Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-01-28
The Royal Drawing Room.

There is the blue drawing-room,
hung with blue silk panelled in gold,
with Winterhalter's portraits OF the
Queen and the Prince Consort; the
dark. blue drawing. room and the red
and yellow,drawing-rooms; they all com.
mand view of the beautiful gardens
of Buckingham Palace, where the
fountains are generally set playing.
They are filed with rows of chairs, and
as soon as these are occupied the gen.
tlemen-at-arms cross their halberds,
and no more are admitted, and so on
until all the rooms are filled. People
sit chatting to their friends, and thus
while the time away. There are only
a few gentlemen present, and they must
be in attendance on ladies, and do not
generally pass the royal presence, but
are nevertheless occasio nally presented
with their wives.
Altar time there is rustic and a
rush. The entree has passed the Queen
and the rest of the world are about to
do so in turn; the stream moves. through
the suite of rooms in single file, until
they reach the end of the picture gal
lery, lined with the gentlemen-at-arms.
Here the Queens pages remove the
train from the right arm, spread it on
the ground, and thus you walk across
the gallery to the Throne-room. The
door on the left-hand side is glass, and
scarcely any one passes it without
looking how her train sets. When you
enter the Presence Chamber you find a
narrow half circular alley left, down
rxyhi0l, n ,Nrnnao1 hnibn y,
the background is the Throne and its
canopy.
In front of it are the ladies and gen.
tlemen in attendance Oh the Queen and
other royal personages, and IN front Of
them the royal family. Near the door
way, next the Queen, is the Lord
| Chamberlain, then her Majesty, the
Princess of Wales and the other prin.
cesses, and then the princes. The gen.
eral circle fills the rest of the room.
Just in front of you will be the end OF
the train OF the lady passing next be-
fore you. In case of mother and
daughter, the mother would go first.
You have no longer to think about
your own train; your glove, fan and
handkerchief hold in your left hand,
your card in your right.
AS you pass through the doorway
give this to the Lord Chamberlain.
You will find his hand ready to re-
ceive it. as soon as he mentions the
word presentation the Queen will
put out her right hand; then courtesy
very low, place your own right hand
beneath it, and bend and kiss it.
When you rise courtesy low to each
member of the royal family, and walk
along this semi-circular alley sideways,
being careful on no account to turn
your back; but by the time you have
we'll passed the royalties you will find
your train being placed on your arm,
and, the crowd intervening, you leave
the room by the center doorway with.
out any necessity for further backing.
You make your way at once to the
picture gallery, which is now thronged.
You can look at the pictures which are
worth seeing. including gems of Greuze,
Wilkie, Mas, and others. But the
beautiful people and beautiful dresses
will distract your attention. By and
by you will proceed to the great en-.
trance Lall, and, having obtained your
cloaks, wait there until your carriage
is called,a tedious process, for if il
happens to come up before you are
ready it goes to the very end of the
rank. = Home journal.