Evening star., 1902-01-25
How Edward VII Entertains Subjects
at Sandringham.
THESE COMMANDS EAGERLYSOUGHq
Rome Correspondent Tells How
the Pope Spends HIS Days.
FOREIGN NEWS AND GOSSIP
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
LONDON, January 15, 1902
Both Windsor Castle and Buckingham
Palace are stll in the hands of the carpen-
ters and decorators. and it will not be for
some time that the court will reside at
either place. Meanwhile the king and
queen go to Sandringhan, their Norfolk es-
tate. every Saturday to Monday, some
thing after the style of weekend trippers
to the seaside resorts. II is the height of
ambition among those who are lucky
enough to be on intimate terms with royal
ty to be 'rcommanded'' to join these week
end parties.
Those privileged persons who are favored
with command to Sandringham have,
however. to conform to two unalterable
rules. The first is that no guest may, un-
der any circumstances, arrive during the
dinner hour. This, at first sight, does not
appear to present any difficulties, as dinner
Is not served until the somewhat late nour
of 9:15 pm. 1t must, however, be borne
in mind that at the moment of receiving the
royal summons the honored guest may be,
and often is, many hours journey from
Norfolk, as the command is frequently
given only at the eleventh hour Moreover,
the guests are obliged to assemble at SIS.
81. One Minister'S Difficulties.
A prominent cabinet minister recently had
great difficulty in obeying this mandate,
and was only able to accomplish his cross
country journey with the aid of more than
one special train. In the second place, the
correct masculine attire consists of the III
evitabe frock coat. If permission is grant
ed. later on, this may be exchanged for
lounge mits,. which, however, must be of
sober hue. The halt at Sandringham is the
favorite sitting room Of both the royal fam
lily and their guests, and the latter are gen.
orally received there by the king.
The king and queen, accompanied by the
royal family and the most exalted of their
guests, pass into the dining room alone,
through room in which the remainder of
the guests are assembled These, having
been previously instructed as to the places
they are to occupy at the various small
tables in the dining room, follow irnme-
diately afterward. At one Of these tables
the king takes his place and the queen at
another, each accompanied by such guests
as they may have selected. When :ill are
seated the remainder of the footmen enter
In processon-a most imposing sight, as
there Is none Of them under six feet in
height. and all clad in magnificent liveries.
Their coats are, of course, scarlet and are
cut somewhat after the manner of an old
fashioned generals uniform. the swallow
tailed coats being sufficiently cut away in
front to allow a glimpse of the neat blue
waistcoat and gold lace beneath.
No collars are worn, their place being
taken by gold stocks. The dress is COM
pleted by gold epaulettes and ~hite satin
breeches with white silk stockings. The king
is attended By one footman who takes up
his position behind his royal masters chair
and hands him the dishes which are
brought him by others. In a similar man
ner the queen is attended by piper, wear
ing the Balmoral tartan.
Program After Dinner.
After dinner her majesty gives the signal
for the ladies to withdraw and is shortly
afterward followed by the king and the
rest of the company to the drawing room,
and 1t is generally about midnight before
the queen retires to rest. The king and the
other gentlemen present then adjourn to
the smoking room, which his majesty never
leaves before 2:30 am. Alas for tie poor
guest who hopes to snatch a sew hours re-
pose from the next morning 10 compensate
him for the loss of his beauty sleep over
night! Punctually at Z am. the queens
piper struts up and down outside the house,
and the music" of the pipes is sufficient to
rouse the heaviest of sleepers
Breakfast is a more informal meal, as
their majesties never appear before II
O'Clock. After luncheon on Sunday the
KING and the guests generally stroll round
the beautiful gardens, always winding up
with visit to the stables and paddochs
in which the king takes great pride, and
can and does dilate on the points and pedi-
SiSSS u Ills equine IdNOTltGS. 10 those
of his guests who leave by the second
morning train. his majesty accords the
honor of a personal farewell in the hall
Each guest at this season Of the year finds
hamper of game, bearing label, with
the kings compliments" and even the
guests Wallets are similarly favored
No one who has been honored with a
"command' to Sandrfngham fails to re-
mark the good taste displayed in the dec
orations and the perfection of all the ar
rangements. Everything is of the very
best, the cooking unsurpassable and the
wines exquisite. The dinner service in or
binary use is white, with the smallest of
imperial crowns surrounded by the garter
The linen and towels which are, of course
of the finest description, are each marked
In red, with the imperial crown over the
E, below which is a small VII in Roman
numerals, all embroidered very small No
host could set his guests at their ease more
completely than his majesty. whose ge-
NAL manner and wonderful fund of infor-
nation enable him to converse with any
of his guests on the subject which inter-
ests them most.
How the Pope Spends His Days.
My Rome correspondent writes me the
following interesting sketch Of how the
aged pope spends his days:
I'm spite Of failing health rumors and
Of speculations about the next conclave
the Pope Is astonishing the world with his
wonderful vitality. In the recent days of
Christmas good wishes and New Year
greetings, he has passed unscathed through
the fatiguing ordeal of official receptions to
cardinals, diplomats and other dignitaries,
and OF audiences to visitors. granted en-
masse and almost daily. On Christmas eve,
late at night, he said mass, not sitting
down throughout the service, but standing
like any priest of half his age. and the
next morning he was again at the altar
celebrating the second and third mass Of
the nativity; on New Year day he received
and answered dispatches of congratulation
from sovereigns, princes and presidents,
from absent cardinals and bishops, and
from Catholic associations OF every nation
ality, firing the secretaries who wrote un-
der his dictation, and on Twelfth day he
sat in state on his throne. hearing the
lengthy pleadings for the canonization of
saint and summing up with one of his
elegant Latin orations.
This is the more perceptible, but not the
most trying work Of the nonagenarian pom
tin. Every morning business is to be
transacted with the cardinal secretary of
state on the French congregations, on the