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ROYALTY at WELSH POOL

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ROYALTY at WELSH POOL After 55 Years. Princess" Marie Louise" visits a Deserted Castle, Through an Empty Town. Her Highness Princess Francisca Josepha LOUISE AUOUSTE Marie Christine Helene of SCHLESWIG- HOLSTEIN, Order of Victoria and Albert, Order of the Crown of India: bom, August 12th, 1872; was 1891-1900 Princess Atibert of Anhalt," but her marriage was dissolved by joint request to suit a new family law of that Ducal houae. Residence—21, Queensbary Place, S,W.-WHITAKER'S PEERAGE. Oh, dear! When is the Princess coming ? The almost breathless speaker was a worthy Welshpool lady; the time last Thursday morning. She was anxiously seeking information from a well-established tradesman, who did net seem to realize that it is more than half a century since any member of the reigning Royal Family had last visited the ancient town. His answer came brief, decisive and almost careless in tone. I don't know Then you've heard nothing about it ? asked the lady somewhat surprisedly. Not a word Let me see. She's coming to-day ? "I don't know." Dear me! I thought everybody in Broad- street would know. WHAT A STRANGE THING!" Very quietly had Princess "Marie Louise's' Trisit to Powis Castle been arranged. The news first appeared in the 'Express' a fortnight ago, apparently before the event was known even to local high authorities," who promptly pooh- poohed the announcement. But, though this ignorance was at last dispelled, many of the townsfolk could hardly believe that Her Highness "would be coming to Welshpool on July 22nd, the very day of the Church Trip to Aberystwyth. A Welshpool tradesman, however, who is also a man-of-the-world, summed np the situation as follows: "Of course, they wanted to keep it quiet! The don't want to have all the people staring and gawking at them all the time! It was just the same when the Countess first came to Welshpool. If the people would see her carriage outside a shop thè)"d crowd on the pavement. At last she wouldn't go. It's the same everywhere; they're no different. When the King goes to Marienbad for the waters, they've to ask and pray people there not to humbug him." And would not this be the third time for Royalty to pass through the town this year? Did not His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Michael of Russia visit the Castle in January ? And a German Prince and Princess in February ? Yet, the townspeople of Welshpool were last Thursday not so much blase as absent or unawares. Whether the Poolouians believed or disbelieved that Princess Marie Louise" was coming, general curiosity expressed itself in one question, WHO IS SHE ? The answer was readily given by those who keep in touch with the genealogy and movements of t.ha Pniiol I'omilr "Whvi T)nn't vnii ]rnow P She's a niece for our King she's a daughter for Princess Christian, his sister! Or, to quote Princess Marie Louise's" parentage, according to the official language of the Peerage,' (her mother being the fifth child of the late Queen Victoria, and a public pensioner to the extent of zC6,000 a year) H.R.H. HEhENA, Princess CHRISTIAN of SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN Sonderbarg Augustenburg (Princess HELENA Augusta. Victoria of the United Kingdom), Duchess of Saxony, and Princess of Saxe. Coburg and Gotha, Order of Victoria and Albert, Order of the Crown or India Royal Red Cross born at Buckingham Palace, May 25, 1846; married (at Windsor Private Chapel, July 5. 1866) to H.R.H. Prince CHRISTIAN (Friedrich Christian Carl August) of ScHLESwiG-HOLSTEIN-Sonderburg-A-ugustenburg, Knight of Garter, Privy Councillor, Knight Grand Cross Royal Victorian Order. a General in the British Army, High Steward of Windsor, and a Personal Aide-de-Camp to H.M. (born January 22,1831 created "Royal Highness" by English Warrant 1886, his sons and daughters being Highness.") Walshpool and Powis Castle ware deserted last Thursday. Nearly all the townsfolk who had not gone to Aberystwyth with the cheap excursion were at their dinner when the Princess arrived, and they were having tea when she went away. In one respect the notable visitor unconsciously imitated the Duke of Beaufort, who, as Lord President ot Wales and the Marches, visited the Castle 225 years ago though neither the Earl of Powis nor his Countess were there. The English workman has been for some time in possession at the Big House," or-to quote once more the words of a Welshpool tradesman- THE CASTLE STANDS DESHABILLE. Last Monday-on the eve of the half-yearly rent audit—Lady Powis had gone to Paris, en route for Mont Dore on the Riviera. The Earl had arrived by train in Welshpool on Wednesday afternoon to see about the morrow's arrangements, and then late the same night he motored back to his Shropshire seat at Walcot, where he remained. Princess Marie Louise" had arrived in the neighbourhood on Wednesday evening from Euston. She stayed at Orleton Hall, Wellington, the seat of Lord Powis's popular and gallant cousin, Colonel E. W. Herbert, C.B., and she had a personal, military and municipal welcome on her arrival. Colonel Herbert and Major-General Sir Francis Lloyd, D S.O., commanding the "Welsh" Territorial Division, received her at the railway station, and near by was drawn up a Territorial guard of honour, the Wellington Company of the 4th King's Shropshire Light Infantry; also in attendance