The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-27
DINING WITH VICTORIA.
The Etiquette Of Acceptance, of Con-
duct Upon Arrival, Of Reception
by Her Majesty, and of the Table.
An American She Liked.
From the Chicago Record.

From the Chicago Record.
Those persons who have the honor
to dine with Queen Victoria receive a
note which reads something like this:
1.-THE lorG steward is commanded by
her majesty to invite Mr.. Carter II.
Harrison to dine at Windsor Castle on
Saturday. the twenty-seventh of No
vember, eighteen hundred and ninety
seven, at nine o'clock p. m., and to re-
main the night"
Inclosed with the invitation. which
is written with a pen in old-fashioned
| script upon a large card, is a smaller
card, which reads
''Paddington station, $40 p. m.
Please hand this to the guard"
1t is customary and necessary to re-
spond at once to an invitation from the
queen, and all other engagements must
be cancelled. Noting but serious ILL
ness is considered a sufticlen. reason
| for declining to obey her commands,
| and they are not issued to sick persons
| Before the lord steward sends out one
| OF these invitations he takes care to
| ascertain whether the person to whom
it is addressed is in England and able
to accept. The proper form of accept
| ance is:
"Mr. Carter H. Harrison accepts with
great pleasure the invitation Of her
majesty to dine at Windsor Castle at
nine o'clock on the evening of Novem-
ber twenty-seventh."
! 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 escorteu to special car bear
ing tha royal court of arms and fur
nished with unusual luXuriance. Some
times when there are a number OF
guests there is special train. Gen.
tlemen are accompanied by Wallets and
ladies by maids and the servants have
their own apartments in the car The
ride to Windsor on the quickest trains
occupies forty minutes and usually an
| hour. The distance Is tweniy-four
miles. Upon arriving there the guests
find two or three footmen and other
servants. One fOotman is told off for
each guest. takes charge of his lug
gage, escorts him to his carriage and
looks after him or her, If it is a lady
until he or she is safely aboard the
train for London the next morning
The entire party travels deadhead, and
the expense is charged to the minister
of the household.
The lord steward receives the guests
as they reach the castle and directs
them to their apartments, which in.
clude a sitting room, a bed room. q
dressing room and bath. When the
guest is lady there is always a maid
| iS ar
proper to leave the rooms until called
for, and the guests amuse themselve!
the best they can, Her majesty is tn,
soul of punctuality. She keeps her ap
pointment on the dot and expects ne,
subjects to do the same. If a CUES
is ever late he or she is sentenced L
perpetual banishment from the roya
presence. No matter what his ranl
or influence. he never receives anothe
invitation to the castle, and therefor,
the attendants are in the habit of ad
monishing guests as to the necessit,
of being dressed in time. They hav,
fully two hours and half after thei
arrival and have no excuse for tardi
ness.
Precisely at a quarter before a lad.
in waiting calls at the apartment o
each lady guest, and q gentleman II
waiting at those Of gentleman gucsr
to escort them to the reception roor
and present them to each other. Eacl
gentleman is Informed by his escor
whom he Is to have the pleasure o
taking to the table. and is properly in
troduced. 1t Is also shown on a dia
gram the seat he is to occupy at tn
table. After these preliminaries ar
over the portieres that hide the secon,
reception room are thrown back to dis
| close thn I /. l. in full cOur