The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-06-21 00:00:00

THE VIANDS OF REIGNING
MONARCHS.

The culinary preferences of Kings and Emperors is
a subject upon which such as are liable to the honour
of entertaining Royal personages at their tables
ought, perhaps, to be au courant, so that when
the occasion arises they may not be taken unawares.
Acting on this principle, says a French contem-
porary, one of the most notable statesmen in
France, whose chef de cuisine formerly employed
his talents in that capacity for the benefit of the
Duo de Noailles, has been charged by his present
master to learn ont the special likings of European
crowned heads. It results from his inquiries, accord-
ing to the Parisian print, that Alexander 11. is
partial, above all other dishes, to game, _washed down
by burgundy or champagne. The aged German Em-
peror prefers simply drested beef or mutton to any
other dish, and failing these, gives the preference
to delieAtely prepared entremets, his favourite
wines being the Roederer, the Alarcobriirner, and
the Liebfraumileb. The Emperor of Austria loves
brown meats, and especially mutton, drinking with
his repast chiefly Hungarian wines, l'he King of
Italy, on the contrary, chooses white meats, or
poultry, giving his preference in the matter of wines
to those of the C 6te d'or. His Belgian Majesty has
a lady's appetite, eating sparingly, excepting when the
dish before him contains his favourite bird, the thrush,
which, when flanked by a bottle of good old burgundy,
he finds irreAstible. His Royal neighbour of Spain has,
on the contrary, a kingly appetite; whilst the Sovereign
who reigns over Portugal passes most dishes untouched,
unless it be a sugared entremet, accompanied by a
few glasses of port. The Monarch of Sweden
and Norway feeds as though it were Lent all the year
round, his diet consisting invariably of fish, his drink
of Rhenish wines. Of the other European Sovereigns
we learn that they have no m Irked proclivities in the
matter of food or drink; so at least says M. Gambatta's
cordon bleu, who, if the information he is reported to-
have obtained be trustworthy, is now ready to meet
any emergency, ex(' can suit his dishes to the distin-
guished guests, whom his master, it is presumable, sees
In his mind's eye, taking their seats zt hie dinner-table
at some future date.—Evening Standard:

The Emperor of Auatriz has just been presented
with a snit of clothes. The wool from which the garments
were made was upon the sheeps' backs eleven hours before
the suit was completed. At 308 in the mornirg the sheep
were sheared; at 6 II the wool was washed; at 6 37 dyed;
at 6 [0 picked; at 7 34 the last carding process was finished ;
at 8 it was spun: at 8 15 spooled; at 833' tha warp was in
the loom; at 843 the shuttles were ready; at 11 10 seven
and three-quarters Olif of cloth wee coaipleted ; at 4 08
the cloth was tailed : at Ka washed .; ur21.7 sprinkfid ;
at 12 31 cried; at 1246 sheared ; at 1.07 napped; at 1.10
brushed ; and at 1.15 pressed and ready for the shears and
needle. At five o'clock the suit, consisting of a hunting
waistcoat, and pantaloons, was finished.--(The same
thing was
done at Newbury, In .Berks, last century.)

11:=