West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-09-11
IN WINDSOR CASTLE.
onfcial Farce- Acted nv the Queen, SUI
ported ~ Her Ministers.

Outciai tarCc- Acted nv the Queen, sup
ported ny Her Ministers.
The Quosn of England's finest resi-
acnco is Windsor Castle In fact I'M
telligcnt LondoncrS often said 60 me
that Buckingham Palace was mhscra-
BILE old rat-trap, not tit for Victoria and
her family 30 live in, whilo they were
rs ready ho declare that Windsor Castle
was the finest royal palace in the world
The Queen spends a large portion of
the year at Windsor. and thorc she
transacts large proportion OF that
formal yet mainly rathcr amusing use
less court business the details of which
arc daily paradcd in the the COtrrt J0ur-
nal These matters are mostly quito
familiar to average readers, vet one or
two curious illustrations OF the point
in hand are too singular to bo omitted.
llefr, for instance, is the CturS CIR
cUtdr for n day i'm early spring In il
this item The Sheriff of Lancashire.
at private audience which the Queen
gave the Chancellor of the Duohy of
Lancaster, was pricked hy the QucS,n
The SherilIs for England and Wales
council on Thursday last. the 5th inst. -,
and not after il, Us stated in the Court
CtrcHiGr for that date.
Now what does all this moan? The
explanation Is simply this ENrry year
the Judges of ASsizcs make return to
the Queen of three persons for cvcry
county in England, from which she is
TO select one TO serve as Sheriff of each
county.
When these names, written upon a
sheet of paper, arc presented to the
Queen, she takes i'm her fingers a pin
and sticks it through one OF them. be
ing thus supposed TO Indicate her choice
to make her selection
The old phrase of stick "A min there ~
in such common use IN New England,
must havc taken It's origin I'm this very
ancient royal custom of making "A Sc
lection which have Just described.
But thc.pin- sticking of the Qucon Al
Windsor is, of course, mere meaning
less form; for all the appointments OF
the officers whom she is supposed to Sc
lcct are settled upon by the Govern
mcnt before being submitted to her.
There Is another and more fttine
use of n pin which the Queen sometime,
particularly distinguished themsclvc,
in the field decorations are often be.
slowed upon them And i'm such case,
the heroes are sometimes summoned n,
the palace of the Queen and personally
received and Hospitality entertained by
her. Then,-i in her presence, tire scrv
ices Of the men are read over 10 hci
Majesty, after which she pins upor
hAs -
decorations granted to thom. II is mo-
uncommon for such an audience as this
TO close with n personal Introduction e
the soldiers and members of the house
hold at Windsor, often including TN,
three little Princcsscs of tho palace, Tn,
grandchildren of Victoria
There are many other palace publ,
ceremonies which are of somewha
similar character 10 those ! have beer
describing But | have space to men
ton only two more. When the GOV
ernment has made an appointment Of ,
diplomatic representative, the Minister
selected makes n Journey 10 the palac,
Of the Queen before he goes forth ns he
representative, and on his Bonded kne,
kisses her hand in recognition of TN,
honor ho has received.
ihc ioIII' Bolc through Al JiF pdlaOt
when an address Of the Queen is TO b,
presented 20 Parliament are peculiar
The Ministry-the Primo Minister pre-
pares the speech, and thcn the Cabinc
makes stately and most formal Jour
ney to Windsor for the purpose OF read
ing the document 10 her Majesty Aftc
II has been read in her presence il il
! supposed TO become her speech from
the throne. -BostOV Commcrctal BuHe
tim