Royal Crowns For Canada?

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 99, 29 April 1939, Page 4 (Supplement)

Royal Crowns For Canada?

For Women

OUR Canadian cousins, I hear from a friend in Ottawa, are most anxious to see the King and Queen wearing their crowns while they are in Canada. I wondered how anything so ceremonious could possibly be fitted into the varied and crowded programme "which is being arranged for them, and also whether there is any law which says that the Crown jewels must not be taken out of Great Britain. A fitting occasion for the wearing of tlie crowns would lie the prorogation of tlic Canadian Parliament, and there is a possibility that it "may he prorogued duri.ig the royal visit to Ottawa. "And as for the taking of the crown abroad, although there is an old statute which decrees against it. there is also a law wh. h obliges the King to wear his crown when he prorogues Parliament, whether here or elsewhere in the Kmpire, so that one regulation would cancel out the other. The Queen, by the way, has decided definitely to take her crown. It is one of the modern circlets which can lie taken to pieces if necessary, worn as a bandeau, or with nil its arches for Stat© ceremonies. As it is of platinum, it is quite light both to carry about and to wear.

Royal Clothes For Poor

Housewives will be interested to know that the Queen has lieen supervising a great turning out of cupboards, waidrobes and drawers at Buckingham Palace. Cleaning, however, was not so much in her mind as the finding of clothes of her own and those of the I'rimesses which were suitable for sending up to Durham, where the distress in special areas worried her a great deal when she was visiting there with the King lately. Children grow out of their clothes so quickly that quite a bundle of garments which had been worn by Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were accumulated by the time the turning-out process was complete. The things have been dispatched, quite anonymously, with used household articles which Her Majesty considered might-be of use in poor homes. I believe that not even the workers among these unhappy miners' wives and children were given the slightest indication as to where the clothing had come from, the Queen being anxious only that the parcels should be dealt with expeditiously, and that some of the children whom she saw would have protection against the cold and wet.

An Interesting Presentation The Duchess of Gloucester will be a specially interested spectator in the Royal Circle at the late March Court at Buckingham Palace, for her youngest sister, Lady Angela Dawnay. who has just come home from Xew Zealand, has been commanded to the Court to be presented on her marriage. To be here in time, Lady Angela and her husband

left the boat which brought them from New Zealand at Marseilles and travelled overland, giving their rispective families an opportunity of taking part in a great welcome home at Victoria Station. The Du \iess of Gloucester, her mother and sisters, with members of Commander Peter Dawnay's family were on the platform to meet the travellers, whom thev had not seen since their marriage three years ago. There was a little disappointment that Lady j-ngela's baby son did not arrive with them, but he was left in the ship with his nurse, and will join his parents later. Lady Angela is keeping strictly to the old tradition in regard to her presentation, and will wear the wedding gown in which she appeared at St. Margaret's, Westminster, and will be sponsored by her mother-in-law, Lady Susan Dawnay, who has been over from Ireland for some weeks. Thrilled! Three of this year's debutantes have an unusual hobby in common. They are Lady Daphne Straight, Lady Rose Paget, and Miss Mona Inglesby, and the favourite recreation of them all is to be trained by the best teachers as ballet dancers. Mrs. Vredenburg-Inglesby has arranged to give a dance for her daughter at the Hyde Park Hotel and has asked the Grand Duke Andre of Russia and Princess Krasinsky, better known as the famous Russian dancer Kschesinska, to come as guests. They have both accepted and Miss Mona Inglesby, who is already a lovely little dancer, is thrilled at the idea of having these brilliant stars at her coming-out party.

"Minister Of The Interior " Our women member* of Parliament aro growing- less critical of the dining and catering arrangements at St. Stephen s. They cordially approve the ciianges introduced by Mr. Bracewell Smith, the Chairman of the Kitchen Committee. Not only have the dining looms been made more attractive, but the cooking is greatly improved. So far us the dining rooms are concerned credit must be assigned {o Sir Philip Sassoon, the I'irst Commissioner of Works, who has a keen eye for beauty and has> had the rooms decorated in a manner that challenges comparison with any restaurant in the West End. The task of the Kitchen Committee in giving satisfaction to everyone, and especially to half a. dozen of the critical housewives who now write M.P. after their names, is not an easy one. It is expected to provide meals that are cheap as well as good and there is never any certainty as to the number of people who will sit down to table. Mr. Bracewell Smith, has modernised everything. He is even opening a cocktail bar and giving a cocktail party to mark the occasion, to

which every M.P. has been invited.

