Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-09
THE QUEENS DRAWING ROOM.
A Very Trying Ordeal for the Debutante in
English Society.
CaSseII,S Saturday Journal

|
English Society.
CasselI's Saturday Journal
By three o'clock everyone has arrived.
The Prince of Wales, in his scarlet uni
| form, and the princess, smiling and radi-
ant, have bowed their acknowledgements
of the cheers that greet them in their
passage from Marlborough house. The
crowds in the park have thinned. ana
only few hundred people put their faces
| against the ratings of the palace, and
strain their eyes to get q glimpse OF the
| scarlet and blue and gold Tudor uniform
of the yeomen of the guard. The mount
ed band plays the national anthem, and
| her majesty enters the throne room, which
Is sixty-four feet long, is hung with Grim
| son satin, aud has q ceiling embIazoned
with arms, a frieze of white marble rep
| resentlng the Wars of the Roses, and q
| northern alcove with crimson and velvet
| hangings. beneath which is the throne.
The queen stands upon dias in front of
| the throne, having on her right the Prin-
cess of Wales and the other princesses and
princes IN the order that state etiquette
enjoins. The royal ladies are dressed liks
| the other ladies except that her majesty
wears a miniature crown, from which
| hangs the loose drapery of a tulle veil.
| On the left of the dias is the lord cham
berlain, In his uniform of blue richly en-
broidered with gold, his white knee
brooches, silk stockings, sword and gold
| key-the symbol of his office-hanging
! from blue ribbon. At his feet is gilt
basket. The mistress of the robes, whose
| appointment, like that of the lord cham
berlain, is political and changes with the
! government, also takes her place near to
the queen IN company with two ladies in
waiting. The prime minister, when pres
emf, stands on the right of the dias. The
| first to enter the throne room are the
| ladies of ambassadors and member1 of
diplomatic corps who have the privilege
| of presenting foreigners. These ladies,
| together with the wives of ministers and
great officers of the household are per-
mitted to linger in her majesty's presence.
! The barrier is now removed from the
| door of the first waiting room, and the
| ladies begin to file out. Before entering
the picture gallery, the lady's train is re-
moved from her arm by two grooms-in-
| waiting; and attention is called to any
breach of the regulations Of the lord
chamberlain. The lady passes along the
gallery, which is 1S5 feet long, with her
train flowing at full length. If she is a
debutante, her heart, doubtless, is in a
futter, and she has no glance to bestow
even upon Wilkes "Penny Wedding" on
the lofty Gothic roof, Or the windows
richly emblazoned with the stars of all
European orders. At the door of the
throne room she gives her second pink
card to an attendant, who passes it to
the lord chamberlain TO be read
aloud, and then thrown into the gilt
basket. The lady makes low coHr-
tesy to her majesty, and, half rising ad-
vances her hand, palm downwards. The
queen place her hand upon it and the lady
again bows and kisses the royal hand; re,
firing backwards with a courtesy to each
of the princess and princesses. The wives
and daughters of peers are kissed on the
cheek when presented to her majesty.
Foreigners do not kiss bands, and this
ceremony also is omitted when the prin-
cess of Wales takes the queeu's place,
which is sometimes altogether the case, and
at other times after the fatigue of an
hour and a half.