Her Majesty’s Drawing Loom.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 897, 10 May 1889, Page 4

Her Majesty’s Drawing Loom.

The first Drawing room of 18S9 can hardly be described as either a successful or an imposing funotion. The carriages, with one or two notable exceptions, were of the shabbiest; the falling snow and biting east wind caused a large number of ladies to enrol themselves courageously in the ranks of the aged delicate and infirm ; and the blazing fires within were powerless to abate the draughts, which coinpelied more than one debutante to wrap lier train round her shoulders. There was an evident desire on the part of everybody concerned to get the presentations over as quickly as possible, and the Princesses were scarcely passed before a lady’s train was thrown after her with a business-like but undignified promptitnde, which astonished many of those who witnessed it. The Queen has aged considerably of late and the effect of her snow-white hair was intensified by the deep mourning she wore; but she could not help Bmiling when an American lady, who passed her without bowing, returned and said in a strident voice, ‘I beg your pardon, Madame.’ Black dresses and costly dark brocades were much in vogue. The Royal party all looked very black in deep mourning, and the Empress Frederick, who had held her small court the day before was not present. The Princess of Wales looked well, but Princess Christian looked very ill and tired. The Queen stood and sat at intervals, but only stayed an hour. The Princesses of Prussia watched the Drawing room from one of the corridors, the door leading from it to the Throne-room being le c t open for their accommodation. They thought that they could see without being seen, but there was a large mirror so placed that their figures were quite visible to most of the company. The dress worn by Lady Granby at the Drawing room on Wednesday was found in a tin box at Belvoir Castle. This dress was worn by the last Lady Granby, when she was presented at Court in 1 75. It is of beautiful old brocade of the time, with a lovely design of delicately coloured flowers on a cream ground, the whole richly handworked in fine gold. The Marchioness of 'Granby to whom it originally belonged was Lady Mary Isabella Somerset, daughter of the Duke of Beaufort, who waß afterwards known as ‘ the beautiful Duchess of Rutland.’ —World. The Hoe Thadb.—The export of hops from Nelson for tbe month of April was 57® bales.