The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-03-30
81 = 4 al = : . =, e. ' = .
NUMBER Is.
COURT LIFE IN ENGLANn
DAILY PLEASURES AND DUTIES c.
QUEEN vICToRIA'5 HOUSEHOLD.
Dining With the Queen is Delightful,
but Standing About is Fatiguing
How Appointments Are Made.


~ ELIEVING tho public always
< welcomes any fresh details
concerning coya! places "ntt
. their royal occupants, writes
Stuart Erskine in the New York
Herald, determined to apply MYSELF
to the fountain head, and if possible
to procure first class information from
a member of Queen Victoria's house
hold. A gentleman consented to tell
me all wanted to know upon my
giving guarantee that would not
publish his name. These terms l was
obliged to accept, and the result of my
interview appears below.
"May ask" ] began, chow tho
various waits, as 1 believe they are
called, are arranged at court?"
"Well," said my informant, "the
principle on which they are arranged
is simplicity itself. The waits of tho
various gentlemen employed in Her
Majesty's household correspond, SO
far as the system is concerned, with
those of nm ordinary constable. 4
constable is told off to watch II particu-
lar thoroughfare or guard particular
spot in the same way that VIC are told
off wait rs Her Maiesty's servants. I
have just come of my beat" said my
infor rmant laughing. "My next wait
will not take place for some tima yet"
'Is there any special rule or prin-
ciple," next inquired, "npon which
appointments in Her Maicsty's house,
hold are made to operate? Most of
the gentlemen of the Queens house.
hold are, l believe, eX-officers of the
British army, but suppose the Queen
is Mt perfect liberty to exercise her
own discretion as regards the appoint
ments in her household"
"Well, of course you know" said
my informant, "that some Of these
appointments to which you refer are,
50 to speak, in the gift of tho Govern
ment of the day"
They are exclusively political ap-
po!ntments, and though the consent
of Her Majesty to particular appoint
ment is necessary, according to tho
terms of the constitution, still they
are not upon the same footing with
the minor appointments which Her
Majesty can fill up without consulting
any one, and which indeed, as you say,
are generally bestowed upon officers of
the army, men, in fact, who, having
done their Queen and country good
service, are in need of little assistance
to make life pass pleasantly for them
when they retire."
MAY 1 ASK" l then said, "in what
your duties rs member of Her Ma
jestys household mainly consist"
GAS to that" replied my informant,
81 suppose our duties rs members of
Her Mnjesty's household would DO
much on n level with those ofa private
individual in II private household,
supposing it were the custom to en-
ploy gentlemen in such capacities.
We have, of course, to be i'll attend
ance on Her Majesty whenever it is
required of us; to look after the dis
tinguished strangers whenever they
come on visit to Her Majesty, and
generally to make ourselves useful ~
servants to the Queen. "Whut is
called the Windsor uniform is mos.
generally affected by persons employed
at court. Officers, generals, etc, who
are members of Her Majesty's house
hold, are allowed to wear the army
uniforms suitable to their rank in the
service. The ordinary court dress,
which you can see at any lcvee or royal
function, is also much worn ut court" ;"
'Howdo gentlemen OF Her Majesiy's
household live when they are in Mt
tendance on the Qucen?' l then sniH,
addressing my informer.
Each individual" he said, "has, of
course, private bedroom, etc, Mt
court, whether it be at Windsor, Bal
moral or elsewhere, but there is IL
general mess or dining room for the
various officers employed in this par
ticular branch of the Queens service.
Very often we receive commands from
the Queen to dine, etc, with the
Queen, not, of course, in body, but
in such numbers as it may suit her
pleasure to invite us, or the eXigency
or the moment may decide. A day
rarely passes at court without somo
one of our number being called upon
to perform this agreeable sort of duty,
for Her Majesty is one of tho kindest
and most gracious hostesses thnt ever
lived"
about the duties" I then said.
'Taking them as whole, suppose
they are light and pleasant enough?'
"Oh, yes, replied my informant,
eve have nothing to complain OF on
that head. We have plenty of leisure,
plenty of time in which to amusc our
selves. Sometimes the work is of a
very fatiguing nature. For instance.
there is sometimes an immense amount
of standing about to be done, which
for men not exactly i'll their first
youth, is n source of great inconveni-
ence and even physical trouble. Hang
ing about passages for hours together
clad in heavy uniforms and fully
equipped, is service which, though
it may seem pleasant and easy enough
to those who have never experienced
it, to those who have done SO is not BY
any means the thing of JOY and delight
which the others are 80 fond Of max.
ing it out TO be.