THE DUKE OF FIFE.

Thames Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 14665, 20 April 1915, Page 7

THE DUKE OF FIFE.

PRINCESSES iLBXANDRA AND ■ MAtm. • ■

The Duke of Pife has been described as "'the'only man '■> ever known to have changed his rank while he ate his breakfast. After his marriage n«ith the Princess Louise had been celebrated in the private chapel of Buckingham! Pallace on the morning of July 27, 1889, he led his l bride into the dining-room, where the wedding breakfast was laid, as a n Earl. When the meal was half over 1 Queen Victoria, in toasting the young couple, conferred a dukedom upon him, and thus at a bound he advanced two steps in the peerage. Although the title of Princess Royal bestowed upon the Duchess of Fife by King Edward in 1905 did not affect her own precedence, its bestowal had the important effect of changing the ranic of her daughters from the status of mere' "ladies" to Princesses, bringing them within the provisions of the Royal Marriage Act, and making them eligible as wives of English or European Royalty. Princess Alexandra and Princess Maud have the further distinction of being the only, ladies in the kingdom vrho have a prospect of becoming Duchesses in their own right, the one being heiress-presumptive to her father's dukedom, and her sister second heiress-presumptive. The descent of the British duke-* dom is ordinarily limited to males, though there has been more than one instance of a woman being created a Duchess in her own right. A case in poSnt was that great heiress the Countc'ss of Buccleuch, who on her marriage to James Duke of Monmouth was created Duchess of Buccleuch in her own right, and so her title was unaffected by her husband's attainder .--New York '"Sun." The London manager took the librettist aside oae mgtat at Romano's and said— "Cut out all tte old jokes-^" . "Yes !" said the librettist* turning pale. "Cut out all tfce old j*kes," repeated the manager, "and put in a lot older ones. Our gubliete alwa#fl tai for s*»ethine £■&."