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Show The Royal Drawing Room There is the blue drawing room hung with blue silk paneled in gold with Winterhalter's portraits of the Queen and the Prince Consort; the dark-blue drawing -room and the red and yellow drawing-rooms they all command a view of the beautiful gardens of Buckingham Palace, where the fountains are generally at? Playing. They are filled with rows of chairs and as soon as these are occupied the gentlemen-at-arms cross their halberds and no more are admitted and so on until all the rooms are filled. People sit chatting to their friends and thus while the time away. Then are only a few gentlemen present, and they must be in attendance on ladies, and do not generally pass the royal presence, but are nevertheless occasionally presented with their wives. After a time there is a ??? and a rush. The entree has passed the Queen and the rest of the world are about to do so in turn; the stream moves through the suite of rooms in single file until they reach the end of the picture gallery, lined with the gentlemen-at-arms. Here the Queen's pages remove the train from the right arm, spread it on the ground, and thus you walk across the gallery to the Throne-room. The door on the left-hand side is glass, and scarcely any one passes it without looking how her train sets. When you enter the Presence Chamber you find a narrow half circular alley left, down which you are to proceed. Quite in the background is the Throne and its canopy. In front of it are the ladies and gentlemen in attendance on the Queen and other royal personages, and in front of them the royal family. Near the doorway, next the queen, is the Lord Chamberlain, then her Majesty, the Princess of Wales and the other princesses, and then the princes. The general circle fills the rest of the room. Just in front of you will be the end of the train of the lady passing next before you. In case of mother and daughter, the mother would go first. You have no longer to think about your own train; your glove, fan and handkerchief hold in your left hand, your card in your right. As you pass through the doorway give this to the Lord Chamberlain. You will find his hand ready to receive it. As soon as he mentions the word "presentation" the Queen will put out her right hand; then courtesy very low, place your own right hand beneath it, and bend and kiss it. When you rise courtesy low to each member of the royal family, and walk along this semi-circular alley sideways, being careful on no account to turn your back; but by the time you have well passed the royalties you will find your train being placed on your arm, and , the crowd intervening, you leave the room by the center doorway without any necessity for further ???. You make your way at once to the picture gallery, which is now thronged. You can look at the pictures which are worth seeing, including gems of Grouze, Wilkie, Mans? And others. But the beautiful people and beautiful dresses will distract your attention. By and by you will proceed to the great entrance hall, and, having obtained your cloaks, wait there until your carriage is called, a tedious process, for if it happens to come up before you are ready it goes to the very end of the rank. -Home Journal. |