Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-02-02
WHEN EDWARD DIMES
Splendid State Observed at the
Kings Formal Dinners.
Magma csnes Of the Service aaA ~
Order Of Arranging Gussts -
New Rules on Procedure ~
the CoronAttoa.

When King Edward and Queen
Alexandra give state dinner the fol-
lowing is the form of invitations:
"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 crescent to await their majesties
entrance, which is made without an
nouncenent. With the ladies only is
there handshahng ceremony. Guests
invited to a private dinner find their
royal hosts in the drawing room TO
receiye 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;
archbishops rank with dukes; bishops
with earls; foreign counts and barons
take no precedence, but rank with
English baronets or great landed
proprietors; and in entitled prece-
dence an earPs grandson. or near
rela tives of the aristocracy, precede
the esquires or country gentlemen;
next come wives of country gentle
men 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 are pres
ent. 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 distinctions 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 de-
cree to the effect that widows of
peers who had married commoners
had forfeited thereby their preroga-
tives as peeresses of the realm, there
would have appeared among the lat
ter at Westminster Abbey on corona
ton day @ negress of the Hottentot
type.
On state occasions there is splen-
did display of silver and gold, crystal
and fine porcelain being more in evi-
dence at private dinners. The dishes
which the flunkies carry about must
be deftly balanced on three fingers
One dinner set of pure gold will dine
1870 guests; in another set there are
400 silver plates. The sideboard is
decorated with lot of golden
trophies, some captured from the
Spanish armada; on the walls of the
banqueting room of Buckingham pal
ace are displayed many gold shields
mounted on scarlet; peacock oi
precious stones, valued at 100000; q
tigers head with solid gold tongue
and diamonds for teeth. The value
of the royal plate, including services
for every function, is over $1,000, 900
To pay his yearly household expenses
about $5OO,oO0 is necessary, says {
London exchange.
To return to the state dinner, ther,
are three servants to six guests-on,
to pass the food. one to take away
the empty dishes and one to go fol
the food, Each royalty has his oi
her servant. The king Is alway!
waited on hy the same footman, anC
he is always served first; the queer
has her special seryitor.
The menas are printed on beautiful
cards, surmountcd by the royal arms
and with picture of Windsor castle
buckingham palace, or whichevei
royal residence may be the scene o
the function. The menu is headed
Their Majesties' Dinner" this il
followed by the date, and after tha
the French name of the various dishei
, -potage, joisson, hors d'oeuvre, re
leve, entrees, sorbet, roti. salade
fromage, dessert, fruits. varies, caf,
noir. The usual order is two kind
of soup, two kinds OF fish, in fact
two kinds OF each course, with thre,
different desserts and side table o
various cold meats. King Edwart
= drinks but little wine; nor are lon,
/ menus popular, an hour at most be
ing the limit OF the dinner hour.