Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-12-25
a QUEENS DAILY LIFE.
How Queen Victoria Lodges Her
Guests-Her Rusiness Hours.

describes queen flctOr1aS daily WINTER
life at Windsor castle in the following
terms:
The dull, regular, uninteresting routine
of her majesty's daily life, so trying even
to the enduring patience of her last re-
naming daughter, has once more begun.
Time was, even after the castle had been
virtually closed for all festivities, that
guests were hidden to it for the three
days visit SO dear to the British heart,
and during their stay enjoyed the priv
ilege Of reveIing in the priceless accu-
mutation Of pictures, tapestries, objects
Of art, rare books, rarer engravings and
unrivaled specimens CT China-one little
table with rose Dubarry medallions alone
being estimated at e25, 000 Now the
invitations rarely extend over one even
ing and night, and, although they are
to all intents and purposes commands,
sometimes only reach the recipients q few
hours before the time when their at
tendance is required
A last train brings you down from
Paddington station in forty minutes.
AS no carriages are habituaIly sent to
meet you, you have to trust yourself and
servants to flies or cabs to reach the
castle. Pages of the queen, lads belong
49, - 4La t1ra+ fo,,,;I;a. -, 4t,o IrSno-1orr
take charge Of you and, consulting a
written list, conduct you to the apart
ments set aside for your use. These con-
sist in a complete suite of rooms, the
only fault being that in winter they are
apt to be insufiicently warmed, as the
queen is constitutionally averse to heat.
Shortly after the arrival OF guest he
receives the visit Of the master of the
household, Sir ]. c. Cowell, who brings
him an invitation to have tea with one
or other of the ladies in waiting.
Full court dress is de rigueur for the
dinner. As early as o'clock the guests
assemble in the great gallery. which runs
around the quadrangle, and which forms
an immense picture gallery, never opened
to the general public even at those periods
when admittance to the state apart
ments is allowed during the queens
absence from Windsor. At half past 8,
accompanied by the Princess Beatrice, her
majesty makes her appearance, and, with
a few brief words to the company leads the
way to the dining-room. Ifthere are sixteen
to dinner it is served in that apartment,
one side Of which is a broad window
opening on the central court The walls
are hung with tapestry, and two paint
ings only adorn the apartment portrait
Of the queen, by Angel, and one of the
Duchess Of Edinburgh. When en-
famille the queen dimes in one Of the oc-
casional towers, where each Of the eight
windows frames perfect view of the
park.
There is little or no conversation at
these state repasts. The queen not in
frequently leans forward to whisper a
remark to her daughter in a fashion
which, to say the least, is discomposing
to the uninitiated. The menu, beside
the names Of the dishes, gives that of the
chef who has concocted them. The in
Vulnerable footmen are all in gala livery
buffers and pages in costume, and the
so-called "clerks of the kitchen, " in
black coats and knee breeches, stand at
the sideboards to carve.
After the dinner. which is short, the
queen retires with the ladies-a mere
formality, for the men follow three min
utes later. The members of the court
and household have also finished their
meal, taken in the great hall opening
out Of the first Of the three grea t
saloons, and which il used BY the
queen only when her party ex-
ceeds thirty. Sir J. @. Cowell presides
at that table. The post-prandial cere-
monies are promptly gone through, her
majesty exchanges a few sentences with
each Of her guests, who remain standing
the whole time, and at the end Of half
an hour, at the outside, withdraws to
her private rooms, which are always
brilliantly lighted, and where she finishes
the evening conversing with her daughter,
reading, writing, or being read to. Mean
while her visitors are at liberty to play
whist or listen to music in the red and
green drawing rooms. The gentlemen
can betake themselves to billiards or to
the smoking rooms. The latter are pro
vided even for the servants, but it Is
strictly forbidden to smoke in any other
apartment, public or private.
Every visitor knows that he will sec
his royal hostess no more, and that he is
expected to leave the castle by II next
morning. He can take his breakfast in
his rooms or down stairs, as he prefers.
Her majesty has her very early meal
either alone or with some prince of
royal blood At she drives through
the grounds, which are Of great ex-
tent and beauty and strictly private.
to Frogmorc, where she alights and,
weather permitting, enters tent spread
on the lawn for her use. There sne reads
her letters and the newspapers. The lat
ter have been previously carefully scan
ned by one Of her ladies in waiting and
the passages which should meet her eye
marked in red pencil. She scrupulously
abstains from glancing at any other.
Under second tent she then attends to