PRINCESS MARY STILL A CHILD.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume 1, Issue 8, 14 February 1914, Page 3

PRINCESS MARY STILL A CHILD.

Peter Pan has a big sister in England and the whole of her name is Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary, princess royal of England. So that makes Peter Pan a prince, and we always knew that anyway. The Princess Mary can't grow up. - Her mamma won't let her. And When a queen says no, there's a certain -subtle authority which mere mortals, cannot override. Mary is now almost ''%7. /and tall.and large framed as her mother. When yffu,are a princess royal, 17 is marrying time and means a palace or two :of your own and a hundred servants'?or; so. Nevertheless, this onlydaughter of the king andiiqueen of England is kept in short skirts, with her . heavy hair hanging down her back, and in styles which would be more becoming to a girl of 14, or even 12. •'!;,' The queen is so afrafcl -that some royal somebbdy will want to marry her only daughter, and so she makes her play with dolls, read-^children's books, and play children's games. Nottifttig so "brainy" and mature as cards, or even as is allowed this child;' she must play tiddle'dy-winks and go riding on roller coasters, just like the other **Mds," and, truth to tell, she enjoys it just the way thfey do. She doesn't seem to want to grow up. ; ;«j)'' Just a little while ago she and her younger brothers made a bet as to the amount of candy—"sweets, "as they call, it—they could devour, and Mary beat both brothers to a standstill./. 0 So even her appetite remains childish, still. '. ! : u^ fn ;;; According to an American authority, the" queen won't allow Mary to'b&'p)Pesent where the dresses are lower than one inch from'tlie collar in front, or where there ire slit skirts. Atfthe wedding of the Duchess of Fife;.tb Prince Arthur of'Cbiina,ught Mary was to be a bridesmaid only on this condition, and the, poor duchess -who .had .planned on. gracefully low cut;gowns, was comply with the queen's mandates-and make all the other gowns as childish as Mary's own.