Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-21

or England, consort of King
George and mother of the
~ Prince of Wales, suddenly
laying hold OF polishing
rag and proceeding to give a maid
servant in one of the royal palaces q
practical demonstration of how a
table ought to be polished?
Can you imagine the queen Of all
queens checking up the bills of the
royal tradesmen at the end of the
week, to make sure that they haven't
overcharged her, and counting the
laundry in case a few pillowslips or
a napkin or so have failed to come
home?
Can you imagine the CO. occupant
of the proudest throne on earth wash
ing her china with her own royal
hands? interviewing new servants ?
Supervising the cooking of joints in
the Royal kitchens?
You can't, of course. It Is common
knowledge, even among democrats.
that there are lord chamberlains and
lord stewards and lord whatnots to
look after the running Of royal house
holds.
But inquiries in court circles have
resulted in the surprising discovery
that King Georges consort Ca house
wife born). keeps almost as vigilant
an eye on the workings OF her menage
as If II had not $50 servants, but only
a cook-general and between maid.
Her majesty actually does, or has
done, all the things 1 mentioned as
presumably impossible.
1t was a chance remark, made in
my hearing by an American woman
who was among the guests at the
garden party given by King George
and Queen Mary for the members of
the American and Canadian bar as
sociations. in the grounds Of Bucking-
ham Palace. last Summer, that in
sp!red the inquiries resulting in the
discovery.
CHANGING at the spacious palace,
this fair one said to a companion as
obviously from home: Il should like
to know how the housekeeping is
done In a place like that. I don't
suppose the queen troubles much
about IT,
If this article should chance to
meet the eye OF that speaker, she
will discover how mistaken she was.
For 1t appears to be stating but a
simple fact to say that the real house
keeper at buckingham Palace is
Queen Mary.
THE official housekeeper is Mrs.
L Jane Clerk. but she might be
more correctly described as Queen
Mary's chief assistant, for the house
keeping at Buckingham Palace, az at
all the other royal residences. is con-
Quoted under the close supervision Of
the Queen.
Not long after King George as
cended the throne and moved with
his family from Marlborough house
To in OF 10
created a considerable sensation one
morning by going downstairs and
making a personal inspection of the
kitchens.
This inspection did not cause any
surprise among the servants who had
been taken to the palace from Marl-
borough house. but 1t staggered the
servants at the palace who had
served under King Edward and Queen
dra nor her predecessor, Queen Vic
toria. ever entered the royal kitchens
But Queen Mary had been reared
in a different tradition. She had
learned from her mother. the old
Duchess of Teck. that the basis of
all good housekeeping is a well or
dered kitchen. The old duchess used
to visit her kitchens at White Lodge
(now occupied by the Duke and
taught her daughter to do the same
thing.
At least once a week Queen Mary
visits the kitchens at Buckingham
Palace when the court Is in residence
there, the result being that there is
no better-kept kitchen in Great Brit
ain.
Furthermore. her majesty appar-
emily is determined that there shall
ha xxyhn he vtct*
for any length of time. am told,
the Queen invariably asks If she may
visit the kitchens. She explains to
her naturally startled hosts that
there may be some continuance in
stalled or some practice employed in
their kitchens that she would like
to introduce into her own.
England's Queen insists that the
homework in the royal residence
shall be done right. and she doesn't
disdain to give a demonstration, on
occasion, of the precise manner in
which she wants 1t done. A while
ago while on a tour of general in
spection she happened into one of
the smaller drawing rooms at Buck
ingham Palace just as a newly en-
gagged maid servant was finishing
busting 1t. In the center of the room
was a small mahogany table. Upon
this the royal eyes fell, the royal
countenance registering disapprovaI
You have busted this table well
enough" said the Queen, but you
haven't polished 1t sufficiently. 1
like my tables polished until can see
my face in them. Hand me the rub
bling cloth and let me show you"
The petrified domestic handed over
the cloth. The Queen took a firm
grip on it and set to work. She
applied sure-enough elbow grease Gf
1t Isn't lese majestic to call 1t that)
and soon the table top reflected like a
looking glass.
There, that Is BETTER" she said.
please see that all the tables you
do hereafter are kept like that" And
she proceeded on her rounds.