London Gossip

Southland Times, Issue 22296, 11 April 1934, Page 5

London Gossip

DARK COLOURS FOR DEBUTANTES.

It has been an unwritten rule for mothers when chaperoning daughters to wear something dignified and even stately at dances, while the young girls appear in light and fluffy frocks. This custom is changing, judging by recent dances. The Hon. Mrs Richard Bethell, for instance, looked charming the other night in a white satin dress with a shoulder decoration of sky-blue cocks’ feathers and a halo headdress of blue velvet to match; her daughter, Nefetari, on the other hand, favoured a delightful frock of black tulle. Clare, Countess Cowley, one night appeared in pale pink and, her 17-year-old daughter, Lady Ceciliar Wellesley, wears a dress of bottle-green velvet. This is not always the case. The Countess of Winchilsea had on at one reception a very dignified dress of black velvet with quaint cape sleeves lined with sitched silver lame, which is thrown back and fastened so that the silver shows. This model I saw the following night worn by the debutante Miss Chris Andreae! The Marchioness of Anglesey is another mother who has appeared in a rather magnificent black dress. HOME-MADE CAKE. THE SECOND FEATHERS CLUB. A return to a real sit-down tea at the unusual hour of half-past six was a feature of the party at the Second Feathers Club in Notting Hall recently. Lady Juliet Duff, Mrs Dudley Ward, Mrs Derek Fitzgerald, Miss Baron, niece of Lady Baron, and Lady Sassoon were all at a big table together. They were enjoying slices of plain home-made sultana cake hot from the ovens of this little club for the unemployed, bread and butter and tea out of the creamy white club china. Instead of tablecloths these scarlettopped tea-tables were provided with covers of red and white and blue and white check oil-cloth. To carry out the red, white and blue colour scheme insisted upon by the Prince of Wales—who is the immediate inspiration of this club —-the helpers have either red, white or blue overalls. Even the gift book, being shown to guests at the tea-party by Lady Juliet Duff, is bound in red, white and blue. THREE ROYAL SISTERS. Three Royal sisters are making plans for an early meeting. They are the three daughters of Sweden’s “Blue Prince”—Margareta, Marthe and Astrid. When all three Princesses married heirs to thrones there was some speculation as to which of them would be the first Queen —and now this honour has fallen upon the youngest of the three. It is not yet certain whether the meeting will take place in Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Belgium—but most probably they will arrange a little holiday together in their maiden-home, Fridhem, where in theii- youth they had so many happy times together. Their mother,' who was Princess Ingeborg of Denmark before her marriage, is noted as a particularly charming woman, and Prince Charles, their father (called “the Blue Prince” on account of his favourite regimental uniform) is, despite his years, full of youthful enthusiasm. LADY LOUIS MOUNTBATTEN. Recently Lady Louis Mountbatten has had an orgy of the travel she loves so much. She has spent some time in Buenos Ayres. The reason for her travelling so much is that she has no London home to claim her for the present, but building goes on apace on what was Brook House. On that wonderful comer site at the junction of Upper Brook-street and Park Lane, flats are being constructed —most of them to the special taste of their future owners. Lady Louis and her family, will occupy a veritable pent-house as they call them in the United States. This is really a little house of its own, perched on the very top of the edifice. There will be two floors in all—quite self contained. THE QUEEN’S PURCHASES. The Queen’s purchases at the British Industries Fair number just under a hundred, and their range shows the diversity of her taste. Her Majesty has acquired several ideas during her visits to the Fair, which she will put into operation in due course. Some of the new curtain materials that were shown to the Queen proved greatly attractive, and her Majesty is now considering how these might be applied to Balmoral, which hitherto has always presented a somewhat austere appearance so far as curtains and draperies generally are concerned.