The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-23
ENGLISH ROYAL VISITS,
Few Persons Who May Hope to En-
terrain King Edward.

en- garcon wherever his fancy led him
although he was tremendous stickler as
to the houses which his wife could honor
by her presence
queen Alexandra never went with her
husband to racing house party, unless
the host and hostess were great dignita-
rles of the realm, and never visited at a
house whose host was a bachelor. save
In the case of one visit to the Earl of
Fife, who later became her son-in-laW.
Now that the Prince and Princess of
wales have become king and queen, their
visits will be hedged about by more ETH
quette than ever. and it is supposed that
. only the very elect of the kingdom will
be honored by permission to entertain
them. There Is a certain small English
set that has always been called the royal
house party set, it's members being all
eligible to invitations to a royal house
party, and most of them being eligible
to the position of host and hostess.
Queen Victoria, who, though firm in
matters of the etiquette of royal visits.
was, when an invitation had once been
accepted, most genial and delightful
guest never issued orders as to the guests
she wanted invited to meet her. The list
was, according to etiquette, presented to
her, and she examined it, but, of course.
there would be no one upon it who was
not known to be persona grata, and the
queen never suggested additions to the
HSt, unless there was some urgent reason
why certain person should be included
The Prince and Princess of Wales on the
contrary, often made out, themselves, the
list OF persons they wished to meet in a
certain neighborhood. and the list fire.
quently included persons who would not
by position and precedence have naturally
been invited Whether the king and
queen will follow the same custom re-
mains to be- seen.
Queen Victoria, during her reign, never
once visited a subject who did not hold
high hereditary rank of a distinguished
position gained by intellectual and person.
a! merit. She steadfastly ignored the in
VltatlonS OF the money ariStocracy; and
IL the king goes to Cliveden, he will do
what his mother would not have done
Among the notables who are eligible
TO the position of host and hostess to the
sovereign, certain ones have always on
the ground Of Fersoral liking been sing, ed
OUT for the most frequent royal visits
The Duchess of Devonshire has posi-
bly, entertained the present king and
queen more often than any other hostess
IN England, and has superb suites re-
served for royalty at ChatSWorth house.
DeVonshire house and Bolton abbey The
suite at Chatsworth is particularly fine,
having been refurnished in most elabor-
az? Iashlon IN preparation for visit
paid by Queen Victoria and the prince
conSort.
The Duke of Portland at Welbeck abbey
mas magnificent royal suite, whose
state bedroom contains what is perhaps
the loveliest portrait of the queen ever
painted.
The Duke of Newcastle has entertained
1nnumerable royal house pa,ti at Clum-
The Duke of Abercorn is the favorite
host Of royalty in Ireland Lord and
Lady Londonderry are particularly favor
ed by the king and queen, and no place
connection with a royal visit than Wynn
ward Park, Lord Londonderry's seat
Lord Allngton'S Crichel has held royal
guests from the time of Charles [. down
Then there are the Duke and Duchess of
MoEtrose, the Duke and Duchess of Suth-
erland Who have, at Dunrobin CASTLE
what is perhaps the most splendid queens
suite in the kingdom; Lord and Lady
Cadogan, the Duke of Richmond, who
has enter tanned more foreign royal per-
sonages than any other English noble,
Lord Lonsdale, whom the German en-
peror has visited, the Duke of Buccleugh
at whose Scottish dalkeith Queen Vic
toria held her only Scottish drawing
room; Lord Rosebery, the Duke ofMarl-
entertained royal house parties. There
are others who belong to the elect, but
the list is not very long.
The young Duchess of Marlborough
was the first American hostess to have
the honor of entertaining the present
queen, but other Americans, the Countess
of Craven, Lily, Duchess of Marlborough
and Lady Randolph Churchill, were ia
vorite hostesses of the Prince of Wales
1t will be interesting to see where the
king draws the line, and what friends of
the Prince of Wales are pushed aside by
royal etiquette and dignity.
Entertaining royalty isn't after ALL so
comfortable and delightful thing that
men and women need cry for it. The
honor is great but the trouble is greater
and the responsibility of the hostess is a
fTif1p wearing E,VArVf HING iS rad
with pomp and circumstance, but. of
course, everything is subordinated to
the whim of the royal guest.
Ordinarily, the host and hostess and the
other guests see comparatively little Of
the royal guests, though the Prince of
Wales was always distinctly in evidence
and most informal. In the houses most
frequented by royalty the royal suites
are quite shut off from the rest of the
house, having even their own private and
secluded gardens attached. Meals are
served in the private rooms, dinner be ing
usually the only meal which the royal
guest elects to eat in company with the
host and hostess and the other guests.
The royal visitors bring their own serv-
ants, so that they may be served by at
tendants familiar with their habits and
tastes.
The chosen few, who are likely at any
time. to be invited to join royal house
parties, never accept such an invitation
without taking with them full outfits of
mourning. 1t is imperative that every
member of such a party shall wear ex-
actly the degree of mourning prescribed
by the court; and, now that royal rela-
tionships are so complicated and far
reaching, the court is likely to be thrown
into mourning at a moments notice. A
house party beginning in rose color and
sky blue often ends in dead black.
For the royal visitor as well as for his
host, the occasion isn't all cakes and ale
All the local philanthropists rise up and
call upon the royal guests to open ba-
10 10r.cff TNll tV~nn
medals, make speeches. Floods of let
ters, all asking favors, pour into the
house. Social delegations and magnates
call to present petitions. Every shop
keeper hopes that his royal highness
will buy something of him and so give
him the right to splendid sign bearing
the magic ''Purveyors to the King"
Queen Victoria and the Princesses were
always delightfully."- good-natured about
the last function, and whenever they
visited every little shop in the neigh
boring village blossomed out in royal
coats of arms and accredited glory.
In one tiny village the shops were so
small that the official attending to such
matters sent to the shopkeepers singled
out for the honor royal signs smaller
! than the ordinary ones. The sturdy viii
layers rose and protested They would,
Shylock-like, have their pound of wood
and gliding, no matter how it obscured
the shops. So the signs were changed,
and the indignant subjects were ap-
peaSed.
By the way it was at the beginning of
| this same visit that an episode occurred
which makes ones heart warm towards
royalty. When the royal guests arrived
the youngest princess sank upon a fau-
| teuil, and Immediately, with rapture, be-
gan bouncing violently up and down.
The queen demonstrated.
"Oh, can't help it, gran gasped the
| princess. It's the loveliest, jumpiest one
| I ever struck"
A guest like that might seem almost
| human.-New York Sun.