Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-10-05
ROYAL SHOPPERS.
HOW QUEEN VICTORIA AND HER FAM
lily BUY FROM THE SHOPS.

Her Majesty-The Princess Of Wales
Ii Fastidious - TradespeopIe Like
the Duchess of York.
Royal women do not all shop alike.
Some go to tradespeople as quietly as
any of their subjects and are easily suit
ed. Others are 6nical in their likings.
Queen Victoria does not visit shops in
person, as do many of the princes and
princesses. She has her commands writ
ten and sent to the various establishments
she %patronizes, and the proprietors of
these dispatch special messengers with
the goods she desires to see. These mes
sengers, as a rule, wait while she in.
spects the things, but sometimes goods
are left for a time to await inspection by
her majesty. The couriers Of various
royal personages, from her majesty
downward, are to be seen daily in the
west end executing commissions and
giving orders for goods to be submitted
on approval for their royal employers.
As a rule, it is the custom Of shopkeep-
ers to dispatch the articles required by
some trustworthy member Of the firm.
He visits the royal residence and sees u
footman, to whom he explains his err
rand, and then is passed on for the ex-
animation Of several other footmen, till
at length, by a series Of stages, he is
brought into the presence Of a lady in
waiting, who takes his message as to
prices and other details Of the goods or
dered and also takes the goods them
selves to be examined by the intending
royal buyer.
While the goods are being examined
lsisurely the messenger waits the royal
decision, be it a long or a short time,
which is announced by the lady in wait
ing, who gives the necessary orders. The
messenger then bows himself out and
again is passed through the hands Of the
different grades of footmen until he at
last emerges into the outer air Of COM
monplace humanity and gets back to the
busy west end. Her majesty is some
what fastidious as to orders she gives
for personal requisites. 1t is a well
known fact that should they show these
articles or allow any description Of them
to appear in the newspapers her majesty
would at once deprive them Of her Gus.
tom.
One rich princess delights to go shop.
ping, but is most particular that neither
the proprietors Of the shops she frequents
nor their employees shall ever, by word
or deed, signify that they recognize her
as of royal blood or treat her in any
way other than a woman Of no particular
Importance who has been attracted by
something to be displayed in the windows
and come in to buy. Should any one be
SO unwise as to recognize her and show
her the special respect due to royalty,
she promptly transfers her custom. One
of her reasons for this is said to be q
theory that did shopkeepers know her
rank they would charge her exorbitant
prices for the goods. In this she is mis-
taken, for in all respectful shops the
prices Of goods are alike for royalty and
ordinary people.
The Princess Of Wales is said to be
the. most fastidious Of all royalties as
her dress. Whatever is made for
her in the way Of dresses must never
look as though the fabrics have been in
human fingers, or that needles and cot
ton have been employed in the building
Of them. Bodices must fit like a glove,
and there must be no unpicking Of seams
or alterations that will show the mark
Of q needle or a stitch. The princess I'M
derstands dressmaking thoroughly-for
did not she and her sisters make their
own dresses in their early days in quiet
little Denmark land her generally plac-
Id temper is much ruf1ed should a dress
bodice require alteration that will show,
or Its make display such outlines as
seams, and not fit the figure Of the royal
wearer like a glove.
The Duchess of Edinburg, the wife Of
her majesty's second son, is as easy tc
please as the Princess of Wales is diff
cult. Seldom does she send a dress back
to be altered, and she Ia gracious and
as to her orders and the exc
cution Of the same. The Duchess Of
York is much liked by tr~adespeople. She
gives little trouble to her modistes and is
generally pleased with her toilet and
with the manner in which her orders have
been executed. She gained her ideas
from her mother, the Duchess Of Teck,
who invariably was pleasant, courteous
and easily pleased. Tradespeople were
pleased to serve the Duchess Of
Teck and Princess May, and they feel
equal pleasure in obeying and executing
The orders Of the Duchess Of York.
The future queen, the Duchess Of
York, takes a motherly interest in her
little ones and personally superintends
the dressing of each Of them. They
look sweet in the linen suits she ordered
for them, and their little silk socks are
! novelty, for they appear laced up the
front In the manner Of boots. OF course
the duchess has such articles as these
made to order, and the lacing is a clever
and unique idea.-New York Press.
A Curious Japanese Custom.
At the close Of formal dinners in ia.