KEEPING THE KING'S LUGGAGE

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 696, 19 August 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 until the King's return to England is the man who is charged with the responsibility of looking after all-the Royal luggage. The Royal luggage '.is divided into three separate classes—namely,, ''Personal," "Household," and ''Presents." All the trunks, portmanteaux, and cases in the first-mentioned category are stamped either "The King" or "The Queen." The stamping is done in black letters on a red band. The Household luggage is stamped. "Household" in black letters on a white band, and in addition, of course, each trunk or portmanteau bears the name of the lady or gentleman in the Household to whom it belongs. The name is stamped in black letters on a blue \ band. The "Presents" consists of the valuable gifts which their Majesties'take on tours of great State importance to give 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, portmanteaus, etc., and whenever a trunk may be required by its owner, the latter sends a signed requisition order to the lugigagekeeper.

A member of the Household, of 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, worlt that will take at least twelve hours to carry out.

There will be nearly two thousand trunks and cases of all sizes' to handle, and each must be delivered to its proper quarters in the Palace before the luggage-keeper can go off duty.

The luggage-keeper has, of course, nothing to do with the unpacking of the luggage, which Is done for the King by ' his valets, and for the Queen by her dressing-maids. THE TRUNK ROOM. The Household luggage is unpacket 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, when packed, to wherever their Majesties may be going. :

When the Court moves from one Royal residence to another—for example, from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle—the luggage is always sent on a day in advance of the'ir Majesties ; but if the King or Queen were going on a visit to a friend, the luggage is sent on so that it may arrive only a few hours ahead of the Royal party.

The luggage-keeper always travels with' the luggage, and sees it delivered to its destination.

All t*he Royal trunks and portmanreaux. etc., are kept in 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.