New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-28
CHRISTMAS QUIET
@ IN ROYAL Home
Princes First Pay as Mid
shipman Buys Present
for His Mother.
QUEEN ALEXANDRA
y MAY VISIT RUSSIA
Festive Season Appropriately
Observed in All the Big
London Hotels.
tRu Cable to The Tribune ]

rBy Cable to The Tribune
London, Dec. 27.-The King anu
Queen, with all their children, spent
Christmas at York cottage, Sandrlng-
ham. There was great family re-
union, both at luncheon and at dinner
and Queen Alexandra, who is stopping
MT sandringham House, was at both'
Late on Christmas Eve and early on
Christmas Day presents poured in' ana
bv the time the royal family met at
breakfast hundreds of parcels had been
sortod under various names, all the
seals broken, and all the strings cut
,esdv for their owners. Family gif's
only were on the table, and while those
ot the King and queen to their chn-
dren were costly though useful those
% the parents from the children were
rar+esentative Of the savings OF the
Young royalties allowances ana 50
wore not so expensive; in fact, one OF
two we're the work Of the chiioreh ,
hands.
"Pragger Wager" gave his mother a
blouse and a set Of cuff buttons anu
studs. Prince Albert gave her manu-
soma Maltese lace collarette' poush'
out of his first pay as midsh'pmah' n
present causing some excitement was
model monoplane sent to Prince John'
who had a great time with H.
Gifts for Queen Mother
Nr the family. of course, had gl1ts
Tor Queen Alexandra, and the chllureh
raced across the lawn to her mousse d.
an early hour, carrying presents.
The business of parcel inspection was
nv no means ended by church Time
The luncheon at Sandringham House
vas,also dinner for the juniors. Tur-
kevs hams. roast beef, plum pudding
mince pies and other delicacies adorned
the table. In the afternoon all sorts OF
games were INDUCED in, Princess VIC
toria and Prince and Princess Arthur
of Connaught conducting the festlvl-
ties. After tea a small Christmas tree
was lighted, and some presents were
distributed, then there was small
dance, and the children went to bed.
Dinner that evening was formal af-
fair, and was served in the great tap
estry-hung dining room. The process
sion to the table was as in semi-state
affairs, and Queen Mary and Queen
|. Alexandra both wore the Order of the
\ Garter
All day Wednesday carts took warm
blankets, garments, groceries, toys and
goodies to various cottages on the
SaRdringham estate, and in the after
noon all the men employed on the es-
tate' gathered in the Sandringham
coach house for the Kings distribu-
of prime beef, distribution which
hasUaken place annually for close upon
fifttryears. The King and Queen and
theft children were all present. Lists
hadobeen prepared on which the name
andcth number in the family Of each
applicant were entered.
Beef for Nine.
riapy many children asked the
King, when one particularly big piece
of 6eef was handed to one man, and
when the latter blushingly answered,
Nine, your majesty everybody
laughed.
London is becoming more cosmopoh-
tan. every day, and the influence OF that
fact is beginning to be felt. This was
shown particularly on Christmas Eve,
when all the West End hotels made
elaborate preparations for entertaining
Their, guests in various ways, prin-
cipaT,v in the direction Of special dim
ners1 with accompanying festivities,
sucE as Christmas trees, bringing in the
boarIs head, etc. Formerly Christmas
Dav'in England was purely home af-
tair.t and everybody who had home
dined in it. but now many seek the
great hotels and eat there amid gayety
and fun.
The Carlton, the Savoy, the Ritz, the
Waldorf. the Cecil, the Piccadilly-in
fact, all the big hotels-were crowded
this year.
Queen Alexandra may this year
abandon her usual course Of taking a
Mediterranean trip, so that she can pay
a visit to the Empress Marie Of Russia
at Castle Gatchina, thirty miles from
st. Petersburg. It is some years since
Queen Alexandra was there, and she
wafHs TO go very much, it is said.
Castle Gatchina is the life property Of
the Empress Marie, under her hus-
bands will.
Miss Asquith Better.
Miss Elizabeth Asquith, the Prime
Minister'S daughter, left town for the
first time, on Wednesday, since her re-
cent opera ton for appendicitis. She is
non spending q vacation in the country
WITH her family. and is doing very well
indeed
The Marquis and Warehouses OF
Londonderry are entertaining a party
this week at Wynyard, including the
Daehess Of Westminster.
Mr. and Mrs. Winston Churchill are
the guests of tie Duke of Westminster
at Mimizan, in the Landes Grance).
Misses Sara, Olga and Mary Wiborg
nnNhaQu