The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-07


OF master OF the household OF
.. George ". TO that of comptroller
Al the household of Dowager Queen
the light of shelving or lowering in
rank and sphere OF activity OF that
d dm..firEetic officer but rather as an ad-
e eo,!S proof OF the confidence of his
SSovereign. FOR the state of health OF
Queen Alexandra at the present time
IS so delicate that George V. considers
~ highly advisab BILE that she Should
prime of life, who has for years been
ono Of his most efficient and conf
GENITAL gentlemen in waiting, and in
The full possession of mis- health, in
order that the duties of Sir Dighton
Probyn may be lightencd. Cor Sir
DDishton has been in the service of
Queen Alexandra ever since her mar
rage that is 10 say, for some nifty
Colonel Sir Charles Frederick was
appointed master OF King Edwards
household in 1907. on the retirement
death of King Edward, his successor
George V, reconstructed the royal
household. Sir Charles was rcappo;nted
10 the post OF master thereof. The
once is not by any means an easy
or merely ornamental one: far from
H. The mas of the household ranks
immediately after the comptroller and
his principal duty is the very prosa ic
but eNacting one OF supervising and
checking up the weekly domestic bills
OF the DttCner, the baker the candle
stick maker and other tradcsmen. But
that is not all. He has all the worry
and trouble OF keeping in order. pla-
eating. paying and supervising the
task than falls to the lot OF the head
OF the household CO an American mil
ilonaire. or even TO the manager of a
large hotel: for the royal servants arc
extremely touchy regarding the privi-
leEes of their various positions and
INC limitation OF their duties. their
hours of work. their remuneration.
:he!r Erades-that is to say. their
preced ence-and 1 do not know what
else besides.
All these points are governed by
, , and practically the palace
nc ,h below stairs" have ga Eoysrnment
the master of the household TO har-
monte the relations OF all these peo-
PIE; task rendered all the more
difficult by the fact that he cannot
discharge one of them. but can only
express his dissatisfaction By lowering
the status of the offender.
During the whole OF the reign Of.
Queen. Victoria not a single servant
| was discharged. extraordinary to ra-
late Furthermore, il is an infieNibIs
| rule governing all the actions OF the
master OF the household that h. must
always be kind and considerable. 1t
| VIII. therefore. be understood that he
| must be man possessed of almost
superhuman tact forbearance and
q
extreme provocation. For he has other
matters to attend TO besides the SER
wants and the tradesmens bills. The
royal household Is very far from,
| tif the comparison may be pardoned1
10 large travelling circus that sud
denly pulls up stakes and makes
| Il jump OF hundreds or miles
! When the King and Queen move
| from windsor TO Balmoral, for in
stance. the master OF the household
has to attend to the transportation of
Their Majesties and their suites and
baggage; also the servants and their
luggage. often at little more than an
hours notice; He engages the train
Tor the royal retinue. which is very
large; pays the railroads. arrangcs for
regular meals of the whole party en-
route checks the impedimenta on
shipment, and when it arrives at Its
gone astray and does the thousand and
one things that only an experienced
tourist agent. the nra mayer OF travel
ing circus, as l have already remarked,
Or the master of the royal household
himself could enumerate.
The foregoing. however, is mere
plain sailing. the routine of the office!
II frequently happens that at the last
After everything Is provided for and
start is about TO be made to a dig
tant point, II political crisis. the death
of q relative OF the royal family or
some other untoward event may unset
everything. and the whole party may
nave to be shipped off in a different
direction. probably to a locality with
a d!ssimilar climate. neccssltatrng n
different equipment of clothing, etc
And the master of tho household must
do his work so skilfully and smoothly
that his royal charges shall not suffer
the slightest Inconvenience or bother
therefrom. Indeed. some royalties
have no idea that such worries exist
4 laughable Illustration OF this
blissfui ignorance IS related of Queen
Alexandra. Seeing that one of her
maids of honor locked distressed, she
inquired what was the matter She
was told that the girl, while travel
ing-privately, not in the royal suite
had lost her baggage. Gently and
sweetly. but with an air of mild
reproach. Her Majesty said: NY dear
lose my luggage!" 1 doubt whether
the Queen ever saw her belongings in
transit, in their trunks and pack ng
cases or gave them Il moments
thought until they We're needed at
her Journeys end, and found them
laid out ready TO her hand
All the eXacting duties OF master of
the household sir Charles Frederick
has performed 10 the entire satisfac-
ton of King George And now that
he is transferred to the comptroller
ship of the household of Dowagcr
Queen Alexandria. he will relieve Sir
Dighton Macnashten rrobyn who is
In his eiehtieth year. and for whom
an easier position In Alexandra's
household has been found
SIR Dighton entered the army in
1s+9. at the age. OF sixteen: was one
OF tho heroes OF tho Indian Mutiny,