“Continuing our journey up the staircase we gave up our cards of invitation at the top, and I passed into a room at the left—my chaperone passing on to the big ballroom at once.
“The great State ballroom at Buckingham Palace is a magnificent chamber; it is an immensely long saloon, probably about a hundred and fifty feet, which looks out on the gardens. A friend we met there said that the kitchens were underneath, and that this wing was only added in 1850, when more space was found necessary.
“Our friend told us that all the rooms had been redecorated. They were certainly perfectly beautiful—such lovely brocaded walls and wonderful curtains, lots of pictures, many of which they said were priceless; and one thing struck me as particularly strange: the magnificent glass chandeliers and candelabra. We never have such things in America; but they were simply gorgeous with incandescent lights shining behind their prismatic colours. The Palace was literally banked with flowers and the air scented with their perfume.
“There were lots of gorgeous servants everywhere with red liveries emblazoned with gold. Most of them wore white silk stockings and black shoes with buckles. There were endless officials from the Lord Chamberlain’s Office in dark blue uniforms with gold embroidery. There were some of the most delightful old men possible, who, they said, were Beefeaters, and had come from the Tower of London in all their magnificence to assist at the Court at Buckingham Palace. Numbers of men were there in black velvet or cloth, with steel buttons, little white lace frills, silk stockings, and a sword, probably the most becoming costume a modern man ever wore, and there were many wonderful uniforms with breasts ablaze with Orders and medals. These gentlemen were specially favoured and allowed to go with their women-folk, but, of course, they were not presented. A man is only presented to the King at a Levée, and when at a Court and their ladies pass the Royal Presence, the men disappear and join them in a later room. Then there were beautiful men of the Body Guard, all gentlemen of importance, who wore splendid uniforms and big brass helmets. There are only forty-eight in this Royal guard, so most of them were present, and I was sorry for them standing on show in their heavy clothes for hours and hours. At the last Court one of them fainted twice, they say.
“It was all so beautiful I hardly know how to describe it. At the top of the staircase was the hall, which was lovely. Hundreds of ladies were there before us, and nearly all of them had seats. Some of the elderly ladies thought the seats were not comfortable, but there seemed to be banks of long sofas with gilt legs and red cushions, which formed a welcome resting-place and an opportunity for laying down the weight of one’s train. That train made me feel awfully grand, ‘quite too utterly too, too,’ in fact; but, oh dear, it was heavy.
“King Edward and Queen Alexandra arrived exactly at twenty minutes past ten. By this time we had been in the Palace about an hour. They entered at the top end of the big hall or concert-hall, and stood on a red velvet carpet—not on a dais—facing the organ-loft, where the band played at intervals. Behind them were two thrones, but they stood for one hour and a quarter while the débutantes and mothers passed, and each bowed separately to each woman or Indian Prince who passed. The Royal pair often talked to one another, and seemed to be enjoying themselves. The Indian Princes over for the Coronation were wonderful. One man in gold and cream brocade wore gorgeous jewels and a ruby as big as a florin; another was dressed in a sort of dressing-gown with diamond buttons of enormous size; another wore a wonderful green and gold sash, which fastened in a big bow in front over his portly form. They were certainly a great addition to a magnificent spectacle.
“We débutantes passed through the bottom of the long hall—up the corridor at the side, where I saw our Ambassador (the only man in plain clothes), where our trains were let down by someone belonging to the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, before re-entering the ballroom; he seemed to be quite accustomed to that sort of thing, and spread them out most neatly over the highly polished floor. I was feeling all in a flutter when an official asked me for my card, which had somehow got mixed up with my handkerchief and my bouquet; but I managed to extricate it for him, and he roared my name out very loudly as I entered the Royal Presence. I felt I should like to catch hold of His Majesty’s hand as I made my curtsey, but I pulled myself together and just had time to realise what a nice kind face the King had, and how pleasantly he smiled, before walking a couple of steps further and repeating my low obeisance to that beautiful and lovely woman Queen Alexandra.
“Oh dear, how I wished I could stop and look at her for five minutes instead of making my oft-rehearsed curtsey and getting out of the way in five seconds. She looked perfectly charming, and it seemed quite impossible to believe that those were her daughters beside her. She did not seem to be any older than I am myself; her auburn hair she wears in a fringe almost down to her eyebrows, and it is all very neat and tight and well arranged. On her head she wore a little crown of diamonds, encircled by a larger tiara. It was not a great big crown, such as the peeresses are going to wear at the Coronation in a few days’ time, but just a dear little shining circlet looking eminently regal. Somebody said she was not going to wear the crown that all the Queen Consorts have worn at former coronations, but is having one made all for herself, and the Koh-i-noor, the famous diamond, is to be mounted in it. The late Queen had this famous diamond cut and wore it as a brooch. So, although it is only half its original size, it is much more beautiful and valuable now. The Queen was dressed in white satin with golden fleurs-de-lis embroidered all over it. Her train was of gold, lined with Royal crimson velvet, and in the procession it was carried by two pages.
“What masses of jewels she wore. Round her neck she seemed to have about a dozen necklaces of pearls and diamonds; great long strings of pearls reaching down to her waist. They all suited her, and she has the most delightful figure and most winning smile of anyone I ever saw—in fact, it was worth while coming all the way from America just to look at England’s Queen.
“The presentation was all too quick, the exciting moment had come and gone, and when I found I was out of the room, another of those grand gentlemen caught my train on his stick and in some wonderful manner turned it over my arm, and I sailed away, my presentation accomplished. The arrangements were excellent; of course, there had been some difficulty about trains or no trains, but it had been decided that everyone was to wear a train, although only débutantes passing immediately before their Majesties were required to let them down at this evening Court early after the death of Queen Victoria.