SON AND HEIR

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 141, 18 December 1928, Page 14

SON AND HEIR

PRINCESS MARY

"THE HON. GEOfIGE" GENERAL DELIGHT (By Evelyn Graham. —Copyright.) (No. 10) "A son" was the wish of both Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles. When the Honourable George Lascelles arrived, however, ho speedily won all hearts in the Royal Family. From the earliest days of her childhood we have studied the career of the only daughter of King George through the various stages of her life, and now wo come to that period in women's lives which is the crowning joy of happiness—the dignity of motherhood. Princess Mary developed at the early age of ten tlio strongest desire to mother those with whom she came in contact, and her brothers in particular. It is an open question whether the Royal Princes respected this f' :sire on her part to look after them in motherly fashion, as they should have done, but brothers—and rcyal children are essentially as all other children—seldom appreciative of sympathy—especially that of a sister, even if sho is the only one. It is said that the Prince of Wales, however, was always ready to accept tho role of being "Mary's husband" in games that called for the representation of a married couple, and sometimes there was discord amongst the Princes as to who was to take unto himself this dignity. Certainly neither the Prince of Wales uor his brother relish being reminded of the days when they "espoused" sister Mary at Frogmore or York Cottage. The news that soon their Majesties tho King and Queen were for the first time to be grandparents threw the whole Empire into a fever of expectation and interest. Throughout the winter of 1922 Princess Mary spent most of her time preparing for the happy event, all the details of which she personally directed, even arranging the nursery in detail with her own hands. She wac ably assisted by the Queen, who was almost as delighted at the prospect of becoming a grandmother as her daughter was at the idea of becoming a mother, and mother and daughter began to see more and more of each other. PARENTS' WISH GRATIFIED. Both Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles wanted a son. Lord Lascellos naturally wished for an heir to succeed to his largo estates, and though Princes* Mary understood and shared his ambition, she also wished for a son because, having been brought up as the only sister amongst fivo brothers, she understood and preferred tho association of small boys to girls. So strong was the desire of both parents-to-be that they made every preparation for a boy. Both Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles were specially pleased that their first child was to bo born in the anniversary month of their wedding, while for tho Princess the first part of the year contains many family anniversaries. Her own birthday is in April, Queen Mary's in May, and Princo Henry's in March. As the time for the accouchement drew near public interest increased, and was quite as great as it was on that memorable June when, over 30 years ago, the present Prince of Wales opened startled eyes to an interested world aud tho satisfaction of the nation. The Prince was keenly interested at tho prospect of becoming an uncle, though, like Her Majesty, he rather hoped for a niece. Having four brothers and only one sister, to whom he was devoted, ho rather looked forward to having his sister present him with a niece to whom he could extend the affection ho has always had for "Mary." Her Royal Highness had always enjoyed good hoalth, save for slight delicacy in girlhood which she had long outgrown, and tho simple happy lifo sho led in the months previous to the birth of her first son no doubt helped in the accouchement which gave the doctors in attendance no undue anxiety, and which enabled them speedily to give the nation and the Royal Family tho assuranco that all danger was passed, and that Her Royal Highness had been safely delivered of a son on 7th February, 1922. SON AND HEIR. Lord Lascelles, waiting anxiously in the library, was swiftly acquainted of the news that he was the father of a son and heir. One who was prosent on this occasion relates that Princess Mary was too overcome with relief to make much comment. A short time afterwards, when ho was permitted to see the child, his remark was simple and characteristic: "I hope he will resemble his mother" was all he said as be handed the baby back to the nurse. Congratulations poured in from all parts of tho world. Often letters were accompanied by gifts for the child, in many cases from mothers whose only knowledge of Princess Mary was that of an ordinary citizen. Ono old lady whom tho Princess had once befriended sent a most beautifully worked robe, which was one of the first the Royal baby appeared in, while from a mother in a London suburb came a pair of small shoes, accompanied by tho following pathetic note: — "Dear Princess, —When you nursed my little baby in Great Ormond ■ Street Hospital you gave him a pair of boots, which I treasure still, though I've lost my darling child. I send theso to your littlo son with my hvo to him, and may he live to gladden your heart, as mine would have done had ho lived." In addition to letters such as this< there wero congratulations from foreign royalties, while Parliament sent a special message to Princess Mary and her husband making suitable congratulations on the occasion of the "historic" and happy event. MOTHER'S AFFECTION. Once, going into the nursery to pay an unexpected visit to his grandson, King Georgo found that young man in tears. "Why don't you rock him?" asked His Majesty. Respectfully tho nurso pointed out that modern nursery science forbids the rocking of very young infants. "But they like it," said tho King simply. "I know because all my children wero rocked, I used to do it myself when they cried." But, though naturally tho nursery at Goldsborough wfts conducted under tho most hygienic and up-to-date methods, Princess Mary herself was, of set purpose, not a "scientific" mother. Princess Mary, while rcalisiug the danger of spoiling children,- is a firm believer in surrounding them in an atmosphere of the greatest affection at the earliest age. Accordingly she has brought up the Hon. George and Mr. Gerald Lascelles to love their parents above everything. Once when sho was criticised for "spoiling" her sons, sho replied: "I believo if you show a baby great affection when ho is very small, he is more likely to grow up with

