Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-09
STATE BALL IN ENGLAND.
THE ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS At
BUCKINGHAM PALACE

BUCKINGHAM PALACE
A Lively Oeseripsios - Tire C9soseso
which Ars Necessary Bs1sss Prinsss -
Pys.ess,es c.. Have . Good rans-Oa0
tAs VERY Elses Are PrsseaG
Invitations 10 state functions ere eagerly
coveted and are dissributst with eccentrScity-
Foreign ambassadors and representative ~
hidden 10 all state festivities. VIZ. 70 two
balls and two concerts every season Insss
Invitations include the Minister In once,
with their wives and daughters, and The
higher nobility Then there are ies exalted
dignitaries who are invited 70 one ball and
one concert only. and smaller personages stu
who are only biiden to one ball or even TO
only one ball in every two seasonA Ihs
hurnbiest Of these, however. must b com
paratively high on the social ladder. To b
Of old family, land owner, wealthy. Of tr-
reproachable character, po'ses<ed OF seat
in parliament, diligent in attendance at ievees
and drawing rooms-all OF these may not
qualify for entrance into the magic circle
Yet many with fewer qualifications step In
HOW GUESTS ARE INVITED
What exactly is required ID underlined and
practically unknown How the blanks OBJ
tain u card, and why the dashers are system
atically ignored, affords an inexhaustibas
subject Of conversation Those who are for
tunate enough to be on the list Of guests which
is submitted to her majesty for approval 70
ceive plain card on which the lord cham
berlain intiniates that he is commanded by
the queen to invite Mr.. So and Soto = BALI
on a given date at 10 O'Clock. At most social
entertainments it Is fashionable To be late, or
to he hurrying TO and from some smarter or
more select assembly. At the state ball, On
the contrary it is correct TO appear before
the time specified, that you may yourself re-
ceive your royal hosts when they deign to
shed upon you the light Of their august pres
ence. The longer you elect to wait the greater
is presumed to be your loyalty II at quar-
ter past 10 you arrive at Buckingham palace
you find already brilliant throng assembled
At the palace door servants receive you who
combine the utmost brliiance Of raiment with
the utmost Difference Of manner-a combina'
ton too rarely seen No cards are asked for.
no inquiries are made. For the queens in
vited guests the state rooms are lavishly deco
rated and lighted There is no dragon to
guard the portal, and all you have to do is to
enter and enjoy This is delightful
SCENE IN THE BALLROOM
1t is in the ballroom that life centers I'm
agine an immense gilded hall, along the sides
of which run four rows Of seats, covered with
red satin and rising tier above tier At the
bottom Of the hall is high gallery for the
musicians at the top is dais raised foot
above the floor, on which gold chairs are
ready for the princesses and pOtentates.
Within the walls Of that room are collected
the rank, the beauty and the fashion OF the
''slnartest" capital in Europe The light Of
electric lamps is flashed back, soft, yet bright
by glittering jewels. and shows the sheen Of
satin robes.
About II O'Clock the band strikes up the
national anthem, and the royalties enter In
solemn procession The queen is rarely pres
ent The Princess Of Wales fills her place
and is the center of all eyes as she glides In
under her tall diamond crown, and takes her
seat in the center Of the dais. The Prince Of
Wales throws air Of jollity over all this
splendor. His children follow him. with such
other royalties ~ happen to be in London.
The ballroom never looks well as when
three royal princesses sit alone upon the dais
with three diamond crowns, like the fairy
tales of childhood The princess and young
princesses do not sit in state, but hover round,
and chat and joke with each other. while the
ladies' in waiting form long, dull row be-
hind, without a spark Of interest in their
| faces.
In the ballroom two circles are formed for
| dancing i'll front Of the royalties, and the
| other lower down In the former only those
| are supposed TO dance who are in the princes
set, or who claim his acquaintance. Before
| each dance the royalties hold a family con
suitation to select their partners, and literally
lay their heads together as they glance round
| the favored circle. When the choice has been
made, the lord chamberlain comes down with
| message to the honored guest; the partners
| selected for the princesses come up and wait
| upon the floor till the royal ladies descend
! and accept their guidance. The princes step
| down and approach their partners, who await
| their coming near at hand Royalties, how
| ever dance very much with each other. The
square dances are much curtaileds In these
| the Princess Of Wales never walks backward,
! but merely pauses until the music sounds
another advance Round dances have a
| charming effect When the royal personages
| join in the valse all the other airy whirling
| figures melt suddenly away, while the princes
and princesses circle round alone with their
| partners in the cleared space. Should you
| know a royal parsonage it - necessary to be
| on the alert lest they should look your way,
| when the lady must at once bend the knee
with a swift ducking gesture. A man merely
| bows The effect of this ducking as prince
| passes on reminds one Of a gust Of wind
| bending field of flowers.
REFRESHMENTS FOR GUESTS.
All this time refreshments are served to
| guests in out of the way corners But soon
| after II O'Clock the doors Of the great supper
| room are thrown open, and the Princess OF
| Wales rises to head a procession Of royalties,
| which files down the ballroom between two
| lines of bowling guests If you have been
overlooked by royal eyes now is your oppor
| tunity. Watch closely as they pass, and you
| may yet touch a royal hand loyal souls
| accompany the princes and princesses into
supper, and stand at respectful distance to
see them eat. 1t is not etiquette to touch food
| until the greater personages are satisfied
| These are very merry, particularly the Prince
| and Princess Of Wales, who seem full Of talk
and airy jokes; with their children around
| them they give a pretty family feeling to
| the scene The supper room is M interesting
| sight in itself, with solid gold plate Of i'm
mense value arranged on and over the side
board When the royalties have returned
| to the ballroom the guests fall 10 upon the
supper, which is excellent After supper
dancing continues, but elderly people begin
| to long for bed, and stink away unperceived.
| Eyes tire Of all this brilliance, but it is not
| etiquette to leave while royalty remains. At
| the last the rush for carriages is fearful
| How long it seems to wait in the dreamy YES
| THULE hearing every body's carriage called
except ones own Ere you drive away day
| has broken and battles sleeping city In it
| calm, clear light.-London News