The Washington times., 1908-08-30
GARDEN PARTIES
OF KING EDWARD
Sometimes 5000 Invitations
Are Sent Out TO Royal
Function.

The dele. and arduoas task 81
sending out vitations for a royal gar
6en party al receiving the replies is
placed ia the 1ands Of the lord cham
berlain. who IS assisted by a large stafI
That the latter is necessary w!ll be
easily understood says London Tld-
Bits, when IL is stated that the number
of cards dispatched frequently reaches
a total OF S000.
Each Of the large white. gilt-edged
cards bearing the royal s-@Wu ana
neatly engraved, has 10 be htsd in with
tie recipients correct name titles. and
such honOfs as he may Ossess. and
great aceui acy IS necessary ln IhiS 20
avoid giving Offense-
The names are taken frNI the three
lists Theirs tss FIRST or an, We list 81
persons who hstve The riwat 10 be
present at ali court funcutHs. Tias
right is of course merely nOls-5z.a ID
Ton no one is expected TO attend d royal
function without being specifically in-
gjted. although doubtless FL those on
me list did put in appearance they
would not be sho~1 the door
The FRS. List
Included ia lnis list are members ~
the house q lords and their wives. tae
members Of the cabinet the high of
dcers of the law and of 5he royal
households ara peeresses Ia thaf own
right.
Ths second list comprises members
OF tie house of c0rntons. I.gh naval
and military officers. civic fhgEiJaries,
baronets ard knights. the judges and
leading members Of the Uar "a leads
Of departments OF state, lord heuten-
arts etc
These lists are subject TO occasional
revisions, necessitated Dy death on TIE
elevation of those whose nanits APPEAR
Un 81 10 higher posts or more e5-aiteu
positions. or FOR other reasons.
The third list is usually dra-sn up
specially for each function. and consists
Of leading members ~ the church. rep-
resentaIlVes or art. science, music, nledl-
cine and the stage. leaders OF commerce
and trade, the menbers OF local cotfu-
ellis and other governing bodies and dis
Unguished foreigners who happen 10 be
staying in this country
The lists having been compiled are
submitted 10 the king who gees very
carefully through them. adding or de
letting names as he may wish. The
lists are then returned TO che lord cham
berlain's department and a number ale
nEed 10 each name. A coTresDoudin
number is par on the card Of Invitation
Replies Received.
AS the replies are received the names
are licked of. and wien no reply comes
to hand q mark is put against the name
and a note made OF the number. Special
care is taken 10 see THAI the addresses
To which the cards are sent are correct
ia order that they may not fan into
wrong hands
ia the old days 1t Yyas no infrequent
occurrence FOR cards - change hands iu
way that was not anticipated or de-
sired. III is an open iecTet that cards
were frequently sold fVr large suns TO
persons who mad no right 20 bee present
This practice was discovered az one or
the MARLBOROUGH house garden paroles
owing "a the presence there OF certain
persons who had not been invited and
VINO gave up cards bearing names other
than their own.
Since then the pFeeauliOn taken 10 pre-
vent cards going astray have been very
stringent, and those charged with the
duty Of taking the cards OF visitors at
the entrances 10 tie castle are expert
enced men. who are Wcll acquaiuted
with tho leading persona ges of the dav,
and are not likely 10 he deceived hv
couuterfeits masQueradhlg under as
sumed names and titles.