The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-30
lie Eiiouette Of RoraIsr.

Some OF the etiquette In force at royal
balls and concerts Is very curlOus. says
the London Daily Mali. At state balls
the appearance Of the royal family Is
an1oanced By the entrance Of q nunlber
OF gentlemen carrying long court ssicks-
The Princess OF Wales when present
heads the party. and, in accordance with
precedence established hundreds Of years
ago. advances with a naive. faltering.
hesitating step.
II was az one Of the balls In the reign
Of James 1 that the custom originated.
That monarch was 50 pleased at what he
called the blending Of tiEnEdity with child
Ike confidence which characterized the
deneaner OF his sons young wife as'shs
entered the ballroom that ne deSaeed that
this department should be constituted u
part Of the court etiquette
The etiquette az royal balls Is rather
severe. All quadrilles and iancers are
expected to be danced In a stately and
ceremonioas manner, and certain II Is
that In the earlier part Of the evening
all concerned comport themselves With
fnimatable gravity. but as the niEat grows
arace the rule Is slightly relaxed.
At the royal concerts. which are at
tended by persons of superior social po-
sition to those invited 20 the balls. the
etiquette Is also rlgidly enforced and
never deviated from. some Of II presses
very hardly even on royalty Itself. For
instance. royal personages are expected
to remain seated throughout the concert
proceeding they must find extremely
iyksome, as the gilt chairs 1ssd on these
occasions are not only very small bit
being placed with their backs 20 the or
chestra, prevent their occupants IRON see
Ing what Is going on.
On this point, for some reason not easy
to explain. etiquette Is more cousider1te
with the guests, who are allowed 70 walk
about. whisper and even look at the pic
lures. or adjourn to the refreshmen;
room.
The barrier which on these occasions IL
introduced to separate the audience from
the singers is regarded by the latter with
the deepest aversion. as Indicating the
existence OF a social barrier between
them
Naturally, a singer like Adellna ratti.
with an income OF E20.ooo a year. constders
herself the equal Of most OF the guests
who listen to her. But the bar Is always
fixed for a state concert, and Is not likely
to be removed.
One awful breach of etiquette Is TO ask
question Of any royal personaSe VINO
may condescend to address you. Nei'her
must you make any remark Githout being
first addressed. The person who so far
forgets himself or herself as 10 keep ais
or her gloves on when spoken to Is sikely
to receive a reprimand from the proper
quarters later on. and similar treatment
would be melted out to the Inbred per-
son who dared TO quit the royal presence
before being formally dismissed.
Curious though Il may appear. there Is
one occasion when to cough becomes a
matter OF etiquette. Suppose. on the &C.
casion OF state ball the Prince OF Wales
retires to his smoking-room for a Whit.
A royal servant on these occasions Is ex-
pected TO scratch the door, a member OF
the royal family TO shake the handle.
but all other persons are en1oined 20 pro-
duce at intervals a gentle admonitory
cough, which is not always audible.
Even royalty itself Is not always &C
quainted with it's own customs. When
the Queen accompanied Louis Philippe
TO Elton the visitors book was produced.
The French King. as etiquette demanded
he should. signed his name At the top Of
the page. But etiquette interviewed. and
as II does not allow her Majesty to sign
her name under any other. she had TO
turn over the all but empty page and
write her name on the top Of the next
one
The ease with which the Queen extri-
Gated herself from this contretemps so
upset the customary self-pOssession Of the
Duke OF Wellington that he signed his
name In the book "Wreggington."