CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS NUMBER.
Christmas Day With Their Majesties
By Hubert
Harwood
N
TOWHERE in the British En- Hire is Christmas observed with a more whole-hearted zest and enjoyment this at Sandring ham, where the King and Queen love to spent their Yuletide; and nowhere have Christmas festi- vities a more splendid setting.
Certainly no country-house" in. England is mor adaptable for festivities on a large scale than is the King's Norfolk home, with its magnificent. rooms-its, ballroomas, its great central hall, its conser- vatories, and its spacious vor- ridors, ideal for rompes and gamės. Before the festivities begin het us take a brief glance at the interior of this regal home."
The central half is the room al- ways used for live defock ten, and that their Majesties, it is here always receive their guests for the Christmas house gathering the Queen herself invariably presiding at one of the large, low, rouni ten tables. A grand piano is one of "its principál features,
Pictures in massive gilded- 4 frames
this Royal country-house, besides which glorious hothouse plants and cut flowers abound.
Largest Ballroom.
The ballroom is the largest room at Sandringham, Immensely lofty. with arched and fretted ceiling. it has at each end deep bay windows, the windows piercing .other
aleves. The electric lighting here takes the form of "suns," depenit- ing from the geiling. after the Precently adopted design in the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle.
Then there is the small "sucking pig" with lemon in mouth to say nothing of the famous Oxford brawn; and on, occasion that Royal bird: the swan, may be killed and dressed for the King's Christ-
nas table.
Such are the three principal
• rooms in their beloved Sundring- ham in which their Majesties, laying aside all Formality and ceremonial, will throw themselves into Yuletide fun and friliz and as any of feasting as heartily The flooring is of polished oak, their subjects. Picture them in this splendid setting, every room high oak panelling, too, running :
and corridor richly decorated with right round the walls, while abovk
greenery, not holly and other are grouped ancient this aguin weapons of war which, with other forgetting the mistletoe, prepared to enjoy their Christmas Day with trophies here displayed
as keen a zest as when they were brought by King Edward from his
children. tour in India.
Wera
The great dining room is a truly regal apartment. and here hang" the superb tapestries, a gift from the King of Spain father of King Alfonso) to King Edward when Prince of Wales.
At the further end two doors flanked by tapestry hangings, open direct into the great corridor, and the ceiling of this room is fretted and adorned with inassive gilding. During the Christmas week the great sideboard literally groans beneath its weight of Christmas
dishes. adorn the walls, and luxuriously appointed easy chairs and sofas, besides any number of "occasional" small tables, with smoking accessories, mark it out as the principal sitting-room of
Here may be See the boar's head, also the woodcock pies and the famous Stras- Christmas bourg pates, all gifts from crowned heads.
As in tens of thousands of other British homes, Christmas Day opens with an exchange of hearty greetings, and the reading of countless letters and cards with their expressions of good wishes and goodwill. Then follows break- fast. an informal meal, full of jollity and laughter in which, we may be sure, the King and Queen join heartily. And then comes divine service in the little church of St. Mary, to which the Royal family and their guests usually walk across the Park.
The church presents a charni ing picture, with its wealth of Christmas decorations, the body of the church filled with the atten- dant suits, servants from the
POWELL'S Practical
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"great house," schoolchildren, and as many villagers as it will accom- modate, while the Royal family, and their guests sit' in the chancel. The service is of the simplest. with Christmas hymns and anthems chosen by the King him- self, who joins as lustily in the singing as any of the choirboys. Old-Fashioned "Spread."
All that differentiates the ser- "vice from that in thousands of pther churches is that the con- gregation rise and remain stands ing while the Royal' party inters and leaves the building.
The service over, and after a stroll through the grounds and un stablis d inspection of the kennels, luncheon follows-re- gular old fashioned Christmas spread with all the able daintis displayed. The supreme- moment arrives when one of "the chefs enters bearing aloft a huge Christmas padding surrounded with flames. Rather an amusing- incident occurred in connection with this pudding a few years 120.
By some mischance rather more spirit than usual had poured över it, and for a time it resisted the whole of the efforts of those who. tried to extinguish it. The efforts excited each one to mirth until they could not blow for laughing. All the time the pudding went on burning away merrily, until the King playfully suggested that it might be as well to summon the private fire brigade to it!'
(Continued on Page 30.)
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
FOR HIS CHRISTMAS.
DRESSING GOWNS.
TRAVELLING RUGS.
PULLOVERS & SWEATERS.
COMFY PYJAMAS.
SHIRTS WITH TWO COLLARS
TO MATCH.
J
has a present, worthy of the
piver, when bearing the Powell label, which signifies
Areliability,
good value
and good
taste.
HANDKERCHIEFS.
SCARVES
GLOVES.
SLIPPERS.
TROUSER PRESSES.
POCKET WALLETS.
HAIR BRUSHES.
WALKING STICKS.
UMBRELLAS.
He knows ho
SOCKS & GOLF HOSE.
NECKWEAR.
TIES & HANDKERCHIEF'S TO MATCH.
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QUEEN'S ROAD, CENTRAL