there stood 32 Army veterans. The local Councillors, together with an illuminated address, were presented to the Princess at the Market-square, and she expressed appreciation ot the kind welcome given to her by the inhabitants and the governing body. Thousands of spectators cheered as she passed through the gaily decorated streets of Wellington to Orleton Hall. But at Welshpool on Thursday not a drum was heard, not a musical note, save the band of the Liverpool Telegraph "Terriers" practising in Oldford camp. Not a flag was to be seen either over the Parish Church or the Town Hall, and, of course, in the absence of the Earl and Countess, not over Powis Castle A little off the Royal route a large Union Jack floated from the Royal Oak." Further down the Severn-road a small, dingy banner braved the breeze, from the rustic post near a weather-beaten Powysland notice board, which advertizes building land to let on lease;" this flag had been braving the breeze since last Empire Day." The town was quiet, exceptionally quiet. To quote once more the words of a philosophic shopkeeper, If Royalty's coming here privately, let them! What's the use of fussing and decorating ? Princess Marie Louise had been expected to arrive at noon, which, in the Royal sense of the word, proved to be a quarter-past one o'clock. Then a MAGNIFICENT, DARK GREEN MOTOR-CAR, covered over, came on the scene, up Salop-road, Broad-street, High-street, down Park-lane, and into the Castle demesne—a thirty-mile drive after mid-day from Orleton. The Park roadway had been swept clean and tidied up, and not even the bourgeoise folk were allowed to pass the second gate during the afternoon. (It was just like Sunday). Twenty minutes later another motor-car—light red in colour and open—followed the same route right through into the Dairy square, where the estate office is situated, and where Mr Forroster Addie, the estate agent, dwells. It was he who received the Royal party. They had luncheon in a tent on the grassy paddock under the shadow of the Red Castle and its terraces. Certain portions of the Castle were inspected, and the Princess saw the -State rooms wherein Queen Victoria, her grand- mother, and the Duchess of Kent, her great grandmother, had once been lodged. It is 55 years since the last members of the reigning Royal House had been at the Castle, in the persons of the late Duchess of Cambridge and her daughter, Princess Mary (afterwards Duchess of Kent) by a curious coincidence they also had come over from a Shropshire seat, Rowton Castle, with Lady Charlotte Lister, before returning to London. But that party had been received by the late Earl and his mother, the late Countess. Thursday's programme had oitiginally included a journey through the county town of Montgomery to Lymoro Hall, which was once the seat of the Herberts of Chirbury, and is now possessed by Lord Powis. But owing to the shortness of the time after a drive through the Park, the Mont- gomery outing was abandoned, and the Princess "HONOURED" MR AND MRS ADDIE with her presence at The Dairy to tea. The return journey was started at five o'clock. On Friday the Princess opened a garden fete and sale of work in Orleton Park to get funds for the new Parish Hall at Wrockwardine on the Orleton estate. On Saturday the Princess went away. The few men-in-the-street who witnessed any- thing of this royal tour through the main streets of Pool had little time to form many impressions. But one citizen had the good fortune to be stand- ing by the Cross Pump just after five o'clock, when the dark green motor-car drove down Broad-street and slowed at the turning. "No," this spectator told his friends afterwards, "I didn't see the Princess, but I saw the Princess' car, a beautiful car, noiseless as travelling. But a peculiar horn it had, rather unlike any horn I'd heard; it made a queer scraping noise. And the chauffeur was extraordinary careful in his manipulation as he went round into Church-street. He had a sort of drabby uniform or shooting dress on, and a nice, genial-looking face; looked as if he wouldn't run over a fly. Some of these fellows, you know, look Now, then, out of the road I'm coming!' The car slipped by me, and someone said.' That's the Princess!' But it was gone. If I'd known, I should have LOOKED AT HER, YOU BET!" This noticeable vehicle bslonged to and was driven by a young but wealthy man, who owns five other motor cars as well. He is a Mr Lionel Munro, and was a member of the house party at Orleton Hall. The others who accompanied Princess Marie Louise" to Powis Castle were :— Miss Hawkes (her lady-in-waiting), Colonel and Mrs Herbert and Miss Dcrothy Herbert, Sir Harry Mainwaring, Bart., and General Lloyd. Princess Marie Louise," one of the most ac- complished members of the Royal Family, is no mean artist, particularly in making enamel jewellery—as a hobby, of course. Proudest of all the plebeian Poolomans last Thursday, perhaps, was the lady spectator, who caught s:ght of her whom so many missed. Having identified the Royal V'sitor motoring through the empty town in the L N." (London) conveyance, she observed, The Princess was sitting with a young fellow in the front of the car, and some of the suite were in the body of the car at the back. The Princess was dressed in cream tweed with black stripes, and a black hat with flowers, and a rose-coloured motor-scarf. She was fair and plain looking!

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