The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-10
SOCIETY IN LONDON
ny LADY HAIRY MANwARrNG

London March 9.--(SpeclaD This has been a busy week with society and next week will be as busy. Monday, the first levee was held at the St. James Pa - ace: Wednesday the investiture of tie new peers took place at Buckingham palace and yesterday the first diplomatic and official court was held at Bucking- ham palace.
 Next week their majesties will be equally busy and it will be even liye- Her time for society in general The second levee will be held next Monday at the St. James. And on Thursday and Friday the second and third courts will be held at Buckingham.
 King George and Queen Mary have large arrearages of social duties to make up because of their journey to India and are losing no time in doing it.
 Lord Sandhurst, who succeeds his broth er-in-law. Earl Spencer. fin the lord chamberlainship, has had considerable experience at court as politician and as an administrator He was a lord- in-walting curing MT. Gladstone's 1SS6- S5 administration, under secretary Tor war in 1886, and again from 1892 to 1895, when he became governor of Bombay. His father was a distinguished Indian officer who acted as chief of the stair during the mutny. The new lord cham- berlan's first wife, Lady Victoria Alex andrina Spencer, a god daughter or the late Queen Victoria, and daughter or the fourth Earl Spencer. died in l906 Three years later he marrler Eleanor xf lat Matthew Arnold. the poet. and widow of Hon. Armine Wodehouse, younger brother of Lord Kimberly, and one of the most promis- ing of the younger generation or liberal member of parliament
 Most people talk about the throne or England as If 1t were a special arm chair on which the King daily sat, but, as A matter of fact, there is no offi- clally recognized throne, and it has be- come metaphorical symbol of mon- archy just as the ''crown" has be- come practically captured by the law 1 courts.
 One would naturally. perhaps, look for | the throne at Windsor. It surely should be the Kings "Windsor chair" and as A matter of fact. there is both throne and a throne room in the ancient fort
 ress and palace, but it is probably the
 very last chair the King would be like lv to be found seated upon if one could
 nav an afternoon call. And, so far from 1 this throne being unique, there is ac-
 tuaIly one at each of the royal palaces
 and it Is probable that the one at Buck l ineliam palace is the more generally
 used, inasmuch as most ceremonial oc' casions take place there
 The King may be said to have suite of thrones-one each of which he prob | oh,,, eits at least once. Certainly ht onlS eits on single occasion upon ont l of them-that Is the coronation chail in Westminster abbey--the worm eaten battered. lion footed old oak sette' which contalnes the Stone of Destiny and upon which all the Kings pre- decessors since Edward IT, have beer l crowned The chair might, perhaps claim to be the throne or the empire al if is Infinitely the most ancient, ans inasmuch as the King must sit upoii to be crowned.
 | probably the throne most familiar t' | tho nublic is the great creation whicl stands upon dais in the house of lords If is often mentioned in the newspaper quite apart from the opening of parlia ment-the only occasion upon which i is actually used as seat Often ; phrase like this occurs: MT. Joai Burns. who is greatly interested in thi hall. listened to the debate from tn stans of the throne. beautiful raj
 senarates this royal seat of kings" iron the faithful peers.
 But it is not everybody who realizc l that the palace of Westmlnster-the Gor | rect name for the parliamentary house l-contains a second throne. This Is placed 1 in the Kings robing room and is -uset by the King when he is putting on hi ] regal garb before entering the house O