The Privilege of the Entree

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 101, 20 July 1927, Page 5

The Privilege of the Entree

One Who Has It

To be summoned to their Majesties’ Court is the height of many women’s ambition, but there is a higher. It is to have the privilege of the Entree. j Many a smartly-dressed officer has entered the entree door at Buckingham Palace and not understood why ?ie should be questioned, and even after he has shown his card and been polijfce.dy directed to another door he proYj&’bly does not understand the reason. It is because only to certain people d*ses the Sovereign grant the privilege of the entree.

It may be on personal grounds or it may be by virtue of an office* Some people hold it on both grourj*ds, such

as Lord Jellicoe. who has the entree j ’’personally” and also as Admiral of the * Fleet. Ta Certain Dignitaries of Church and State All high officers of the Xavy. the Army* and the Air Service have the privilege, as have dignitaries of the ! Church. All Cabinet Ministers have it, j an 4 also the Prime Ministers of selfgqfverning Dominions. The visitors to ! tl»e Colonial Conference who are (Severn or s of Dominions were of course j able to exercise their privilege of *sntree at the Court on May 24 by i virtue of their office. Their wives and j > unmarried daughters were admitted with them. There is a privilege of entree which i excludes the wives, for it is marked i “Levees only.” Widows of men who j have had the privilege are not entitled ' to exercise it except in the case of the j widows of ex-viceroys and the widows j of ex-governors-general. The Rights of Women Fully Acknowledged The rights of women are, however, j fully acknowledged at Court, for when they are granted the privilege of ree j they may bring their husbands with them. The wives and daughters of , British ambassadors have the privilege i of entree whether the ambassador is in this country or not. A foreign ambassador may extend his privilege to notable guests. Just for One Occasion There are people to whom the King grants the privilege of entree simply for the occasion. They may be visitors to this country. The Lord Mayor of London has to ask each year for the personal privilege. The Advantages Only those who have it know the difference it makes to the usual presentation. There is no waiting. They pass straight up the entree staircase to their place in the front rows in the Throne Room. With the officers of State and the Corps Diplomatique they await the coming of the King and Queen. There is no trouble as to place, for the Marshal of Ceremonies, once known as the Master of Ceremonies, is responsible. The “entree people” are not only privileged to see the entry of the royal party, but they are presented first A list of the names of people who have the entree is always in the hands of the State staff. This is a special staff of about 20 men who do not live at the palace but who are always available for State occasions. They act as State pages, who are the personal attendants of the King and wear a dark coatee trimmed with gold braid and white breeches: as Yeoman State Porters, who are dressed in an oldfashioned Court dress dark chocolate in colour; as State Porters arrayed in scarlet; and as Marshal-men, who are really the King’s policemen. « Changed Circumstances It used to be easy for this staff to recognise at a glance the guests who had the entree, but now, owing to the splitting up of nations and changes in the Corps Diplomatique, they find it impossible. In the old days also uniform helped them in their task, but to-day there are so many republican statesmen who come, as is the custom of their country, simply in an evening dress coat and breeches. Quaint Names— The quaint names of the office by reason of which the holder has the privilege of entree still remains. There are, for instance, the Gentleman Usher

of the Scarlet Rod. the Silver Stick-in-Waiting. the Gold Sticks, Captain. Gentlemen-at-Arms, Lyon King of Arms, and Woman of the Bedchamber. —and Quaint Bygone Office* There are some quaint offices also, some of which are but a name to-day— Judge of the Court of Arches. High Almoner. Hereditary Grand Falconer, Genealogist of the Order of the Bath, and Constable of the Tower of London. All who are in waiting on the King and Queen, and also on the Royal Princesses, have the privilege of entree, but it is no longer a gift for life. Those appointed after 1923 to most offices at Court have only the privilege while on duty. The officer in command of His Majesty’s yachts has the privilege.