Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-25

has guests. The morning meal is
generally spread IN some tent or
summer-house, when the weather IL
favorable. If the Queen Is sojourn-
ing at Balmornl. Osborne. OF Windsor.
Then her Majesty, followed by two High
land servants and one or two OF her favor
lite collie dogs walks out with one or two OF
her ladies in waiting. Sometimes, instead
OF walking. she drives out in pony phae-
ton.
She is seldom without some one of her
daughters. daughters.in-iaw. or her grand
children, aud they. together with any
other guests she NAV have. sit down TO
luncheon with her az o'clock.
The sfter-breakfast walk or drive does
not consume more than an hour OF an hour
and half, aud on her return from II the
Queen deyotes the interval before luncheon
to official business aud correspondence.
She IL woman OF fine natural ability,
and years Of training added thereto have
made her a thorough business woman as
we'll az n really able politician. She has
remarkable insight with regard 10 human
character and has always been most for
tupate in her seloctIon Of her immediate
personal attendants.
ALWAYS A rEEHEss.
These comprise q lady in waiting who IS
always q pee-ess, two maids of honor, a
lord in waiting. the keeper of tho prlyy
purse, the private secretary (both the two
last named have several sssIstants). the
master Of the household. two equerries,
and one groom in waiting.
When sojourning at Osborne or Balmo-
raj the Queen dispenses with lord in wait
ing. Besides those named her Majesty IL
attended by two "wardrOb e women" and
three dressers or maids.
One Of these dressers has spent the
greater portion of her life in the service of
the Queen, and is always the messenger of
her mistress in giving orders to jewellers,
dressmakers. and mllliners. The Queen
takes but little interest in dress.
Her wldowhood doomed her to perpetual
mourning. and that, OF course, does not
admit OF much variety.
Her Majesty receives an immense mail
daily, and the amount of correspondence
she gets through "a remarkable. even when
we consider that she has the assistance of
her private secretary, lady in waiting,
and n maid of honor.
She dimes at $50 in the evening, and
those who sit down with her at the royal
board are any of the royal family who may
be visiting her, other distinguished visit
oIs and some members Of the household,
who share the honor in rotation.
One of the Queens most distinguishing
traits IS her fondness for outdoor exercise.
No weather is ever too cold or stormy for
her TO walk or drive.
Her health il remarkable robust and she
can endure and seemingly delight 70 endure
an amount of exposure and fatigue which
to most women delicately nurtured would
not only be positive hard ship. out posi-
tive injury "a well.
This, TO the ladies' OF the court. is the
hardest feature OF their attendance upon
the Queen, as they find u anything but
pleasant to have TO turn out for an airing
among the Scotch hills in northeast
snOw-stOrm.
There is q great array Of functionar:es at
court. many of whom have real or imagi-
nary duties that l have never been able to
fathom. Among these are the master of
the buckhounds and tho groom of the
robes" FLORENCE CHUDLETGn,
Lady in Waiting.