THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF YORK

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 104, 4 May 1935, Page 22

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF YORK

The service o^ the Royal Family to the Empire is closely organised. A= its members come to adult estate, after careful training for their tasks, each one specialises in a particular department of Imperial work. Thus the second son of the King, as regards the defence of the Empire, gave his chief attention to the Air Force, and, as regards other matters, devoted himself to social and industrial service and the promotion of medical research.

He married (1923) Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, .youngest daughter of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and there have been born to them the Princess Elizabeth Alexandra (1926) and the Princess Margaret Rose (1930). Since their marriage the Duchess of York .has taken a full share in the Duke's tasks, and has undertaken much individual work of her own.

It is in the true sense princely service to the Empire that the Duke of York gives in his work for industrial welfare. Contentment in industrial relations is the ultimate basis of national security and national prosperity; and that contentment, can only come through emphasising the human relation in employment, and making friend ly co-operation the ideal. To quote his own words in 1926: "Nothing is more important to the security and prosper ity of the Empire than the keeping up of a high standard of industrial welfare. Healthy and happy conditions of work promote better production and better citizenship."

As President of the Industrial Welfare Society,-the Duke o'l York strives to bring the human touch into working conditions; to deal with those questions of dignity, comfort, and happiness in the workshop and around the workshop which are outside the airibit of laws and of industrial agreements. QUALITY OF SINCERITY. The Duke of York has brought to the work just the qualities of sincerity and simple dutifulness which are needed. He is a "working president," not merely a figurehead, and is constantly making inspection visits to factories —practical, not ceremonial, visits. According to the officials of the society he has made such diligent study of the problems of industrial welfare that he has become an expert who can be looked .to for practical suggestions on methods bf betterment. Employers and employed treat him as a friend, and discuss matters with him freely Formal receptions are usually not in the programme, but informal expressions of welcome and appreciation are usual. Sometimes they are delightfully informal. For example, the Duke of York, visiting a Welsh colliery, so impressed the miners with his good will and his desire to learn the real conditions of their work that, while he was down the pit, the word was passed round and the colliery band hastily collected ,to welcome him with musical honours at the pit-head. The arrangement was to play the National Anthem But when a very grimy Prince came up to the surface in overalls, the quickwitted men of Wales recognised that that might seem a-little incongruous and promptly changed the music to "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." A splendid by-product of the Duke .of York's industrial welfare work has been the Duke of York's Camp, which is held each year on the site of an old aerodrome in Kent. At this camp 200 boys drawn from the industrial popu lation all over the country meet 200 boys from the public schools, and sharing quarters together for a sporting holiday, get. to know one another as British boys, without any thought of .class distinction. As President of the British Empire Cancer Campaign, the Duke-of York has done devoted work to advance the greatest task of medical research now facing mankind. Of the grim Captains of Death afflicting the world, knowledge has been won of the causation of cholera,-bubonic plague, and malaria, and' with knowledge have come means of prevention and of cure. The causation of cancer is yet largely an unsolved.problem, though splendid progress has been achieved of recent years in the matter of successful treatment of it in its early stages. That the prob lem will be solved there is no reason td doubt. In 1925, for its second year, the Duke of York was President of the British Empire Exhibition. The Women's Section of that exhibition, from its formation 'in January, 1924, was under the charge of the Duchess of York as president. That Women's Section had the responsibility for women's special interests and also for organising hospitality to overseas visitors. Its committee was widely representative of the Empire's womanhood, and gave loyal help to the president in carrying out a great programme of useful work. Over 25,000 invitations'were sent out through the Women's Section to overseas visitors, and visits to the country for weekends and otherwise were also arranged. Another good deed of the Women's SectioA was to organise a: series of cooking demonstrations. VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND. "It has become the established custom during the King's reign that every event of the first importance in the overseas Empire should be marked by a visit from a member of the Royal Family. In 1927 the Duke and.Duchess of York voyaged to Australia for the opening of the Parliament House at Canberra, the new Federal capital, and it was arranged that on their way the} should make a short tour of the Dominion of New Zealand. Memories of their visit to New Zealand are vivid and the address of welcome, of the Maoris, with its recollections-of the previous visits of a Duke and Duchess of York and of the Prince of Wales has frequently been quoted:— Thrice has Royalty aeignea to honour our courtyard, to enter our humble house, and to walk among us. It is good!- Thus, is fulfilled that word we spoke' on this ground to your elder brother, that those who govern this far-flung Empire should walk and talk with its peoples in all

PRINCESS ROYAL AND HER BROTHERS

its severed parts, and so understand them and be understood of them. Come then in that spirit of trust wherein England appeals to the hearts of all races, knitting them surely' together in peace and good will.

