Court Etiquette and Royal Perogative

King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra had other strange court etiquette, too. Every man and woman who has been invited down to Norfolk on a visit to their Majesties, gets weighed by either the King or Prince of Wales before leaving.

Edward was Rebuffed

It appears that one of the barbaric prerogatives of Royalty, which survives even in England, is the right of a member of the “Royal blood” to ask an introduction of any woman his fancy strikes. This custom is designated as “court etiquette.” The lady must feel highly honored, and the husband not offended, according to the law-givers of the court. 

This abominable practice was not allowed to lapse by the present King when he was the gay Prince of Wales, and an incident where he was rebuffed by an American woman has been recalled through the appointment of her son as one of the Secretaries to the special embassy named by President Roosevelt to attend the coronation.

Twenty years ago the Prince was at watering place, and espying the American woman, he sent an aide to ask her to lunch with him. She informed the aide that she had no desire to meet the Prince, and upon his approaching her with the evident determination of forcing an acquaintance, she turned her back and walked away.

It is now intimated that the son may find things uncomfortable in England when he goes on his mission. We think not. If the King has the horse sense of his average subject, he admired the woman all the more and appreciated her American spirit of independence and strict adherence to the laws of propriety. 

That a nation as enlightened as Britain should tolerate such a custom, ever under the guise of court etiquette, is one of the many inexplicable things in the world. To the true American woman the Prince of Wales is no more than any other man, and his presumption in seeking an introduction would be resented by the average American woman of to-day in the same commendable spirit as was displayed in the instance noted. — Stockton Record, 1902

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