Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-12-28
Queen Yictoria's Ladies in waiting.

An English correspondent writes:
With one exception, all Queen Vic
toria's '1adies in waiting" are widows.
Since her husbands death her Majesty
has always selected ladies similarly be-
reaved. They receive $500 year,
which is a very acceptable addition to
the jointure of an Irish peeress. They
are always wives or widows of peers.
Young ladies are not considered elig-
ible as '.maids of honor" unless they
are granddaughters of peer not of
lower rank than an earl. They are al
most invariably selected from among
the daughters of the daughters, or
younger sons of peers, and are In
position which renders their sa,-
ary OF G40O a year an OBJ
ject. The life of maid of honor
at the court of Queen Victoria has been
as free from all temptation to stoop to
folly as that of the young ladies whom
we read of in De Grammont's Memoirs
was full, and ''td belle jennings" and
the other two charming subjects of
Lely's pencil which have been handed
down by him to posterity, would have
been dreadfully bored by the Windsor
of to-day, which, never lively for young
ladies during the present reign, even at
the best of times, is now duller than
ever The maids of honor retain their
title of honorable, which they receive
on appointment, after they marry, but
it is notable that their position is not
considered to advance their prospects
of making a good match, and in fact, In
worldly point of view, they rarely
marry well.
The Queen generally presents maid
of honor with handsome present in
money on her marriage, besides the
hundred guinea cashmere shawl which
is her Majesty's almost invariable gift.
Many of them retain their positions
long after they have reached middle
| life, and one lady, now retired, who was
removed, turned a deaf ear to the re-
peated intimations that her resignation
would be accepted, was old enough to
| have been her Majesty's mother. There
are always numerous applicants for all
the positions about the court, but at
the same time many of those whom the
Queen would particularly like to have
about her, decline, and, indeed, unless
money is decided object, there is lit
tie inducement to persons in a high
position to undertake such duties
In former days close con-
nection existed between court places
and politics, and it is matter of his
tory that the late Sir Robert Peel, at an
early period in the present reign, de-
clined to form government, because
the Queen refused to part with certain
members of her household, friends
of her youth, whose influence Sir Rob
ert considered would frustrate his own.
Now, however, exceptin the case of the
mistress of the robes, which is regard.
ed as a high office of state, a minister
very rarely raises objection to the pres
ence of any particular lady, although
no doubt if he did so she would be
! obliged to resign.
In London the ladies in waiting dc
not actually live at the palace, but are
!, fetched and carried accordingly as theil
attendance is required, by royal car
riage placed at their disposal, but the
maids of honor live at the palace botl
in town and country. The Queen al
, WAYS shows kindly recollection of ole
servants deserving it, whether of higf
3 or low degree.
The Louisville Courier-Journal re
cantIv Dub1ished sketches of from 20 Il