Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-03-12
HOW BRITISH ROYALTY SEES A PLAY.
1t Sits In . Box, but It Pays Its Way Like
Palmer Folk.

1t Sits In . Boz, but IL Pays 1ts way Aik0
Palmer Folk.
There Is, apparently, a popular be-
lief that members Of the royal fam
lily do not pay for their theater boxes.
AS matter of fact the royal box is
almost invariably paid for at the
Same rate as it would be by any Or
dinary playgoer.
1t Is hardly necessary to say that
the Prince of Wales, who is the most
ardent playgoer of the royal fam
lily, does not himself drive up to the
box office, or even send his equerry
or secretary to engage the royal box.
The matter is arranged as follows:
Tho principal of one of the Bond
street libraries, as the west end
theater ticket offices are somewhat
ANONYMOUSLY known, is periodically
summoned to Marlborough House,
and takes with him a list of all the
pieces being played. The prince goes
through the list, and selects the the
ater or theaters which he proposes
to visit during the next few days,
and instructions are given to the
library" to engage the royal box
for the nights named at the theaters
selected. Both the Prince of Wales
and the Duke of York-who, next to
his father, is the most important
royal patron of the drama-are said
to be remarkably we'll informed on
the merits of the different pieces be-
fore they have seen them, and this
is not due so much to reading press
opinions as to consulting friends and
acquaintances who have seen tho
plays.
Theater managers sometimes find
themselves in very difficult posi-
tion when they receive an intima-
tion that the royal box is required
for o night for which it has already
been engaged by private individ-
ual. Cases have been known when it
has been impossible to refuse the
box to royalties, and therefore it has
been necessary to let it twice over.
When the first purchaser has arrived
he has been asked to accept another
box in exchange, and sometimes he
has not shown that spirit of loyalty
which is supposed to be charaoteris-
tic of all Englishmen.
There are certain rules of etiquette
usually observed in the principal
west end theaters when members of
the royal family attend. When the
box has been secured through ono of
the "library' ticket offices, the man.
ager of tho Office attends himself to
escort the royal visitors from their
carriage to the box, in place Of the
usual theater attendant, and the
business manager of the theater re-
ceives them at the door as the rep.
resentative of the management. In
theaters of modern construction
there is a handsomely furnished re-
firing room attached to the royal
box, in which it is usual to place
cigarettes and coffee. When prin-
cess forms one of the party, bou-
quet is usually put on n chair in the
retiring room, which (the bouquet,
not the chair) her royal highness
takes with her into the box. The
programmes placed in the royal box
on these occasions are invariably
printed on white satin.
Tho Prince of Wales often sends
for some member or members of the
company, or the manager, between
the acts, and converses with him
in the royal retiring room. This is
generally accepted as the strongest
evidence that his royal highness has
enjoyed the piece. The prince has a
great objection to any demonstration
in the theater when he enters or
leaves; consequently, except on the
occasion of some great gala perform
ance, he does not wish the orohes.
ira to play God Bless the Prince of
Wales,' as is generally done on 9th
er public occasions when his royal
highness enters. 1t may be mention
cd that the Prince of Wales and the
other members of the royal family
are remarkably punotual in the time
of arriving at the theater, and it
hardly ever happens that the curtain
has to be raised after the usual hour
in consequence of royalties who are
expected not having come.-London
Woman.
Hia IDveatment.