Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-05-29
Some Rules OF Court Etiquette.

Ever since the day Princess Eulalie
arrived in this country public interest
has been attracted toward the question
as to the proper etiquette to be observ-
ed. Etiquette nowhere ENJOYS greater
consideration than at the imperial courts
of Europe. 1t serves to maintain the
proper distauce between the amounted
of the Lord and II -ir friends, acquaint-
ances aud followers who are of iess IL
lustrious birth and station. Thus some
time ago the little boy King of Spain,
who is just seven yeas old, while run
ming down the steps Of the Royal Pal
ace at Madrid, tipped and shot head
foremost dow nstairs. Fortunately. one
of the footmen, standing on the steps,
had the presence of miud TO step for
ward and catch the little fellow in his
arms, saving His Majesty from bi eaking
his neck, at any rate from severe injury.
Queen Christina is devoted to her son,
and Der feelings of gratitude towards
the footman may therefore be imagined.
Not even she, although as regent she
holds the reins of power in Spain, could
save the man from dismissal for hav-
ing transgrcssed the laws of etiquette
in taking The King in his arms. Not
being grandee, he should have re-
Trained from touching the sacred per-
sou of His Majesty. Although the
Queen was not able 10 prevent his dis
charge she found means of rewarding
him by appointing him gamekeeper on
Que of the royal estates and by present
lug him With a considerable sum of
money.
Etiquette plays likewise great role
at the court of Great Britain, and
Queen Victoria is extremely puuctil-
ious in her observance of its laws. Dur
ing her visit to King Louis Philippe of
France during the lifetime OF her hus-
band, she, one evening, inlimated to
him her wish for glass of water. The
King rang the bell. and when servant
appeared ordered him to bring glass
of water. When the man reappeared
with goblet of water on Il gold salver
and presented to the Queen, to the as
tonishment of King Louis Philippe she
declined it. II e man was leaving the
room with the water untouched when
the Due d dAumale took the salver from
the servant and presented it to the
Queen. Her Majesty immediately ac-
cepted the goblet and drank the water.
Only then did King Louis Philippe
realize that his royal guest deemed her
self debarred by etiquette from taking
the goblet from the hands Of an ordi-
nary servant.
Visiting sovereigns are received at
the railroad depot or wharf by the rul-
ers of the country, while minor mem
be.s of royal and imperial families are
greeted at the railroad station by per-
sonages of equivalent rank. When im-
perial or royal personages visit one an-
other etiquette orders even the number
of kisses 10 be exchanged between the
host and visitor on the arrival and de-
parture of the latter. Thus, if one
sovereign visits another, they embrace
thrice, these kisses being based on the
fiction that all sovereisns are brothers.
When gigantic King Oscar, ofS"cden. Wis t.
ed the Pope some years ago al Rome, ne c)ol-
" bent dow and 1insiug bis arms round the
frail form OF the venerable Pol..f admlpis'
tered three loud, smacking k's-es Oh the
NitheIed cheeks Of His Hol ness. Queen We
toria has been forced tJ uief her cheek t
every sovereign who has visited her. Semi
independent ruIeIs. such as the Gland Duk;s
of Baden. Mecklenburg, d.. have only TWO
embaces from fnll-fedged morarch'. while
heirs TO thrones such as the Prince of Wales.
the Crown Princes of Russia and OF Italy.
have merely one embrace. P,inces OF the
blond such as the younget brothers OF the
Prince of Wales, the Russian Grand Dukes
aud p, 0 sian Princess remain content with an
ordinary handshake. Zach royal lady is en-
,illed by European etiquette to have her hand
kissed by the men whenever she exteads 1t.