The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-19

invites at regular intervals few friends to afternoon tea. The invitations are written by her majesty, and guests are "asked'' to come, and not "commanded" or "requested' as they are when invited to more formal royal entertainments.
 Guests are invited as a rule to come at 4:30 in the afternoon, and they are ex- pected to be punctual, for her majesty likes all whom she has invited to be as- sembed when she enters the room.
 If a guest, however, is unavoidably late it would be contrary to etiquette for her to make any sort of apology. All the guests rise and courtesy or bow when the Queen enters the room, but beyond this little or no ceremony is observed.
 Tea is taken in tho beautiful boudoir in the Queens personal apartments, which have been decorated and arranged entire- ly under her majesty's supervision, and is served by two grooms of the chamber The service most frequently used is one of Sevres china that formed part of the late Kings magnificent Sevres collection, the greater part of which Is kept at Windsor castle. ssfs,
 When only few friends of the Queen are present her majesty sometimes pre- sides at the tea table and pours out tea herself, but it is more usual for this to be done by lady in waiting, while two other members of the household hand round the tea cups, cakes and sandwiches The palace servants are never called upon to wait during afternoon tea.
 Sometimes the King joins the gather- ing with one or two members of his house. hold. The guests rise when the King en- ters, but do not remain standing until his majesty is seated, as Is strict etiquette at all other royal entertainments. The guests at afternoon tea, after rising to greet the King, at once seat themselves again.
 Of course the guests invited to after noon tea are all intimate friends of the royal family and are thoroughly familiar with what may be called the ''atmos- phere" of the court, and there is no more restraint or awkwardness among them than there would be at small gathering of friends in any degree of society.
 At these exclusive entertainments he King and Queen and any other members of the royal family talk quite freely about the doings of the court and their own af- fairs Often a guest at an afternoon tea learns of a coming visit from foreign monarch, or possibly of a royal engage ment, long before the news Is made pub lie. Of course all such information is imparted in the strictest confidence.
 During the summer season afternoon tea at Buckingham palace is sometimes served in the gardens. but on such occa- sions the guests are rather more numer- ous and the meal more elaborate than when it is served indoors. The royal ser wants are of course in attendance when tea Is served out of doors. The tea table is usually very long and very massive mahogany one. from which the tea is handed to the guests by the servants in attendance.
 Unceremonious es is afternoon tea at Buckingham palace, or indeed, at any Of the royal residences, there are one or two points of eiquette which have to be cb- served by the guests. No guest can take his or her departure while the King or Queen is present. Guests of royalty never bid their host or hostess good-by in the ordinary manner. When the entertain ment is over the Queen rises and bids good-by to her guests.
 When there are not many present their majesties would shake hands with each, and then the King and Queen would leave the room, their guests standing while they did so. At the conclusion of royal entertainment, by the way, guest when taking his leave never thanks his host or hostess. If the King or Queen shakes hands with him he simply says, Good by, sir.' or madam"
 The King and Queen sometimes honor some of their more intimate friends hy calling on them in the afternoon and hav- ing tea with them.
 On such occasions the host and hostess of royalty must deny themselves to all other callers while their majesties are