The King and Queen, though plain and unattractive in person and manner, were kind, charitable, devoted to each other, conscientious in the discharge of their public duties and universally popular. They moved unceremoniously about the salle, chatting pleasantly with their niece’s guests and seemingly finding the scene enjoyable. My brother said next day: “At first disappointed, I was glad the King and Queen did not wear their crowns, for if they had they would not have talked so freely with us.” After the arrival of some other royal personages, followed by a number of gorgeously-uniformed officers and some handsomely-dressed maids of honor, attendants on the Queen and Princess, the ladies-in-waiting distributed the programmes, gilt-engraved, embossed cards, and escorting the Queen and Princess to the front chairs, assigned us to those in the rear.
The Old Sans Souci Mill
The programme read:
PANORAMIC PRELUDE.
FIRST PART.
Scenes from the Story of the Nativity.
1st Scene.—Annunciation: Hail Mary! Blessed art thou among women!
2nd Scene.—Adoration of the Magi: We hail Thee, King Of the Jews.
3rd Scene.—The Flight into Egypt: Arise, take the young Child, flee into Egypt, and be there until I bring thee word.