Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-02-01
QUEENS JOKES
ARE LOST upon
MADRID COURT
Grandees Wish She Would
Hurry and Learn Spanish
So They May Laugh.

Madrid. Special With the presence
OF the young queen the Spanish court
has become much brighter than II was
formerly when state balls ana concerts
were rare Those in constant attend
ance on the king and queen say that
life at court is very pleasant now.
In the evening the ladies in waiting
appear in low neck gowns when the
royal family is ia readiness at the royal
palace iu Madrid and the grandees and
aide de camp in FUN evening dress.
During the regency fun evening dress
was not deemed necessary, and the
young ladies Of the court are delighted
at being called upon TO look their best
in their pretty frocks, adorned with
their splendid family jewels. But the
dowager duchesses ana marChionesses
complain OF bad colds and stin necks.
and regret the quiet evenings spent
with the queen regent when the KING
was still I'm the nursery. Then they
PLAYED an old fashioned " difficult
Spanish game of cards called tresillo.
The small stakes for which the game
was played were far more to their lik-
ing than the much larger sums now
risked At bridge, which has taken its
place.
King Is stylish"
Formerly the king himself seemed to
live in his military uniform; SO much
so indeed that people pTofessed 10 be
lieve that he was trying to emulate En-
perur William and that he slept on a
camp ned in top boots. He has now
adopted the frOCk coat and tan hat,
and wears them almost as much as
King Edward does.
The family dinner at court is a very
brilliant affair The young queen, OF
course, is at the head of the table in
stead Of the queen mother, who takes
a place on her sons right, looking ON
at the merry faces around her.
The courtiers VIII be glad when the
young queen learns 20 speak their lam
guage more fuently because it is
rather uucomfor able for those who do
not understand English or German 10
have to look on while heir majesties
crack Jokes and laugh heartily about
something or someone they cannot
make out
Like most youths the king Is fond Of
innovations The menus were formerly
written i'm French. but now his ma ajeSty
has commanded that they be done in
| Spanish and the translaUons of the
/ French dishes are very funny. Foreign
diplomats are often i'm the dark as TO
what they are about TO eat. II is
thought hat this innovation is a boyish
Joke and that the king will soon tire
served under their recognized French
names Everybody ut court knows, for
instance, what pate de foie gras"
means, but there is rot Spaniard
even of purest blood who can under
stand what the chef calls this delicacy
i'm Castillian
The royal apartments also have un-
dergone considerable change TO let in
the sun and air.
Her Boulder.
Queen Victoria has her bOudOir al
ways fun Of plants and flowers. while
she has gathered around her many
souvenirs from the home OF her girl
hood, photographs Of her friends and
such things A little private staircase
| leads from the royal apartments TO
the very Comforta BILE English nursery
/ for the royal baby.
Formerly il was very seldom that a
| king or queen OF Spain visited com
! moner, but the present queen visits
| many a sick person and takes upon her
self the duty Of cheering and bright
enihg up an humble sufferer.
She also delights In paying surprise
! calls on the ladies of her court and
| asking for "A cup of tea. At first this
! somewhat embarrasses the senoras, but
now that they understand that the
amiable youn" queen requires nothing
more than a simple welcome they are
| delighted and even enjoy the change
| from the old Spanish ideas of etiquet.