Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-09
QUEER ~ABSURDITIES.

London Mail: The distinguished per-
sons who attended last nights state con-
cert at Buckingham Palace were required
to observe a code of etiquette which has
existed at Court since the earliest days.
Some of the etiquette in force at royal
balls and concerts is very curious. At
state balls the appearance of the royal
family is announced by the entrance of
a nulnber of gentlemen carrying long
court stickes. The Princess of Wales,
when present heads the party. and, in
accordance with p%recedents established
hundreds of years ago, with a
naive, faltering, hesitating step.
1t was at one of the balls in the reign
of James I. that the custom originated.
That monarch was so pleased at What he
called the blending of ,timidity with
Cfiidlike confidence that characterized
the demeanor of his sons young wife
as she entered the ballroom that he de-
creed that his department should be
constituted a part of the Court etiquette.
The etiquette at royal balls is rather
severe. All uuadrilles and lanciers are
expected to be danced in a stately and
c~ercmonious manner. and certain it is
thai in the earlier part of the evening all
concerned omport themselves with mi
mituble gravity, but as the night grows
apace the rule is slightly relaxed.
At the royal concerts. which are at
tended by persons Of superior social po-
sition to those invited to the balls, tho
ct ouette is also rigidly enforced and
never deviated FROM. Some of it presses
V, ~ hardly ever on royalty itself. For
! instance. royal p~ersonages are expected
to remain seated throughout the sconcert,
a proceeding they must find extremely
irksome, as the gilt chairs as used ON
i the Sc occasions are not only very small,
but being placed with their backs to the
orchestra. prevent their occupants from
seeing what is going on.
On thisp point. for some reason not easy
to explain, etiquette is more considerable
with the guests. who are allowed to walk
about, whisper, and even look at the pic
lures or adjourn to the refreshment room.
The barrier which IN these occasions
is introduced to separate the audience
from the singers is regarded by the lat
ter with the deepest aversion, as indi-
eating the existence of a social barrier
between them.
Naturally, a singer like Adelina Patti,
with an income of E20.000 a year.. con-
siuers herself the equal of most of the
guests who listen to her. But the baI
is always fixed for a state concert, and
is not likely to be removed.
One awful breach of etiquette is to ask
a question of any royal parsonage VIII"
may condescend to address you. Neither
mist you make any remark without be.
ing first addressed. The person who sc
IGI IOIStlS HiIilselI VI 40 W hSSk
his or her gloves on when spoken to il
likely to receive a reDrimand from thu
proper quarters later on, and slmllal
tire "a would be meted out to the ill
bred person who dared to quit the roya
presence before being formally dismissed
Curious though it may appear there
is one occasion when to cough become!
a matter Of etiquette. Suppose, on tn,
occasion of a state ball, the Prince 0
Wales retires to his smoking room for
Whit. A royal servant on these occa
sions is expected to scratch the door,
membe of the royal family to shake tn,
handle, but all other persons are enjoin
ed to produce at intervals a gentle ad
mCnitory cough, which is not always au
dible.
Even royalty itself is not always &C
cuainted with it's own customs. Whel
tie Queen accompanied Louis Philippe t
, Elton the visitors book was produced
The French King. as etiquette demanded
he should, signed his name at the to
Of the page. But etiquette INTERVIEWED
and as it does not allow Her Majesty t
sign her name under any other, she ha.
! TO turn over the all but empty page an
write her name OF the top OF the mex
one.
The ease with which the Queen extri
l Gated herself from this cOntretemps S
l unset the customary self-possesslon Q
: the Duke of Wellington that he signe
2 his name in the book "W~eggrington.'