KEEPING THE KING'S LUGGAGE

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 679, 20 June 1914, Page 7

KEEPING THE KING'S LUGGAGE

THE DUTIES OF A LITTLEKNOWN , OFFICIAL. Among the servants in the Royal Household who have a very busy time imtil the King's return to England is the man uho is charged with the responsibility of looking after all the Royal luggage. The Royal luggage 'is diiidr.d into three separate classes—namely, "Personal," "Household," and "Frcs-n's." All the trunks, portmanteaux, aid cases in the first-menticned category are stamped either "Th 3 Kin*" or "The . Queen." The stamping is done in black letters on a red !;aid. The Household luggage is stamped. "Household" in black letters en. a v.hite band, and in addition, cf course, each trunk or portmanteau bears the name of the- lady or gentleman in the Household to vhom it belongs. The name is stamped .in black letters on a blue land. The "Presents" consists cf ths valuable gifts which their Majesties take on tours of great State importance to glfve to the various persons of high -distinction and their personal attendants whom they meet. '•LUGGAGE, PLEASE..!" Throughout the whole tour the lug gage is under the superintendance of the luggage-keeper, who has four assistants to aid him in looking after it. He has an inventory of all the trunks, portmanteaux,, etc., and whenever a trunk: may be required by its owner, the latter sends a -slgnsd^requisition order to the luggagekeepcr. A member of the Household, oE course, signs the requisition orders for the King and Queen. The lug-gage-keeper, with his assistants, will be on duty until ' each portmanteau, trunk, and case has been , distributed to its proper , quarters, work that will taks at least twelpe hours to carry out. There will be nearly two.;thousand trunks and cases -of all fsizes to handle, and each must he delivered to its proper quarters in th° Palace before the luggage-keeper can go off duty. The luggage-keeper has,, of course, nothing to do with ithe unpacking of the luggage, which 'ls dons "for the ..King by his valets, and i'or tin Queen by her dressing-maids. THE TRUNK ROOM. The Household luggage is •unpacke* by the footmen or maidservants detailed for attendance on the gentlemen'and ladies-in-waiting. Normally, the luggage-keeper has the service of only two assistants, and their business is to attend to the transfer, of the Royal luggage, wh:-n packed, to wherever their Majesties may, be going. ■ When the . Court ■: moves from , one Royal, residence to another—for exampi?, -from Buckingham Palace ~to Windsor Castle—the luggage is always sent on a day in advance tif .tht'ir Majesties ; but if the King or Queen, were going on a visit tb 'a friend, the luggage is sent ,on -co that it may arrive only a- few hours ahead of the Royal party. ; . ". The luggage-keeper always travels w'ith, the luggage, and sees it delivered "to its destination. . '• All the Royal trunks and portmanreaux, etc., are kept Hi a long room on the" top .floor at Buckingham Palace, known as the Trunk 'Room, which is in charge of the luggagekeeper. When the King is about to travel, the luggage-keeper is informed by the third valet how many portmanteaux, etc., will be required.