CHRISTMAS AT SANDRINGHAM

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 72, 18 December 1928, Page 49 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS AT SANDRINGHAM

By Maude Wentworth

(All Rights Reserved.) Strictly speaking, of course, the Royal Christmas festivities are not by any means confined to Sandringham; nor are they strictly limited to that Short period between December 25 and Twelfth Night, which most people rightly regard as the official Yuletide season. There is something of the spaciousness of the olden times about their Majesties’ annual preparations for Yuletide. The Queen turns her thoughts towards Christmas as soon .as she retires from the busy life at Court to her quiet retreat at Balmoral each autumn. Like a true chatelaine of the past, she wanders amid her lovely flower gardens, planning good works. Soft Scottish wools are ordered for Her Majesty, » and with the assistance of the lady-in-waiting on duty, the Queen makes a list of all the garments and other comforts she will prepare during the winter for the many poor people in whom she takes a regal interest. Six cot-covers for the Needlework Guild are a “standing order” upon Her Majesty’s Christmas list. These the Queen usually starts making at' Balmoral. They are always worked in crochet. Her Majesty is an expert with the crochet hook, and her products are models of neat precision, so that no one would ever guess at the number of times she is obliged to drop her task and pick it up afresh. The pink and blue cot covers are usually lined with soft silk to match, and the white ones are lined with pink or blue silk. Very proud indeed is the lucky mother whose baby receives a cot-cover worked 1 by Queen Mary as a Christmas gift for her babe. When Queen Mary visits her only daughter at Goldsborough Hall in the late summer, there is a little antique shop at Harrogate, not far away, which the Royal ladies love to visit. The owner of the shop, a very intelligent but homely woman, knows the taste of her distinguished clients to the last particular, and she always makes it her business to have ready a fresh assortment of charming little antiques, embroidered shawls, dainty fans, and paintings, for the Queen and Princess Mary to inspect. These treasures are collected throughout the year, and kept on one side till the Royal ladies have taken their choice. Queen Mary loves to send specially chosen works of art to her particular friends at Christmas, and the joyous task of picking out and allotting individual treasures is spread over several happy weeks. For her grandchildren’s fancies the Queen has special sympathy, and I am not sure that she does not enjoy selecting their toys almost as much as the buying of valuable objets d’art for her friends. One thing Her Majesty insists upon, and that is supporting home industries as much as possible. As Christmas approaches, the Royal shopper attends innumerable Charity Bazaars and Art and Craft Exhibitions. The stands where hand-made toys are displayed have an irresistible attraction for Her Majesty, and each Christmas young Master George and Master Gerald Lascelles, as well as the baby Princess Elizabeth, find themselves the richer by a number of ingenious carved wooden toys, farmyard animals, and so on, **"the products of some British toymaking centre, chosen for prettiness, quaintness, or ingenuity by the Royal grandmother. His, Majesty is wholeheartedly in sympathy with the Empire Marketing movement. Realising the power of example, the King insists upon personally supervising the Christinas menus of the Royal kitchens, so that no ingredients but Empire-grown ones may find their way into the plum pudding, mincemeat, and other seasonable delicacies served at the Royal table. The recipes have to be submitted to the King in person, and after receiving His Majesty’s approval, they are broadcast to the nation so that every patriotic housewife in the kingdom may, if she pleases, reproduce the excellence of dishes literally “fit for the King.” Towards the middle of December the King and Queen move to Sandringham with as many members of their family as can be spared from their own duties and circles of friends. It is a quiet, restful time for the King, and Queen Mary, too, likes to get as much rest as possible in preparation for the festivities ahead; but almost invariably Her Majesty finds it necessary to make a few trips to town for final shopping and instructions. The residential rooms of Buckingham Palace are literally filled with gifts, and the ladies-in-waiting on duty have “*a fairly strenuous time, sorting them out into batches, having them packed and finally dispatched to their respective recipients. The pleasant custom of sending out Christmas cards is still one of the many survivals observed in the Royal Family. Naturally, the Queen insists upon autographing every card she sends out, and it is the duty of the ladies-in-waiting to see the cards safely dispatched. In the servants’ quarters, both at Buckingham Palace and Sandringham —and indeed at all the other Royal residences—there is meanwhile much bustle and activity.

Their Majesties are extremely generous to their staff, and Christmas is never allowed to pass without abundant gifts and suitable demonstrations. As an instance of the Royal generosity, it may be mentioned that, at Buckingham Palace, where the Royal family are never in residence at Christmastide, the children of the staff are entertained with a Christmas-tree just as large and just as laden as the one at Sandringham. A special concert by first-class entertainers is provided for the little guests; and the entertainers, if they happen to be married men, are permitted to bring their own wives and families to share in the fun.

At Sandringham the Queen herself invariably presides over the Christmastree celebrations. Nowadays, of course, the little Princess Elizabeth is the heroine of the Christmas gatherings at Sandringham, and as she grows bigger and takes a more lively interest in things going on around her, she becomes all the more fascinating to everyone. The servants worship her. Princess Elizabeth inherits her mother’s sweet dispostion, and already shows marked signs of generosity. She is always ready to share her toys and other good things with others. This good trait is being carefully fostered, and the Princess will get considerable experience in acting as hostess to a large party of children on the estate during the seasonable festivities just ahead.

cream rather stiff. Mix the banana pulp and lemon juice with the custard, stir the cream in very lightly, and freeze. This dish can also be served without freezing. Salad De. Luxe Two apples. Two oranges. Two pears. Two lemons. Two ba....nas. A few grapes. Half-pound sponge fingers. Half-pint cream. Caster sugar. One pint jelly (lemon). Peel and core the apples and pears; peal the oranges and cut them in quarters; slice bananas, and place all in a round glass dish; sprinkle with castor sugar and' juice of lemons. Place the sponge fingers upright in between the fruits, pour over a fruit jelly .and leave to set. Pour over the whole some sweetened whipped cream. Decorate with the grapes and serve. Lisbon Sherbet. 'Two cups of water. Two cups of sugar. Half-cup seeded and finely-cut raisins. Half-cup orange juice. One-and-a-half cups of fruit syrup! Three tablespoonfuls lemon juice. Quarter grated nutmeg. Whites of three eggs. Make a syrup ny boiling water and sugar for ten minutes, and pour it over the raisins. Cool, and add the fruit syrup and nutmeg. Partially freeze, then add whites of eggs beaten stiff, and continue freezing. Serve in glasses. Fruit Claret Cup. One small bottle of claret. One pint home-made lemonade. One apple, peeled and sliced. One orange peeled and sliced. One pear, peeled and sliced. One dozen grapes, stoned and cut in two. Two bay leaves. Sugar. Mix claret and lemonade in a glass jug. Add the prepared fruits and sugar to taste. Let it stand for half an hour before using.