LITTLE PRINCESS MARY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 137, 4 March 1908, Page 3

LITTLE PRINCESS MARY.

'• The futuro'Princess Royal, Princess Mary . vof Wiles, -iS the/subject '.of a sketch,/by Mrs. Sarah To'oley,' inthe; January number of tho "Girl's Realm." . \ ; v .Princess ; Ma'ry; is, 'knoivn as tho; Diamond • Jubilee: baby'of. tho'..Royal < Family, for she / was born in April, 1897, two months beforo the Diamond Jubilee celebration/:of Queen Victoria.:.;, She received the names of Victoria Alexandra Maryi' ' mother and-her.-two grandmothers/''andf or .some years was called Princess '.Victoria,- but . '■ as ? 'her.;."auht'. had tho same name' it becamie I i ( and'n6w:sho'is alw3ys . cess; Mary!,/ which .1 she i ..riaturallJ prefers >to ■ littlo Victoria. ■ .'.... -. • 1 ' . The upbringing' ; of ; the iPriricess.-forms: a. .■. striking contrast,to .that, of .Victoria, shut up-within the confines "of Kensington Palace, with-rio companions ofi her'own ago, and 'always surroundedby older people over-" .. . . ansious .for.her / model behaviour, and..instead'of: hockey,;', tennis,;/or 'diabolo, lessons- /, from a. tutor at .the ago of five. 'To Priri-' /cess Mary -tKe lines' hav'o fallen in very, different places'" and. being the only girl :among : five boys, wo may: bo sure she 'has plenty of. : fun and- frolic .with brothers.', -She is ' "now--'eleven,; arfd'ia, high-spirited girl ; devbted • .to.; all 'kinds of: - outdoor .games, /including , .cricket;.-arid:sho isdonging tor the.'day/when sho will be -able to play golf..' At diabolo she is;an eager-competitor, with.her brothers, . / .who- are . all most 4 enthusiastic•playess. : '' • Sheis also fond ;6f riding, and. the. shaggy little AVelsh pony,.and .'the sleek, handsome donkey of her . younger days,'-have now. given . place' '/to a'pretty-chestnut,poiiy.;/; . - The ' Royal.; ..children >. . have.' two . pairs . of driving ponies,; ono-dark and the; other, tho . beautiful cream-coloured pair giveiuto them • . by Sir George Sanger.-' : -->Vithin- the 'grounds of Frogmore,. Princess' Mary and her brothers aro learning to .drive.. ■: Another: delight to , : the Princess is .the Home Farm, and Dairy, whero..,she ._c'au . feed;.tho watch'the , . better-making, make friends withHli'o calves, and/.have -a.glorious timiS/in ,the. hay,'" if it happens/to be the hay-making: season .when ~ the;Court/is/:'at' ; .:-'\Viridsor.. o',Perhaps the • greatest delight of all', at Frogmore; is the . picnicking . children /take- tea. oh . board tho brig "King Edward' VII, 1 ! a/smart/little craft used by Prince : Edward aiid. Prince Albert when preparing, for their studies-.as naval cadets at Osborne. Princess -Mary now knows the names, of all- parts of a - ship, and/'sho'/is ' learning to fish'arid to : row, and; soon the art of swimming will.be added to her many other outdoor accomplishments'. Photography;/is, ahothei-'favourite amusement, and in this' the "Princess has "an accomplished guide in her ' aunt, Princess "V ictoria. , Ajuit and niece are great friends,' and, during: tho long absences of the Prince / and Princess; of .'AVales.-iii'tho colonies arid in India, were much together.yAunt Victoria . devotes herself to her nephews and- nieces in a wonderful manner, and ,onr her birthday ■ always gives a children's party at Buckingham Palace.; . AY hen in' ■ 'London Princess -Mary ■ accompanies her'brothers'to .see'the sights—the lower, tho Zoo,,etc; ; but it must •not ;bo-supposed 'that her life' is ono Jong holiday.-.. . -. •' It; is sard that/the Princess is:iiot particularly fond of bookst but she has as many . lessons as most girls of,her age,. and, shares . many of her brothers' studies as well as theirgames. ... She has Va French • governess, • and Miss" Parratt, tho -daughter of Sir "Walter - Paji'att, organist,' of-.Sti George's Chapel, -instructs her in some . subjects. Tho- study of languages-.is-_an/important item, and for her age the Princess has a fair knowledge of French and German. Sho and her brothers speak those languages at meals. From her earliest years tho Princess has ;learl|t, to do;various kinds of needlework, and sho. is now trying to do a piece of Work for .' exhibition at tho Home Arts and Crafts at f, Sandringham in the spring. ... For fivo years she has been an associato lof v tho London ■, Needlework' Guild, and every year she sends to it two pairs of mittens knitted by herself, paying for' tho/materials out of her pocket- , ; , money.She'.invests part of her.pocketmoney iin .the. Savings Batik) and she transacts her banking. business herself, and 'is . proud of her bank-book.