Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-11-13
+: The Lord Steward is commanded !:
by the Queen to invite M-----:
ito dinner on ---, the -, at :
eight o'clock. Full Dress. ::
Windsor Castle.

by Jne queen TO invite A.
to dinner on ---, the ---. at:
EIGHT o'clock. Full Dress. ::
Windsor Castle.
''.''''''''''.''''' '''''.''' .'.......'.........
The card is 6 by 5 inches. Such is
the style of invitation to dinner with
the Queen of England. The guests
will assemble in the drawing-room and
there await her Majesty's entrance.
There is no regular announcement
made, but the guests are generally no
titled of the approach of the sovereign
lady, and all form themselves in a cres-
cent to receive her. She does not greet
each guest by offering her hand, but
usually extends her hand to the ladies
present. She is always accompanied
by her daughter. When the guest Of
the day is not of royal blood the ar
engagements as to precedence are gener-
ally privately arranged. ....
The guest Of the day, however. sits
on her Majesty's right hand and the
royal family on the left At the ia
BILE there are always three servants to
every SIX guests one to place the plates
the other to bring the eatables. Her
MAJ esty eats at a state dinner without
gloves, and when she finishes every one
is expected to stop Immediately. When
the meal is over the Queen leaves the
room first aud is followed by the rest Of
the guests.
1t is optional in England whether the
hostess Is present at q gentleman's din
ner; but they usually are, and will
often have another lady for company
The lady Of the house receives her hus-
bands guest with him. In England the
gentleman always offers his right arm
to the dining table. This point is now
automatically decided by the highest
authority IN the world.
A family dinner differs from state af-
fairs IN every essential point. [ was
presented to nObleman-an earl-whO
was considered first class authority on
such matters, and stating what [ desir-
ed, l was treated with the greatest cour-
tesy. Without taking up your valuable
space with the questions, / will simply
give the answers. They will certainly
be plain enough to the class of readers
who will peruse my poorly written let
ter
The master of the house leaves the
drawing-rOom first and the mistress
last. To digress little, will state that
OF late years there have been so many
changes in dinner etiquette that one
has to keep well posted or be considered
old-fashioned. | will give part of the
old and all Of the new styles 1t used
to be the fashion for the hostess to ask
the guest whether he would take soup
or fish, but now the soup is sent around
whether the guest wants it or not, and
Of course everybody has it before them
whether they eat it or not. If the SER
wants do not go around with the wine,
the gentleman help their ladies and
themselves. 1t used to be the fashion
for the hostess to say: "ohall [ help
you to piece Of the chicken or duck?"
now foWl). Now everything is passed
by the servants. 1t used to be the
style for the first served to wait until
every one was served before he began
to eat; now every one begins 1mmedi-
ately that he is helped.
Young ladies are limited to three
glasses Of light wine, while married la
dies accustomed to good society often
drink six.
1t used also to be the fashion for a
gentleman to ask the ladies to drink
with him, but not so now.
The different wines with different
dishes as as follows:
With fish or soup use sherry or sau-
terne.
With roast meat use hook or claret.
With turtle use punch.
With whitehall use champagne.
With game use port or burgundy.
Between the roast and confectionery
use sparkling wines.
With sweets use madeira.
With dessert use port, tokay, madei-
IA, sherry or claret.
Ice is never put in red wine, even in
summer. Burgundy should be slightly
warmed. Claret cup and champagne
cup should always be iceland these
are the only two wines in which ice is
used. Every kind of wine has its diff
ferent kind ofglass; champagne glasses
Tor champagne only; goblets for claret
and burgundy; ordinary wine glasses
for sherry and madeira: green glasses
for hook; large bell-shaped glasses for
port. Port, sherry and madeira, are
decanted in the late style, but hook
and champagne appear in their native
bottles. Claret and burgundy are al
ways handed around in claret Jugs.
! The servants all leave the room when
dessert is on the table, and the coffee
and liquors are handed around about a
quarter of an hour after dessert has
been on the table-after this the ladies
retire.
The old-fashioned way of refusing the
last piece Of bread in a dish or the
glass of wine in decanter is obsolete
The precedence of rank at private
dinner is as follows: Foreign ambassa-
doris take precedence Of the English
mobiles, archbishops rank with dukes,
bishops rank with earls. Ordinary for
eign counts take no precedence in Eng
land, but rank with English baronets.
An earl's grandson and all near rela-
tives (untitled) of the aristocracy, pre-
cede the esquires and country gentle
,oor, g. Tbon oor, n RI u,Iuoc Of nOJ1ntrV