompson will bring out her handsome eldest daughter. Tho early Courts will be indeed well furnished with guests!