CHARGE AGAINST PRINCESS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2330, 17 September 1921, Page 1

CHARGE AGAINST PRINCESS

UNLAWFUL RETURN TO BRITAIN.

A foreign princess, who was stated to have returned to England by aeroplane, after having been deported, was brought up at Bow Street Police Court in -July. She was described'on the charge sheet as Florence Grigorieff, alias Teresa Tosti, aged 64, professor of music, living at Argyle Square, A .C., and was charged with being found in the United Kingdom in contravention of a deportation order made by the Secretary of State on October 2toh last.

In her evidence the defendant

stated that she was the wife of Fedor, Prince Grigorieff, a landowner in tlje Ukraine, and that she used the name of Teresa Tosti in her professional engagements on the Continent as a singer.

Police evidence showed that on September 23rd last the defendant was convicted at West London Police Court for failing to register as an alien, and was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment in the second division, and recommended for deportation. While undergoing her sentence at Holloway Gaol, she was served with an expulsion order, and after her release she went to Paris.

P.C. Wright, TDD E, stated <Uiat he saw the defendant board an omnibus in the Strand on Friday afternoon, and, not wishing to create a scene in a public vehicle, lie followed her to West-bourne Grove, where lie arrested her on alighting.

The Clerk: Did you know her? The Witness: I had seen her phoograpli that morning.

The defendant, on oath, said that .-die was born in Paris of English parents, and was married at Kensington to Prince GrigorielT. Mr Abingcr (defending) : Did you inherit some money from your mother's brother, John Nathan Raphael, the hanker? —Yes, 1 was his heiress, and inherited through my mother considerable stocks and securities. As a result of her deportation an embargo was put on her property by the Public Trustee until she could prove her nationality. Her only object in coming back to England was to gel this embargo removed, and she had now succeeded in-doing so. The defendant elected to be tried by a jury, and the Magistrate accordingly committed her for trial. Mr Abingcr applied for bail, saying that he had a letter from “a very high personage,” who would become surety for her. Bail was refused.