New-York tribune., 1910-10-07
THE NEW REIGN
Social and Political Tendencies
The Ceremonial Side.
London. September Il

While II is not good form for visitors AT
BalrnoraI to recount their experiences
and to gossip about royal personages'
there are daily revelations in the Court
Circular: the arrivals and departures OF
guests are announced and the employ
ments and recreations OF the King ana
Queen are known with defniteness
1t Is no secret that there has been
reversion 20 the simplicity of victorian
home life The King has been shooting
or fishing every day without regard for
weather. and the Prince of Wales mas
been with him and has been accompanied
sometimes by a younger brother. Inc
sovereign. being one of the best shots IN
the kingdom. has taken a fatherly inter
est in coaching the boys in deer stalking
and in firing from butts; and experienced
sportsmen like Mr.. Harry Stonor nave
been at hand to- make useful suggestions
The King and the young princes have
worn either the heather kilt or the stuart
hunting tartan during the day. and the
Queen has set the example Of extreme
simplicity in coat, walking skirt and felt
hat High necked gowns have been IA
vored for evening dress and the King
has worn full Stuart tartan with silver
ornaments-scarlet banded. with dark
green and striped with yellow and scarlet
Another series of leaves from the High
lands" might have been put together
during midsummer and early autumn If
there had been a royal diarist-
Bridge players who were boon COM
panions during the last reign have not
been conspicuous at BalmoraI The King
plays a sound. painstaking game. but is
not inordinately fond of it During re-
cent years at country houses there has
! been bridge after luncheon and after tea,
as we'll as late at night, and smart people
invited to meet members Of the royal
| family have been constantly at the card
table King George. without posing as a
social reforner, has set his face against
waste of time over bridge. His days at
| Balmoral have been filed with outdoor
recreation and public business Luncheon
| has been served at the hut or in keepers
cottages when there was shooting: and
there has been no card play before or
after tea
The business OF state has been trans
acted with orderliness and punctuaIity,
and while the secretaries are kept fully
employed the King, like his grandmother
| before him, writes many letters himself
! He has also adopted his fathers method
| OF talking over matters of state with
public men and has impressed them with
the reasonableness and good sense Of his
| opinions. The leaders OF the ministry
! and Of the Opposition have been az Bal
moral, and likewise DISTINGUISHED out
siders in politics like Lord Rosebery and
LORD Kitchener, and he has shown him
self an excellent listener and has carried
a conciliatOry spirit into every confer
ence. If he has failed to bring about a
settlement of the constitutional issues II
mas been because there is no possible
peace between partisan groups of poll
| uclans without the direct and decisive
intervention of the democratic electorate
The new Georgian reign has barely he
gun, but 1t has gone far enough to in
dicate feltcitous blending of Victorian
and Edwardian tendencies There is a
reversion 10 the simplicity of the royaI
home at the centre of the court and en-
pire; and this has come about naturally
since there has been a family of five
princes and a princess to be trained for
the duties and privileges OF royalty The
King and Queen. being devoted TO their
children and having markedly domestic
tastes, have a smaller circle of intimate
friends than their immediate predeces.
sors on the throne, and take less pleas
ure in country house visits and the gilt.
tering excitement of smart society
Their guests represent public life rather
7 than fashiona bic sets, and there are few
I uiIlionaires and stock promoters among
: them.
In 1887 there was a similar reversior
TO simplicity. The young Queen passed
: period Of reckless extravagances and
improved upon the precedents of Queer
Anne's reign, dismissing indolent court
iers and fussy functionaries and estab.
fishing an inexpensive, albeit stately
, court No reaction equally abrupt ha:
accompanied the succession OF George
) V, but there has been a change in The
relations OF the court to smart society
There has been a closer approach Il
Victorian standards. Conspicuous figure:
whose names were constantly appearing
, in chronicles OF fashionable news have
/ disappeared. and luxurious. pushfuI and
sordid Vanity Fair finds the court les.
accessible than it was.
The Edwardian example, however. ha.
been followed already on the ceremonial
r side. George V. while lacking n.
fathers precise knowledge of cour
etiquette, ceremonies and decorations il
convinced that a monarch needs to MAKE
a unique display of his power and glory
on state occasions in order to accentu
, ate his social pre-eminence and to fuIf
: his obligations to the empire. II is al
ready evident that there is to be an IN
{ crease in the pageantry Of the monarch!
during the new reign. The preparation
. for the coronation are to be made on
larger scale, with a longer processiona
route and & more sumptuous scenic set
e ting in Westminster Abbey than whel
King Edward was crowned. The in
vestiture Of the Prince OF Wales at Car
narvon Castle will be an impressive epi
z sode OF the coronation ceremonies. anC
: there will be a royal progress in IRELAND