Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-30
TWO DRAWING ROOMS.
Some Radical Criticisms on the Latest
SOlemnities at Buckingham Palace.

London Truth gives the following account OF
the last two drawing rooms held at Bucking-
ham palace: Tuesdays drawing room was a
very large one and the waiting in the Mall. the
crowding and crushing at the barriers and the
intolerable delay which always takes place at
the palace before a carriage can be procured
must have been very trying to ladies who were
paving their duty to the queen. Ii is really
high time that a tea room was established on
these occasions The expense would be trifling,
and the boon would be very great. At present a
drawing room is often an affair of four or five
hours. and absolutely nothing can be procured at
the palace TO sustain nature unless there is pos
tive catastrophe in which case brandy is supplied
The queen remained for about fifty minutes.
and the bulk OF the general company was re-
ceived by Princess Christian. as the Princess of
Wales was not present, owing to a slight indis-
position. Miss Wiliiams-Wynn Miss Violet
Churchill and the Hon. Evelyn Willoughby were
the most noticeable debutantes but. as is now
usually the case. many of the married ladies
were the most admired. Lady Dalhousie and
Lady Wilmington looked remarkably we'll
Baroness BolsOyer had apparently borrowed the
whole of her stepson's family Jewels. Two OF
the most notable toilets We're those of Lady
Eliesmere and Lady Elgin. Yellow was the
prevailing color and the bouquets were larger
than ever. On Thursday the ceremony lasted
barely an hour and the queen STAYED all the
time. The Princess of Wales was present and
looked very charming in pale blue satin, en-
broidered with silver-a similar dress to that
worn by Her Royal Highness at the royal we'd
ding. Lady Gordon Cathcart carried off the
palm for the splendOr and abundance of her
Jewelry. She displayed diamonds, pearls
rubies and sapphires Nobody looked more
handsome and stately than the Duchess of Man.
chester. who was i'm mourning. and her
daughter, the Duchess of Hamilton, was also
much admired.
SOCIAL BLUNDER.
"During the last few years the queen has
more than once committed serious social blum
ders, Of which her majesty would never have
been guilty if Prince Albert had been at her
elbow. The determination not to postpone last
weeks ceremonies was one of them, and one
which has given great and general offence I
nave reason to believe that the queen was in
vited to defer holding the drawing room till
this week, and that the Prince of Wales strongly
advised her to do so, thereby showing his
usual good sense and right feeling; but her ma
jesty seems to have supposed that a postpone
ment would necessitate her remaining for an
other week at Windsor and nothing would in
duce her to listen to reason, so decorum was out
ragged by the sight of court festivities on the DAYS
appointed for the funerals of the victims OF the
Dublin tragedy. 1t would have been easy to
n Did the drawing room this week, and the Queen
coI.d have gone direct from Buckingham Palace
to Baimoral. One has to go back to the reign
vi VVoise ~ W ilnu Darailel lOr suCn mis-
take and it has left an impression which it will
take very long time to efface. On Thursday
an order was given that the band was not to
play. but nothing was said about the musical
salute with which the members OF the royal
family are received on their arrival and at the
last moment. messenger was sent up to the
Queen to take her pleasure on the point: but
before Her Majesty could give her decision the
first contingent Of her relatives had arrived and
the band had struck up, as usual. So it con-
tinued during the afternoon, but nothing ex-
cept the national anthem was played"