The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-08-29
QUEEN VICTORIA.
How She Appears at HOme-Inner Life
of the Court.

How She Appears at HOme-Inner Life
of the Court.
The inner life of the court has lit
tie in it to tempt Sybarite-sim-
plicity, dutifulness, conscientious
performance of work, are it's main
characteristics, writes Mrs. Alexander
to the Philadelphia Times At 9
o'clock her Majesty breakfasts alone,
unless some of her children, grand
children or personal friends are
staying in the palace, and she is
rarely without them In summer, at
Osborne, Windsor or Balmoral, this
meal is generally served out of
doors, in some alcove, tent or. SUM
mer house, after the Queen drives in
a small pony carriage, accompanied
by one of the princesses, or she
walks, attended by lady 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 2 o'clock,
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 official correspond
ence and business of various kinds.
Long training has made her politi-
ciail' of no mean ability and breadth
of view, her natural common sense
forming an admirable basis for such
a superstructure. It assists, too, In
enabling her to choose her friends
well and wisely, though the court
surroundings are not calculated to
help royal personages m forming a
just Judgment Of character. Human
nature puts on a somewhat too an
gelic guise, where everything may
be won by amiability and nothing by
the reverse. !, 4 -
MAIDS OF HONOR.
In the mornings the maids of
honor there are nine in all in wait
ing for the time, are with the prin-
cesses reading or practicing on the
piano, singing or playing lawn ten
his wit with h them, as any young ladies
companions together might. The
lady-in waiting accompanies the
Queen in her, afternoon drives and
visits, which are most frequently to
the poor and to humble workers,
often to simple gentry or any one
in trouble. Afterward this lady
reads aloud to her Majesty. in her
private sitting. room: :.
The; royal dinner hour is $50
O'Clock, and that meal is. shared by
those of the royal. family then re-
siding with the Queen, by d1stin-
guished visitors and some of the
household in rotation, viz: lords
and ladies in waiting, maids Of
honor, equerT1es and grooms in wait
ing, this latter official holding a con-
siderably lower position than the
equerry, though to the uninstructed
it sounds like a distinction without
difference.
The Queen is a woman of strict
business habits and steady appli-
cation. The amount of correspon
pendence she gets through is enor-
nous. In the private portion of
this. correspondence her Majesty is
assisted by her private secretary, a
lady in waiting and a maid of honor,
especially the Dowager Marchioness
of Ely, one of the. ladies who is "a
valued friend.
4 When the court is at Windsor the
members Of the household in at
tendance are one lady-in-waiting
(these ladies are always peeresses)
two maids of honor, lord-in-wait
ing, also the keeper of the -priEy
purse, the private secretary, assis-
tants in both departments, and the
master of the household The at
tendance is the same at Osborne and
IBalmoral, with the exception Of the
lord-in waiting.
HER MAJEsTY's TOILET.
To attend to~her Majesty's toilet
and wardrg6etiheFe are five maids,
viz: TIRES dressers and ward
robe women be senior dresser;
who has been many years with her
Majesty, is charged specially
the task of conveying orders to
tradespeople jewellers, drapers,
dressmakerss ETC.; one dresser and
one wardrobe woman are IN constant
attendance on the Qaeen, taking
alternate days $3.50.
Dress is a matter d which, even in
her young days, her Majesty does
not appear to have taken much in
terest. At present her perpetual
mourning allows of ne crude color
combination. Some Of us elders
have pleasant, if vague, recollec-
ton of Victoria Regina a good many
years ago, say forty or forty three, in
"a very simple and 1becemiHg bonnet
tied beneath the chin, a wreath of
wild roses under the brim, framing a
sweet, kindly young face. All, mel
sorrow. and experience, have writ
their cruel marks on hers and ours
since then. -----------------