DINNER FOR THE KING.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 208, 19 August 1911, Page 3 (Supplement)

DINNER FOR THE KING.

K.OTO GOLDEN FORKS AND SPOONS

FOR some years past now the Royal menus have not been published. ’ His kite Majesty King Edward VII. bei 'never! that, the practice was somewhat ; ostentatious, and our present King bolds the same views. But the dinner-tabie of tlm king of great State, however tree from love <>t show iie may be, must i ecessarily make- st-mo display of luxury. No other country in Europe possesses brier Royal kitchens than those at j Windsor, which were built seven conj tunes ago, and have, of course, been i adapted to modern needs. I At present they arc. covered in black i i nk. a work carried out by George TH. I ,it i>, cost of £lO,OOO. Each kitchen is

j controlled by a special chef, who po.t--j sesscs a special knowledge of either 1 soups, < n+rees, or other items of the i menu. Under him are four other cooks, I who also, in their turn, have assistants , | while- for the sweets and pastries alone I two chefs are employed. i Foe men are kept busv locking after 1 the nets and pans of the establishment, | which number about eight hundred, and 1 are made principally of copper. Th” j cost of these various dishes is estimatI e-1 in all to ho about £2,000. | During the late King’s reign the head i chef was M. Mcnager, who vent some ' time ago to tlm Royal Automobile Club. | His successor is .M. Henri Cedard, a famous chef, who has accompanied King George on many of his voyages. For the table iiseif the dishes are of great value, and it would be iliffienlt to find the equal of the gold plate which belongs to tlm British Sovereign. As a matter of fact, it is impossible to give it even .-in a,'-proximate value, because much of it is very old, and -eoldd not bo replaced. Some of the plate still bears tho arm? of the Tudor Kings, while other portions formed part of tho treasure of Tippoo Sahib. On very great occasions a special service is brought into use. This is of massive gold, with, no fewer than 8,000 forks and .spoons to match.

AN EARLY .MONARCH

i At Buckingham Palace the kitchens i arc white-tiled, and, like those at AVindI sor. are kej’t thoroughly up-to-date. i Buckingham Palace, too, possesses the I great wine-cellars. These cellars are I under the management of an export, • who is assisted hv the wino-butler. : One curious rule is alwavs observed

before any wine served from the bottle is brought into the Koval dining-room —the name of the shipper or grower of the wine is carefully removed from the bottles. The custom was first instituted by William IV.. its object being simply- to avoid any suggestion of advertising any particular name. The usual decanters used at Buckingham Palace are of ent-glass, bearing the Royal Arms, but there is no silver ornamentation of any kind. Rdiether guests are present or not, dinner at either Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace is a statelv function. When guests are there they assemble, together with the members of the Household who have been invited to dine with their Majesties, in tho grand reception-room a few minutes before tho appointed hour. Here they form an avenue, ladies on one side and gentlemen on the other. Along this avenue the King and Queen pass, returning the gy-ectings of their guests. .After their 7 ajesties have entered the State dinin --room, the guests follow in the order <. their precedence. Usually, the meal is not a bn ’thy one, and both the King and Queen are. light eaters, showing a preference for tho plain dishes. Wine is very sp ringly used. Aftrn- a private or semi-private dii. per thcio is not much of tho evening left, and that is usually occupied in ;; "cry <iuiet way. As is well known. King George is an earlv riser, and, to correspond with this, tho hour of retiring is abo early. T.iito dinners will certainly not be a feature of the present reign.