Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-20
WHEN ROYALTY DIMES
KING EDWARD TAKES BUT LITTLE
WINE AT TABLE.
The Austrian Emperor Has Golden
Dishes The White
House Way.

If one wishes to be very Anglomaniac in
regard to table etiquette. or rather table
furnishings, fish knives must be dispensed
with.
This is popularity of the King Of Eng
lands dinner table. His majesty substi-
tutes two forks when upon the fish course
he concentrates his attention Nor does he
eat bread with his fish; In fact. he eats no
bread either at dinner or luncheon, but
only a specially prepared toast, cut in
small pieces. The king, it may be re-
marked, drinks but little wine with his
meals, his abstemiousness in this respect
being most marked.
Fine silver does not play an important
part On the royal table, save on state oc-
casions, crystal and fine porcelain being
more in evidence. Simplicity In other re-
spects as regards meals has always been
borough House, both the king and queen
abhorring long or elaborate menus, and alb
solutely refusing to remain at dinner over
an hour Forty minutes is the length of
time preferred and often adhered to.
The menus for dinner are printed on
prettily illuminated cards, surmounted by
the royal arms. and with dainty view in
Sepla of Windsor Castle, or buckingham
Palace, whichever place the court may be-
The menu is headed His Majestys Din
ner Then there comes the date, and
after that the French names of the various
diSheS including two kinds of soup, two
kinds OF fish, two entrees. two relieves, two
roaStS. three entremetS, with a side table
OF various cold meats.
Late Dinner Hour.
1t Is worthy Of note that during Queen
Victoria's time the dinner provided for the
ladies and gentlemen of her maJestys
household, in another apartment, was an
Infinitely more elaborate affair than her
own. The dinner hour is O clock.
Royalty takes its breakfast and luncheon
In private. as rule; that is, members of
the royal family only are present; at din
ner are ladies and gentlemen Of the house.
hold and guests.
Each royalty has his or her own servant
King Edward VII as the Prince Of Wales
travelled everywhere, with a footman to
wait on him at meals; in addition, his
Wallets always accompanied him. two gillies
VINO took charge of his guns. and, of
course, an equerry.
Queen Victoria was waited on at table by
her two Indian servants, to whom she spoke
in Hindoostan; If these servants made the
mistake Of becoming too proficient in the
English language they were returned to
INDIA and new ones substituted.
Guests at Windsor rarely see their royal
host and hostess until dinner time; it Is
usually arranged that guests arrive late in
the afternoon; they are received possibly
by the Princess Victoria, the king and queen
morning guests breakfast in their own
rooms visit usually extends to the second
day' one is seldom invited for more than
two days. very often only to dine and sleep.
At the Austrian Court.
In striking contrast to the comparative
simplicity Of English royalty at table are
the marvellous epicurean feasts of the Aus
TRAN court. There the menus are nearly a
yard long. and everything else in proportion
An army of t1unkies bears rare gold and
silver dishes, which they deftly balance on
three fingers. The dish placed before one
however, is scarcely tasted before the court
marsnal mas tapped his golden cane the
marble floor, and the dish is removed to
make place for the next This is a state
dinner Upon ordinary occasions the EN-
peror OF Austria takes all his meals alone
even MS dinner. each course being brought
IN on tray. His dinner consists of four
courses. his luncheon of two. Neither butter
nor sugar Is ever allowed on his private
table.
Another potentate who takes all his meals
alone is the pope; this is a papal traditional
custom. The sultan, too dimes alone. and
Wherever he may happen to be at the mo-
ment.
When their royalties Of Russia dine with
out gueSs the dishes are of the most simple
and even bourgeois DESCRIPTION. the car.
although hearty eater preferring simple
food. Whenever the repast assumes a cere-
mon1al form the cuisine is of the most elab-
crate character. The chefs staff numbers
over 200 persons; these include "a "oficers
OF the mouth" so yeomen of the buffet
ana iZo chefs Of first. second and third rank
custom observed in all countries in re-
spect to the ruler Of the land is that he Is
always helped first. Even In our Democrats
country. when the President of the United
states sits at table, even as host, and there
are ladies' present, he Is served first His
place IS at the center of the north side Of
the table, the length Of which extends from
east to west.