A ROYAL DRAWING-ROOM.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 165, 14 August 1886, Page 1

A ROYAL DRAWING- ROOM.

Ok the 29th of May I was presented at the drawing-room held by the Princess of Wales, It was a long and fatiguing process to be dressed in full evening dress at 12 in the day, with a train behind me four yards long, to wait in my carriage two houra in the queue at Buckingham Palace, exposed; to the jeers of the populace. For women hold their, babies up at the carriage, windows," and- men look in at the occupants and make remarks. I had a severe headache, and I dare say, a red face, for one young gentleman of the lower classes remarked, "rouge." I noticed that he pronounced the "q " very hard. There we had to ait like monkeyß in a cage, in our plumes and veils, to be stared at and laughed at ; such is the privilege of the unwashed. However, like old Mother Hub-, bard, we " got there" at last, and all was smooth sailing. The magnific ent guards sat on horseback in the splendid quadrangle, the band dircoursed excellent music, within the portal stood the immemorial beef-eaters, the gentlemen of the Queen's Guard helped us to alight, pages in the royal livery took our cloaks, and passing on through superb halls and up an immense staircase, with our trains over our arms, we finally reached - the saloon, where we were to await the pleasure of the Lord Chamberlain ; pictures of great interest on the walls, and plenty of comfortable chaira to ait down in. Soon the room began to fill with the gorgeous women in court toilets; everyone with white feathers and veil, and low necks, bare arms and fine gowns j or, as they say here, " smart gowns." It was a really a splendid scene. We were all furnished with two cards, one of which we handed to the Queen's page at the door. The other we kept until we reached the throne-room. Fortunately several ladies preceded me to let me see that one'a train should be carefully spread, out like a peacock's tail, and that there was nothing formidable in the courtesy. X curtsied four times as I passed the beautiful Princess of Wales, Princees Christian, Princess Mary of Cambridge, and the everpopular Prince of Wales, and I lived through it. It is nothing but the early "bob" of our childish days made with respectful intent.