Third Court

Actresses are not presented at Court to Their Britannic Majesties.* Neither are acrobats, ballerinas, lady ventriloquists, tight-wire dancers, professional fat women, female pugilists. But what about a lady monologuist? What about famed Ruth Draper, solitary U. S. aristocrat of the blatant sisterhood? Last week at the Third Court of the present London Season there were presented to Their Majesties, at Buckingham Palace, eight U. S. citizenesses: Mrs. Alton Brooks Parker, widow of the Democratic candidate for President of the U. S. in 1904. Miss Ruth Draper of Manhattan. Miss Lois Davidson, Houston, Tex.; Miss Neville T. Gherardi, Chevy Chase, Md.; Miss Francis Howard, Atlanta, Ga.; Miss Helen Mary Hurley, Chicago; Miss Clementine Miller, Columbus, Ind.; and Mrs. Charles Deere Wiman, Moline, Ill. Among practicing British actresses indignation was intense, last week, at the presentation of Monologuist Draper. Was she any the less an "actress," they stormed, because during her recitals she assumes successively all the roles of an entire cast instead of confining herself to one? Somebody ought to speak to the Lord Chamberlain! Shameful that he should let the bars down in favor of an American. Probably some relation to Coolidge. Fiddlers in his family, too, My Dear! Courtiers smiled away such absurdities. They recalled that Edward of Wales attended a recital by Miss Draper some years ago and later spoke favorably of her in his family circle. Therefore in July 1926, by royal command, Monologuist Draper performed at Windsor Castle. The fact that she was permitted to be presented at Court, last week, was a well-weighed tribute to the refined emotionalism and intellectual aristocracy of her Art. Incidentally the King-Emperor, who has only the very slightest taste for music, cannot but appreciate the portability of Miss Ruth Draper, who can bring an entire play into Windsor Castle at the Royal Scottish estate at Balmoral as easily as a musician could enter with a flute. Officials of the American Embassy were reluctantly obliged, last week, to request the U. S. citizenesses presented not to talk afterwards for publication about any matter appertaining to the Court. Presentee Miss Clementine Miller of Columbus, Ind., solved the problem of what to tell the reporters, last week, by divulging to them the Embassy's request. Smart Londoners chuckled hugely, coined a jest about "The Nineteenth 'No Gushing' Amendment," and finally recalled the gush uttered recently to reporters by Mrs. Alfred J. Brosseau President of the D. A. R. after her presentation (TIME, May 21): "I went in early, and I was in the Throne Room from the very beginning of the ceremony."

*Exceptions: retired actress of the species grand dame; and actresses whose husbands are peers or otherwise potent.