LABOUCHERE'S CHAT. (GOSSIP ABOUT ROYAL PERSONAGE AND COURT FUNCTIONS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 284, 25 July 1888, Page 6

LABOUCHERE'S CHAT. (GOSSIP ABOUT ROYAL PERSONAGE AND COURT FUNCTIONS.

London, June 26.— A great, deal of work 1 cumins ,to lie done at Windsor Castle in connection with the new wing which is to bo inhabited next autumn by the Prince and Princes Henry of Batten berg, their children, and by the cnildron of the Duke and Duchess of Connaught. Work is to be finally completed and all the rooms turnished ready for occupation by August 11th, and the Queen id to arrive at Balmoral for her autumn residence on August 24th. The huiried visit of the Princess of Wales to Dc&bau last Avcek is reported at Beilin to bo connected with the projected marriage between Princess Victoria ot Wales and the hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, who wa& bom in August, 1856. The Prince and Princess ot Wales wore to have been piosont last week at the balls given, respectively, by Mrs Tyssin Amherst, Mrs Henry Oppenhcimer and Lady llothschild, but then entertainment will have now to be abandoned, vfr> the royalties will go nowheic diving the lumainder of the season, and, indeed, a& stated last week, the Pi nice and Princess will only i cmain at Mailboiough llou.se tor a tew days bciore leaving town altogether. The Pimcc&s of Wales will piobably <ro to Schivalbaek about the end of next monl ii, tor the pm pose of taking a eouise of baths, and the Pi nice and the three youug princesses will aftoiward pay a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Cumbei land, at their beautitul place, near (Jmunden It is believed that the betrothal ot Duke Sparta, Crown Prince of Uveece, to the Puncess Sophia, ot Prussia, thud daughtei of the late Empeior Frederick, will bo announced ah t-ocn as the acute stage of court mourning nas pasted. It is qui'e expected in court and othcial circle's in Berlin that Prince Alexander of Battonborg will be mai ried as &oon as the tei m of the bride's mourning tor her fathei expires. 1 hear that the ceremony is to take place pi ivately in England, and the couple will le&idepnncipallyin thiscountiy, which news will not be received by the public with unmixed vati&faction. Prince Alevancler has no piopeity except his Bulgarian lootings which, howc\ci, aio believed to bo considerable, and it itnot supposed (hat Emgeror Frederick left his daughters more than C 50.000 each. Young Emperor William cares nothing about his bi-ter^, which, however, i-> only natural, as ho lias teen \erv little oi them, so that Princofcs Victoria is never likely to leturn to Boilin or Potsdam after .she becomes Piincchs Alexandci of Battcnbeig. Tt i& probable that Empress Victoria will pass the autumn in Scotland, in which ca.se .she will reside with her three younger daughters at Abergelbie Cattle, which the Queen hat. placed at her disposal. 1 hear that the Duke and Duchess of Ilcdford have offered to place Norris Ca&tle their place near Osborne, at the disposal of Emprese Victoria if she desires to vi-ifc the Isle of Wight this summer. The Empress and Emperor Ficderick le.sided for some weeks last year at Norris Castle, which was lent them for the summer. The crown at. Potsdam /jctually cheered the young Emperor when ho was following his lather.- coilin to the gra\e.

BIS UOP COWIE. The absence of Bishop Cowie's namotiom the list ot distiu<ruibhed colonists present afc the Birthday Dinner at Lhe Colonial Ofliee on Saturday week lu>- excited considerable remark. Bi&hop Cowic was invited, and so was the Bishop of Adelaide, and the Bishop of Auckland, being; iti London at the tune, could nob have been omitted L'ossibly what made the omission the more j noticeable was the tact, that on the follow - in»- day Bishop Cowie was announced to preach and did preach at St. -Juhn'.s, lied Lion .Sqiuue, to a lai(;o and influential co.ime^tition. The tc])oit th.it. Hi* Lotdship will not return to the colony till ne\i< year is, 1 am assuied, ineonoct. At anyiate the Bishop & bon told a (^eiitlcinan 1 know the other day that hib fathei would lea\c England again in September. Bishop (Jo\we i- wilting a little book called ".My Last Yen m New Zualantl," wliich will be [)üblished bhoi tly at 7b 6d.