FAVOURITE FLOWERS OF FAMOUS FOLK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2529, 3 September 1902, Page 65

FAVOURITE FLOWERS OF FAMOUS FOLK.

THE KINO LIKES VIOLETS AND THE QUEEN PRLUROyES AND BLUEBELLS.

Mo&t people, if asked wlnt they imagined the favouiite flower of his Majesty the King to be, would promptly vote in favour of the lose. In this, however, they wou'd be wrong. His Majesty has, natmally, a sentimental affection for the national blossom, but his favourite flower is the violet, closely followed by the auiicula — the latter being an especial favomite for buttonhole purposp«. The wild flowers of the English woods—

noKVy the primrose and ilio bluebell — are tlepieat to the heart of Queen Alexnndia, ;ind &he lias also a great fondness for carratiuns. Her pet aversions in the floral world are the tuberose and gardenia, the strong, sickly smell of whose blossoms is distasteful to her.

Lord Salisbury's floral favourite is not the primrose, but the yellow carnation. He. Lowever. divides his affection between this flower and the lhododendron. and one of the finest collections of this flowering shrub in the country is to be found at Hatfield.

With characteristic generosity, he allowed the public access to view them in all their gloiy until lecently, when some wanton mischief-makers damaged the plants, and compelled his lordship to close his grounds. Mr Chamberlain and his orchids are, of course, household words j but Sir William Harcourt has gardening tastes as far renio'v ed from those of the Colonial Secretary :is are his political views. His weakness is for anemone* and other A.pine plants, in the culture of which he is unusually interested. At the recent exhibition of the Royal Horticultural Society he expressed vu-y decided views oi his own on the method of real ing them to a hapless grower who ventured, in an untimely moment, J co disagree with him.

Although contrary to politic*. Lord Rosebery's flower is the primrose — doubtless becau>e of his family name. He shares his favours between that and the beautiful La France variety of rose. These two together give his lordship's racing coloure — n and primiose — and are much In evident c wherever he tnay, happen to be.

Il ever one man loved one flower, that man is the Dear of Rochester, the Very Reveiend S. Reynolds Hole, and his heart's delight is the ro£e. He has grown hundreds of different varieties, and written whole books about them, yet is always discovering something new.

Mr Leopold llothschild has given his Hart to water-plants, of which a superb collection exists at Griiaaersbury House. P'ominent among these are,, of course, the w;.ter-lilies the latent addition being a. variety pure blue in : colour, of French cr.gi'i. Miss Alice de Rotliscb-Id's weakness is ,'or standard rose?

Like the King, Miss, Ellen Terry is in love wi'h '.he vio'-et, but also finds a place ia her heirt for the_w.hite variety of carnatitr. which was named after her. Thp carnation, indeed, seems to h.ive ousted the li'fc-o from pride of place, for among other celebrities who confess to pia mj it fiist Ikral favourite are the Princess of Wales, the Dut'ie-s of Fife — who is godmother to one of the mo 3 t charming varieties — Queen Wilhelmina of Holland, the Qiieen of Roulvama, tha Duchess of Portland, ( he Countc s of Wai wick Madame Albam, and Lord M^Unio-:.

The Duko of W-e^t minuter is faithful to the n.'-e, and to is Earl Bcauchamp; while the ',ime ilower was also the favourite of Mr Cecil Rhodes.

"Spring flowers'" generally, without specification, are clamird as the be=t by LadyHelen Vincent, Lady Henry Somerset, Lend Yoiborough. Sir Philip Currie, the Countts> Eidody, and the Countess of Crewe. They were also those of which the late Dowager Krnpiess of Germany was the most fond.

Lord Charles Bert « ford's- favouiite flower '^ unique. In response to a query on the sibj:ct he vouchsafed a reply of one word — - 'ciiuhflowei'.