Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1914-07-31
A COVETED POSITION
How a Queen Selects Her Maids
OF Honor.
Candidate Must Possess Many Accom-
pIIshnnents-Woman Who Attends
Royalty Has Many Privileges
and Courtesy Title.

Dating back to the END Of the sig
teenfh century. when James ap-
pointed four "damsels OF clean birth
and good breeding to attend on bis
coasort under the direction Of dow
ager Of discretion"--a person often
called tho mother OF maids" post
long since sbolished-fhe position %
maid Of honor is > much coveted one.
Indeed. the Hon. sybil Cadogan, who
has Just been appointed . rnaid OF
honor by Queen Mary. vas one OF
over 100 girls who were hopefully
waiting TO be chosen TO Ill the va
cancy. says London Tit-Bits.
The privileges and advantages a.
tached to tho position are many. but
maid OF honor must OF necessity be
an exceedingly accomplished young
woman. In the first place. she must
be . granddaughter OF peer, II NOS
nearer In blood; for, unless some spe
cial provision is made. the once can
not be held By any one below that
rank. Secondly. ahe must be good
llnguist. not only because Of the for
eigners she viii meet NJ court hnt BE-
cause she will be called upon to deal
with some OF her majesty's nsivats
correspondence
Her conversational powers mast BE
considerably above the average.
brightness and yisacity. too. being
distinct recommendation. A talent
for music and singing and an ability
10 read aloud with clearness and ex-
preston are also qualities which are
taken into account In appointing .
maid OF honor
Above all. however. . candidate
must be d model OF discretion and
tact. who avoids e6ssip az she would
the plague To . maid OF honor court
secrets arc closed book II Is .
rule that she must not keep diary.
which recalls the witty reply Of one
maid. who. when . female acquaint-
ance remarked that II shs were .
maid OF honor she would keep . secret
diary. promptly said;
Then you would no longer be .
maid OF honor"
One Of the curious privileges OF the
post OF maid OF honor when IN waiting
n that OF being allowed TO wear .
charming miniature OF the queen ses
In diamonds on the left shoulder.
This ornament. which bears the date
OF the coronation ~ the back, In sur
mounted BY nat bow of red and
white ribbon, and when the owner 10
IN waiting II worn on the left side OF
the corsase. like decoration. But At
other times II csn be worn A. brooch
or . pendant
A maid OF honor 10 not expected to
give up her badge wheA she marries
or n she resigns her post. but may re-
tain II TO the end OF her life. and
would wear II on any future occasion
when she happened to ind herself In
the presence OF their majesties.
The courtesy title OF honorable" II
also hers. whether single or married.
unfit the end OF her existencs. This
title IL only bestowed upon maid Of
honor few days before she takes
up her new appointment She re-
cclves formal letter from the lord
chamberlain intimating that the SOW
ereiKn deems II advisable that this
style and title should be afforded her.
and that she win henceforth DO known
under this designation.
Every one may not know that .
maid Of honor 10 expected 70 have .
home OF her own In London when the
court IL IT Buckingham palace. A
royal carriage IL. however. ssnt every
morning TO convey her TO the scene Of
her duties.
The usual rule 10 for . maid Of
honor 10 DO In close attendance upon
the queen from ten 10 eleven o'clock
in ths morning. until four or flvs
o'clock In the afternoon. and again in
the evening every day for two months
In the year. tho position carrying
with II an allowance OF Rto0 per an.
mum. The late Queen Victoria had
eight maids. but the number was 70
duced TO four by Queen Alexandra
and IL maintained by Queen Mary.