Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-19
The PRINCE OF WALES AT HOME.
a Rail nj the Palace OF Sandringham-
Royalty AT Its Best.


last Friday and was very brilliant
one. Two years ago when L was last Ill
Norfolk our carriages stuck in the
marsh near Lynn-Regis for nearly two
hours, and the water got IN and made
Us all very uncomfortable but the
weather last week was simply perfect,
and although We had to drive fully five
hours before We got to Sandringham,
being merry party and the stars shin
ing brightly, il was pleasant indeed.
Sandrimgham Hall Is situated on the sea
coast, close To HoUmsttanOn, the now
famous watering-place. 1t Is by no
means of an old house, having in fact
been rebuilt by the Prince himself dur
ing the past twenty years. 1t stands on
rather high land, and commands fine
view of the sea and woodland, and Is
altogether exceedingly pretty. The
house is not large; that Is to say for
royal residence, and there are hundred
seats" in Norfolk fifty times finer, but
il is excessively convenient; every pos
sible modern improvement has been M
troducCd. Ii is heated like an Amerl-
can house, and has the most magnificent
Conservatives, full of rare eXOticS ana
Winter gardens, imaginable. The Park
il charming, but even this does not bear
cCmnariSon with the MarchioneSs OF
LOthian'S place mt Blickling, where
Annie BOleyu was born, or that
at HoughtOn Hall, the seat OF the Wal
poles, or, indeed, been that at poor Lord
TownShend's, Raynham Hall; but 1t Il
i'm many ways very delightful, well
stocked with deer and watered by sew
eral pretty streams and large lake.
On arriving at the hall the guest Is mt
once taken by q servant in royal livery
To a dressing-rOom, where he or she
finds ali the cOnveniences necessary Tor
touching up his or her toilette. Then q
gentleman usher dressed in a black vel
vet court costume, and carrying wand
tipped with silver, leads you into the
preScnceS of the Prince and Princess,
who stand in the center OF a
rather formal group of royalties
and illuStriOuS perSonages. Your
name Is called, and the Prince bows
and the Princess cOurtCSieS, which acts
of courtesy you repeat with all the
grace at your command. Sometimes
the Prince SAYS few words to you,
and if your face is femiliar TO him he
even cOndescends To chat in n very
friendly manner. The Princess, on the
other hand, il rather reserved, but al
ways graceful ana wCll-bred. On Fri
dav, for the benefit of your lady readers,
| will say II. Il. III. looked charmingly
Youthful and wore dress of mauve-
colorcd silk, covered with small rows
of Brussels lace, edged with wreaths
of pansies and lilacS. Her train was OF
violet-cOlOred silk shot with silver
threads and heavily embroidered. She
wore several orders and stars, a
diadem diamonds of and amethyStS and
Ofsilvcr tissue. Round her neck was
the famOu. band of black velvet,
stucded with enormous diamond
stars. Her bracelets were amethystS
and diamonds, ands she held in her
hand a bOquet of Parma violets, step
hanOtis and white roses. y lovely cos
tune, nest CO pas? The Princess Maud,
of Wales, who is now very beautiful
girl, wore white tulle, very simple, ana
a wreath of white China roses. II. X.
II. the Princess Christina, lilac silk,
with crysanthemums, and very Dig
pearls. Graceful and animated found
10 be the PrincesSeS of HeSse-Darm-
stadt, daughters of the late Princess
Alice. In our company came young
lady who was born deaf and dumb. On
this fact being communicated to our
royal hosts, the Prince and Princess
with great Kindness took special notice
of her, and the Prince, although the
lady is not in any way connected with
the county magnates, with exquisite
good nature and breeding asked her to
dance with him, so that the afflicted
lady had, through the delicate conduct
on the part of the Prince, charming
souvenir of her ball. After the first
formal introduction, which is rather
alacming, all becomes smooth sailing.
In no private house could you meet with
more attention and kindness. Nothing
has been removed from the tables in
the numerous Sitting-roOmS. The fam
ily albums lie around as usual, and one
of these | discovered to contain some
admirable CaricatureS, done by the
various members of the family, espeei-
ally bv the Princess Beatrice, who
evidently possesses keen sonse OF the
ridiculous, for some of her choice
sketches of well-knOw public men and
women were most ludicrous and truth
full. General dancing does not begin
until their Royal Highesses have gone
through the cermony OF the opening
Uuadrille, which is usual performed by
the guests staying in the house only;
Once this "ice-breaker' is over, then all
fall 10 and amuse themselves as best
they can, rather after the fashion of a
public hall; but the Prince looks after
his guests, and introduces bashful young
gentlemen to partners, and makes him
self useful and amiable in thousand
WAYS. AS almost all the people present
know each other, and are, indeed, for
the most part connected, it is quite
amusing to hear the remarks made as
fat dowagerS, blazing with diamonds,