This year the number of English royal ties on the Riviera was oxceptionally'largo, there being, in addition to tho Queen, tho Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Princess Louise, Prin cesses Victoria and Maud of Wales, the Duka and Duchess of Connaught, Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg, the Duke and Duchess of Teok and Princess May of Took. The Prince and Princess of Wales were stopping at the Hotel Cap Martin, where, in fact, their Royal Highnesses made a prolonged sojourn. In 1891 the Queen paid a visit to Florence, for which she is said to have a great affection, because of the Prince Consort’s lovo for the city on tho Arno. While at Florence Her Majesty was visited by tho King and Quoen of Italy. Last year, as this, Cimiez was selected by Her Majesty for her spring visit to the Continent. The charms of this romantic suburb of Nice have been sung for a cen tury or more, over since Smollett dis covered what was then a poor, miserable little fishing town of a few narrow, tortu ous streets running up the side of the Chdteau Hill, with plenty of dirt and unsavoury smells about the houses, and a plethora of sunshine out of doors. The Queen’s chosen residence stands upon tho oollino which constitutes the first range in the triple ridged shield of mountains which shelters Nice from the cold north winds. Far' behind stretch the snowolad peaks of tho Maritime Alps, with MontGros and Mont Chauve standing out in bold relief and strongly equipped with modern artillery for the protection of the port against invasion. The building was originally erected by Mr Coleman, who owns a villa close by. Some years ago it was turned into Vitali’s private hotel, which Mr Port, the present proprietor, enlarged to its existing proportions of sixty eight bedrooms. Tho Grand Hotdl'- stands near the main road, already described as running through the ruins of the Roman Arena, but it lies hidden from tho highway, and is just far enough away from noisy Nice to ensure to the Queen that privacy which must be a sine qua non of any residence taken for her abroad. The attention of Her Majesty was drawn to tho Grand Hotel do Cimiez by Miss Minnie Cochrane, one of her maids of honour, who spent some time there two years ago. 