Evening star., 1960-10-13
EXCLUSIVELY
YOURS
King Pays UnheroIded Visit
To Noted Hostess Estate
By BETTY BEALE

~ NOlCO ] IOSll
Imagine having a reigning
King in your garden and not
knowing it. This happened to
one of Washington's most fa-
nous hostesSes shortly after
lunch yesterday afternoon.
When King Frederik TX of
Denmark returned from the
National Press Club luncheon
to Blair House yesterday with
Chief of Protocol Wiley Bu-
chanan, it was barely 1880
pm, the day was lovely
and there was Mr.. Buchan-
ans Bentley just waiting for
a tear in the balmy air.
His Majesty, who has a
Bentley himself, suddenly
suggested that they take a
ride. Security men and aides
were dismissed, Wiley took the
wheel, and away they went.
He drove the royal visitor
by Dumbarton Oaks. through
Georgetown, down into Rock
Creek Park and finally onto
the 24-acre, in-town estate of
Mrs. Herbert May.
At the very moment the
King was observing the beau
ties of Hillwood from the
meandering driveway and the
front of the house, Marjorie
Post May was in back of the
house looking over her jap
anese rock garden, little sus-
pecting that there was a
monarch on her place.
MRS. MAY, whose husband
was out of town yesterday,
attended the Embassy recep-
ton later in the afternoon
but left without meeting the
royal couple as the receiving
line broke up just before she
got there. When appriSed
last evening of her royal
guest, she exclaimed softly,
We'll, what do you know! I
think it's lovely" And on Sec
ond thought added. II think
it's a scream"
King Frederik and Queen
1ngrid received three sets of
guests at the afternoon func-
tion that marked the dedica-
ton of the new, very modern
Danish Embassy at the upper
end of Whitehaven street.
Members of the Danish COL
ony and the press were in
vited from $3.50 to s. Chiefs
of foreign missions were asked
to arrive at 4. And Washing
ton officials and residents
were invited to come between
4:30 and 6.
Some of the latter thus
jumped to the conclusion that
their majesties would be re-
ceiving until 6 whereas, after
the manner of chiefs of state,
they broke up the line soon
after 5, to wander through
the new building and the
gardens.
THE ROYAL PAIR, flanked
by Danish Ambassador
Knuth-Winterfeldt at the
head of the receiving line and
Countess Knuth- Winterfeldt
at the end of it, received in
the paneled conference room,
so called because it is
equipped for film projection
with a hidden screen at one
end. 1t boasts a modern
grand piano with unusually
styled legs, and several small
chandeliers with small milk
glass fixtures.
Guests entered next into
the rather informal drawing
room that opens through
sliding glass doors onto the
upper t1agstoned terrace. 1t
has a low fireplace with no
mantel. draperies of sheer
wool fabrics, low unpublished
wood tables, and chairs with
arms and legs of unpublished
wood and upholstered in
woolen fabrics in shades of
mustard, blue green and
yellow green, all examples of
modern Danish furniture.
A unique and delightful
feature of this room and the
adjoining dining room are the
three large chandeliers in
each. They are like big gold
rings suspended horizontally
from the ceiling and hung
with hundreds of reflectors
that exactly resemble in
verted wine or martini glasses
without stems.
IN ITS CONTEMPORARY
SIMPLICITY, the Embassy's
structure and furnishings are
in marked contrast to the
typical ambassadors resi-
dence with curtains and up
holstery of damask or bro
cade and furniture of the