QUEEN ALEXANDRA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 211, 5 September 1911, Page 7

QUEEN ALEXANDRA.

NEW ZEALAND'S INVITATION. GREATLY APPRECIATED. <By Telegraph.—lTess Association.) WELLINGTON, Monday. The Prime Minister and Lady Ward and Sir John and Lady Findlay were entertained at a large gathering by the Women's Social and Political League tonight, and warmly welcomed back from London. In his speech, Sir Joseph W r ard made the interesting announcement that he had invited Queen Alexandra to visit New Zealand. The following correspondence explains itself: "Hotel Cecil, July 5, 1911. Dear Mr. Harcourt, —Would you be so good as to convey to Her Majesty Queen Alexandra a cordial invitation from the Government and people of New Zealand to visit the Dominion as the guest of the country? The women of New Zealand especially would be proud, indeed, if Her Majesty were to bestow such a favour. I may say I spoke to His .Majesty the King on the matter, and he expressed his concurrence in my extending the invitation to his Royal mother. —Yours sincerely, J. G. Ward."

"Marlborough House, Pall Mall. S. \V, July 10, 1911. Dear Sir .Joseph WardMr. Harcourt has forwarded to me your letter to him of the sth inst.. which I have, as requested, submitted to Queen Alexandra, and J am now charged by Her Majesty to deliver you the following reply:—" Queen Alexandra is deeply touched at receiving the invitation from the people of New Zealand to visit the Dominion. Nothing would have given more pleasure to Her Majesty than to accept, had it been possible, the invitation to visit a part of the British dominions, of whose kindly feelings and warmth of sentiment to the Mother Country she has seen so many proofs. Tl has always been her sorrow that she was never able to visit the oversea Dominions with her beioved Consort in his lifetime, and she feels now that it would be too painful for her to undertake so important a journey as this is. deprived of the presence of one by whose side for 47 years all such visits were made. Queen Alexandra feds sure that the kind-hearted people of New Zealand will understand this, and will forgive her for not accepting the invitation she so greatly appreciates.—l remain, dear Sir Joseph Ward, very faithfully yours. S. M. Probyn, General-Comptroller to Her Majesty Queen Alexandra."