The Washington herald., 1911-03-26
.UNYEiL MEMORIAL
TO.YICTORIA MAY 16
Will Mark Opening of Coro-
nation Festivities.
KAISER TO ATTEND CEREMONY
Court Ball to Be Given In Honor Of
Princess Victoria Louise-Prexence
ON Throne of Comparatively Young
Rulers May Mean Resumption of
Gay Social Activities.

London. March 3.-The unveiling of
the great memorial to Queen Victoria In
'front.' of Buckingham Palace, which Is
to take place on May IS, will act as a
curtain raiser to the magnificent corona
ton festivities. that have already now
put the staid old city of London into a
state of feverish excitement.
A small army of workmen are already
taxing down the scaffolding around the
Victoria monument. that has for so long
been an eyesore to the royal residents at
buckingham, and the Lord Chamber
lain's department is busy preparinr the
programme of the unvailing, which will
be conducted with all the pomp of a full
state ceremony, owing to the presence of
the Kaiser and Kaiserin and their daugh-
ter, besides every member of the British
royal family, representatives of all Euro
pean courts and the whole corps diplomat.
ique.
AS the Kaiser and Kaise-in will stay .
few days with King George and Queen
Mary court ball may be given in honor
OF Princess Victoria Louise and there
will be dramatic entertainment at the
Royal Theater, in Drury lane on We'd
nesday, May II. which will be attended
by the whole court and their royal and
imperial guests.
Offfctal Mourning at an End.
Now that the long period of official
mourning is over English society passes
the threshold of a new era, but what its
influence Is to be, must necessarily re-
main. for the moment a matter of specu-
lation.
1t Is long since a comparatively young
King and Queen have reigned in Eng
land. The late King Edward and Queen
Alexandra were past the meridian of life
when they came to the throne, and their
court and encourage were chiefly COM
posed of their contemporaries, who, for
the, most part had not only left the
amusement of early youth behind them,
but whose sons and daughters were mar
ried and had families of their own.
Nevertheless. King Edward, who had at
heart the revival Of social activities in
the interests of the community at large,
encouraged his great subjects to give
the example in the matter of entertain
ment. and himself attended the balls and
like functions. in which he could scarce
be supposed TO find much personal di-
version.
More Youthful Atmosphere.
In fact. his share of such amusements
was generally limited to the royal quad
rifle, after which he retired to a quiet
rubber of bridge. Unquestionably bril-
liant though it was, the Buckingham
Palace environment was naturally COM
posed of men and women of an age more
or less approaching that of the sover-
eigns. Very young people of either sex
had but little part or lot therein. and by
the force of circumstances they remained
to a great extent in the background
during the last reign 1t is on record
that at q ball some five or six years ago
the majority of the ladies present had
attained to the dignity of grandmother
hood.
With the King and Queen very much
younger than their predecessors on the
throne, a more youthful atmosphere will
certainly surround the court than has
been the case for some time past Their
majesties' personal friends and the men,
bers of their household are for the most
part very nearly of an age with them
selves, and in two or three years time,
when the Prince of Wales and his sister,
Princess Mary, are old enough to par
ticipate in social gayeties. the younger
will come to the front in way
which has not been seen at the English
court since the days of George III.