MARLBOROUGH HOUSE

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1932, Page 3

MARLBOROUGH HOUSE

DISLIKED BY PRINCE;. REFUSAL TO LIVE THERE. '., NO LOVE FOR BIG HOUSES^' . ... The .Prince of Wales has no . greft affection for big houses. That is the chief reason why he . has. persistently, refused to live in Marlborough, House,, the traditional residence of heirs.to tifethrone (wittes Norman.' Hijlson ju . the “Sunday Graphic”). It also account's fqr his acquisition of Fort Belvedere,- 'near . Ascot. The Fort is a small apd just sufficient to entertain a modest house party. It is the counterpart of York House.; York House is one of the-nuiheroiis.-. buildings which form St. James’ .Palace/ There are about a dozen.private residences in , the actual palace, apd Yoik House is simply ope of them. It is here , that the Prince has his .town -house, abd permits his youngest Prince; George, to Have a. suite of rooms. • The actual house is furnished; with’a! view to bachelor comfort,. Jt is .modern; and up-to-date, and contains fewiof -t)je trappings of royalty. - Big chairs, thick carpets, numerous photographs, sou,ven-, irs of travel—those are. the principal decorations of. the Princes, rooms.. ,Here are no colossal Royal portraits- in-pon-derous gilt frames; Here- are -no hangings overweighted with embroidery. and "brocade. .... ’ j

It is the same at Fort Belvedere, where the Prince employed, only the, most; modern: ideas of decoration. The walls are distempered, and in . the big open lounge with its series of tall .windows are to be found huge armchairs covered in bright cretonne; a grand piano,'two or three occasional tables, and’ notfiing more. .

The Prince of Wales’ real town house is the tall red pile of 'Marlborough. House across the garden wall from, , James’ Palace. It is, unlikely that -he: will. ever occupy -. it, for. he is far too comfortable in the less ambitious, quarters of York House. Besides ‘it would be a doubtful gesture ■ of. economy- in. these strenuous days .if he’increastil f liis establishment to ■ sueh an. extent as 'to be able to live at Marlborough House.’: It is not; always, realised borough House is' - one of the t largest mansions in London. • The - fact .;thatrit is set back- from the roadway deprives it of a certain magnitude. . But ‘ that' same mansion erected; by Sarah ' Duchess: of Marlborough to -the great, glory dfihiir husband and • the-still.' greater glory vpf her triumph over ■ her rivals at Quete Anne’s -Court contains.-, several hundred rooms. The stalling- adjacent l is . sufficient to accommodate a squadron’ ’of cavalry. ■ The coach-houses, now- used as garages, are 'minor- versions of- the Albert Hall. .. . ■ -.1 ' ' DEPARTED GLORY. .' Marlborough House was • built- in >a spacious age. Why;.even; the gardens-ex-tend over nearly seven acres, outer courtyard-is- extensive penqughl.to: serve as-a parking‘ground-for-the scars' of members, of the Marlborough Club across Pall Mall.-,. , ' '.-C .. ' Marlborough House is ’now irihahitdd: by caretakers, and Its glory is , departed.: But there .were .times i.when, it ’ was Itlje- 1 centre >of gaiety and , fashion.. When King Edward;Vll. and; Queen.'Alexandra/ entertained within -its- wails 'the ; -p!*ess: of carriages Was often -so; great 'thUt they stretched beyond-. Piccadilly... ..The; present King, arid Queen lived there for many years,, and after their .accesswu the mansion was .the' town the Queen Mother Alexandra, uptil the day. of her death. v '_ . . ' ■; . . ■ At the time . of-.the refurbishing, of Marlborough House the Prince .took’’a good deal-of- interest, in the'lay-out- and arrangements qf his ; private--suite;/. : It was designed to be that ‘ of'a business-■ man Prince. Th? efficient., system of York House was to. be transferred/across the road.

Since.he took up. residence in ‘ his'owp house, the. Prince has adhered to •a vejy strict rule. No letter received' at'York House is permitted to go . unacknowledged. Whatever the’ request l or; purport of the eorrespohdenee, the' writer is rewarded with anofficial, intiipatjon of its receipt. • -• ■ ■ It can readily, be imagined that qjflgb routine work demands the attentiprilqf a considerable secretariat.- -There -is nd pl.ice for tired people at York'House. The secretaries have to be' cbnstantly-oh the go and display, an activity in/keepihg with the indefatigable Prince, who'seems (capable of doing■ entirely without; sleep. In order to facilitate the work of his secretaries in the event of his establish; ment being transferred to Marlborough House,, the Prince arranged'.. for • his library, sitting-room and study to be. adjacent to each’ other. The; rdoms-for the secretaries were just across ■ the. corridor; They could be summoned in the bi a second or two;. It ■ was. a. radical change in ‘ the arrangements -of .'Marlborough House, for in the old daysthe offices of - the secretaries were' oh an- entirely different floor. ' . ■ There... are two interesting'’things'-in the mansion and gardens of- Marlborough House. One is the dogs’ cemetery. Queen Alexandra was a great dog lover. At one time she had oyer a hundred, apimals/of various ■kinds, ages and breeds. Some of them were very valuable—notably her borzois and basset hounds. - Others were of no value whatsoever, B.ut for each dog she reserved the deepest affection, and when they died they were properly buried in a. dogs’ cemetery. LIBRARY OF FAKES.-’ t The ’cemetery at Marlborough - House is just over the wail in; the, far corner, where Marlborough Gate- meats the Ma!'. Little tombstones with epitaphs-written by the Queen’s own hard mark, the last resting place of the Royal pets. The other interesting thing is less’ affecting. It is the Sheraton room. ’ It reminds one of the great quality, of - the Victorian age—the quality of faking-and make-believe. You enter-the roomy and imagine you have happened on a-/vast library. All rouud-you the neap ;leath<t r backs .of many-coloured,. . many-sized books stare down, from, the walls.- ; -But examine the titles and the you will find they ?are all; fakes. < It was. considered, a good Victbrisih jest to -have a . legrpulling. ropm this. I can recall a-fewr,of the 'titles of these rows' of book?. .‘.‘The Wheel of Life” by Stopit in seven volumes'arid the works of Breakspear in nipe massive tomes. There is the masterpiece, “Turnover” by Page, and also Boyle on Steam. You can: see Rivers op, “D(ry, Fly,”:- arid Shag on the “Pipes of Peace.” j • The room was preserved’as. an historical relic, and arrangements ‘were made at one tjme to convert-it iijtoi .a billiard-room,; where no one /would the tempte4 *° ’read. . ‘ The only connection the presentrPripcß of Wales has with. Marlborough* House is that he uses thei old stables and coach-houses ; for his garage. The coachhouses and rows of horse boxes are enormous and stretch right behind Pall Mall for a considerable distance. Part of them was converted for the accommodation of motor-cars some years ago, arid more recently a petrol , pump was installed: ', ' ■■ ■. ’ -■< But across the way the’ tall pile briilt by Wren to the glory of the victor, of Blenheim remains bleak arid desertedThe roms contain no furniture. . .