The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-13
DINING WITH VICTORIA.
THE CUSTOMS AND ETIaUETTE OBJ
SERVED AT WINDSOR CASTLE.


dine with Queen Victoria receive a note
which reads something like this:
THE lord steward is commanded by her
imperial majesty to invite Mr.. Carter H.
Harrison to dine at Windsor Castle on
Saturday, the 9th of November, eighteen
hundred and ninety-seven, at nine o'clock
p. m, and to remain the night"
Enclosed with the invitation, which is
written with pen in old-fashioned script
upon large card, is smaller card, which
reads:
'Paddmgton Station, $40 p. m. Please
hand this to the guard"
1t is customary and necessary to respond
at once to an invitation from the queen,
and all other engagements must be can
celled. Nothing but serious illness is con-
sidered a sufficient reason for declining
to obey her commands, and they are not
issued to sick persons. Before the lord
steward issues out one of these invitations
he takes care to ascertain whether the
person to whom it is addressed is in Eng
land and able to accept. The proper form
for acceptance is:
Mr.. Carter H. Harrison accepts with
great pleasure the invitation of her i'm
perial majesty to dine at Windsor Castle
at nine o'clock on the evening of Novem-
Der twenty-seven."
Upon arriving at Paddington Station at
O'Clock on the afternoon of the dinner
the guest presents his card to the station
master or one of the guards and is escort
ed to a special car bearing the royal coat
of arms and furnished with unusual luxu-
rance. Sometimes when there are a num-
Der OF guests there is a special train Men
are accompanied by Wallets and women bv
maids, and the servants have their own
apartments in the car. The ride to Wind
sor on the quickest trains occupies forty
minutes, and usually an hour The dis
lance is tWentyfour miles Upon arriving
there the guests find two or three footmen
ana other servants. One footman is told
OH FOR each guest. takes charge of his
luggage, escorts him to his carriage and
LOOKS after him, or her, if it is woman,
until ne or she is safely abroad the train
for London the next morning. The entire
party travels deadhead. and the expense
IS charged to the minister of the house
hold.
The lord stewart receives the guests al
they reach the caste and directs them TO
thelr apartments, which include a sitting
IooIii, d oed room, dressing room and
path. When the guest Is woman thera
Is always a maid in attendance. 1t is not
considered proper to leave the rooms until
called for. and the guests amuse them
selves the best they can. Her majesty
Is the soul OF punctuality. She keeps her
appointments on the dot, and expects her
subjects to do the same. If a guest is ever
late he or she is sentenced tn nernet,,al
Punishment from the royal presence No
matter what his rank or influence no
never receives another invitation to the
castle, and therefore the attendants are
In the habit of admonishing guests as n
Ine necessity or being dressed in time
They have fully two hours and a ha.f oft-
er their arrival, and have no excuse for
hardness
Precisely at $40 o'clock a lady in wait
ing calls az the apartments of Zach NO
man guest and a gentleman-in-waitina at
those of q man guest, to escort them 10
inc reception room and present them 10
each other. Each man is informed bv his
escort whom he is TO have the pleasure of
taxing to the table, and is properly intro
duced. He is also shown on diagram
the seat he is to occupy at the table
After these prelminares are over the
porueres that hide the second reception
room are thrown back to ,ljs
close the lord steward in full court dress
with his gorgeous staff and officers. stand
ing beside stout red-faced little woman
who sits on the edge of a great gilt chair
by her side are two or three princesses
and maids of honor, and often one or more
OF her sons or sons-in-iaw. The guests
then form procession in the order of
their rank and pass before her majesty
who offers her hand to them and nnnr
/ murs few pleasant words Loyal suh-
Jects always kiss the seams unon tba
back of her white glave, but she does not
like to have Americans do so, because she
knows that this ancient custom is not in
vogue IN our country. Therefore when
she withho.ds her hand from an America
guest it is an act of courtesy rather than
a slight. Americans are usually informed
in advance by their attendants of this
popularity and are prepared for it.
There is no time for conversation. Only
a few words are exchanged Her majasty,
usually asks Americans about the beaItb
of the President and his wife and exnrass-
es her interest in their welfare. If rbera
has been a notable incident or event in
the United States she may allude 10 II
for she keeps well informed concerning
current events. Sometimes she invites a
guest to take a seat beside her which is
a mark of unusual distinction that was
conferred upon Mrs. Grant when she end
the general were visiting Windsor some
years ago, and upon Mrs. John Hay dur
ing the Jubilee ceremonies last spring.
When those In the party have all Dsssed
in review they proceed in the same order
10 the dining-room and each stands behind
his chair until the queen enters on the
arm of one of her sons or sons-in-Iaw or
in their absence on the arm of a maid of
honor. She is always dressed in black or
gray. If in black she wears white gloves
If in gray. black gloves. She carries an
ebony gold-headed cane. Usually two
East Indian servants in brilliant native
costume follow her and wait upon her ar
the table. Before her majesty takes her
seat one of the court chaplains says grace.
She never sits with her guests but has a
small round table al the end of the room
near the door, and seldom has more than
one companion who may be one of her
daughters or the senior maid of honor or
iady-in- waiting. This is due to her mai
esty's feeble health. She cannot Sit
through a long dinner, and quietly sims
out before the guests have half finished
Nor does she take the food that is served
to them. A few plain and simple dishes
are provided for her repast-soup. FISH
roastbeef or mutton, with a salad and
sweets. She drinks no wine but takes n
little Scotch whisky in apollinaris water
At the main table a long French dinner is
served of ten or twelve courses There is
a waiter for every two persons, and thew
move with military precision. Their liv