In July 1899, Susan B. Anthony, who was almost eighty, was in London for the Worldwide Council of Girls. She wrangled a go to to Windsor Fortress for the group:
One day I stated to Woman Aberdeen, “Now if this nice Council had been in Washington, I ought to definitely get an invitation for you to name on the President and his spouse. Isn’t it doable for us to safe some recognition from the Queen?” She stated she didn’t know, however she would attempt, so she despatched a letter to the Queen and quickly obtained a reply from her secretary that Her Majesty would be very joyful to see us. The Queen gave instructions to present tea for the women. “Ah, however,” stated the secretary, “you should bear in mind that you may have to present for tons of.” “Nicely,” was the Queen’s reply, “if there be hundreds, present for hundreds. I can not enable the women to name upon me with out giving them a cup of tea.” The tables had been positioned in St. George’s corridor, the banquet-room of the palace, the place all sorts of refreshments, with the luxuries of the season, hot-house grapes, strawberries, and many others., had been served on the royal china by the Queen’s personal retainers in scarlet livery.
Victoria didn’t personally greet Anthony or the opposite delegates however allowed them to witness her setting out for a day drive. As Ida Husted Harper, Anthony’s official biographer, recalled,
Our get together handed by the previous Norman gateway, the most historical portion of the citadel, and then we paused underneath the shadow of the nice spherical tower. . . . The omnipresent red-coated, fur-topped troopers stand guard at the entrance, a solitary policeman paces again and forth and tries to evade the volley of questions from the crowd of ladies who are afraid to method the troopers however who have policemen at residence. Far throughout the court docket in an open doorway stand three people in lengthy coats, white “spats” and silk hats. They are the gentlemen-in-waiting. We have a fellow feeling for them, we’ve got been ladies-in-waiting for extra than an hour.
At final a wave of pleasure goes scurrying over the dry gravel. We are all organized in a semi-circle alongside the driveway. A broad, low carriage dashes up to the major door in the southeast nook, drawn by two stunning dappled bay horses with black factors, attended by two outriders, mounted on prancing steeds, a good match to the others. The coachman is an precise counterpart of the typical John Bull Varied functionaries seem; one stands at the horses’ heads, one other blocks the wheels so they could not transfer. White-aproned maids are seen in the corridor—and now comes the Queen! Carried in a chair by a stalwart Scotchman in plaid and kilts and naked legs, and a tall, black East Indian in white skirt and turban, she is gently positioned in the carriage. The Princess Beatrice takes a seat beside her, and the chief lady-in-waiting sits reverse, however we have eyes solely for Victoria.
As slowly as the horses can step she approaches the line. All round us the English ladies whisper, “Don’t neglect to courtesy [sic]!” We Individuals haven’t been taught to criminal the knee however we make our very finest bow. The carriage stops earlier than Woman Aberdeen, who stands at the head of the line. She courtesies to the floor and kisses the prolonged fingers. A Canadian girl, who is offered on account of some particular service, does the similar. Then, horror of horrors, up steps a girl from the United States and shakes the Queen’s hand! She supposed, of course, Her Majesty was going to greet all of us in that democratic style. Slowly the carriage passes on, pausing for an additional second in entrance of the delegates from India in their picturesque clothes. The English ladies start to sing “God Save the Queen.” We Individuals do not know the phrases, however, led by Emma Thursby, we sing “America” to the similar tune, and it solutions simply as properly. Her Majesty smiles and seems to be happy. She is a pretty previous girl, with truthful hair and blue eyes, a complexion as pink and white as a lady’s, and does not seem a day over sixty. On goes the carriage, underneath the excessive arch beneath which solely royalty can move—and the nice occasion is over. The Queen has sanctioned the Lady’s Congress!
Anthony instructed the London Day by day Chronicle: “I shall all the time bear in mind the pleasant sensation of sitting there on a couch in the Queen’s personal residence, ingesting her tea, and, as it had been, breaking bread along with her. It was not a mere matter of curiosity with us; we felt that the Queen is a grand girl, who has set a good instance to the nations of the world, that her affect has all the time been for peace, and that she has been a good spouse and a good mom; furthermore in her reign girl has made huge advance.”
In an interview with an American syndicate after her return to the US, Anthony stated, “I assumed Her Majesty was a really human wanting girl—, motherly girl. That’s normally one’s first impression in assembly royalty or the Aristocracy—that they’re much like different folks—that’s, refined and cultured folks. . . . The Queen is a most conspicuous instance to refute the oft repeated assertion that public life destroys the female instincts and unfits ladies for residence duties. Because the mom of 9 youngsters and head of the biggest family on the planet, she all the time has been distinguished for her wifely and maternal devotion and for her thrift and skill in managing her home affairs.”
Anthony’s interactions with the nice throughout her go to to England weren’t with out their hiccups. As Harper recalled:
Two little tales are instructed about that staunchest exponent of democratic and republican establishments, Susan B. Anthony. On one event she really undertook to introduce one of many best lords of the dominion to 2 poor little lady staff on a London paper, and, as if this weren’t sufficiently heinous, she instructed him frankly that she had forgotten his identify. He didn’t inform it to her and if Gibson may have caught the expression of his lordship’s face he might need produced his masterpiece.
At one other time she was invited to a luncheon to satisfy the Princess Christian, the Queen’s daughter. After shaking arms along with her and speaking a couple of minutes. Miss Anthony sat down. Presently some one got here and instructed her she should not sit whereas royalty was standing. A few of her pals say that her eighty years and the fatigue from the pressure of the previous weeks justified her in sitting. Others say that she may have stood up two hours if she had had a suffrage speech to make, however that the terrible breach of etiquette was on account of ‘that spirit of her Quaker ancestors which made them face loss of life somewhat than take off their hats to a king. Miss Anthony herself solely laughs and “refuses to be interviewed.”
From Ida Husted Harper, Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony, vol. 3.
