The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-25
ALMOST A KING FOR
FIFTY-EIGHT YEARS
Prince Beautiful Home and Leads Semi
Public Lie While Patiently Waiting for the Throne

4 by name, distant about two miles from
4 the front door, you mount a gentle IN
cline and find yourself very speedily
[ inside the park, and after short SPIN
/ on an excellent road come to the main
gates, called the Norwich Gates, which
lead to the house. These gates are
4 quite a feature. They We're exhibited
in the exhibition of 1852 and were after
/ wards presented to the Prince by the
/ county OF Norfolk
Passing through these gates, which
/ constitute the entrance to the park
/ proper, the road goes through a we'll
wooded and extremely picturesque
! piece of country. One moment you
might almost think you were in Scot
land, the heather is SO thick on either
side of the road. At another moment
you might be almost In the pine WOODS
of Norway. At another turn OF the
road and the velvet turf, the stately
oaks and elms of England change the
scene, while in every direction rabbltS'
hares and pheasantS in numberless
quantities show that Sandringham mas
few equals in England as a game pre-
serve
Passing through the lodge, which is
a short distance from the house, ana
where the visitors book is kept, you
drive through a pleasant piece OF land
scape gardening, and, making a detour
round the ballroom, pun up under the
pOrticO, over which are the royal arms
of England in white stone
Visitors to Sandringham are divided
into two sets. The first party comes
on Monday or Tuesday and remains
L
party arrives and remains there TIL
Monday. The last named party is gen
orally composed of a clerical dlgnltary
who Of1iciates in church on sunday, two
or three eminent statesmen, with 1or-
eigners of distinction, and some must
cal. literary or artistic people Ihe
other party comprises in large meas
ure the Prince OF Wales personal
friends, and more particularly those
whom he has invited to Sandringham
for the shooting, for it is in the shoot
in faf IA md eiT1 n elT1
largely used by its owners, their stay
there, a. rule. commencing in No
vember and terminating in February.
The Prince and Princess never SIT AT
the ends of the table, but in the mid
die. and both have a wonderfully happy
knacl1 of putting everybody at ease.
The conversation at dinner is by no
means as formal as would be supposed
After dinner, when there are no en-
tertainments of any kind in progress,
every body adJOurnS to the drawing
room. and it very seldom happens that
a move is not made to the bilnard-rOOm
or that either some singing or all
around game is not speedily in pro-
gress.
Breakfast is served at O'Clock in the
dlning-rOOm. but the Prince and Prin-
cess do not appear at this meal, taking
their breakfast in their private apart
ments. After breakfast the guests can
write letters in the various halls or
ante-rooms, there being three postal
deliveries and three departures a day.
and those who wish to send kilograms
can easily do so, as there is telegraphic
communication all over the kingdom.
A telephone connects the house with
WOlfertOn station, the Hackney Stud
Farm, the agents. baiIiffs' and other
houses in the gardens, and stables and
also with York House.
On Sunday morning everybody goes
to church. The Prince and Princess
are particular about this, and they and
the family are regular attendants. A
very quiet and pretty spot it is far
away from the hum and turmoil of city
life. There are no imposing statues or
monuments to be seen; all is quiet and
simple. In various parts are tomb
stones placed by the Prince in mem
DRY of servants of the household, and
also several stones which recall the
names of the former owners Of Sand
bingham.
THE PRINCES BALLROOM.
As a rule three balls are given at