UNUSUAL BEQUESTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21821, 26 November 1940, Page 8

UNUSUAL BEQUESTS

KING WAS LEFT A WALKINGSTICK Sir Abe Bailey, legless South African millionaire and sportsman, made a varied will, a feature of which was a bequest of a quarter of a million pounds for the creation of a trust for the benefit of Soulfri Africa’s institutions. He also left various smaller legacies to personal friends, including the Prime Minister, and among these was an income of £6OO to the Princess Royal, the Countess of Harewood. This must have been meant more as a compliment than anything else, for Princess Mary’s husband, the Earl of Harewood, came in for the millions left by his uncle, the Marquess of Clanricarde. More often than one might think Royalty comes in for legacies from subjects of the Crown, but many of them are of less intrinsic value than Sir Abe’s bequest to the King’s sister. For instance, King Edward VII. often used a walking-stick left him by his friend Louis Solomon. The handle was made of the horn of the very rare white rhinoceros, and was supposed to have magic powers. It had been given to Mr Solomon by a Zulu chief. Edward VII. was left a set of jewelled waistcoat buttons by Lord Alington, who was a great favourite in Court circles. This peer also bequeathed money legacies to the late Queen Alexandra and the late Duchess of Connaught. These popular Royal ladies were also mentioned in the will of the handsome and artistic Lord Farquhar. Alas, when the testator’s estate came to be settled up there was no money to pay the legacies with, for it had all been spent during his life-time!