The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-03

generally styled ladies in waiting and share
the duty of personal attendance upon the
queen throughout the year.
During she time Of actual seevice they
live in the palace, and their "waIts" vary
from two to three weeks at a time, sccord-
ing as the queen may arrange. No one un-
der the rank OF q peeress can hold the of1ioe,
and while they are In attendance on the
queen the ladies OF she bedohamber accom-
pany her on all occasions Formerly these
ladies rendered personal service az the toilet
of their mistress night and morning, but of
recent years this has been changed, the
active work being performed by ordinary
ladies' maids.
As a special mark of her favor the queen
appoints q number Of extra ladies Of tine
bedchamber, who serve without salary.
The present inoumbents of this post are the
Viscountess Clifden, Dowager Countess of
Mayo, Duchess Of Bedford, and Lady
Waterpark.
In addition 20 all these, there are bed
chamber women who receive a salary OF
$500 year; extra bedchamber women, who
receive no compensation; maids of honor,
who are also paid e300 year, and extra
maids of honor, who serve for the distinc-
ton Of being nsar che queens person. The
duties belonging TO the Office of the bed
chamber women have undergone a con.
siderable change. as Ia the case of the ladies
Of the bedchamber. They are only re-
qutred to attend on the queen st state cere-
monies and court receptions. They are
eight in number and, like the ladies Of the
bedohamber. are divided into "waits ~ the
time of which is issued every year
from the lord chamberlain's Office.
The present bedchamber women are the
Viscountsss Chewton, the Hon. Lady ham
ilton Gordon, the Hon. Flora Clementina
Isabella Macdonald, the Hon. Mrs. Fer9u-
son Of Pitfour, the Hon. Horatio Charlotte
Stopford, Lady Gust, the Hon. Harriet
Lepel Phipps, Miss Ina McNeiu and the
Hon. Emily Sarah Csthcart
The extra bedchamDer women are Lady
Elizabeth P. Biddulph, the Hon. Hon. Mrs.
Gerald Wellesley. the Hon. Ina Erskine,
Mrs. 9eorgina Townshend Wilson and Mrs.
Drummond, Sr., Of Megginch,
Probably the most sought for position in
the royal household outside of that of miss
tress Of the robes, lie that Of a maid of honor.
A great many privileges attach to this
place, which is reserved exclusively for un-
married women, who are privileged to use
the prefix Of honorable before their names.
Their time Of duty is divided as that of the
other ladies of the household, and 1t Is only
required that one of them shall DO in wait
ing at the palace where the court is Fesid-
ing. In former years the maids OF honor
received supper in lieu of pay, but In ITS
there was an uprising against this method
OF payment, the ladies petitioning the lord
steward 60 grant them something more sub
stantial than an evening meal for their
services. In consequence OF this petition an
annual salary of 970 was granted to them
1t is evident from the writings OF one Of the
ladies who served as a maid OF honor In 1874
that their life at that time was anything
but a bed of roses In a letter she says:
ITO eat Westphalia han IN the morning;
ride over hedges aud bitches on borrowed
hacks; come home IN the heat Of the day in
fever land what is worse q hundred times)
with a red mark on the forehead from an
uneasy hat. They must simper an hour and
catch cold in the princssses' apartments,
| from thence 90 dinner. and after that till
midnight, walk, work. or think, an they
| please"
Now, all this has been improved, and the
| life Of maid of honor is q most delightful
one. The change came about gradually.
and their condition and perquisites have
| grown better together. During the time Of
| Queen Anne the practice Of making a mar
| riage allowance TO the maids Of honor was
| inauguruted. She gave them 81 900 each IL
| they married with her consent. Otherwise
| they received nothing, and il is recorded, in
/ one instance, at least, that tho dowry was
| not 70 be paid TO MRS. Campbell who
| had not sought her majesty's permission be-
/ fore entering wedlock
Queen Victoria has kept up the practice,
and to al Of her maids who have become
| wives has been granted Rl.q0O for their