The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-11-18
UCToRIA'S DAILY LIFE.
Peep at the Inner Scenes OF the Queen
OF England's Household.

a P6en
OF England's Household.
The inner life of the court has little
in it to tempt Sybarite
dutifulness, conscientious performance
of work are its characteristics. At
nine her Majesty breakfasts alone. UNI
less some of her children, grandchil-
dren or personal friends are staying in
the palace, and she is rarely without
them. In summer, at Osborne, Wind
sOr or BalmOral, this meal is generally
served out of doors, in some alcOve,
tent or summer-house, after which the
Queen drives in small pony carriage,
accompanied by one of the Princesses.
or she walks attended by lady-in-
waiting or maid of honor, with whom
she converses with friendly ease, and
followed by two Highland servants and
some favorite dogs.
Luncheon is served at two, the
convives being Her Majesty's family
or royal guests. Until this hour, from
her short after-breakfast exercise, the
Queen is diligently occupied with Off
cial correspondence and business of
various kinds. Long training has made
her politician of no mean ability and
breadth of view, her natural common
sense forming an admirable basis for
such a superstructure. 1t assists, too,
In enabling her to choose her friends
well and wisely, though the court sur
roundings are not calculated to help
~
Judgment of character. Human nature
puts on a somewhat too angelic guise,
where every thing may be won by
amiability and nothing by the reverse.
In the mornings the maids Of honor
(they are nine in ally i'll waiting for
the time are with the Princesses, read
ing or practicing on the piano, singing
Dr. playing lawn tennis with them, as
any young ladies, companions togeth-
er, might. The lady-in-waiting ac-
companies the Queen in her afternoon
drives and visits, which are most fire.
luently to the poor and to humble
workers, often to simple gentry or any
Dne in trouble. Afterward this lady
reads aloud to Her Majesty in her pri-
rate sitting room.
The royal dinner hour is $50, and
that meal is shared by those of the
royal family then residing with the
Queen, by distinguished visitors and
some of the household in rotation,
viz, lord and ladies in waiting, maids
Of honor. equerries and groOms-in-
waiting, this latter official holding d
considerably lower position than the
equerry, though to the uninstruct.-l it
sounds like distinction without :, diff
ference.
The Queen is a woman of strict bust
ness habits and steady application.
The amount of correspondence she
gets through is enormG9ai;ss. i. Iio-- tile
private portion of this correspondence
Her Majesty is assisted by her private
secretary, a lady-in-waiting, anu a
maid OF hoGor. especially the Dowager
Marchl2ness of Ely, one of the ladies,
VINO Is valued friend.
When the court is at Windsor the
members of the household in attend
ance are one lady-in-waiting (these
ladies are always peeresses), two
maids of honor, lord-in- waiting, two
equerries, one groom-in-waiting, also
the keeper of the privy purse, the
private secretary, assistants in both
departments and the master of the
household. The attendance is the
same at Osborne and Balmoral, with
Of
To attend to Her Majesty's toilet
and wardrobe there are five maids,
viz, three dressers and two wardrobe
women. The senior dresser, who has
been many years with Her Majesty, is
specially charged with the work of
conveying orders to different trades
people - jewelers., diapers, dress
makers, etc.; one dresser and one
wardrobe woman are in constant at
tendance on the Queen, taking alter
nate days.
Dress is a matter in which, even in
her young days, Her Majesty does not
appear to have taken much interest.
At present her perpetual mourning al
lows of no crude color combinations.
Some of us elders have pleasant, if
vague, recollection of Victoria Regina
a good many years ago, say forty or
forty-three, in a very simple and be-
coming bonnet tied beneath the chin, a
wreath of wild roses under the brim
framing sweet, kindly young face.
All, me! sorrow and experience have
writ their cruel marks on hers and
ours since then.-Cor. Philadelphia
Times.