By Royal Command

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1052, 16 August 1930, Page 18

By Royal Command

WHEN THE KING AND QUEEN ENTERTAIN.

O sooner were the Courts over than the officers of their Majesties’ Household began thinking about the next ones. For a world of careful

preparation goes to the making of these brilliant functions at Buckingham Palace. Debutantes, as they pass through the magnificent gold and crimson rooms of Buckingham Palace on the arm of some stalwart, handsome escort in uniform, take all that happens for granted, as part of a fairy tale come true. The King, in regal scarlet and gold, and the Queen, with the Koh-i-noor and some of the most magnificent diamonds and jewels in the world shining in her crown and on her breast, give reality to this wonderful dream world, in which high State officials in glittering gold uniforms, footmen in scarlet and gold livery, and beautiful women in beautiful dresses pass to and fro, without any shadow of the troubles of everyday, humdrum life to spoil their enjoyment. But behind all this grandeur and pageantry there lies another scene, hidden from nearly all. It is a world of hard work, of weeks of anxious preparation, of minute attention to detail, and of careful planning and forethought, so that there shall be not the slightest excuse for any hitch or disturbance. If you have ever given a party to twenty or thirty people at home, perhaps you can form some idea of the immense work that falls on the shoulders of those responsible for arranging a Court, where at least a t housand guests expect to find everything the best of its kind. All arrangements for a Court come under the direction of the Lord Chamberlain and his officials at St. James’s Palace. For months beforehand Lord Cromer and his assistants are busy scanning lists of applicants, deciding questions of precedence and privilege, and the thousand and one other necessary preliminary details.

In this work Lord Cromer has frequently to consult with the King, for his Majesty will never allow any vexed question to be decided without his personal knowledge and assent. Then, about a fortnight before the great day, begins the real task of preparation. Already the guests have been decided upon, the invitations have gone out, the Guard of Honour which will' be on duty in the Inner Quadrangle of the Palace has been chosen, and the string band of one of the Guards' regiments, which will play in the Music Room, has spent many weeks in rehearsal. And now the Master of the Household, Sir Derek Keppel, and his subordinates in the Board of Green Cloth take over. In the department of the chefs alone 12 extra men, each an expert in his own line, are taken on, and they work nearly 12 hours a day preparing supper dishes for the King’s guests.

Two of them are occupied solely in making sandwiches! Every scrap of meat used has to be prepared specially, and for the whole of the day before the event these two experts are busy cutting bread. In the meantime, other chefs have been making pastries, cooking meats, and preparing other delicacies. All the food is stored in cool larders until the last moment, and it is no uncommon thing for the Queen herself, like any other good housewife, to make a last-minute tour of the kitchens to make sure that all is well.

Her Majesty is particularly interested in the work of the special staff whose duty it is to arrange the table decorations and the flowers, many of which are sent up from the Royal gardens at Windsor. In these days Court suppers are not so elaborate as they were in the years before the War, and here is a typical list of the delicacies with which debutantes may refresh themselves after their ordeal: Minced chicken cutlets. Stuffed forcemeat rolls.

Lamb cutlets in jelly. Sandwiches of all kinds. Mutton pies. Macfidoine of fruits. Whole strawberries in fruit jelly. Cakes.

Champagne, orangeade, lemonade. Mutton pies may sound very ordinary, unromantic -fare for a Royal Court, but they are a delicacy greatly prized by those in the know. Each “pie” is the size of half-a-crown, and makes a very dainty mouthful. The recipe for them is a closely guarded secret of the Royal kitchens, and the lies can only be obtained at Buck.ngham Palace on a Court night. The supper is served at long buffet tables in the Green Drawing Room and the Household Dining Room. In a separate room there is a tea and coffee buffet, and brandy and whisky and soda are available for those who ask for them.

Altogether, about a hundred servants are on duty in the supper-rooms, attending, with scarcely a moment’s pause, to the needs of the guests as they come from the Throne Room, and twice that number are ou duty in other parts of the Palace.