A Question Of Taste

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30057, 15 February 1963, Page 3

A Question Of Taste

Sir, —What a feeble attempt at glossing is your reply to C. L. Purdie. He is to be congratulated in the able way he expressed our disdain. Are you not aware at Home (and I mean that capital) any photograph or information of Our Queen has to be passed for inspection before being published and yet here any little squirt has unlimited favour? Once more, thanks to C. L. Purdie.— Yours, etc., A. M. GRAY. February 14, 1963. Sir,—Shame on you! In publishing a photograph of an embarrassing Royal moment you have merely lost your own dignity.—Yours, etc., J.H.M. Sir—As a woman, I feel it was in poor taste and an apology is surely called for. —Yours, etc., DIGNITY. February 14. 1963.

Sir,—dancing through the centennial number of “The Press” recently, I was struck by the high standaid aimed at. What a pity this standard does not extend to photographers. The act of a photographer taking a photograph of Her Majesty when embarrassed by a gust of wind was mean and unkind, to say the least of it.—Yours, etc., SHADES OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH. February 14, 1963.

Sir,—Anne Lloyd-Williams, in pungent style, alerts the readers of the “Daily Mirror” to the presence of “fuddy-duddies” in our fair land. After reading the first letters in your column today. I was unable to continue my perusal of this always interesting feature. It is quite evident that the “Colonel Blimps” of Law’s cartoons have found the bath-towel to be an inadequate protection against the rigorous English winter, and they have emigrated.—Yours, etc, DON’T PANIC. February 14, 1963.

Sir, —Your judgment is, I believe, based on error. Every person to whom I have spoken, even non-Royalists, were disgusted with the undignified display by “The Press.” Surely Royalty has enough of this sort of thing from the scandal sheets of the world without our dailies resorting to an item of such little news value. An apology would not be out of place.—Yours, etc, NEWS, NOT VIEWS. February 14, 1963.

Sir, —Her Majesty must have had a strenuous and dreadful day in Wellington and I think it showed disrespect and bad breeding on the part of the photographer and also “The Press,” to publish the photograph of the lovely little lady having trouble with her frock in the strong wind. Apart from being our Queen, she struck me as being a tired and frightened girl. I wonder if the Royal party see the pictures. If so, we should feel ashamed.—Yours, etc, DISGUSTED, February 13, 1963.

Sir, —Sorry Ed, but I feel your reply to recent letters regarding the photograph of Her Majesty is slightly “off the track.” I can only concur with, I am sure, many readers that an apology is due. Frankly, I feel the publication of such an incident is considerably lowering to the usual high standard of “The Press.”—Yours, etc, REGULAR READER. February 14, 1963.