THE PRINCESS OF WALES' BOUDOIR.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2616, 28 May 1877, Page 3

THE PRINCESS OF WALES' BOUDOIR.

The World, in a -sketch of the Pfinee of Wales' palace at Sandringham, says : —The chief adornment of the main staircase is a.fino portrait in oiis of the Princess in riding-dress. Immediately at the top of the stairs a door opens to the right into the schoolroom, where Mr Dalton's two young pupils spend a stated number, of hours per day over their lessons; a light pleasant room, in which flowers and photographs compete for elbow-room with school-bboks and story-books. The impulse is to pause here in this sketchy description of the interior of Sandringham Hall, lest the going further savour of presumptuous intrusiveness. Yet it is hard to shun a reference to. that beautiful room on the same floor, with its pale salmon-coloured and French-grey walls; its pink and lace hangings round the deep bay of the bow-, window ; its medley of old china, photographs, water-colours, dwarf palms, Eowers ; its thousand and one pretty nicknacks ; its singing birds ; and with the indescribable; yet felt, although unseen, presence of delicate and refined womanhood which pervades the "whole of the exquisite chamber. This is the boudoir of the Princess—the room that so grew in

the heart of ber Royal Highness, because -^afearly grateful memories associated with "-^Jhat when Sandringhani Hall was rebuilt, she made it her special stipulation that it should be reconstructed on "the ancient lines". in the minutest ' particular. No excuse is needed for an allusibn to a room in the same corridor, because of the deep historical interest which attaches to it. It is difficult, indeed, standing to-day in the big comfortable homelike chamber, whither,

through the open door, comes the song of the linnets in the Princess's dressingroom;: whither, through the open baywindow in the great recess beyond the

crimson ptieudieu on the further siHe of the bed, with its hangings of blue-and-whitei. to correspond with the tapestrypaper on the walls, is wafted on the breeze the fresh briny scent of the seait is difficult verily to realise the scene to which these silent walls could bear witness, what time a strong man, on this

same bed, battled for breath in the very

straits of the dark valley, while his dearest kinsfolk were gathered • around for the sad solemn duty of bidding him a final farewell, while in the corridor hushed retainers wept sore for the imminent untimely fate of one not les3 loved than honored, and while outside in the snow-slush grief-smitten laboring-folk longed,; yet. feared, for tidings of ..their •'master."* Yet there in the ceiling above the bed is - the mark of the orifice whence projected the hook supporting the trapeze cunningly devised by Bentley, by.the aid of which the Prince, when on the slow and: weary road toward convalescence, was wont to change his recumbent position, or pull himself up into a sitting posture* Listen to the ripples of child laughter and the swift patter of child feet along the corridor. There is a flash of rosy cheeks and dancing curls as \ three little maids in riding habits trip daintily down the staircase, on their jway to an afternoon ride in the park, in the course of which Slowcoach will have a wakeningup doubtless, and the piebald Euston get his head quife to his own liking— three young ladies, the eldest of whom are "out" after a fashion, so far as the Sandringham beau monde is concerned ; for at the tenants' ball in December last was there not a ladiant vision of a pair of pretty fairies in scarlet sashes, with head ribbons and dainty bottines to match. Later, as the shadows are falling, ; there comes across the sward from an outlying copse of the park a couple of bright-faced, frank-eyed, lissom-framed lads in kilts and hosen of hodden grey, on whose bare knees is here and there a scratch.- The younger will tell you in a ringing English voice that his elder brother has just shot a rabbit; nor is the senior—the boy who in Heaven's good time and pleasure will be King of England—backward in acknowledging to this achievement of prowess.