KING SENT TO COVENTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17352, 17 May 1924, Page 6

KING SENT TO COVENTRY.

HOW A SPANISH COURT WAS BOYCOTTED. Our Labour Party has had a nice problem to solve in regard to its attendances ac Court functions (writes Francis Gribble in “John o’ London’s Weekly ”). Apparently it has solved that puzzle in procedure to its own satisfaction, but we still hear of those stout democrats who declare themselves to be above formalities of the kind. The abstention of the latter will, no doubt, produce rather less effect than the Cardinal’s curse in the Ingoldsby Legends; but it is interesting to recall that a Court was once boycotted with complete success, not by sturdy Republicans or Socialists, but by blue-blooded aristocrats. INVITED TO REIGN. The place was Spain, and the time was the early ’seventies of the last century. Isabella 11. had been bundled off the throne and over the frontier because of her levity. The second son of King Victor Emmanuel, Amadeo, Duke of Aosta, consented, after much persuasion, to become King of Spain in her place. He meant well. No country ever had a more conscientious ruler. But he was. though he did not know it, the nominee of a faction ; and that faction did not include the old families arid the leaders of society. All these were friends of the frivolous bella ; and they swore a solemn oath that, as they were not powerful enough to drive Amadeo out, they would freeze him out by a campaign of slight and insults.

| ALL SORTS AND CONDITIONS. Th trouble began because Amadeo’s political supporters, though not “in society,” insisted upon being asned to his parties. As soon as they received their invitations the aristocracy gave the King to understand that they really could not frequent a Palace in which they would be expected to associate with people of that sort. Parties, however, had still to be given, and the j royal reception rooms had, somehow I or other, to be filled. As,they could not be filled with dukes and duchesses, they had to be filled witfi butchers, and linkers, and candlestick-makers and their ladies. These, unfortunately, knew neither how to behave nor how to dress at .lrawing-rooms and levees; and the climax was reached when one of the butchers—or perhaps it was one of the lakers or candelstick-makers—

bought a new boiled shirt to wear when attending the ceremony to which be had been bidden. It was a beautiful boiled shirt—the best that money could buy. It was delivered in a beautiful box ; and the box was embellished with a beautiful pink paper frill. Unhappily, the purchaser did not understand that the paper frill was intended only to adorn the box. He imagined it to be an integral part of the shirt, added to it to enable the wearer to male* a braver show. He put it on together with the shirt; and he was still wearing it. together with the shirt, when he made his how to the King.

! A COMEDY OF SHAWLS. That was one of tho stories which delighted Isabella in her exile. She was even more delighted with the story of the unsuccessful attempt of Amadeo* s Queen to conciliate feminine opinion by reviving an old Spanish fashion. He’- Majesty caused it to be announced that, on a certain festive day, she ■ proposed to wear that beautiful old Spanish garment, the white lace man- ; tilla. Her expectation was that all j her subjects would be pleased and that . everybodv who was anybody in Madrid j would follow her example. But that was not what befell. On the contrary, the scions of the aristocracy realised that Queen Maria Victoria had delivered herself into their hands. They bought ‘no all the white lace mantillas to he found in the shoos. Thev collected all the notorious ladies of loose reputation in Madrid, attired them in these white lace mantilla*, and sent them tattle Prado in carriages: while all the virtuous and fashionable ladies by common consent wore black.

INGLORIOUS RETREAT. Many other annoying things had happened. but the incident of the lace mantillas seems to have been the lest straw. It decided Amadeo to abdicate : but eve; - * the announcement of that decision brought no revival of politeness. On the day of the King's departure there was r.o guard of honour either in the streets or at the railway station—onlv a few police-constables to make sure that he really went No special train was provided and the party was crowded mto an ordino.-y first-class carriage. Though the journev to the Portuguese frontier was to last from before dawn until after midnight, no arrangements for either lunch or dinner bad been made, and the King and Own bad to take their chore* with Other ryassor.'-ova „fc' a buffet. The few «T>-.T»ish offietols >*n the train left it before it r-mehed Portuguese tarrito-v with their Personal they stepped out- on to Portuguese soil