PRESENTATIONS AT COURTS AND ATTENDING COURTS
Courts are now held in lieu of Drawing-rooms by Their Majesties the King
and Queen at Buckingham Palace, and at which Presentations to Their
Majesties are made.
These Courts are held in the evenings at ten o'clock, but the hour at
which the company should commence to arrive is intimated by the Lord
Chamberlain in the notice issued of the Courts to be held.
Two Courts are usually, but not invariably, held before Easter, and two
more after Easter.
Ladies who have been presented at Drawing-rooms and Courts, held during
the last two reigns, do not require to be again presented to Their
Majesties the King and Queen; thus, ladies who have already been
presented at these Drawing-rooms, and who are desirous of being invited
to one or other of these Courts, and who are also desirous of making
presentations, should send in their names and the names of those to be
presented by them to the Lord Chamberlain, St. James's Palace, S.W., on
the 1st of January in each year, but not before that date.
Ladies are also privileged to mention at the same time when it will be
most convenient to them to pay their respects to Their Majesties. If it
should not be convenient for a lady to attend or be presented at the
particular Court to which she is invited, it will be open to her to make
her excuses to the Lord Chamberlain in writing, when her name can, if
desired, and if possible, be transferred to another list.
A lady who makes a presentation to Their Majesties, must be personally
acquainted with and responsible for the lady she presents. She must
herself attend the Court, and cannot present more than one lady in
addition to her daughter or daughter-in-law. The numbers received at
each Court being necessarily limited, ladies can only receive occasional
invitations. Therefore, those who cannot be included in the year's list
of invitations will receive an intimation to this effect from the Lord
Chamberlain in answer to their applications to attend.
* * * * *
=The Persons entitled to be presented at Their Majesties' Courts= are
the wives and daughters of the members of the aristocracy, the wives and
daughters of those holding high official appointments in the Government,
the wives and daughters of Members of Parliament, the county gentry and
town gentry, the wives and daughters of the members of the legal,
military, naval, clerical, medical, and other professions, the wives and
daughters of merchants, bankers, and members of the Stock Exchange, and
persons engaged in commerce on a large scale.
Although the word "gentry" is thus elastic, and although persons coming
within the category might be fairly entitled to the privilege of
attending Courts, yet it is well understood that birth, wealth,
associations, and position give a _raison d'etre_ for such privilege;
as, for instance, the wife and daughters of an officer in the navy or a
line regiment, whose means are slender, and whose position is obscure,
would not be justified for these reasons in attending a Court, although
the officer himself might attend a levee if desirous of doing so; and
this remark equally applies to the wives and daughters of clergymen,
barristers, and others similarly situated.
* * * * *
=Presentations to Their Majesties= are made officially by the various
foreign ambassadresses, by the wives of the members of the Cabinet, and
by the wives of other official personages in various departments of the
State, either civil, military, naval, or clerical.
Presentations at each of Their Majesties' Courts are now limited by
royal command.
Presentations to Their Majesties should be made either by a relative or
a friend of the lady presented who has herself been previously
presented.
A lady has the privilege of presenting one lady only at a Court in
addition to her daughter or daughter-in-law.
This restriction does not apply to ladies who, from official position or
other circumstances, are specially privileged to make presentations to
Their Majesties.
When a presentation is not made officially or by a near relative it is
considered a favour on the part of the person making the presentation
towards the person presented.
The responsibility of a presentation rests upon the person who makes it,
both as to the social and moral fitness of the person presented;
therefore, to solicit the favour of a presentation from a friend is to
incur a considerable obligation, and it is a favour ladies have no
hesitation in refusing unless good reasons exist for granting it.
When presentations are made through official channels the responsibility
rests upon the "office" rather than upon the person making the
presentation; hence presentations so made have little personal
significance to the person making them.
* * * * *
=A Lady having been presented on her Marriage= has the privilege of
attending, by invitation, any subsequent Court, but ladies who have no
official position will only be allowed to attend a Court by summons
every third year. On the accession of her husband to any title, she
would again have to be presented, and should she marry a second time
another presentation would be necessary to entitle her to attend one of
Their Majesties' Courts.
