The MAUVE ROOM and its adjoining dressing
room came to be known as The Royal Suite, having given sweet
slumber and other delights to numerous royalty, such as Queen
Margaret of Sweden, The Duke and Duchess of Connaught (Queen
Victoria's youngest, and by far her nicest son, also Desmond?s
godfather), and to Prince Pierre of Monaco, (the father of Prince
Rainier III): also to a delightful black prince, Prince Kessee
of a pre-war African kingdom no longer existing, whose subjects
may have eaten him at the banquet celebrating his return because
we never heard from him again. Before leaving he gave Lady Leonie
Leslie a beautiful little Sealyham pup called `Boozoo', (Swahili
for kiss) which decorated the carpet whenever anyone called its
name. Prince Pierre gave Lady Leonie the fine triptych silver
mirror on the dressing table, bearing her initials entwined in
a double L, the same device used by the `Sun King' Louis 14.
who was much less fun. Hence the loo beyond the bathroom is called
"The Throne Room" in honour of all the royalty who
have rained.
Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful also slept here. Unfortunately
on a weekend when the inmates of a girls' reformatory school
run by nuns chose to picnic by the lake. On hearing that "Mr
McJeager" was in residence, they chased him round the lake
screaming for blood. The only place where he might possibly be
safe was on the top of the (Protestant) church tower. So up he
was sent, while we worked out a hostage rescue plan with the
good nuns. Finally the tough delinquents agreed to moderate their
behaviour in exchange for autographs, and Mick was eventually
coaxed down.
Problem - no one had any paper, only thick green felt tipped
pens.
No problem ? arms, legs, bottoms, even bosoms were bared, and
the girls went away whooping with joy. Six weeks later the Head
Nun rang in despair. The girls would rather go on hunger strike
than wash. What was she to do? Desmond suggested `Tattoo them,
then scrub them.' And so passed another tranquil weekend at Glaslough.
In 1910 while he was Commander in Chief at Kilmainham Hospital,
the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, graciously honoured Castle
Leslie with a visit. Triumphal arches of flowers were erected,
the carpenter fell off his ladder, and the bell ringer?s rope
broke from practising. An extra footman was summoned to wait
at table. For this, the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast loyally
sent us their "best waiter"; a purple faced drunk who
was thrilled at the prospect of actually serving royalty. He
was squeezed into the green Leslie livery, and given a huge souffl?o
carry into the dining room. This he carries proudly up to the
duke, shouting: "Yer Royal Highness, here's yer dinner.
It's a Poooooooooooooof----!" blowing the souffl?ll over
the dinner table. Hasty to make amends he pounds the table with
his fist while declaring: "er Royal Highness, I'll have
you know we're so loyal in Portadown, we're still mourning yer
Mum." (Queen Victoria had died 10 years earlier in 1900).
A right royal time was had (though not always as planned) whenever
the duke and duchess came to Glaslough. When old they rather
touchingly told Granny that the only fun they'd ever had in their
lives had been with her.
A noble potty neighbour, not exactly known for romance, was so
enamoured by the lovely Margaret of Sweden that he hid himself
in the big white wardrobe before she came up to bed, not realising
the catch cannot be undone from inside. Halfway through the night,
disturbed by muffled thuds and weird groans, Queen Margaret threw
open the wardrobe, and a suffocated earl tumbled out. She was
not amused.
From one window you see largely meadow and cattle, from the other
you see formal terraces. Lady Constance liked formality, Sir
John preferred the rustic. So they devised the curving balustrade
accordingly.
This room is unchanged since it was first built, save for the
curtains. All the white furniture was designed by Sir John Leslie
and built on the estate. The original ones crumbled after 110
years, and the new ones are being specially made by hand for
us and should be gracing the room shortly. |