On May 9, 1927, the 26th anniversary of the opening of the first Parliament of the Commonwealth at Melbourne by the present King, the Duke of York entered the King's Hall of- the new Parliament House and unveiled there a statue of his Royal ' father. Then, in the Senate House, he'read the King's Commission for the establishment of the seat of Australian Government at Canberra.

They returned to England in 1927, and since then the Duke and Duchess of York have not undertaken any Empire tours, the duty of bringing up their young family being parainpunt. But thpre has been no relaxation of their public work in the Home Country.

Of the Princess Elizabeth, the elder daughter of the Duke and Duchess and in her childhood the pet of the Empire, many stories are told. The following, stated to be authentic; reveals something of the, "We are not amused" attitude which is associated with the famous anecdote of her great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria. . ■:';.

The Duchess of York was entertaining a caller recently, and Princess Elizabeth; who had been brought down by her nurse, was allowed to stay in the room and to amuse herself with her toys. The. Princess at last became bored with being left to herself, and. not sharing in the conversation. Accordingly, after a time she walked towards the,bell, pressed it with her finger, and waited for the servant to appear. As soon as the man made his entrance the Princess said calmly: "Ring for taxi. Lady go," and pointed to the caller, who was still interested in the conversation of her Royal hostess •!Hi? y t?°- Rins for tMi" again said the Princess imperiously, as the man hesitated, and looked at the Duchess. On hearing her little daughter s order, however, the Duchess'immediately countermanded it, and like most mothers, corrected her child for a seeming lack of courtesy towards her visitor, who was naturally much amused at the'remark.

THE OTHER MEMBERS The phrasing of the' second customary^loyal toast, "and , other aS of the Royal Family,""may befused to preface brief mention of theiTwork for the Empire; • Without exception aU th6ir fuU share-the-conditions on which the King insiststhat the training of-each of the Princes in at least one department^ the Imperial Services shall be thorough and take precedence over other matters Their tasks are many. Though the active help or patronage of any member of the Royal Family Is ac corded except to causes which are judged to be ofreal worth and importance, the record of Royal public duties each year is impressive. No good call for help is denied; and calls from the overseas Empire, even though they-en-tail a great amount of travel, are given special consideration because of the recognition of the Throne as the Imperial bond of union.

All of the Royal Princes have visited some, of the overseas Dominions, and, in due course, probably all will have had an opportunity of seeing the whole of the Empire. "-The* Duke -'or Gloucester iii 1934 visited Geylonvroith a mission from the Kins; to Present to the colony the ancient Throne; of -the Kings of. Kandy, which was? brought to Windsor Castle many years ago. la the formative period of the Empire there came to England many. sucK historic trophies. It is the wise policy "«J the Royal House- of Windsor to' take every good opportunity to restore them to their original homes; .From Geyloa the Duke of Gloucester went on 'to Australia to attend, as representative of the Throne, the Melbourne Centenary celebrations; then to New Zealand arid Fiji, where he had the usijal' en« thusiastic welcomes. : ;.

The Duke of Kent visited - South America in 1931 with his brother, the Prince of Wales, to open the British Empire Trade Exhibition at Buenos Aires. In. 1934 he visited the Dominion of South Africa. In the autumn of that year his marriage to .the Princess Marina was the occasion of rejoicinga throughout the whole Empire. Early in 1935 the Duke and Duchess of Kent voyaged to the West Indies as the final stage of their honeymoon tour; a pri« vate, not a State, visit, and therefore not to be marked by public.ceremonies, but none the less welcome to the citizens bf the group of colonies which, with Newfoundland, constituted the be- ! ginning of the" British Overseas Empire. The Princess Royal's part has been to give a lead to the -young womanhood of the Empire, and she has actively, helped many nursing and welfare services. -She was married in 1822 to Viscount Lascelles (now the Earl of Hare« wood), and they have two Sons. In 1932 she was proclaimed Princess Royal. . ••■•' .•■■-..

The Duke of Connaught, uncle of the King, has taken a fulL share ot Royal tasks. In 1910, on behalf of the King, he opened the first Parliament of the Union of South Africa. ■ From 1911-1916 he was Governor-General of Canada. In that Dominion he had seen active service as a soldier as far back as 1870, the date of the Fenian raids. In 1921 he inaugurated the new Indian Legislature, the Provincial Councils, and the Chamber of Princes. . ; v

Of recent years there have been sug« gestions from more than one of. th« overseas Dominions • that it would .'.be most welcome to them if it werelpos* sible to arrange that one of the King's sons should serve a term of office- as Governor-General. That these surges* ■tions will- have warmly Bympathetio [consideration can be safely assumed, but the practical difficulties are very; great, and possibly the present system of frequent Royal visits will-have tq be maintained. ■ ~ " .•' ' '