PRINCESS ELIZABETH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 201, 5 June 1948, Page 5

PRINCESS ELIZABETH

CHILD EXPECTED IN OCTOBER Official Court Statement (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright). (Rec. Hk3o a.m.) LONDON, June 4. Princess Elizabeth is expecting a baby about the middle of October. The first official indication was given to-night in a Buckingham Palace announcement which said: “Her Royal Highness, Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, will undertake no public engagements after the end of June.”

The child will be the second in line of succession to the British Throne. Princess Elizabeth was married on November 20, 1947.

The announcement confirms strong rumours circulating in the past three months.

Palace officials have been besieged with inquiries. The doctors in attendance are likely to be Sir John Wir, Physician to the King and Physician-in-Ordinary to Queen Mary, who was the first homeopathist appointed to the Royal Family; Dr. Ivan Magill, the famous anaesthetist, and Mr Cedric Lane-Roberts, gynecologist, one of Britain’s foremost obstetricians. Princess Elizabeth’s immediate engagements include the Derby to-mor-row and the National Festival of Youth and Sport at Wembley to-mor-row evening, the drumhead service of the Grenadier Guards, of which she is Colonel-in-Chief, including the taking of the salute outside Buckingham Palace on June G, the Freedom of the City of London to Philip at the Guildhall on June 6, and visits to the Ascot races with the Royal Party on June 15, 16, 17 and 18. Since her return from her crowded five-day visit to Paris with her husband, Princess Elizabeth has undertaken an even more strenuous programme than usual. Paris admired her for keeping many official and private engagements, although she often looked wan and pale. At the Trooping of the Colour on June 10 Princess Elizabeth will watch from the Horseguards Arch. Last year ..she rode with his Majesty on the parade. The last engagements in June are on the 28th, an inspection of -the depot companies of the Grenadier Guards at Caterham Barracks in the morning and the opening of the children’s hospital at Ranstead in the afternoon. It. is not known where the Princess hopes to have her baby, but the probable choice will be between Windlesham Moor, which she had Philip have leased,, or Balmoral; where she may join their Majesties for their summer stay. Clarence House in ,St. James will not be ready until next year.

The birth, the first in direct line of succession since Princess Margaret 18 years ago, will be their Majesties’ first grandchild. The position of children born to Princess Elizabeth is not altered by the fact that she is heiress presumptive to the throne, 1 as the law does not exclude the possibility of the birth of a son to the King.,

The Princess does not transmit her titles to the children, and therefore no title is provided for children of Princess Elizabeth until after her succession to the throne.