Part 14 (1/2)

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 ent.i.tled 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 b.u.t.tons. 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 c.o.c.ked 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 b.u.t.tons 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 c.o.c.ked 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.

=Archbishops and Bishops= at Levees and Courts wear Convocation robes, viz. scarlet cloth chimere, without hood; purple ca.s.sock 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 ca.s.sock or ap.r.o.n, 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 ca.s.sock are black. Doctors of Divinity at Levees and Courts wear the scarlet cloth robe of their University, without hood.

=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 ca.s.sock 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, ca.s.sock, 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 c.r.a.pe on the left arm above the elbow.

CHAPTER XII

b.a.l.l.s AND STATE b.a.l.l.s