. Court life from within . les, hadjust given birth to her first boy. I went at once toW^hite Lodge to offer my congratulations, and Ifancy that I was the first, outside the immediatefamily, to hold the future Prince of Wales in myarms. What to me is convincing proof of the change inlatter years from simplicity to lavish display is thedifference in the way of living I have remarkedamongst many of my friends. Each time I havevisited England recently I have been struck with this. One thing that used to delight me so was the in-formality of the English tea. It was invariablyserved Scins ccrcmonie
. Court life from within . les, hadjust given birth to her first boy. I went at once toW^hite Lodge to offer my congratulations, and Ifancy that I was the first, outside the immediatefamily, to hold the future Prince of Wales in myarms. What to me is convincing proof of the change inlatter years from simplicity to lavish display is thedifference in the way of living I have remarkedamongst many of my friends. Each time I havevisited England recently I have been struck with this. One thing that used to delight me so was the in-formality of the English tea. It was invariablyserved Scins ccrcmonie in the drawing-room. Afterthe servants had brought it in they retired and leftus to our own devices. Neighbours frequentlydropped in without warning, and often, as wegathered round a big blazing fire and ate those won-derful home-made delicacies unknown to Continen-tals, there was a charming feeling of expansivenessand intimacy that we never had at other times ofthe day. Of late years T have noticed that the custom has120. Courtesy of Colliers King George V, the Late King Edward VII andTHE Prince of Wales ENGLAND AND THE ENGLISH changed. When you are invited to tea, you findyour place set at a table loaded with expensive flow-ers and accessories from the chic caterer. Footmenare in constant attendance and the charm of infor-mality has entirely gone. Friends of mine who used to be content to dinein some simple tea-gown now wear the latest Pariscreations and their jewels—and this every the Frenchwoman may still think that theEnglishwomans taste in dress is far beneath her ownstandard, she would have to admit, if she were in-vited to some fashionable house-party, that the Eng-lishwoman of means has far eclipsed her in the mat-ter of frequent change. She would see the hostessand guests appear in tweed suits and stout boots fortheir morning constitutional and breakfast, then re-appear in white flannels for their afternoon game oftennis or boating. She would wonde
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectcourtsandcourtiers
