The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-21
Worlds Kings, Princes and Emperors Dine at
 Regal Board
SHAKESPEAREAN BALL
 OF GREAT SPLENDOR
Banqueters Use Royal Gold Plates, Valued at $15,000, 0,000-Ambas- sador Hammond Has Two
 Chats With King

London June 20.-The most regal ban ouet place of king or emporer that ever
 has been witnessed and a gorgeous ShakesrJearean ball under the auspices of noted society leaders stand forth as shin Ing features of the second day of coro- nation week. The banquet in Bucking- ham palace tonight was scene of impe- rial grandeur, so far as the assembly of royal and eminent personages, the set ting of costly magnificence and beautiful decorations could combine to make 1t.
 The King and Queen entertained the visiting and English royalties, all the spe- cial foreign delegations, the foreign am- bassadors and ministers, the officers of state and the househould the members of the cabinet and former cabinet mem bers, the heads of the church and jul dietary and of the army and navy.
 The two largest apartments in the pal ace, the ballroom and the picture gallery which adjoin, were utilized as ban quoting hall. On the tables was dis played the royal gold plate, used only on historic occasions, the cost of which Is
 
 eight tons This plate for the most part
 was collected in the reigns of the four Georges and the principal piece is mas sive peacock captured in one of the In dian wars. whose tail Is studded with dia- monds. Cut glass worth a fortune, ivory decanters. hundreds of years old, and old wines dating back more than century
 were on the board.
 The gallery holds more than 800 pie
 lures. The decorations of both rooms are largely gilt, and this background was embellished with banks of palms and giant lilies, while orchids roses and ferns were stacked on the tables. Yeomen of the guard ranged about the walls and all the diners wore their richest uniforms, decorations, gowns and jewels. Shakespearean Ball The ahakespearoan ball was held in Albert hall. which was elaborately decorated. The dancers numbered thous- ands while 400 boxes were occupied by the representatives of foreign nations and the most prominent British of ficials. As many as 20 quadrilles were danced simultaneously, the participants representing groups of characters from
 
 and actresses took part in these quad rifles along with the leaders of the smart set. The Duke and Duchess of Connaugh, Prince Louis and Princess Victoria of BattenbUrg, Prince Alex ander of Teck, Prince Henry of Prussia and the princess, the German Crown Prince Frederick William and the crown princess the Turkish, Russian. Aus trian, Japanese, Greek, Danish and American representatives were present,
 Events In the day included lunch cons to the dominion premiers and mayors, party by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and a review of the colonial troops by War Secre- tary Haldane.
 This has been a perfect summer day and the population is transformed as nearly to carnival spirit as English men ever could be. Countless electric globes arranged into various designs Illuminate the streets, which. from curb to curb, are filled with hundreds of
 thousands of people. Through the masses navigates every sort or Ve- hicle imaginable, motors, buses, drays and carts filled with sightseers, adver- Using vans with minstrels and donkey wa gems driven by Coasters.
 St James park and the West End club region were damned tonight to Suffocation.
 As the outcome of an appeal by the Duke of Devonshire to "the gentlemen of England to realize at this time their responsibilities to the empire, meeting was held tonight in Queens hall.
 Patriotic speeches were made and message of loyalty was sent to the King Lord Loreburn, lord high chancellor, pre- sided.
 One of the most interesting features of the coronation Is a compact by the es- tablished and free churches for joint services in many cities This Is the first time the two bodies have united on such scale for any purpose.
 Biggest Ship Draws Attention Much attention is being paid to the of ficers and men of the American battle ship Delaware which is anchored with the other foreign warships at Spithead. Captain Charles A. Cove and the six se- nior officers of the Delaware will come | to London tomorrow as the guests of the admiralty to attend the coronation. Cap tain Cove will be given place in the abbey while the other officers will have seats in the admiralty stand to view the procession. During their stay in London they will be at the naval college at Greenwich. An extensive series of en- tertainments has been arranged for the w, athletic sports, theatre parties, garden parties. banquets and mot..r rides. The scheme of decoration of Stratton house which w. l.. Burdett- Couts ha & loaned to John Hays Hammond. the spe- cial ambassador of the United States is one of the prettiest and most elaborate along the route of the coronation bro cession
 Mrs. Ebert Bacon, wife of the Ameri- can ambassador at Paris, with her fam fly, arrived here this evening and will be the guest of J. Pierpont Morgan dur ing the coronation festivities. Many of the most notable coronation guests have been ip Lndon for week or more but during the past two days special trains have brought scores of foreign representatives to the capital These functions were only part of the days events.
 In the morning the King received most of the foreign envoys formally. In the afternoon with the Queen, he went through a rehearsal of the coron- ation at the abbey and later gave a special audience to John Hays Ham mond, who presented to his majesty a letter from President Taft. The King also received the Japanese, Chinese, Turkish and Persian envoys, who pre- sented decorations from their sover- eigns.
 The coronation rehearsal was ar
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