childhood, by her father who was himself a skilful musician. Losing their mother while still of tender age, she and her sisters were sent to the convent of the Sacre Cœur at Montreal to complete their education. Her father afterwards sent her to Europe for musical instruction not obtainable elsewhere. Under the care of Baroness Lafitte, she was two years at Paris, where she studied under the famous Duprez. She then became a pupil of the old maestro Lamperti at Milan. Several years of hard study followed till at length, in 1870, she made her début at Messina under her present name, with entire success. Immediately afterwards she was engaged for Malta. In the winter of 1871–72 she sang at the theatre of La Pergola at Florence with great success. Her crowning effort was in the "Mignon" of Ambroise Thomas, already condemned in four theatres in Italy, but which in Madame Albani's hands obtained a complete success among the jealous Italians. She appeared at the Royal Italian Opera, London, in 1872, and since then has been a great favourite both in this country and the United States. In Feb. 1883, Madame Albani was singing in opera at Washington with great success, appearing in "Faust" and "Rigoletto." She closed her American operatic tour at Philadelphia, April, 16, 1883, in the "Flying Dutchman."
ALBANY, DUKE OF, H.R.H. Prince Leopold George Duncan Albert, K.G., Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow, Prince of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, fourth son of Queen Victoria, was born at Buckingham Palace, April 7, 1853. He matriculated at the University of Oxford in 1872, and was created a D.C.L. in 1876. Parliament voted him a grant of £15,000 a year on his attaining his majority, with an addition of £10,000 a year on his marriage. In May, 1881, his Royal Highness was created a peer of the realm with the title of Duke of Albany. His marriage with the Princess Frederica Augusta, daughter of His Serene Highness the Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont was celebrated at Windsor Castle, April 27, 1882.
ALBEMARLE (Earl of), The Right Hon. George Thomas Keppel, third, but eldest surviving son of William Charles, the fourth earl, was born in London, June 13, 1799, and educated at Westminster School. When less than sixteen years old he was gazetted an officer of the 14th Regiment of Foot, and a few months later he escaped unscathed from the field of Waterloo, and entered Paris shoeless and almost in rags. In 1821 he became aide-de-camp to the Governor-General of India, the Marquis of Hastings. Subsequently he made an extensive tour through Arabia, Persia, and Russia (1824), and on his return to England he obtained from the Duke of Wellington an unattached majority, which left him free to go where he pleased. In 1825 he was appointed aide-de-camp to Lord Wellesley, then Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. At the same time he held a similar position with the Duke of Sussex in England, and he divided his time between the two countries. Soon after the accession of Queen Victoria he was appointed Groom-in-Waiting to Her Majesty. He represented East Norfolk in the first reformed Parliament (1832–5), and afterwards sat for Lymington (1847–50). For a short period he acted as private secretary to Lord John Russell (1846–7). On the death of his brother, the fifth earl, in 1851, he succeeded to the earldom of Albemarle. His lordship became a Major-General in 1858, Lieutenant-General in 1866, and General in 1874. He is the author of "Personal Narrative of a Journey from India to England, by Bussorah, Bagdad, the Ruins of Babylon, Curtistan, the Court of Persia, the western shore of the Caspian Sea,
