In a private letter Lady de Sans mare sends the following picturesque account of her Investiture as Dame of the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace.
"What I want to do is to tell you about the Investiture, which is as much the Investiture of all of you as of myself. It took place on July 23. I received two tickets besides! my own summons, so my husband and my sister-in-law were present in the courtyard, and, with many others, saw the ceremony, whis} was outside. I was told to be there at 10.30, and going before the time found quite a lot of people already assembled. We were in different rooms, according to our degree of Order, We all stood about chatting' till Sir Douglas Dawson came and gave us full instructions as to what we were to do. Then came the moment when we were called by name to stand in line in the order in which we were to go to the King. Lord Sunimer was called first, then Sir John Jordan, and then myself. We then filed out, and waited one behind the other at the door leading to the Court where the dais was. At 11 a.m. a few bars of "God Save) the King" announced the arrival of His Majesty, and we went up one after the other. I had to make a ;|low curtsey on coming up in front of the King. then stand up to receive my Order, and then make another low curtsey when he shook hands with me. The King said, in a loud clear voice; "I make you Dame for your splendid work in China," and in saying this hung the Star of the Order on to a hook ready placed on my dress to recei it. I then went to the back of the dais and received a large box, containing the ribbon and badge of the Order, with a place in it for the Star. I think I must have a photograph taken to send to Shanghai so that our members may see their Order.""
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.