The Art of Dining.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 791, 29 April 1887, Page 4

The Art of Dining.

How It is Practiced at Royal Tables. The strict c remonial of the dinners of Queen Victoria has not changed since her assumption to the throne, says Harper’s Bazar. A quarter of an hour before the time fixed the repast—generally at 8 o clock—all the party invited to dine with the . Queen meet in the grand salon, and form themselves into a half-circle about the door where she is expected to enter. The Queen on entering makes a beautiful courteay (for which she is renowned), then bows to the gentlemen and gives her hand to the ladies, who courtesy deeply. She then goes in first to table, accompanied generally by one of her sons. If any Imperial or Royal person is present he sits at her right hand. But even in the case of Gen. Grant she placed the Princess Beatrice between them. The Queen never remove? her gloves during dinner, exoept at state banquets. This is a singular piece of etiquette, aud one would think it would be exactly the reverse. Her gloves are new, of white kid embroidered with black, never worn but once, and become, after using, the perquisites of the ladies in waiting. The Queen has a small and beautiful hand. As soon as she has finished a certain * plat,’ every one else stops eating of it, as when she finishes her fish, every one else stops eating fish, etc. After she has spoken to her guest 3 on either side, conversation may become general, but in a subdued tone, always deferring to the Sovereign. Sir Arthur Helps, who was her Private Secretary, used to tell au amusing, anecdote of being snubbed by her for telling a rather funny story down the table, among the ladies-in-waiting, to relieve the monotony of a dreary dinner, when the Queen remarked : ‘What is it? We are not amused.’ She has, however, a love of fun, and sometimes laughs heartily. The dinners at the Quirinal are far more simple as to etiquette. The same formality is observed in the entrance of the King and Queen, but the conversation is more general, and the Queen does not wear her gloves. She converses in English fluently. The King only speaks Italian and French, so the conversation is generally ia these two languages. French, of course, is supposed to be a universal language. The dinners of Germany are not long, but they are formal and tedious, and the cook-' ing does not commend itself to all tastes. Tha perfection of a diuner is found in

London, generally at the houses of Ambaa. sadors, who combine the excellences of all nations with the follies of none. After asking the consent of ladies present, the Italian and Turkish Ambassies allow the smoking of cigarettes between the salad and dessert. This fashion prevails in Franoe and Russia, ladies smoking quite as freely aa men. The dinners of the Czar and thericher Russian princes are models of their kind. It was the Russian who invented the idea of serving the dishes all from the outside, hence a service d la Russe, which prevents the tablecloth from being smeared S rav y au d other greasy substances, l ie choice porcelain and glass, the gold and silver, beautiful ornaments these are the wonder of all travelers who visit Russia. America, having begun to import cooks, now rivals all countries in the art of dinnergiving. The fine napery of Berlin, the glass of Bohemia, the gold and silver work of Russia, the choice dinner services of England, the delicate fancies of France as fe> pretty dishes for the ices, aud the general tastefulness of American women, find expression in these dinners. The Princess Louise and the Marquis of Lome live at Kensington Palace, one of the most curious and romantic of all the royal palaces. They have beautiful dinners and are said to have the most charming table equipments.