, 1885-01-23
AT WINDSOR CASTLE.
HOW QUEEN VICTORIA e%NTERTAINs
HER GUESTS.
Dignity OF n siats DInne-wha Is Ky
pected of visitors n Queens
Honrs for Business Dull
Daily Life.



Tho duh, regular, embarrassing routine Of
her majesty's daily&fe at Windsor. so trying
even 70 the enduring patience OF her last
remaining daughter, has once moro
begun, unrelieved save by the homely,
almost lowly incidents which consti-
tute the only communion between the ma
ton and herself Time was. even after the
castle had been virtually closed for all fes-
~tivities, that guests were hidden TO 1t for the
three days VISIT 50 dear 10 the British heart,
and during their stay enjoyed the privilege
OF revelling in tho priceless accumulation Of
pictures, tapestries. objects of art. rare
books, rarer engravings, and unriyalled
specimens Of china-one little table with rose
Dubarry medallions alone being estimated at
$4,000 pounds sterling. Now the invitations
rarely extend over one evening and night,
and, although they are to all intents and
purposes commands, sometimes only reach
the recipients a few hours before the time
when their attendance is required.
A fast train brings you down from Pad
dington station in forty minutes. Asno car
riages are habitually sent to meet you, you
have to trust yourself and servants to flies or
cabs to reach the castle. Pages of the queen,
lads belonging to the best families in the
kingdom take charge Of you, and, consulting
a written list, conduct you to the apartments
set aside for your use. These CONSIST in a
complete suite Of rooms, the only fault being
that in winter they are apt to be insufiiciently
warmed, as the queen Is constitutionany
averse TO heat Shortly after the arrival of
a guest, he receives the visit OF the master Of
the household, Sir J. C. Coweh, who brings
him an invitation to have toa with one or
other Of the ladies in waiting.
Full court dress is de rigueur for the din
ner. As early a. s o'clock the guests assem-
bio In the great gallery which runs around
the quadrangle, and which forms an i'm
mense picture gallery, never opened to the
general public even at those periods when
admittance 10 the state apartments is al
lowed during the queens absence from
Windsor. At half past q, accompanied by
tho Princess Beatrice, her majesty makes her
appearances, and, with a few brief words to
the company, leads the way to the dining
ROOM. II there 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 paintings only to adorn the apart
ment-a portrait of tho queen, by Angel,
and one OF the duchess OF Edinburgh When
en- famille the queen dimes In one Of the oc-
tagonal towers, where each of the eight win
lows frames a perfect view OF the park.
There is little or no conversation at these
state repasts. The queen not unfrequently
leans forward to whisper a remark to her
daughter in a fashion which, to say the
least, is discomposing to the uninitiated.
The menu, besides the names of the dishes,
gives that OF the chef who has concocted
them. The innumerable footmen are all In
gala livery, buffers and pages in costume,
and tho 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
tho men follow three minutes 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 great sa-
looms, and which is used by the queen only
when her party exceeds thirty. Sir ]. &.
Cowel presides at that table. The post-pran-
dial ceremonies 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 all brilliantly lighted, and
where she finishes the evening conversinQ
with her daughter, reading. writing, or be-
ing read 10. Meanwhile her visitors are at
liberty to play whist or listen to music in tho
red and green drawing rooms. The gentle
men can betake themselves to billiards or to
the smoking rooms. The latter are provided
even for the servants, but it is strictly for
hidden to smoke in any other apartment,
public or private.
Every visitor knows he will 500 his ROYAL
hostess 10 more, and then he is expected to
leave the castle by IL 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 blood royal At . she drives
through the grounds, which arc of great az
tent and beauty and strictly private, to
Frogmore, where she alights and, weather
permitting, enters a tent spread on the lawn
for her use. There she reads her letters and
the newspaper The latter have been pre-
viously carefully scanned by ono OF her
ladies in waiting and the passages which
should meet her eye marked in red pencil.
She scrupulously abstains from CHANGING at
any others. Under a second tent she then
attends to business, and bulky packages of
correspondence are opened before her. A
mounted groom constantly rides backward
and forward, carrying her Instructions to her
private secretary at the castle. She herself
returns thither for lunch, after which the
afternoon is filled up with walking and driy-
ing with Princess Beatrice until the evening
again begins.
Amid the pomp. mngnihcence, and lavish
othpihJ oA tno great royal citadel IN That
gorgeous pile filled with n wealth Of art, in
contrast with the exorhitant expenditure Of
stables kitchens, and counties attendants,
pages, grooms. domestics. and gardeners,
petty economies are practiced which many
an impoverished householder would feel
slammed to attempt. One instance may
suffice; Every now visitor is entitled
to a fresh supply of candles. 1t would be
unseemiy to leave in his rooms any
that Ind once been used, so Sir J. c. Cowell,
In a laudable spirit Of thrift, has invented a
sHan machine which dexterously restores TO
the wick its virgin freshness The master
Of the household is so proud of this ingenious
device that he never fails to point out how
satisfactorily ii works 70 any OF his private
friends who obtain permission to inspect the
offices. The wax scrapings are collected and
returned to the candle mandatory, where
they are remodeled into new candles and
sold back to the queens household at re-