PRESENTATIONS AT LEVEES AND ATTENDING LEVEES
=Levees are held by the King= in person. Those who have been presented
at levees held by His late Majesty, King Edward, do not require to be
again presented to His Majesty King George.
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=Four or more Levees are usually held every year= by the King at St.
James's Palace.
Gentlemen are officially presented by the heads of any department or
profession to which they individually belong, whether civil or military,
naval or clerical; it is more usual for a gentleman to be presented by
the head of his department, or by the colonel of his regiment, than by
his nearest relative.
* * * * *
=Presentations are also made by Relatives= and friends of those
presented; but these are greatly in the minority at all levees.
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=Gentlemen must be again presented= at every step in their career,
whether civil, military, naval, or clerical--on civil appointments, on
gaining steps of naval, military, legal, or clerical rank, and on
accession to title, whether inherited or conferred.
* * * * *
=Those entitled to be presented at His Majesty's Levees= are the members
of the aristocracy and gentry, the members of the diplomatic corps, the
Cabinet, and all leading Government officials, Members of Parliament,
leading members of the legal profession, the naval and military
professions, the leading members of the clerical profession, the leading
members of the medical and artistic professions, the leading bankers,
merchants, and members of the Stock Exchange, and persons engaged in
commerce on a large scale. An exception to the rule as regards retail
trade is made in favour of any person receiving Knighthood, or when
holding the office of Mayor, or being made a Justice of the Peace, or on
receiving a Commission in the Territorial forces.
The dates on which levees are to be held are duly announced in the
_Gazette_, and in the daily newspapers.
At all future levees cards of admission will be required, as the numbers
at each of these ceremonies must be limited.
The Lord Chamberlain has issued the following revised list of rules,
which are to be observed at attendances and presentations in future--
All officers, whether on the active or retired lists, of the Royal Navy
and the Royal Marines, of whatever rank, should communicate with and
obtain their cards from the private secretary to the First Lord of the
Admiralty. All civil officers of the Admiralty should follow the same
rule.
All officers, whether on the active or retired lists, of the Army,
Regulars or Territorials, of whatever rank, except those on the Indian
and Colonial Establishments, should communicate with and obtain their
cards from the Adjutant-General at the War Office, stating clearly at
which levee they desire to be present, and whether they wish to attend
or to be presented; if the latter, stating by whom and on what occasion.
Deputy-lieutenants of counties should also communicate and obtain their
cards from the War Office.
Officers of the Household Cavalry and Foot Guards on the active list
should make application to the Lord Chamberlain at St. James's Palace
for cards of admission and presentation. All retired Officers of the
Household Cavalry and Brigade of Guards should apply to the War Office.
All officers of the Indian Civil Service and of the Indian Army, of
whatever rank, whether on the active or retired lists, should
communicate with, and obtain their cards from the private secretary to
the Secretary of State at the India Office, Whitehall.
All officers of the Colonial service and Colonial forces, of whatever
rank, whether on the active or retired lists, should communicate with
and obtain their cards from the Colonial Office, Whitehall.
Similarly, all gentlemen connected with the Foreign Office, the Home
Office, officials connected with the Houses of Parliament, or any
Government department, should communicate with and obtain their cards
for attendance or presentation at levees from the department under which
they serve.
Judges, law officers, King's Counsel, and all legal officials holding
appointments under the Crown are requested to make their applications
through the secretary to the Lord Chancellor.
Peers, bishops, Lords-Lieutenants of Counties, Members of Parliament,
clergy of all denominations, and all gentlemen, other than the
above-mentioned, should communicate with the Lord Chamberlain at St.
James's Palace, when they will each be furnished with a card of
admission for use at the levee.
The names both for attendance and presentation must be received at the
various offices above indicated not later than eight days prior to the
date of each levee, but in the case of officers, who make application to
the War Office, fourteen days before the date of each levee.
* * * * *
=When a Gentleman makes a Presentation= it is compulsory for him to
attend the same levee as the person whom he presents, and the card of
presentation is sent to him to be forwarded to the person to be
presented.
* * * * *
=A Gentleman on being presented= should bow to the King, and His Majesty
will bow to him in return. Gentlemen attending a levee should also bow
to His Majesty.
* * * * *
=Gentlemen who have been presented= at a levee have the privilege of
writing their names in His Majesty's 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.
* * * * *
=The Dress to be worn at Courts, State Functions and Levees.=--Full
dress uniform is invariably worn by all gentlemen entitled to wear it.
All officers of Scottish kilted corps should wear the kilt irrespective
of their being mounted officers or not. Gentlemen who do not wear
uniform may wear either velvet Court dress, new style; velvet Court
dress, old style; cloth Court dress.
The new style velvet Court dress is of black silk velvet. The body of
the coat lined with white silk and the skirt with black silk. Steel
buttons. Waistcoat of white satin or black silk velvet. Breeches of
black silk velvet, black silk hose, patent leather shoes, steel buckled;
white bow necktie, white gloves, sword, black beaver or silk cocked hat.
The velvet Court dress, old style, is very similar to the foregoing,
with the addition of a black silk wig-bag at the back of the neck, and
lace frills and ruffles. The cloth Court dress consists of a coat of
dark mulberry, claret, or green cloth with black silk linings, gold
embroidery on collar, cuffs, and pocket flaps, gilt buttons with
Imperial Crown; waistcoat of white corded silk or white Marcella;
breeches of cloth, colour of coat; black silk hose, patent leather
shoes, sword, white bow necktie, white gloves, black beaver or silk
cocked hat.
Levee dress is identical with the foregoing except that trousers--with a
row of narrow gold lace down the side seams--are worn, and not
breeches. Military patent leather boots.
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=Archbishops and Bishops= at Levees and Courts wear Convocation robes,
viz. scarlet cloth chimere, without hood; purple cassock and sash, lawn
rochet with sleeves, white cambric bands, black silk scarf, black
breeches, silver knee buckles, black silk stockings, shoes with silver
buckles; purple or black velvet square soft cap to be carried. At
Evening State Functions and Full Dress Dinners they wear a purple cloth
Court coat over a short cassock or apron, sash of purple silk, black
breeches, black silk stockings, shoes with silver buckles; black corded
silk three-cornered hat to be carried.
* * * * *
=Deans and Archdeacons= at Evening State Functions wear the same dress
as bishops except that the coat and short cassock are black. Doctors of
Divinity at Levees and Courts wear the scarlet cloth robe of their
University, without hood.
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=Clergy if not Doctors of Divinity= at Levees and Courts wear full
canonicals, that is, a black silk Geneva gown, double-breasted; black
silk long cassock and sash, scarf and white lawn bands, black breeches,
silver knee buckles, black silk stockings, shoes with silver buckles,
black corded silk three-cornered hat. At Full Dress Dinners and Evening
State Parties when canonicals are not worn, they wear a black cloth
Court coat, cassock, waistcoat of black corded silk, black breeches,
black silk stockings, shoes, silver buckles; black corded silk
three-cornered hat to be carried. White gloves are worn at all Court
functions. The academical habit should not be worn at Court except when
addresses are presented from the Universities.
When the Court is in mourning, gentlemen attending a levee are expected
to wear a band of black crape on the left arm above the elbow.