Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-11
KING EDWARD AS GUEST
NICE POINTS TO BE OBSERVED IN
ENTERTAINING MONARCH.
Troubles for the Host-Selecting the
House Party-No Finger Bowls
Should Be Used.
From the London Mail.

UlOTe 10 go lIiOuSH tildii 10 iiiit6ihSu Ny
those who merely glance at the descriptive
reports In the papers and admire the sue
cessful and satisfactory way in which
everything has gone off In truth. royal
visit, If it reflects certain share Of honor
and glory on those to whom II is paid en-
tails also on them a very real amount OF
worry and trouble.
The first anxiety of the host and hostess
Is naturally the selection of those who are
to be invited to meet the illustrious visit
ors. Not only has the name of every guest
to be submitted for approval, but 1t is the
usual custom for the king to signify his
wishes as to who should be asked to meet
him. 1t Is not even deemed necessary for
the host to be already acquainted with
them. 1t is true that certain of the great
ones of the land, with, perhaps, an old
fashioned idea of what is due to them
selves as hosts, have from time to time OBJ
1ected to invite perfect strangers to meet
royalty under their roof.
The personnel of the party being at length
fixed. elaborate preparations have to be
made for the actual housing of the royal
guests. Painters. paperhangers, and so on,
are busily at work all over the house for
some weeks beforehand, and most special
and particular attention is paid to baths.
water supply and sanitation generally-a
precaution which has been strictly and in
variably observed ever since the disaster
of 1871, when the Prince Of Wales was
brought to deaths door through q sojourn
In badly drained house In Yorkshire.
Carried Her Bed.
When Queen Victoria honored any Of her
subjects with a visit It was by no means
matter of course that people staying in the
house should have the privilege Of sitting
down at table with their august fellow
visitor. 1t was her ma1esty's custom not
only to take with her to the houses where
oh 1Aa II t. II \
for night or two her own bed and bed
ding, carriages. horses and servants Tin
Guiding occasionally her cook, but also to
confine herself at meals to the company of
her own suite. sometimes inviting her host
and hostess to join her at luncheon or din
ner.
Such ultra-royal exclusiveness as this was
never the habit of the Prince and Princess
of Wales. nor is 1t now in their changed
and more exalted position. The first meal
of the day is invariably served In the royal
apartments: of course. on shooting and rae
Ing days. or on the occasion of any public
function, luncheon Is usually taken abroad.
But at 1.-The great event of the English
mans day. as some one calls dinner, they
are always present at the table of their
host. together with the whole house party
Certain points of etiquette there are
which differentate such dinners from the
usual evening meal of the English country
house. As to dress. for example, 1t Is I'M
derstood that even at private entertain
ments at which the queen is present the
ceremonious knee breeches and silk stock
ings are worn instead of the ordinary neither
garments Of the English gentleman.
Democratic Prince.
story IL told of how a certain baronet
who was privileged to entertain for the
first time the Prince of Wales at his board
sedulously provided himself with the neces-
sary articles of raiment Gas he conceived
them). and so arrayed met his royal guest
in the hall of his house. The prince emery
Ing from his brougham. advanced with his
own gracious smile. and, grasping his
hosts hand. addressed him thus: Go up
stairs. my good fellow, and put on your
trousers; those things are not worn YOU
Know unless the princess Is with me-
Up flew Sir H to his dressing room:
off went the offending knee breeches; on
went the orthodox combinations, and the
host was downstairs again before his au-
gust guest had reached the door of the
drawing room.
The party being duly mustered in what
ever apartment it is customary to meet be-
fore the evening meal-it is necessary to
say that every one must be in the room
before the royalties enter it-and the ban
quet being announced. the procession is
marshaled, but not in the usual order The
king and queen go in first to the dining
room. escorted by their host and hostess
or, If the king alone is present he leads in
the lady of the house AT their own table
d
the center of one side, and the same order
is observed. as rule, at dinners where they
are guests The menu is choice and (above
AID short for the king hates long dinners.
and the Gargantuan bills of fare provided
by too many hosts he cannot endure.
A Royal Menu.
Here is a menu served to his majesty at
the table of one of the most perfect OF
London hostesses:
Consomme Prince de Gales
Sole dAumale
- Selle d'Agneau de lait.
Caneton la Presse.
AspSges Anglaises.
Souffe curacao.
Every dish is a masterpiece; the golden
tonsomme, specially created in honor of the
Royal guest; the sole, with its rich garnish
OF oysters and truffies; the young and ten
der lamb; the wild duck. with its subtly
blended and toothsome sauce; English as
paragus (the best in the world), and, last
OF all, the souffie, melting in the mouth-in
all respects dinner fit to set before the
king"
One curious detail of the arrangement of
royal dinner party must not be forgotten.
Finger glasses at dessert must be conspicu-
Gus by their absence, and in cases where
royalty is entertained for the first time the
host Is generally notified beforehand of this
point of etiquette. Most persons know it's
orgtn-the old Jacobite custom of holding
the wine glass over the bowl when the
kings health is proposed. and contriving in
THIS way 10 toast, not the actual reigning
monarch. but the Stuart king over the
water"
The present Prince of Wales Is said to
have expressed himself opposed to the per-
petuaton of this quaint tradition. but IT
was invariably observed in the case of din
pnr parties given to the older generation OF
EngiIsn royalties. The writer of this artl-
Gle remembers a dinner at which Princess
Mar of Cambridge the late Duchess or
Iecio was present, and at the end of which
a finger bowl was set before her royal hign-
ness. but before no one else at table
The al Gted days of the long anticipated
anxiousls prepared for visit pass quickly
away. The last saraband has been danced
IN the hall' las poor Whyte Melville sang
long ago.; the last dinner has been eaten.
and let us hope. duly appreciated by royal
paiates The morning of departure arrives:
q cheer from the little group of bystanders
maj salutauon as the train moves slowly
out OF the station and host and hostess re-
turn to the quiet routine of their daily lire
with a sigh of satisfaction and an echo in
their hearts of the sentiment which Mrs.
Augustus Craven has so well expressed.
After all. one of the great-perhaps the
greatest-pleasures in life is to get things
over"