PRINCESS MARY

Southland Times, Issue 19522, 23 May 1922, Page 3

PRINCESS MARY

NON-POLITICAL ENTERTAINERS. THE PRINCESS’S HOME. LONDON, March 9. The town quickly settled down after the excitements of the Royal wedding. Already, the first half of the honeymoon is over, arid Mayfair is looking forward to welcoming a new host and hostess when the Italian trip ends, and Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles are once more in London. With a bachelor Prince of Wales, and no brother or sister of the King entertaining in a large way, London is short of entertainers who have no political axe to grind. Princess Mary’s home at Chesterfield House should supply a need. The music-room and the ballroom have been redecorated in white and gold, and are very handsome saloons, and the oak dininghall is decorated with a fine series of pictures. Lord Lascelles is an art expert, as well as an art enthusiast. The story goes that his art interests won him his fortune. Six years ago he was a young Guardsman with about as much prospect of fame as any other youth of good family and poor fortune. Chancing to be in London on leave, Lascelles turned into the St. James Club. His eccentric uncle, the Marquis of Clanricarde, happened to be in the club at the time. Seeing him, Lascelles said to a friend, I haven’t spoken to the old boy for years. I’ll go over and ask him how he is.” The talk turned on Lord Clanricarde’s pictures, and, particularly, a Van Dyck, of which the Marquis knew little, and seemed td care less. The Marquis was miserly in his habits, and his family possessions Were always in a state of chaos. But Lascelles’s enthusiasm amused the Marquis. A few days later he made a fresh will, leaving the young Guardsman a couple of million pounds. His income is said to be over £40,000 a year. Since Lord Clanricarde’s death, Viscount Lascelles-.has added largely to the pictures at Chesterfield House. The best thing in the collection is a Rubens, which hangs on the great marble staircase, and is valued at £65,000. Another featiie of the house is its carpets; that in the din-ing-hall came from the Tsar’s Winter Palace, and said to have cost £lO,OOO. Princess Mary's own rooms have been decorated by the new chatelaine of Chesterfield House amj her mother. Two bedrooms have been turned into a bathroom and bedroom. The Princess’s bedroom is by no means large, not more than 20ft square, the walls are decorated with an oyster-white watered silk paper. The Royal Family like small living rooms, perhaps because they have to spend so much of their time in big halls and vast reception rooms. The Prince of Wales’s bedroom at York House is no larger than many another man’s dressing room. Viscount Lascelles, like his wife, is simple in his tastes. Apart from art, his chief 1 hobby is blood stock, concerning which he has a veiy complete library. He is also a good bridge player and a fair shot. Before he thought of marrying into the Royal Family, and becoming a big social figure, Lascelles’s ambition was to make a career in the diplomatic service, preferably in connection with the Colonial Office and the overseas Dominions. It was with this idea in mind that he spent some years in Canada as A.D.C. to the Governor-General. In years to come he may earn the right to visit Australia in an official capacity. Rumour tells that, when he fell in love with Princess Mary, he sounded the Duchess of Devonshire, the Queen’s Mistress of the Robes. To Lascelles’ surprise and delight, the Duchess offered to speak to Queen Mary. It was Queen Mary who put the matter before the King, and so prepared the way for the proposal in the woods at Sandringham.