The new North-west., 1885-12-04
N THE QUEENS PRESENCE.
How English Subjects Render Homage q
Their Sovereign-Ths CeremSay.

How English Subjects Render Homage To
Their Sovereign The Ceremsay.
adam Badeau in New York Sui.
But the ladies are waiting all this tiins In
the pens. The presence chamb is ar
ranged as for levee, only that the queaii-
and not the prince Of Wales, is at the center
Of the line; next are the ladies Of her
family, and then the heir apparent and his
brothers, or any royal strangers Her
majesty wears q black gown and widows
cap. Over the cap is usually placed small
diamond crown, while the ribbon Of the
Garter and similar orders are on her breast,
as well as the Koh-i-noor and other jewels
worthy Of queen. The princess Of Wales
and the other princssses are in full court
dress-petticoats, trains, feathers, and all
Behind them stand their attendants, Amale
and female" as the court circular some
times disdainfully describes them
When the diplomatic corps has made Its
revsrences and taken its place, the Eng
lish ladies follow, and as each enters the
throne room with her train over her arm,
two gentlemen in waiting dsftly ssizs this
appendage and spread it behind her till it
hangs like a peacock's dropping tail Then
the lady, handing her card to the lord In
waiting, passes up toward the lord cham
berlain, and stands till he prononnces her
name Upon hearing it. she prostrates her
self In front Of the queen so that one knee
nearly or quite touches the floor. II 1t Is q
presentation, her majesty extends her hand
with the back upward, and the neophyte
placing her own hand transverseiy under
that Of the sovereign, raises the royal sx-
tremity to her lips When the lady
Is Of tho rank Of an earps daughter
the queen bends slightly forward
to kiss the cheek Of her subject. and
the homage is complete; but there have
bsen occasions when the novice was In
sufficiently instructed In advance and
kissed the monarch In return. very much to
the disgust Of her majesty and the horror
struck amazement Of the courtisrs. After
the obeisance TO the queen. another must be
made to every one in the royal circle In
turn, the depth Of the courtesy being gradu-
ated according to the rank Of the parsonage;
and as the last prostration il performed and
the subject rises TO her natural position In
life again two other watchful lords or
gentlemen, as skilful as the first catch up
her train and throw 1t once more over the
lady's arm. and she slowly stumbles back
ward out Of the room, having been at court
1t took her two hours, I suppose, to dress,
and she sat in evening costume two hours
more in line in her carriage before she en-
tered the palace; then she was at least an
hour In the pens. and she was two minutes
in the presence Of royalty. Now she must
probably wait an hour or so for for her car
riage, and she has been at court II she Is
young, she has practiced her obsisance for
days in advance. and the backward step a.
we'll, and Is delighted that at last she Is in
the world. II she is an sspirant after social
honorS O Becky Sharp working her way
upward, Thacksray has told Us Of her ssnsa-
tions II she has gone through the csrs-
mony forty times before. she throws herself
back in her carriage and sxclaims, like the
cockney who had seen the Apollo Bslvi-
dere: THANK Godl That's doneP