The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1885-08-29
IN WINDSOR CASTLE.
Omcial Farces Acted by the Queen, Sup
ported by Her Ministers.

ported by Her Ministers.
The Queen of England's finest resi-.
dence is Windsor Castle. In fact, in
teiligcnt Londoners often said to me
that Buckingham Palace was misera-
bic old rat7trap, not fit for Victoria and
her family to live in, while they were
as ready to declare that Windsor Castle
was the finest royal palace in the world.
The Queen spends large portion of
the year at Windsor, and there she
transacts large proportion of that
formal yet mainly rather amusing use
less court business, the details of which
are daily paraded in the the Court Jour-
nal. These matters are mostly quite
familiar to average readers, yet one or
two curious illustrations of the point
IN hand are too singular to be omitted.
Here, for instance, is the Court Cir
cular for day in early spring. In it
this item: The Sheriff of Lancashire,
ct q private audience which the Queen
gave the Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster, was pricked by the Queen.
The Shcrifis for England and Wales
were pricked by her Majesty ct the
council on Thursday last, the 9Th inst,
and not after it, as stated in the Court
Circular for that date.
Now what does all this meanp The
explanation is simply this Every year
the Judges of Assizes make return to
the Queen of three persons for every
county in England, from which she is
to select one to serve as Sheriff of each
county.
When these names, written upon q
sheet of paper, arc presented to the
Queen, she takes in her fingers pin
and sticks it through one OF them. bo-
ing thus supposed to indicate her choice
to make her selection.
The old phrase of stick pin there, :"
in such common use in New England,
musthave taken its origin in this very
ancient royal custom Of making Sc
lection which have just described.
But the pin-s sticking Of the Queen at
Windsor is, of course, a mere meaning
less form; for all the appointments Of
the officers whom she is supposed to Sc
lect are settled upon by the Govern.
ment before being submitted to her.
There is another and more fitting
use Of pin which tho Queen sometimes
makes. When officers or soldiers have
particularly distinguished themselves
in the field decorations are often be-
slowed upon them And in such cases
the heroes are sometimes summoned to
the palace of the Queen and personally
received and Hospitality entertained by
her. Then, in her presence, the serv
ices of the men are read over to hel
Majesty, after which she pins upor
their breasts with her own hands the
decorations granted to them. 1t is moi
uncommon for such an audience as this
to close with personal introduction L
the soldiers and members of the house
hold at Windsor, often including the
three little Princesscs of the palace, the
grandchildren of Victoria.
There are many other palace public
ceremonies which are of somewha
similar character to those have beer
describing. But have space to men
ton only two more. When tho Gov
eminent has made an appointment of
diplomatic representative, the Ministe
selected makes journey to the palac
of the Queen before he goes forth as he
representative, and on his Bonded kne
kisses her hand in recognition of TIL
honor he has received.
The forms gone through at the palac
when an address of the Queen is to b
presented to Parliament are peculiar
The Minstry-the Prime Minister
pares the speech, and then the Cabine
makes stately and most formal jour
ney to Windsor for the purpose of read
ing the document to her Majesty. Ate
1t has been read in her presence it
supposed to become her speech fror
the throne. Boston Commercial Bullt
tin.