KING EDWARD AT HIS CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 10

KING EDWARD AT HIS CLUB.

i'Whea'; Edward; VII was. a young '• man he was-a. great clubman. :. Desiring•■' to have.,'some .club whose, membership should be, select and .where' he -would meet only, those - whom he; cared to know intimately, he 'brought'about the founding' of the Marlborough Club in .Pall Mall" in :1869. ".' Of the original member's of;;,this olub; three'.■ survive,... ther,King, the Duke of Fife,': and Lord Farquhar, To this" day/all new members must be personally acceptable to his Majesty. .an. article, in . "Cassell's Saturday i Jour-: nal" (London) we read the following,account of ,■ the..King's club: life:. ~ Even:.- during the•■ strain of, a .London season,; with : his many, public duties,. the King finds'time to run into-hie' favourite clubfor. an' hour or two's rest and quietness.'. No. particular; .ceremony 'marks either his entry, oi- his. exit. The attendant at .the'door, swings open" !as his Majesty's .private motor-car or brougham draws up. in much the same fashion that he would for; any; other .member. .:

, AS'"far>as the other -members;of the club - are' concerned, it. is ■'■ well- undor-: stood that, when his.'Majesty enters the' building, he desires,', and' even expects, to-be treated' in ;S purely a private' capa•oity.■■'■ His. favourite, seat''is rather, near the fireplace in 'the,smoking-room,'with his back toward the window. ■ Therefore, anyone voccupying"-this;. ; seat ■■ at ■, once vacates'it,-with a; bow. to tho King, and finds', a- chair.somewhere .else.- ■,'■:;.- ■:■'•-'•'

: ; Another '■'unwritten law "of; : the. .''Marlborough Club is that ;,no member must directly, address the Kirig'without "-first being spoken by'him; .This is;a Tulo that may be infringed by only one'member of :tho club, : the Duke of; Fife." As' son-in-law to the- King," of course, the Duke stands : in a hinic[ue position. ■:■■ The King, however,: desires company when he'■ visits the club, : and after he has:glanced through'the' : evening papers he :will■ get up and stroll around the rooms; exchanging ■'.. a cheery word; here,' and.'; there. with such; of his friends as 'he chooses to rie-. cognise. 'The one subjeot.that,is taboo to all in the King's presence is that of politics. ; '.;.•,.'•';'■.'■■>.•■'■•-!'.■ "'•;.:■-■-," '~, --.- Though,, as ;has; been said, his'-Majesty when..visiting, the club expects, his... incognito to be strictly observed, he is keen to resent anything in. .the. naturo'of undue familiarity. - 'A'rather well-known Peer, discovered this' to', his. cost .a few years.;agb.. Presuming >upon; a friendly conversation he.had just had'with the King, he called across the room to him, "Just ring the bell behind you, will you please, - sir ?'-. The ■ Prince of Wales, as he then was, looked ,at him ; for a moment and then rang ; . the: bell. '-', k The waiter entered, and the Prince "said to him; in-' a voice, .that could be heard' all over, the room, 'Tlease'call Lord -—'s carriage." The Peer took the' hint and left trie club. The following morning he .had a.polite note: from, the. secretary intimating that tho comniitteo would bo . oxtrcmely obliged.if he would consider;his membership terminated, and would'not make use of the.'club for.the future

'.''As'a gonoralrulc it is lato in'tho even-; ing beforo his' Majesty can reach his club, and then,he chiefly desires a rubber of bridge with so'm'o' of his old friends.The. King'is an. oxtreinely good player,and greatly dislikes having a duffer at !sis. table. Every member in tho card-room is awnro that, he. may ;be 'summoned '• totake a hand at tho Royal tablo, and no matter how interesting the gamo in which lie is, then engaged may be. he must Im' propnred to relinquish it cheerfully 1 and to obey the command to join tho Eoyal table. .-" . '•'. ',