Sunday Washington globe., 1902-05-25
WHEN HIS MAJESTH Dimes.
SPLENDID STATE ACCOMPANY
THE BRITISH KINGS DINNER.


Break Bread With Him. The
Value Of the Royal Plate.
When King Edward and Queen
Alexandra give a state dinner the fol-
lowing Is the form of invitation:
The lord steward is commanded by
the king and queen to invite Mrs
Astorbilt to dinner Thursday, the 18th,
at 8 o'clock. Full dress.
The guests assemble in the drawing
room and there arrange themselves in
a crescent to await their maiesties'
entrance. which is made without an
nouncement. With tho ladies' only is
there handshaling ceremony. Guests
invited to private dinner find their
royal hosts in the drawing room to
receive them The guest Of honor sits
on the kings right hand and the
royal family on the left.
The precedence at state dinners is
as follows: Foreign ambassadors take
precedence of English mobiles; arch
bishops rank with dukes; bishops with
earls; foreign counts and barons take
no precedence, but rank with Eng
lish baronets or great landed pro-
prietors, and in entitled precedence,
an earl's grandson. or near relatives
of the aristocracy, preceded the es-
quires or country gentlemen; next
come wives of country gentlemen OF
no profession; then barristers and
their wives, naval officers and their
wives, military men and their wives.
Physicians are ranked IN the royal
household as next to baronets. AT
private dinners usually some mem
bers OF the royal household numbers
about 200.
AprOpos to King Edwards new
rules on precedence at his corona
tion, presidents will ran5 with kings
and emperors; his argument is that
he desires to honor the state and not
the man. No distinction will be
made. except perhaps IL the case of
near relations of the royal family.
There is no race prejudice in England,
and had not King Edward issued a de-
cree to the effect that widows Of peers
who had married commoners had for
feited thereby their prerogatives as
peeresses of the realm there would
have appeared among the latter at
Westminster Abbey on coronation day
a negress Of the Hottentot type, for
the widow of the Earl of Stamford
has lately married a Boer.
On state occasions there is splendid
display Of silver and cold. crystal ana
hne porcelain being more in evidence
at private dinners. The dishes which
the funkies carry about must be deft.
ly balanced on three fingers. One ain
ner set OF pure gold will dine 100
guests; in another set there are 400
silver plates. The sideboard is 6ec.
GRATED with a lot Of golden trophies.
some captured from the Spanish
armada; on the walls Of the banquet.
ing room Of Buckingham palace are
displayed many gold shields, mounted
on scarlet; peacock Of precious
stones, valued at 100000; a tigers
head with a solid gold tongue and
diamonds for teeth. The value. Of the
royal plate. including services for ev.
cry function, Is over $S.00OO00. To
pay his yearly household expenses
about half a million dollars is neces-
sary
To return to the state dinners, there
are three servants to six guests-one
to pass the food one to take away the
empty dishes and one to go for the
food. Each royalty has his or her own
servant. The king is always waited
on by the same footman. and he Is al.
ways served first; the queen has her
special servitor.
The menus are printed on beautiful
cards. surmOunted by the royal arms,
and with a picture of Windsor castle
Buckingham palace, or whichever roy
al residence may be the scene Of the
function The menu is headed "Their
Maiesties' Dinner" tlis is followed
by the date. and after that the French
name of the various dlshes-potage,
poisson, hors d'oeuvre relieve, en-
trees. sorbet, roti. salade, tonnage.
dessert, fruits. varies. cafe nolr. The
usual order is two kinds of soups
two kinds of fish. in fact. two kinds
Of each course, with three different
desserts and a side table Of various
cold meats. King Edward drinks but
little wine; nor are long menus popu-
/ lar an hour 1t most hniuO tba limit