* * * * *
=It is the Privilege of the Married Lady to make Presentations=, but
should any person be presented whose antecedents or present position
renders her socially unqualified to be presented, the Lord Chamberlain,
on becoming aware of the fact, would at once cancel the presentation,
and officially announce it in the _Gazette_, and the person making such
presentation would be expected to tender an apology for so doing.
* * * * *
=An Unmarried Lady does not possess the Privilege= of making a
presentation, however high her rank may be. She is not permitted to
attend any subsequent Courts after first presentation until three years
have elapsed; save under exceptional circumstances.
Four Courts are held during each year at Buckingham Palace, two before
and two after Easter, but due intimation is given previous to each Court
being held by the Lord Chamberlain through the medium of the official
_Gazette_, from whence it is copied into the newspapers.
The wives of members of the Cabinet and of the ambassadors or ministers
at the Court of St. James's usually attend at each Court, and have the
privilege of doing so by reason of the official presentations made by
them at each Court.
* * * * *
=It is compulsory for a Lady= making a presentation to be herself
present at the Court at which the presentation is to be made, though it
is not necessary for her to accompany the person whom she presents, but
simply to attend the same Court.
* * * * *
=When a Lady intends making a Presentation= she should, on or after the
1st of January write to the Lord Chamberlain and inform him of a wish
to attend a Court, and forward the name of the lady to be presented by
her.
* * * * *
=Ladies are not expected= to attend Court more than once in every three
years, unless under exceptional circumstances.
* * * * *
=A Lady attending a Court= may present one lady in addition to her
daughter or daughter-in-law.
* * * * *
=A Lady presented for the First Time= can only present her daughter or
daughter-in-law at the Court at which she is presented.
* * * * *
=No Applications can be received= from ladies who wish to be presented.
Their names must be forwarded by the ladies who wish to make the
presentations.
* * * * *
=Summonses are issued= about three weeks before the date of each Court.
Ladies may be accompanied to Court by their husbands if the latter have
been presented, but gentlemen do not pass before the King and Queen.
Ladies are requested to forward the names of their husbands at the same
time as their own, in order that they may be submitted together, as once
the summons has been issued the amending of a summons card in order to
include a lady's husband can only be permitted under the most
exceptional circumstances.
* * * * *
=Those who have the Privilege of the Entree= enter at the gate of the
Palace situated outside Buckingham Gate. Those who possess this
privilege are the diplomatic circle, the Cabinet ministers and their
wives, and the members of the Household. The rooms, two in number, next
to the Presence Chamber, are appropriated to them. All who have the
privilege of the _entree_ are received by Their Majesties before the
general circle, and according to their individual precedency, and they
have also the privilege of making the first presentations.
* * * * *
=When a Lady arrives at the Palace= she should leave her wraps in the
cloak-room with one of the maids in attendance. After crossing the Great
Hall, she then makes her way up the Grand Staircase to the Corridor,
where she shows her invitation-card to the page-in-waiting, and then
passes on to one of the saloons.
When a lady arrives early she gains admission to the saloon next to
those reserved for the _entree_. When she arrives late she has to take
her place in a further room of the suite according to the number of
persons present.
The gentlemen-at-arms stationed at the door of each room close the gilt
barriers when they consider the saloons are full. Chairs and benches are
placed in the corridor and in these saloons for the accommodation of
ladies thus waiting their turn to enter the Throne-room or Presence
Chamber.
As the ladies quit each room for the Presence Chamber, others take their
places, and the barriers are again closed, and this is continued until
every one has been received.
A lady has to pass through the two _entree_ saloons before reaching the
Picture Gallery.
At the door of the Picture Gallery a lady's train, which she has
hitherto carried on her arm, is let down by two officials in attendance,
and spread out by them with their wands; she should cross the gallery
with her train down to the Presence Chamber, at the door of which she
should give the card of invitation she has brought with her to the
official stationed there to receive it.
* * * * *
=A Lady on being presented=, curtsys to the King and curtsys to the
Queen. The King bows in return, as does also the Queen. A lady presented
does not kiss the Queen's hand, as she formerly did. The King does not
shake hands with any present, however high their rank may be, neither
does the Queen shake hands with any present.
A lady on being presented does not now curtsy to any member of the
Royal Family when she has passed Their Majesties, and leaves the
Presence Chamber, stepping backwards, facing the royal party, until
making her exit from the apartment, when an official places her train on
her arm at the threshold of the doorway.
