How to Behave With a Royal Duke

The Duke and Duchess of Connaught with Princess Patricia and Prince Arthur– What form of obeisance and address is proper when the Duke of Connaught crosses the line on a friendly visit to a democratic republic constitute questions of supreme importance in high social and diplomatic circles.

PROSPECTS of a visit from a Prince of the Blood Royal disquiet exalted circles in New York and Washington, and these are visibly disturbed in mind and body because they are not quite sure how they should behave in the presence. What form of obeisance and address is proper when the Duke of Connaught crosses the line on a friendly visit to a democratic republic constitute questions of supreme importance in high social and diplomatic circles.

If he comes incognito, that pleasing but transparent fiction involves perplexing exploration of the uncertain field of etiquette. What limits shall society put on its eager homage to a Prince in disguise? What restraint must the polite world impose on the pregnant hinges of the knee? It might even be the less embarrassing were His Royal Highness to come in all the pomp and circumstance attending his exalted station.

Such doubts as these might be sufficiently disturbing, even were they not accentuated by the fear that the duke has been captured by “The Whitelaw Reids.” It is not understood that these are an organized banditti taking bodily possession of a wandering Prince. Quite the contrary. The Reids are a distinguished diplomatic family with eminent social aspirations. But the others are suspicious and fearful lest the Duke be held incommunicado by his supposed captors, with a bodyguard to protect him from the climbers. Altogether the situation is embarrassing and full of doubt.– San Francisco Call, 1912

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia