"PRINCESS. DAISY" FOR MUSEUM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 184, 5 August 1936, Page 22

"PRINCESS. DAISY" FOR MUSEUM.

Queen Mary has presented to the Bethnal Green Museum, for the Children's Gallery, a well-known doll called Princess Daisy. With her clothes and equipment Princess Daisy was valued at £300 when she began her career in 1805.

It must not be imagined that all this money was squandered' on a doll merely to make a luxurious plaything for a rich man's child. Princess Daisy was meant to help the poor.

A Dutch lady, Mrs. Gothe Twiss, wished to raise money for the Shelters of the Poor in Holland, and conceived the idea of selling tickets with the most wonderful doll in the world for a prize.

She bought the doll in England and set about making it a perfect trousseau. Long clothes, short clothes, party frocks, cloaks, several sets of underclothing, a christening robe of lace over satin, nightgowns, sheets and cot covers were provided, all most beautifully trimmed and embroidered. Daisy also had a baby basket, with ivory toilet things, a silver porringer, a gold brooch and a real pearl necklace with a diamond clasp. With her silver plate, jewellery and lovely garments the doll was awarded a gold medal at the international exhibition at Amsterdam.

She was very much admired, and the tickets sold briskly. But, strange to say, the holder of the winning ticket could not ba found, and Princess Daisy remained unclaimed.,,

At last several Englishwomen clubbed together to buy her, and once more the Shelters for the Poor benefited from Princess Daisy.

The Englishwomen presented her to Queen Mary for her own daughter Princess Mary, but the real princess cannot have been allowed to play with the toy princess, for the doll still looks as good as new. In days to come historians may study her as we study the wax effigies at the Abbey, in order to learn about costumes, and she will have an historic value in Bethnal Green Museum.