Evening star., 1902-02-07
WHEN HIS MAJESTY DIMES
SPLENDID STATE ACCOMPANYING
THE. ENGLISH KINGS DINNER.
Precedence Observed and the Etiquette
Followed by Those Who Break
Bread With Him.

When King Edward and Queen Alexan.
dra give state dinner the following is the
form Of invitation:
"The lord steward Is commanded by the
king and queen to invite Mrs. Vanderbilt
to dinner Thursday, the 18th, at o'clock
Full dress"
The guests assemble in the drawing room
and there arrange themselves in q crescent
to await their maJesties' entrance which is
made without announcement. With the
ladies only Is there handshaking ceremony
Guests invited to a private dinner find theil
royal hosts in the drawing room to receive
them. The guest of honor sits on the kfng's
right hand and the royal family on the
left.
The precedence at state dinners is as fol-
lows: Foreign ambassadors take precedence
Of English MOBILES; archbishops rank with
dukes; bishops with earls; foreign counts
with English baronets or great landed pro-
prietors, and in entitled precedence, an
earPs grandson, or near relatives of the
aristocracy, precede the esquires or country
gentlemen of no profession; then barristers
and their wives, naval officers and their
wives, military men and their wives. Physi-
clans are ranked in the royal household as
next to baronets. At private dinners usual
ly some members Of the royal household
are present ;the royal household numbers
about 200.
Apropos to King Edwards new rules on
precedence at his coronation, presidents
will rank 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 in the case of near
relations of the royal family. There is no
race prejudice in England, and had not King
Edward issued a decree to the effect that
widows of peers who had married common
ers had forfeited thereby their prerogatfves
as peeresses of the realm there would have
appeared among the latter at Westminster
Abbey on coronation day a negress of the
Hottontot type, for the widow of the Earl
of Stamford has lately married Boer
On state occasions there is splendid dis
play of silver and gold crystal and fine
porcelain being more in evidence at private
dinners. The dishes which the fiunkies
carry about must be deftly balanced on
three fingers. One dinner set of pure gold
will dine 130 guests; in another set there
are 400 silver plates The sideboard is dec
GRATED with a lot of golden trophies some
captured from the Spanish armada; on the
walls of the banqueting room of Bucking-
ham palace are displayed many gold SHIELDS,
mounted on scarlet; peacock Of precious
stones. valued at $1,000 tigers head
with solid gold tongue and diamonds for
teeth. The value of the royal plate iucjud-
ing services for every function, Is over
$SOO0,O 900. To pay his yearly household ex-
penses about half million dollars is nee
essary. @
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 footmali,
and he is always served first; the queen
has her special servitor.
The menus are printed on beautiful cards
surmounted by the rsyal arms. and with a