A DUKE’S GUARD

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 44, 31 December 1937, Page 3

A DUKE’S GUARD

PRIVATE UNIFORMED ARMY LkELIU OK FEUDAL ENGLAND. LONDON', Di'ccillhi- 10. Wlr'ii Kinir Leopold of the Belgians and his mother, Qujor Elisabeth, stayed at Welbeck >h'iev, the Ihike of Portland’s cstai in Xottinghanisliire, the Royal visiles were guarded by the Duke's otjn private uniformed ‘‘army,” augmented for the. occasion by gamekeepers, loci" p' i‘ .■ and Scotland Yard d< teetives. The guard, probably ih< last surviv iig relic of a feu lal army m England, numbers six —five guards in<i the officer, who is also chief of the Duke’s private fire brigade. wear na y blue uniforms with silver buttons bearing the Portland arms, short cloaks and small peaked pillbox hats, which give them the appearance of French gendarmes. Each man has a whistle, and trunheon> are tarried at individual disiretioii. The little force has a guard 'ooni. \ lii<di is connected by telephone *ith ail the liu lodges on the enormous State. The guards’ duties are to patrol the pounds, look for trespassers, permit tttry to the Abbey only to persons fearing a special pass, and to protect ithe priceless art treasures in the Duke of Portland’s collection. At bight one man patrols the inside of the house, meeting the outside guards ft regular intervals. 1* This night work is an eerie busiNw, for the guards have to patrol the