THE KING'S PANTRY.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3253, 11 September 1917, Page 7

THE KING'S PANTRY.

It is called the Gold Pantry, and it deserves the name. It. consists of two large fireproof stone rooms, to which only highly-favoured visitors are ever admitted. On great occasions, like the marriage of a princess say, selections from its numberless treasures are brought forth to grace the marriage feast, but the collection of magnificent gold plate which these strong-rooms contain is otherwise seldoiti seen, except by those who are responsible for its safe keeping. The George IV. gold dinner service is generally regarded as the pick of the plate, although there are certain articles, which would come under the head of table ornaments, which would weight for weight, greatly exceed it in value. One of these is a shield formed of snuff-boxes, worth £!'.000, whilst a costly toy in the shape of a its spread tail encrusted with precious stones, is valued at £'3O,(XX). Still another is a tiger's head of solid gold, with teeth of crystal, his tongue '>eing formed of an ingot of gold. The dinner service already mentioned is calculated for 140 guests. The plates, numbering thirty doezn, are worth by weight alone, £IO,(XXL

Here, too. is kept St. George's candelabrum, one of the contents of the> pantry which appears pretty regularly, for it is used at the annual feasts of the Knights of the Garter. There are also several exquisite cups by Cellini and a variety of costly epe.'gnes, tankards, and sal vol's, nil, needless to state, of .solid gold.