Serviettes

This story concerns the great Duke of Devonshire who, as Marquess of Hartington, did so much for the Liberal party in Victorian times. Of one entry in a list of wedding presents, he asked: "What are napkin rings?" It was explained to him that in families of some refinement, but no great opulence, serviettes were used, and to save laundry and linen bills, they might be used more than once. In this case they were enclosed in rings, a ring to each member of the family, bearing his or her initials or pet name, according to age. Such rings were called napkin rings, the duke was told. He pondered this information for a bit and then said: "Good God J"

Being The Notes Of A Maid In Mayfair

Dodie Smith's Plans It will be interesting to see if her marriage affects the plans of Dodie Smith. Before she left for America she made no secret of tha fact that she contemplated living permanently abroad. She even flirted with the idea of copying Mr. Compton Mackenzie pnd buying an island of her own. When she achieved fame as a dramatist she gave un her business career as a buyer of antiques in Tottenham Court Road and took a delightful little country cottage in

Essex. But she has always had an affection for the Continent and even before she crossed the Western Ocean she had bought a house in Provence. Tt may be, of course, that her husband may persuade her to change her plans, though in that case she will find it hard to part with her beloved dog. during the long period of quarantine which would be enforced if she sought to bring him back. Her scheme was to settle down to write abroad and to pay an oceasi<>... 1 flying visit to London for first nights. The subject of her next play is topic of much .speculation. She will get plenty of material on the. other side of the Atlantic for she is motoring south to the Panama Canal and going on from there to Brazil. Riding Holidays

I was talking the other day to a i rsewoman who was one of the first to taste the joys of a riding holiday. She is planning another for the early summer, and was much interested in the news that the Institute of the Horse and Pony Club is copying the A.A. in drawing up itineraries for people who are contemplating a holiday of this sort. In her view the mistake most people make in planning a riding tour is in inviting too large a party. Four or six, in her view, is the ideal number, for as soon as the cavalcade is increased difficulties begin to accumulate. Although some country hotels are furnishing up their old stables afresh they still have to make provision for motor cars and very few have stalls for more than half a dozen horses. Apart from this the larger the party the greater the danger there is of petty squabbling! Starting from London, her ideal itinerary is to make for the South Downs where you can ride for miles on glorious grassland without meeting anything but

sheep and shepherds. She likes to map out the return journey by an alternative route, but even this can be done without deserting the Downlands. Club Problems

The balance-sheets of London's West ind clubs are now being produced, and, ilmost one and all, they provide readng that is uncomfortable for both comnittees and members. Two common eatures are a distinct tendency to lecline in membership and a lessened imount of trade during the latter half of last year. Because of their cost liey are prohibitive to the majority of pouth. To meet the latter point there s now an ingenious movement on foot whereby youngsters until they reach heir 26th birthday pay what is roughly i third of the annual subscription and jetween their 26th and 30th birthdays lay the equivalent of half the subscrip;ions. One club at least is introducing :he considerate regulation whereby its incients, who have been at least 20 rears members and have retired from lusiness to the country, pay half fees. Subscriptions can be paid by instalments and womenfolk of members are >eing catered for. Nevertheless, in spite of these measures, more closing lown of West End clubs is to be- anticilated. There are too many of them. Price Lists

Flower and fruit shops in the West Knd are full of temptation just now. I stayed a long time before one, contemplating the shower bouquets of orchids suggested for men who have enough money to 'say it with flowers" thus expensively. Giant bunches of sweetscented Devonshire violets seemed more in the line of most buyers, although several fell for the nice little round Victorian posies of mixed blossoms. Rich and luscious fruits also lured money out of pockets, and "'first early" vegetables for epicures had an admiring little audience all to themselves. I gazed with respect upon small bunchesof asparagus offered for a mere 12/6 apiece, and at a few delicate pale green French beans reposing in a basket beside them. A basket containing half a dozen peaches cost 2/6, and one of red plums rather loss. Leaving the palatial place I made my way east, and the first street vendor of fruit I came across offered me peaches at twopence each and j plums for two a penny! Homes On Wheels

British-built caravans have the reputation of being the finest in the world and, from experience. I should say they ar? t lie most comfortable. They are also spacious enough to allow of parties of four or six, providing there are tents for use as sleeping quarters. It is not surprising to hear, therefore, that people who like communal life and enjoy the free and. easy peace of country lanes and fields are taking more and more to caravan holidays. They will find something to interest them at the Camping and Open Air Exhibition which begins at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, on the 21th. Numbers of "homes on wheels" will be on view, and there is a section entitled "caravans of the famous," where the actual wheeled homes of society, stage and film celebrities will be seen. I.ady Louis Mountbatten has lent her caravan; and Miss Edna Best, Miss Diana Wynyard, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Laughton and Miss Evelyn Laye have lent theirs. State Medical Service?

It ha« been known for some time that many members of the medical profession are dissatisfied with the existing remuneration attaching to the panel system. The hope was entertained that the financial side of the scheme would be amended, but from what I hear the Government now view this proposal with increasing coldness. They have been influenced in this in no small degree by the keep-fit movement, and by the advice that has been urged on them by certain leading members of the medical profession that the panel system should be virtually swept away, and that a State medical service should be instituted, under which doctors would virtually become civil servants. It is urged that as such the trend would be to ensure prevention rather than cure. Furthermore, the assistance of Harley Street specialists would be available at any time to persons of modest means without the huge fees usually demanded for aid of this kind. It is not suggested that_ matters have gone beyond the discussion stage, because it is recognised in Ministerial circles that any proposals of the kind_ indicated would certainly be the occasion for acute controversy, both in the medical profession and amongst the general public.