THE QUEEN’S CHRISTMAS BONES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 84, 7 January 1928, Page 16

THE QUEEN’S CHRISTMAS BONES

Every succeeding Christmas, Queen Mary sets an example to all heads of families by starting her Christmas shopping early. 'This season, owing to the cancellation of Her Majesty’s, public engagements, she has been quietly shopping and getting well ahead with her Christinas arrangements (says an English paper of recent date). Queen Mary is extraordinarily methodical, and a note is kept from year to year of the presents received not only by each member of the family, but all the friends, both humble and exalted, who are the fortunate recipients of these Royal gifts. Individual tastes and ideas are carefully noted, and no trouble is spared to procure just the article that would be acceptable to (he recipient. All Her Majesty’s purchases when they arrive at the Palace are unpacked and put into a large room which was formerly used, in the days of Queen Alexandra, for the display of goods sent from the various London shops, and from which Her late Majesty would make her selection, rarely visiting a shop in person. Queen Mary, on the contrary, prefers visiting the shops herself, thus having a wider choice than if the articles were to be sent for her inspection at the Palace. Once the gift has been decided upon, then comes the labour of writing the card bearing good wishes, and when one considers the number of presents Her Majesty sends out, and that each one bears a card written in her own hand-writing, it is easy to imagine the labour involved. The lady-in-waiting whose turn of duty comes just before Christmas is often hard put to to accomplish all the work, and sometimes has to call in the assistance of one of the extra ladies.

The “Flappers’ Vote,” as it is wrongly called, still makes headway in England, and every week (says an exchange) comes welcome news of a new member of Parliament coming over to the side of equality. Unfortunately the Bill is complicated by the addition of other matters, such as the enfranchisement of companies and the “highly contentious problem of the right to vote of those in receipt of poor relief.” The matter, therefore, >s not the simple one that it would be, if needed, in New Zealand, a mere extension of the vote, according to age. Miss Marie Ney lias gone to Cairo to play lead in a Shakespearean company which Mr. Robert Atkins is takin gout, at the request of the Egyptian Government. “The engagement originated with the Egyptian Minister of Education, Aly Shams! Pasha,” Mr. Atkins stated in an interview wtih a representative of the “Observer” (London). “The idea of the Minister was most helpfuly recelived by the Minister of Finance; it has also had the backing of Lord Lloyd and the members of bis staff; and the keenest interest, I understand, is being taken in the visit by all classes, especially by the Egyptian students, who have a very first-hand knowledge of Shakespeare.” The plays to be given “Twelfth Night,” “Othello,” ‘‘The Merchant of Venice,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” and. for the first time on the African continent, “Measure for Measure.” “The Egyptian Government were anxious, also, to have ‘Julius Caesar’,” Mr. Atkins said, “as this is a very favourite play with Egyptian students. But the time given to us to prepare for this season was not sufficient to include such a big production.”