an affcctionato nature, as I wish mine to do." From the first the baby made rapid progress. He proved a sturdy, healthy younster who ate, slept, and increased in weight; took increasing notice of the world around him and gave full satisfaction to the nurses and doctors who watched him night and day. THE CHRISTENING. The Hon. Georgo Lascelles was christened at tho Church at Goldsborough on the Palm Sunday following his birth, receiving the names of George Henry Hubert, Henry being one of tlio names of both Lord Lascelles and the Earl of Harewood. Queen Mary held him in her arms at tho font and it is much to George's credit that he went through what is, to a few-weeks-old infant, a trying ceremony remarkably well, and behaved in a manner which brought from the King a laughing compliment and the remark (to Prince George): "He's a better behaved young man than you' wore, for you resented the whole service." On the occasion of the first meeting of the Prince of Wales and his nephew, Princess Mary urged him to take the baby in his arms. Rather nervously he did so and then turned to congratulate tho parents. Suddenly a small wail brought back his attention to the bundle in his arms, only to discover that ho had been holding his sister's baby head downwards. To-day, the Princo and his nephew are the greatest of friends, and the Prince is tho boy's most cherished playmate. In fact even to-day it is not an uncommon sight to see the heir to the throno scampering across tho floor of the nursery at Chesterfield House on hands and knees, with one or other of his nephews perched on his back. VILLAGE INTEREST. Needless to say, . the villagers of ilarcwood took a keen interest in the child, and whenever he appeared in the village with his nurses, or driving with his mother, he always evoked the greatest enthusiasm. One small girl, the daughter of a local tradesman, nursed a secret ambition to see him, and once encountered him in his perambulator. After the inspection, which Master George bore with fortitude, the child rushed home to tell her parents of tho meeting. "Well, and what is the baby like?" enquired her mother. "He's a beautiful baby," replied the little girl, "and he smiled at me, but—" there was a long pause. "I thought there might be a crown on top of the perambulator." The child would have been even more disappointed if sho could have spent a day in the nursery at Goldsborough Hall and seen how simple was the upbringing of the son of Princess Mary. Seldom did Her Majesty visit her grandson without bringing him some small present. On one occasion, when the King rashly brought tho child a rather expensive mechanical toy, the Queen quickly pointed out its unsuitability for a child of such an age, and His Majesty resignedly agreed to postpone the presentation of that particular gift until the Hon. Georgo Lascelles reached the proper age to v possess it. As a matter of fact the child showed oven at this stage a marked intelligence in his likes and dislikes; when once a rather consequential visitor to the Hall, brought for him an expensive toy to which the child took an immediate dislike, he at once pushed it aside. Gently Princess Mary placed it again in his arms, but- for a second time it was rejected. Again tho toy brought by the guest, who was standing close by, was offered, and finally the recipient determined to make his refusal decisive. Firmly taking hold of the toy and, looking straight at the donor, he made a mighty effort to throw it at her. BEGINS TO SPEAK. Motherlike, Princess Mary waited eagerly for her son's first attempt at speech, and in the Royal Family many guesses were made as to which of his parents he would namo first. The Prince of Wales, who could never resist teasing his sister on the subject, solemnly declared that when he was alone with his nephew tho latter had, at the age of six months, clearly addressed him as "Undo David," thus demonstrating beyond a doubt which of his relatives was his real favourite, but as a matter of fact the baby's first word was "Mary," having .doubtless heard his mother addressed thus cither by the Queen or some other member of tho Royal Family. A story is told that during a visit that the Master George Lascelles paid to his Royal grandfather at Buckingham Palace at the time of ono of thotse many informal gatherings of the Royal Family which characterises so strongly the private life of tho King and Queen, Princess Mary's small son noticed with real and lively interest a largo painting of tho lato King Edward which adorns ono of the passages of the Royal apartments. For a few moments the child stood with legs apart and hands behind his back gazing at tho picture, while the King waited quietly for some comment. Eventually the Hon. George Lascelles turned to his grandfather and said with amusing gravity: "Grand-pa, can I have that?" ■. His Majesty shook his head kindly and asked the grandson what he would do with it if ho possessed it. At once came tho childish reply— "Love it!" It is a characteristic of the elder child of Princess Mary that he "loves" everything and everybody. Perhaps the greatest "love" of Master Georgo is for his father's chauffeur—although it is suspected that this may bo a trifle suspicious affection prompted by Princess Mary's children's great interest and enthusiasm for the family motorcars. It is likely, however —in fact certain —that both Princess Mary's sons will enter one or other of the services, and at the time of writing Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles have planned for them to go first to Eton and later to Sandhurst. (To bo Continued.)