Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-20
special CORRESPONDENCE.

Special Correspondence.
4 ONDoN, July s. Elizabeth
Knollys, lady's maid to Mrs, Al
bert z. Victim"
Such an entry would be quite
correct IL one descended from the es-
tate of royalty to the commonplace.
How the glitter of royal courts changes
things. 1t Is writ on the records that
the Honorable Charlotte Knollys (pro-
nounced "Knowles'D is bedchamber
woman to Her Majesty Queen Alaxan-
dra.
Because the mistress is royal the po-
sition becomes one of honor instead of
seryility. Yet one cannot get away
from the fact that Miss knollys is to
all intents and purposes the queen. of
England's maid" as well as her
dearest friend and confidential COM
panion.
Quite recently Charlotte Knollys
completed her forty fourth year in this
position. Nightly for forty-four years
she has slept under the same roof as
her mistress and daily in that lifetime
has she tended her and her many
wants so carefully and so faithfully
that at this. royal palaces she has long
had the nickname of THE shadow
No one need envy Miss Knollys her
job. Yearly 1t grows more difficult.
The queen Is a most exacting woman.
With age her infirmities are increasing.
She has temper. Most queens have.
But the public do not know that the
queens deafness has made her tribe
irritable and that were 1t not for the
tact OF Charlotte Knollys life at the
various royal palaces would be, for
the queens household. strenuous at
AlaYandra'S
good angel. She Is the genial buffer
between the queen and outside person.
ages. not even leaving out jovial Ed
ward VII.
NEVER HAD A HOLIDAY.
The loss of Miss Knollys would be.
perhaps, one OF the greatest Alexandra
could suffer. For this woman, who
never for one day in forty-four years
has. been away from her royal mistress.
is the only woman who knows the Sc
crets of the queens toilet.
And her reward? Who knows? Char
otte Knollys on the accession of King
Edward was given the prefix OF honor
able and raised by royal warrant TO
the position of baron's daughter. by
virtue of her position at court she takes
FIRST place among all unmarried women
entitled to the prefix OF honorable Her
relative rank now In the British empire
an armful OF minor foreign orders and
decorations bestowed by European
queens. And as 10 salary she draws
| So 500 q year from the government and
| 81 500 from the queens privy purse.
| What further emolumcnts or private
| gifts she may receive from her ma
| jesty or elsewhere she and the donors
| alone know.
SHE GETS BOARD AND LODGING.
OF course, Miss Knollys has board
and lodging aud servants and all such
| things free at Buckingham palace.
| windsor castle and Sandrngham. and
| wherever the queen may go a-visitng.
While she Is the costliest 'lady's
| maid In all the wide world doubt ir
| her emolnments, the splendor OF her
| surroundings. the homage of great
| courtiers and greater society danes.
| the constant basklng In the rays OF
J royalty compensate Charlotte knollys
| for ali her work ane all her sacrifices
| OF the past forty-four years and-thore
| are yet years to come.
SACRIFICE OF LOVE
| The greatest sacrifice Of this young
| old woman WAS the sacrifice OF love.
| At the repeated urglngs OF her royal
mistress she gave up the mGn she loved
| and the man who loved her. IL was her
only romance And II has been life
long romance. The man was a minor
oourtler attached 10 the household of
| the King when the latter was Prince OF
| Wales, The romance began on the
croauet lawn OF MARLBOROUGH House
Miss Knollys was then maid OF honor.
While other members OF the house
hold looked on and smiled az the love
story unfolded itself before their eyes
tho future queen had no suspicion until
that day when her favorite knelt at
her feet and asked her gracious per.
mission 10 marry Each maid is obliged
| 70 ask her royal mistress' permission