The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-12
BY LA' MARC USE DE FoNTENoY.

~ 1.NS GEORGE tomorrow Will In
N augurate his first Ascot For
death of Edward VII, and Of the
consequent deep court mourning, the
reign!ng family failed to put in an an.
pearance at this famous race track.
which is the only on on land belong
ing 20 the crown, being situated with
in the borders OF Windsor Great Park
1t was very sombre Ascot week. ali
the women present being In black. no
royal procession. and the royal box
suggesting death with its blinds
drawn. 4
But tomorrow the former glories
OF Ascot Will be revived, and King
George end Queen Mary. with the
other English and foreign royal per-
| sonages staying with them at Wind
sor Castle, Will drive from thence to
the course. with 4 consider bio amount
O. pomp and picturesque magnii-
cence.
1t is the royal procession from the
castle which constitutes. especially to
foreigners, the most imposing fea-
ture of the Ascot races. Until the
royal buckhounds wore abolished, a
few years ago. It was always headed
by the master OF tho pack, one OF the
great officers of the court In his uni
form of green and gold adorned with
silver couples Now his place is taken
by the master OF the horse. In his
wake comes gorgeous array OF hunts
men, grooms, outriders. etc, all in their
state liveries. and superbly mounted,
Then follows n series OF carriages and
four. driven by positions, and con-
tanning. first. the dignitaries of the
household, then the English and for
Queen. and any monarch who happens
to be their guest. Mounted equerries
and mounted grooms close the cor
tese, which sweeping up the better
part OF the racecourse. between dense
crowds of cheering people on either
sid Ti ,ha lt; at the roysl Enclosure
Strictly speaking. the cards of admis-
sion thereto are supposed to be limited
to people who have not merely been
presented at court, but who were on
the special list OF Invitations to the
annual state balls at Buckingh ham
Palace. But during the closing years
OF the reign Of Queen Victoria. all
sorts Of abuses became rampant, and
not only were the tickets distributed
In numbers altogether out OF proper
lion to the accommodation OF the in
closure, but they were likewise allow
ed to get into the hands of persons
barred from court. whose presence was
obJec tionable to the royal family, and
in certain instances a positive cause
for scandal. Edward VII. remedied
this in a[measure, but not Sufficiently
The list. however. OF people to whom
tickets have been Issued for the royal
inciosure this week, Is smaller than
ever before, having been subjected to
a very severe pruning by King George
and Queen Mary. Thanks to this. the
labors OF Lord Churchill, the di,snl-
tary of the royal household through
whom the tickets are issued, and who
| Id t{r0 nay a. lxr f,e1 i A
with applica tons for cards, have been
considerably lightened.
II was George ". who inaugurated
the custom of attending the races Mt
Ascot in state. and in this connection
1t may be mentioned that nowhere in
the world, save in Great Britain. IS
horse racing endowed with the glamor
and pomp OF an official pageant. and
IT is only in England that duty as
wei as taste, compeis the sovereign to
attend any races In state. True. 1T is
only one meeting that is thug invested
with this Importance, namely. that of
Ascot. n.
The Ascot races are very old ,ndeoa
King Charles II was wont tc attend
the races there. and 1t is a historic
fact that Erederick. Prince of Wales
rather of George III. disgraced him.
self by fiinging bottle at the winner.
as 1t was on the homeward stretch.
/ ~ 'leeu, eto Uy the TACT that he
had placed his money on anothe,.
/ horse. Fortunately the bottle fell
short. His brother, William, Duke Of
Cumberland. popularity known as '"rhe
butcher, owing to the savagery he
aisplayed at the battle of Culloden,
j took the Ascot races under his espe.
/ clal patronage, got them into regular
1 shape. and started the race course in
| Its present form. ID i'm -
- Another step was made whom Georre
| u gave cup in 1885, to be run for
ROYALTY has been in the habit of going
regularly to Ascot forl. the rnces.
George ~. never missed a meeting,
either as Prince Regent or as King,
and Queen Victoria during the flrst
| twenty-five years OF her rei9n VIA.