A ROYAL MISADVENTURE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1789, 14 March 1888, Page 3

A ROYAL MISADVENTURE

The London correspondent of an exchango writes :— Wbat may be termed the Inner circle at Oaborne have been having a terrible timo lately, owing to an expensive naißhap which befell tho Qaeen personally, and for which (this wa? doubtless the fcx-ieperating part of the affair) no one elee could possibly be blamed. Her MaJßsty, you mufjt know, haa a wemanly weakness for pearls. All the best that come into the London market are submittod to her, and when the etones prove good she buya pretty freely. Each of the Princesses have matchless necklaces, the stones for which havo been collected by the Qaeen herself. When tho Prlncsßß Koyal was born Her Majesty commenced a necklace for her ; and when Prlooees Beatdca arrived on the scene, one for her, When complete, these necklaces have general!} been made Wedding presents.

Well, tho Queen hai» now a suburb parure m hand for her eldest granddaughter, and, shortly before Christmas, expended £480 on three mngnifioent pearls. Theßo were kept twißted np In a piece of tissue paper (auch as jewellers aae) upon a tray on the Queen's private writing table, which no one but Her Majesty ever tonohea. One morning when busy writing the Queen abaently wiped her pen on the piece of tissue paper and flang it into the fire, The pearls vrent with it. Half an hoar later the oataetrophe waa discovered, and — well, perhaps I'd better leave the reob to imagination. Scffico It to say, the merchant who sold the gems waa atartled by a telegraphic message from Oaborne asking whether pearls would burn. Maoh mystified, he replied " Why, certainly " ; upon which tbo lloyal servants gave up grubbing amongst tho ashes.