PRESENTATION AT COURT,

Otago Witness, Issue 1858, 1 July 1887, Page 32

PRESENTATION AT COURT,

Editor Witness,— Sir, In your Issue of 17th you give a description of "Presentation at Court,", • As I had a niece presented lately, " Alice " might like a few extracts from her letter to put in the Ladies' column — It:, Oartmru

"Debutants' dresso^ are obliged to be all white ; and the' length of the train, the short sleeves," the low neck, feathers and tulle veil are all regulation ; so they have to go to a dressmaker who' knows all about it. ' I went to a charming shop in Bond street— Bussell and Allen. They fitted me beautifully, 1 and so comfortably, without any fuss. ' Ifr was white satin, the train of white brocade from the shoulder, three yards ■ from the waist and three' breadths wide, trimmed with veil of Limerick lace, and boughs of horse ; chestnut blossoms, petticoat- of white satin draped with lace, and trimmed with 'flowers, brocaded corsage, a lovely pearl necklet, and white 'silk stockings. < I sent you the Ladies' Pictorial with a picture of -it." Our brougham" arrived in front of Buckingham Palace, in St/ James' Park, at 12.45, and ■ had to ' wait ' there till 2 p.m. My bouquet was lovely, a mass of j maidenhair fern, white lilHes and ' a delicate white gladiolus, tied to Took loosely put together, as is the new natural style. They are called posies now, and' have no paper frills, but 'satin ribbon 'twisted round the stalks and, drooping in long bows and ends. At' 2 o'clock we got out of the carriage at the '"palace 'door, arid .walked through a grand hall; \o a large room; where there were-about'so lady's maids, who took our wraps. Then we went upstairs with "Beefeaters" and 'Lifeguardsmen on each side, into a - large drawing room full of rows of chairs, which gradually filled with ladies in splendid dresses. It really was a very pretty sight. The Walls were covered with damasee silk, and it showed up'the dresses beautifully. At 3 p.m. the Princess arrived and the presentation commenced. There was & white and gold gate in the doorway,' kept by two officers who let about 10 people through at a time, into a drawing room. There we settled our ruffled plumage, always keeping the train over our' left arm ; then we went singly into a : sprt of passage, "out off a. huge room by a crimson ■ rope, at ' the entrance of ; which stood two equerries who arranged the trains. I tbehipassed through a door into' the^Tbrone room. At the 'door' the Lord Chaihberlain took : my presentation wd'ftoin m'e",sand'rea4

oat my name in a loud voice. I found a long line of Royalties, beginning with the Princess ;to her I made my deepest curtsey. I then took a sliding step backwards, and dropped another curtsey, and so on to the end of the line. There my train was given me over my left arm again, and another slide took me in among the courtiers, where I could turn round and walk out comfortably. The great art is to arrive in front of the Queen or Princess with the right foot foremost, or one might have to give an undignified shuffle in turning to retire backwards. I am thankful to say I managed it all right, having been previously well drilled by Lady .

" When presented to the Queen you kiss her hand, but not that of the Princess. When I left the Throne room I found myself again in the room where the equerries were, but, of coarse, in a different part, and the fun was to get close to the crimson rope and see the pretty dresses arranged. It is so nice to feel you are through the ordeal. We had to wait an hour in the hall, so it was half-past 5 o'clock before we got home."