* * * * *
=When a Lady wishes to attend a Court=, after having been duly
presented, it is necessary to inform the Lord Chamberlain of her wish to
attend. Summonses are issued about three weeks before the date of each
Court.
Having received a summons to attend a Court she should take the summons
card with her, which she should show to the page-in-waiting in the
corridor, and eventually hand it to the official stationed at the door
of the Presence Chamber, by whom it is passed on to the Lord
Chamberlain, who announces the name to Their Majesties.
A lady attending a Court curtsys to the King; she also curtsys to the
Queen, but does not curtsy to any other member of the Royal Family
present.
* * * * *
=In the General Circle there is no Precedency= as to the order in which
ladies attending a Court enter the Presence Chamber. The earliest
arrivals are the first to appear before Their Majesties, without
reference to rank or position; and the same rule applies to ladies who
are presented, or to ladies who make presentations.
* * * * *
=A Married Lady presented at a Court= can, at the same Court, present
her daughter or daughter-in-law; but in this case the one presented by
her should enter the Presence Chamber after her, and not before her.
Although, according to present regulations, the unmarried daughters of
members of the nobility and gentry who have already been presented are
only expected to attend a Court once in every three years, it will not
prevent their being invited to Court functions, to the State balls,
concerts, and garden parties.
* * * * *
=Ladies who have been presented at a Court= have the privilege of
writing their names in Their Majesties' visiting book at Buckingham
Palace once during the season. The hours of calling for this purpose are
generally from three to five o'clock in the afternoon.
* * * * *
=It is Imperative for Ladies to wear Full Court Dress= when attending or
being presented at a Court, viz. low bodice, short sleeves, and train to
dress not less than three yards in length from the shoulders.
Whether the train is cut round or square is a matter of inclination or
fashion. The width at the end should be 54 inches.
It is also imperative that a presentation-dress should be white, if the
person presented be an unmarried lady; and it is also the fashion for
married ladies to wear white on their presentation, unless their age
renders their doing so unsuitable.
The white dresses worn by either _debutantes_ or married ladies may be
trimmed with either coloured or white flowers, according to individual
taste.
* * * * *
=High Court Dress.=--The Queen has been pleased to permit that a high
Court dress of silk, satin, or velvet, may be worn at Their Majesties'
Courts, and on other State occasions, by ladies, to whom, from illness,
infirmity, or advancing age, the present low Court dress is
inappropriate, viz.: Bodices in front, cut square, or heart-shaped,
which may be filled in with white only, either transparent or lined; at
the back, high, or cut down three-quarters height. Sleeves to elbow,
either thick or transparent.
Trains, gloves, and feathers as usual.
It is necessary for ladies who wish to appear in "High Court Dress" to
obtain Royal permission, through the Lord Chamberlain.
This regulation does not apply to ladies who have already received
permission to wear high dress.
* * * * *
=White gloves only should be worn=, excepting in case of mourning, when
black or grey gloves are admissible.
As a lady on presentation does not now kiss the Queen's hand as formerly
she did, she is not required to remove the right-hand glove before
entering the Presence Chamber. This order, therefore, is no longer in
force, and a lady wearing elbow gloves and bracelets will find it a
great convenience not to be obliged to take off her glove.
* * * * *
=It is compulsory for both Married and Unmarried Ladies to Wear
Plumes.=--The married lady's Court plume consists of three white
feathers.
An unmarried lady's of two white feathers.
* * * * *
=The three white feathers= should be mounted as a Prince of Wales'
plume, and worn towards the left-hand side of the head.
* * * * *
=Coloured feathers= may not be worn.
* * * * *
=In deep mourning= white feathers must be worn, black feathers are
inadmissible.
* * * * *
=White veils or lace lappets= must be worn with the feathers. The veils
should not be longer than 45 inches.
* * * * *
=Bouquets are not included= in the dress regulations issued by the Lord
Chamberlain, although they are invariably carried by both married and
unmarried ladies. It is thus optional to carry a bouquet or not, and
some elderly ladies carry much smaller bouquets than do younger ladies.
A fan and a lace pocket-handkerchief are also carried by a lady on
presentation or on attending a Court, but these two items are also
altogether optional.