King’s Gold Plate
FOR SPECIAL OCCASION HANDLING THE PRECIOUS WARE The gold plate which was brought from Windsor for the Btate banquet to M. Doumergue, the French President, will probably remain at Buckingham Palace until after their Majesties' Courts. The gold tea and coffee services are always used for these occasions. The removal of the gold plate from Windsor, where it is always kept, is no light matter. It is brought in a special van sheathed with steel inside and out. and drawn by two or more bay horses. Outriders used to accompany the van as an additional protection. The gold plate is of great value. One piece—the Golden Eagle—has every fibre in the tail studded with jewels. This ornament, however, is never brought away from Windsor. When a banquet is held in the Waterloo Chamber there, it is placed on a side table to glitter among the lights. There are also very handsome gold candelabra, some standing Bft or 4ft high, and branching in all dfrections, and beautiful flower vases. TRIED DISH-WASHERS The gold plate that was brought to London consisted of a. dinner service for 100 guests, complete with tureens, meat dishes, entree dishes and covers, a fruit service, the dishes of which are extremely ornamental, and a coffee service. The heating of the gold plates for use is effected by placing them in a wire rack and steeping them in boiling water. They are then withdrawn and sent to table, for the boiling writer both heats and dries them. Each piece is washed separately by hand, so that it does not get scratched, and only old and tried servants arc allowed to touch it. Every article is checked and locked up in the safe the same night, however late it is. The gold-pantryman who Is in charge of the gold plate Is a qualified silversmith and goldsmith, for he has to know how to clean geld plate without bringing about any loss in weight or value. In the strong room at Windsor Castle each article has its lined pigeon-hole, with a door and a separate lock.
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Bibliographic details
Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 95, 13 July 1927, Page 11
Word Count
349King’s Gold Plate Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 95, 13 July 1927, Page 11
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