The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-30
A GORGEOUS Show
THRONE ROOM IN BUCKINGHAM
PALACE PRESENTATION DAY.
WHERE MONEY COUNTS.
Titled Ban1zrupts who sen Their
Court influence for Round Sums.
Brief views of Royalty.

LONDON, May 20.-This is the particular
season of the year when the young Amer
lean girl whose papa and mamma take her
abroad every spring hopes to acquire the
transcendant social distinction of being
presented at court It gives her something
to talk about for the rest Of her life. and,
like an heirloom, she can hand it down
to future generations Of her family as
badge Of greatness.
1t means much to an English woman to
be presented at court. but to an American
it can be scarcely Of any material value.
IN England tho court circle governs So
ciety. Its recognition makes a gentleman
or a lady out of a nobody. A court pres
entatiOn is an open sesame to society and
to everything that that implies. Naturally
it is sought after with great diligence, par
ticularly by the people who know that
they must overcome mountainous obstacles
to reach the acme of their ambition.
London is filed with a class of induen-
tial sharks who make a fat income during
the season by plotting rich folks into the
throne room at Buckingham Palace 1t IS
a sad but true fact that many Americans
have permitted themselves to be bitten by
these rascals. for the mere pleasure of
rubbing shoulders with royalty for min
ute or two and seeing a roomful Of princes,
princesses dukes and people Of lesser
/ tides in gala array.
1t Is gorgeous show. and it is gener-
ally thought to be worth the price of adj
mission Even if some one need not be
! feed for obtaining the rare cards of ad-
I attended at a cost of much less than a
4 thousand dollars There are innumerable
rules of court etiquette which must be
/ compiled with and each rule means the
+ expenditure Of a gOodly sum If the pres
/ entatiOn function were established for the
benefit Of the London shcpkeepers 1t would
serve the purpose nobly, as it stimulates
trade to a surprisingly healthy degree
I The Queen as vet has not presided at any
OF the drawing rooms this Geason, her place
generally being taken by the Princess Of
Wales But the same rules govern the
1 drawing rooms, no matter WHO is pre-
siding.
A NOTABLE PRESENTATION.
The most notable American presented this
spring was the young Duchess of Marl-
borough, but she did not appear as an
American but as an English Duchess So
cially her position is one of considerable
Importance and she is entitled by right e
iappear at the drawing rooms as often as sns
pleases. Her influence lis also sufficiently
great to secure cards of admission for any
of her eligible New York friends, but un1or
tunately the one whom she would most like
to present lis debarred by an edict which i
seldom waived. This refers to her mother
Mrs. O. H P Belmont. who was divorce
from the Duchess father, w. X Wander
bilt. One of the few divorced women eVel
admitted to the royal presence is the Mar
lchioness of RlandfOrd who was divorced
from the late Duke of Marlborough 1t was
Hehe who presented her daughter-in-laW. the
young Duchess. at court
1t is a wei known bit of gossip That has
lived for more than three years that an
American millionaire paid $4,000 to an in
fduential but bankrupt leader Of society for
drawing room cards for his wife and tive
daughters. This man had for many years
fendeavored to enter the fashionable sci
lin New York and had probably spent
800 600 in lavish entertainments in an eff
fort to draw the right people to his house
But on reaching home after the presenta-
ton of his family he discovered that it had
opened the long closed doors he has never
regretted the $4,000, but it seems etrangs