Evening star., 1901-03-12
LONDON VERY DULL
King and Queen Are Away From the
City.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE CLOSED
Some Interesting Bits of Gossip
About Queen Alexandra.
PICTURE SOLD

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
LONDON, February q, 1901.
For the moment London is dull; nothing
is going on. Though parliament is sitting.
it is celebrating on nothing livelier than
taxes and the defenses of Gibraltar.
The king and queen are away; Bucking-
ham Palace is closed and given over to
the repairers and decorators to be put In
readiness for the royal residence, and the
smart set is in mourning.
1t is stated in political circles that the
king will make an important tour next
year, visiting Russia, Portugal Italy and
probably France and Germany. These
ceremonial visits, which play such an i'm
portant part in high diplomacy, have been
of rare occurrence in modern British his
tory, owing to the late queens retiring dis
position and infirmties. King. Edward Is
able to undertake long journeys and to
discharge all the duties of sovereignty, and
we may expect that the custom of paying
visits to the rulers of friendly countries
will be revived by him. AS Prince of Wales
he frequently assisted British diplomacy
in an unostentatious way by his Journeys
abroad, but for reasons of state his mis-
sion was necessarily confined to visits to
his relatives, which could not give rise to
journeys may be extended and ought to
be fruitful in strengthening the friendly
relations between England and other coun-
tries.
His visit to Germany will be regarded as
confirming the belief that an understand
ing of international Importance has been
arrived at by England and Germany. 1t
may, of course, be that king and emperor
are merely deSirous of promoting a more
friendly feeling between the British and
German people, but nothing will convince
those who are accustomed to the ways
of diplomatists that the kings sojourn is
known authority on foreign questions re-
marked to me: Diplomacy will have lost
it's cunning if the kings visit to Germany
were nothing more than a family affair."
Crown Prince of Germany's Visit.
Much Importance is attached in court
circles to the fact that the crown prince
Of Germany is again coming to England
in few weeks time for a stay of a
month. 1t is also understood that later in
the year the Duke and Duchess of Con-
naught, with the Princess Margaret are
to visit the kaiser in Berlin. During his
stay in England the German crown prince
will spend a portion of his time with the
duke and duchess, and it is not surprising
therefore that this marked series of en-
gagements should tend to confirm the
impression that the wifely future of the
Princess Margaret of Connaught is on the
point of being finally determined. Never
theless, no public announcement of the
match need be expected until next year
1t is not likely that British alliance
would be favorably received in Germany
Just now, and the period of mourning for
queen Victoria also prohibits an imme-
date announcement
But 1t is quite on the cards that such
a marriage is in contemplation, and it
would naturally materially strengthen q
possible Anglo German alliance
p am.
the queen back again on Saturday after
such prolonged absence. 1t is the favor
1te residence of the queen. The poor peo-
pie IN the little villages of Sandringham
ana west Newton are her own especial
care, and often she visits them in her lit
tie well-known pony chase, driving her
four pet ponies, 'Huffy,' Puffy Beau
A dairy specially designed by the queen
Is in the kitchen gardens, where she has
often been to make butter and to drink
tea with new milk.
At the chief entrance gates-the Norwich
gates-is very curious old Chinese idol
wrought In bronze and set with stones,
which was given to the king as present
some years ago
Until the death of the Duke of Clarence
the king and queen gave three annual balls
at Sandringham in the new ball room
which has been recently added.
The first, which was called the county
ball. was given November o, the kings
birthday. to which all the elite of the
county of Norfolk We're invited. The sec
Ond took place the queens birthday
and was called the tenants ball. although
1t was not strictly confined to the ten
antry. And last, but not least, was the
servants ball, which was arranged on an
equally grand scale. Dancing at these
balls began at 10 o'clock. directly after the
royal party entered the room. Usually the
Blue Hungarian Band, stationed in a gal
lery at the far end of the lofty room, sup
Piled the music. A part of the room was
always reserved for the royal family and
the queen sent for the partners with whom
she wished to dance. After waltzing once
round her own small circle she was led to
her chair on the raised dais, and chatted
with her partner for a few minutes and
then dismissed him.
All the Family Attend the Balls.
The queen and all the family were al
ways present at all the balls The great
feature of these occasions was the supper,
which was served in the Winter Gardens
The soup was a thing to dream of, and the
huge game pies We're big enough to hide
person of diminutive stature to saw
nothing of the sweets and other delica-
cieS.
The approach to the house at Sandring-
ham on these occasions is always lit up by
festoons of Japanese lanterns swung along
the avenue of trees. In the summer a
flower show is held in the vast park to
which all the old women bring their best
loaves of homemade bread and the big
gest broad beans and potatoes their gar
dens can be induced to grow. Children
gather and daintily arrange posies of wild
flowers and grasses. Tables are laid and
decorated, carriages are trimmed with
flowers and driven round by pretty young
girls, mostly farmers daughters. Every
thing is judged, and prizes are awarded to
the successful ones. The queen has a
great many pet dogs, about forty in all,
each of which Is fed by her own hands
once day. Some of them have been very
successful in taking prizes.
The most favorite place at Sandringham
however. Is Queen Alexandras own tea
room. 1t is in the dairy buildings. When
the royal family are in residence Queen
Alexandria with the princesses and any
of her friends who may be at the house.
appear at the tea room every day about 4
o'clock. Tea is served at $50 o'clock, with
strawberries fresh from the adjacent gar
den. 1t is one Of the affectionate cour-
tesies which the king pays to his consort
that if by accident, as sometimes happens,
he arrives from some other part of the
tafo