Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-05-07
When the King Eats.


to preside at a public dinner variety
of formalities have to be rigidly OBJ
served. In the first place the invita-
tion-includings list Of the committee,
the toast list and the speakers must
be received at Buckingham Palace at
least a month or six weeks ahead Of
the date proposed for the function. It
is then submitted to the King by hi.
private secretary, and if the date does
not clash with arrangements made pre-
viously, all other details being In Or
der, the invitation is grsciously ac-
cepted.
A statement must also be sent an.
nouncing the hour at which the func-
tion ia to begin, and when it is sx-
pscted to end. These two points are
most essential, as royalty and punctu-
ality are anonymous terms. More
over, the King does not care to spend
more than . certain number of hours
at any public dinner; therefore speech
ea and other matters have to be ar
ranged accordingly.
After these necessary preliminaries
have been satisfactorily arranged the
day on which the banquet is to take
place ia awaited. An hour or so be-
fore the commencement of the dinner
An official arrives at the banqusting
hall. 1t is his duty to examine the
plan of the tables and to see that the
chair of the King is suitably placed SO
as to be free from drafts, noises and
other disturbing influences. This of.
fetal is exceedingly fastidious and his
word is law. On not few occasions
he has thrown everyone into state Of
CONSERVATION by demanding change
in the arrangements of a dinner at
the eleventh hour. The requirements
Of his majesty in these and other mat
ters, however, are now 30 well known
that mistakes are Of rare occurrence.
As soon as the seating arrangements
have been passed" the special wine
which the illustrious guest is to drink
arrives in charge of a royal servant.
Members OF the royal family always
send their own wine to public dinners
and, in many cases, their own special
brands of cigars also. The wine is in
charge of responsible servant in the
employ of the royal household, whose
duty it is to stand behind the chair
of his master and wait upon him.
Special attention is to be paid to
the menu, care being taken that the
card contains an assortment of dishes
for which the more important mem.
bers Of the royal family have a pre-
dilection. The menu is usually short
and rarely exceeds four or FIVE courses.
Private servants always attend exclu.
sivelY to the requirements of the roy
al guests.
Like most of his subjects, his Maj
esty has dining whims. He will on no
account, for instance, allow two knives
to lie on the table before him togeth-
er. 1t is believed that the King puts
some faith in the well.knoWn super.
stition that i'll comes from the crossing
Of knives. Let this be as it may, at
all dinners held at Buckingham Pal.
ace a clean knife is placed beside each
guest with every course, and this rule
must be rigidly observed at all public
as we'll as private dinners attended by
his Majesty. And his servants take
special plains to see that it is SO.
Dinner must be served aS soon as
his Majesty is seated. None save
members of the royal family is ex-
pected to converse with the King un-
til addressed by him, and a stranger
must on no account attempt converse
ton without formal introduction.
The royal visitor is exceedingly par
ticular on this point, and is most pre-
else in indicating those to whom he
wishes to be introduced.
No one is permitted to leave the
table at public dinner until all the
members of the royal family have
first risen and retired. The King
rarely smokes at public fanctiOns, but
a special room is usually set aside for
his Majesty's accommodation should
he wish to do so.