More Weird Royal Etiquette

"Why yes... I have heard of the queer customs in vogue at Sandringham!"

One of the queer customs in vogue at Sandringham, the favorite country house of King Edward and Queen Alexandra, has to do with Sunday church service. It is an understood thing that unlucky thirteen numbers the minutes of the reverend gentleman's discourse. No preacher is expected to preach longer than thirteen minutes. 

The habitues of the Sandringham pulpit understand and rarely pass the limit. The men who from time to time step fresh into the greatness of sermonizing to King Edward are always duly informed of the restriction and stop as near the thirteenth minute as they can.

Another point of etiquette in the King's home, church is that the clergyman always speaks in the direction of the lower left hand corner of the little building. The acoustic properties of the church are such, that owing to her deafness, the Queen can hear what is said only when the speaker looks neither to the right nor left; but into that particular corner. — San Francisco Call, 1903

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