OCR Text |
Show ROYALTY Ell TOI BEC1I1 SIMPLE Much of Display of Former Days Set Aside; Pearson Takes Title. BY LADY MAEY MAKWARING. Special Cablo to The Tribune. LONDON', Aug. 20. Fow things show tho difference in time moro than the 'manner in which royalty travels now and then. When King George and Queen Mary travel from one part of their kingdom king-dom to another there is less display than would hnvo attended tlio Journey of a petty noblo a few centuries ago. When "blutt King Hal" went from Whitehall to Hampton court ho wa3 attendod by battalions of pages, legions of grooms, lords and counters, besides the sergeants of tho bakehouse and of tho buttery, the sergeants of the trumpeters and the masters mas-ters of tho music, the yeomen of the chambers and of the chariots, the servitors servi-tors of tho Dtablcs, henchmen of tho pastry and henchmen of the touts, chaplains, chap-lains, physicians, ushers, astronomers, cup-bearers, carvers, secretaries, Blnglng boys, and many, many other "officers" besides all these. Fifty cooks, and twice fifty scullions, attended for tho feeding of this huge army. The wages and liveries in tho last year of Henry's life cost tlio nation $283,-500 $283,-500 in hard cash. In that year this very magnificent sovereign found walking difficult, dif-ficult, so he borrowed the Idea of a sedla gostarorla from the pope. Six sturdy nobles bore their master shoulder high At his majesty's approach cvory knee was bent, and those who particularly sought favor "groveled" as tho royal gaze fell on them. When tho serving men were laying out the royal dinner table thoy made a deep obeisance every timo they passed their master's empty chair. Even the queen and the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth knelt whenever they presumed pre-sumed to address their king. This tremendous etiquette was continued contin-ued during the reign of the fragile Edward Ed-ward VI., but Mary I., tho next occupant of the throne, had the good sense to do away with much of the slavish tyranny. She, poor soul, had drunk too deeply of tho bitter waters of adversity to wish to be forcvee surrounded by such an atmosphere at-mosphere of Jealousy, spying, talc-bcar-ing and suspicion. "Less folk, less trouble," trou-ble," was her sage romark. Probably our present sovereigns think as sho did. Withal this it is doubtful if tho sovereign sov-ereign wa3 ever held in as high esteem as he Is today. Sir Weetman Pearson, as woll known almost In America as In England, has taken the title or Lord Cowdray, from the lovely estate ho purcluised recently from Lord Egmont. The property com-prises com-prises over 13,000 acres, and the now peer has also Paddockhurst, a fine place not far from Cowdray, that belonged to Mr. Whitehead or torpedo fame. Cowdray originally belonged to the Bohuns, one rf whom fought at Crcoy, and tholr heiress carried it to tho Owens, who were relations rela-tions of the Tudors, and much favored at court. Tho next owner was Sir William Wil-liam Fltzwllllatn, afterward earl of Southampton, who no doubt built much of tho magnificent mansion which is now such a glorious and stately ruin. Cowdray Cow-dray passed from Lord Southampton to his half-brother, Sir Anthony Browne, and it remained In the possession of his descendants, the Viscounts Montagu or Montacute. for nearly thrco centuries. King George Is the master of many industries, in-dustries, but it is not greatly known that he Is the owner of a distillery, where he distils some of the finest whisky that ever drew praise from a connoisseur. This curious possession of tho crown Is situated on the Balmoral estate, near Abergeldle castle, and Is known as Loch-nagor. Loch-nagor. Tho whisky manufactured Is, as may be Imagined, of the highest possible quality, and It finds Its way to all the royal tables via the cellars of Buckingham Bucking-ham palace, where it arrives In bulk and where It Is matured In large maturing vats, so Unit it really does not niako its "professional debut" until It 13 from fifteen fif-teen to twenty years old. Tho distillery was at first an ordinary commercial undertaking, doing a fair amount of trade, and producing" a whisky of sound repute, but, when the property-passed property-passed into tho possession of the crown, in tho reign of Queen Victoria, tho products prod-ucts of the distillery were reserved exclusively ex-clusively for tho use of the royal family and their respective households. Although Al-though tho king manufactures his own whisky, he actually drinks very llttlo of It. for the acute Indigestion from which he occasionally suffers has placed It under un-der a taboo. But the "Lochnagar Scotch" Is ofton drunk by the Duke of Connaught, and It was practically the only stimulant taken by Queen Victoria for many years before her death. If the king only choso to put his whisky upon tho niaiket and chose u capable advertising manager, It would not bo necessary to sot forth the advantages of the royal brand. It would not be necessary nec-essary to upset the house of commons with proposals for increased civil grants, for It Is a foregone conclusion that ho would annex almost .the entire whisky trade of the kingdom. Thoio are two things that Prince Arthur Ar-thur of Connaught does not wish to hear about. These aro his reported Impending appointment to bo a duke In Jjis own right, and his marriage. Ho has no desire de-sire whatever either to relinquish his present title or to enter the marrlod state. Thu papers will havo It, however, that both these events will take place very shortly, and thoy aro even thought-ful thought-ful enough to Indicate who his bride is llkoly to he. Unfortunately, thev cannot agree as to tho identity of tho hidv; and. Indeed, moro than one paper has Indicated Indi-cated a debutante with whom, so far, our young soldier prince has novcr enjoyed a moment's conversation. |