Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-08
YICT0RIA's HOUSEHOLD.
DAILY ROUTINE IN THE ROYAL PALACE
OF ENGLAND.
The Luxury of q Modern Queen-HeI
Establishment Costs se,a50. 900 Per
Year-Handsome Salaries.

L
Of all the principal courts of Europe
that of England is the simplest, and yet
the household maintained by the Queen
consists of over one thousand persons. The
discipline is strict and admirably carried
out. The Queen pays the highest salaries
paid at any court, and in return exacts the
most answering integrity, the greatest
discretion and most faithful service. Fol
her household expenses the Queen re-
ceives yearly grant of e450,000.
Her habits are quiet and unostentatious
She rises at s A. NJ, and her breakfast con.
sists of dish of oatmeal, some fish, and q
cup of cocoa, writes London correspond.
ent of the New York Sun. The lords and
ladies in waiting, thirty-fve in number
breakfast in the most sumptuous style, and
it is principally for these important per.
sonages that the following kitchen staff is
maintained: One kitchen clerk, chef
six cooks, and fourteen helpers and store
keepers.
At 10 o'clock her Majesty receives her
letters and news. In accordance with
strict court etiquette the Queen is not ex-
pected to handle a single newspaper,
magazine or periodical; neither does she
receive any written communication ex.
cept family letters. The newspapers are
read through by one of the Secretaries to
the Private Secretary, who makes cuttings
of any news likely to interest her Majesty,
and these are fastened to piece of silk
and laid upon the table.
1t is strictly forbidden to any member
of the royal family, or to any one in the
household, to convey any newspaper or
periodical to her Majesty, or to direct her
attention to any news in the daily papers.
No political news is clipped from the
dailies.
The principal attendants upon the Queen
are six pages of the back stairs, whose
offices have certainly not an honorable
name, but who receive the tolerably salary
of $1,000 year apiece. One of them is
in constant attendance at the door of her
Majesty's apartment, from early morning
until she retires at night. His position is
no sinecure, and he has frequently to carry
the Queens reprimand to some member of
the household who may have incurred her
| displeasure. He has also to keep a sharp
| eye upon any unwelcome intruders, and
must keep ever on the alert to avoid any
| unpleasant contretemps that might come
by announcing visitor when the Queen
| is closeted with somebody antagonistic to
| the new arrival. He must display great
tact and frmness, and yet with delicacy
withal. Recently, when Prince Batten-
berg had incurred the displeasure of his
royal mother-in-law, she sent her page to
summon the delinquent to her presence.
He refused, and was promptly informed by
the page that "the Queen commanded him
to appear. and disobedience would place
him under the painful necessity of sum-
moning the guardp When the Prince of
Wales, who was present and who cordially
detests "those German outsiders" in
formed him that laws were made to be
obeyed; that he seemed to have succeeded
in making himself exceedingly unpopu-
lar, so much SO that it might be of benefit
to his health to take holiday and 90
back to Germany for month or two.
TIE Queen drinks only glass or two of
Beaune at luncheon and dinner, having
been forbidden by her medical men to take
beer, her favorite beverage. When beer
was drank at the table only quantity
sufficient for use during the meal was
drawn, and the cask was then given to the
housekeeper's department. The gentle
man of the cellar receives $1,000 year,
and has three assistants.
Dinner at the palace is served at 7
o'clock, and the setting and arranging of
the table is a most artistic performance,
and occupies about two hours. For this
| service table-decker is maintained at
| 81 900, who occupies suite of rooms in
the palace, and three assistant deckers, be-
sides wax-ftter to arrange the candles
and three lamp-lighters to light them.
The Queen enters the dining-room pre-
ceded by the head usher bearing the white
wand, the symbol of the "royal commando .
and without which no Queens messenger
can appear in the House of Lords to
transact any affairs of state. During din
ner the proceedings are frequently enliy-
ened by the Queens piper, who marches
around the table discoursing music more
or less sweet. Since Prince Battenberp
evinced great dislike to the "skirling" OF
the bagpipes they are always zen evidence
when he is present at the table.
Her Majesty always gives the signal for
rising from the table and proceeds to her
private apartments, where she spends the
remainder of the evening either doing
some fancy work or listening to reading by
| one of the ladies of the family. During
this time she also reads over the various
poems and congratulations, of which she
daily receives quite number from heI
loyal subjects, who dearly love the letter
of thanks which is sure to follow and
which looks so well framed and glazed
Court etiquette demands that all commu-
nications Excepting personal ones, which
never reach herr shall be printed in gil,
letters on silk, and with a bullion fringe
around the edges. Some London stationers
make speciality of the work, know the
exact depth of the bullion lace and all the
other requirements. A letter of thanks is
returned and is accompanied by the gold
lace and trimmings which adorned the
loyal tribute, and the letter is filed away
in the archives of the royal dust-bin
Quite recently lady in Florida forwarded
to the Queen beautiful collection o
leaves which she had spent three years in
preparing, and which were subsequently,
returned to the sender with an expression
OF deep regret that custom strictly forbade
retaining any presents at court. The
Queen kept it for three months 1.-THE limit
of time) and spent many pleasant evening
pouring over the three immense volumes
comprising the handsome collection.
The Queen retires at 10 o'clock, except
ing on special occasions, when she retires
as early as she can manage to without dis
turbing her visitors. There are eigh,
ladies of the bedchamber, who serve by
turns fortnight at time. These ladies
are all Of the highest families and rarely
rank under duchess. There are beside
eight bedchamber women, also persons d
quality, who really do the work of ladies
maids, and receive $500 a year. The
women serve by turns in couples month
at time. The blankets on the Queens
bed are made from the wool of Australian
sheep; and they are beautifully soft, warm
and light of texture. The sheets are alsc
of the same wool, and no linen sheets are
ever used. The ventilation of the room i
perfect. Throughout the palace the rooms
are kept at the same cool temperature. nc
oyer-heating is permitted. and in all tbs