CHANGE IN PALACE ROUTINE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 July 1939, Page 19

CHANGE IN PALACE ROUTINE

Princess Elizabeth was thirteen oa. April 21. Recently there has been a . big change, in. her position at the Palace —a change with a policy behind It. . ' • ; • ■ : ' ■■' ' :■

No longer is she a little girl playing make-believe games with her sister in the garden oh fine days and the nursery when it rains. No longer is she naively solemn when she appears in public. ; ' .

Plans are already being made for her coming-out in three years' time. Before .then ■' she will be confirmed, about Easter, ,1?42., After her coming-out she will, be ' present at State banquets, undertake important * public engagements attended by her own ladies-in-waiting, and accompanied by any other members of the Royal Family.

The Princess will then have her own tradesmen, her own accounts, hef own income, and she will be addressed as "Your Royal Highness" even within the Palace and not simply as she now is as "Princess."

Meanwhile the King's elder daughter is getting not precocious but simply grown up.. The King and Queen who saw to it that she was not spoiled or petted as a child, are now seeing that she is given confidence in herself and opportunities to take the initiative.

Princess Elizabeth is being trained in a sense of her responsibilities, but not of her own importance. All this is shown by definite changes in the Palace routine.

The staff now refer to-"the schoolroom" and not "the nursery." The Princess's suite is treated as a separate part of the Palace. Princess Elizabeth has her own sitting-room furnished with a bureau, apart from the rooms she shares with her sister.

She has flowers of her own choice delivered to her to decorate her rooms. She and her sister take th^ir meals in simple state. Two footxnen, known as the Princesses' footmen, wait at table.

Princess Elizabeth is now a hostess in her. own right. Seldom a week passes but she entertains young friends especially invited by herself—not just the children of friends visiting her parents. She now gives small lunch and tea parties, as well as the 'annual children's • parties of which' everyone knows.

On these occasions the Princess helps to arrange the menu with the chef (at one time dishes were ordered by Mrs. Knight, who is in charge of the Princesses' suite). Princess Elizabeth can "be trusted to choose suitable food. She is learning to master the mysteries of international menu language.

A list of dishes is sent up to the schoolroom each morning at the same time as the long provisional menu.is sent to the Queen. Princess Elizabeth, consulting with her sister, chooses from this a shorter menu in the same way - her mother chooses for the King.and herself a short meal, usually about four courses.

The Princess's taste in food is sound, in fact, robust. It shows a cultivated palate. She likes consomme,' macaroni with tomato sauce, grilled lamb chop, and vegetables and fa'rok pudding. A favourite meat dish ■-. is boiled mutton and caper sauce. She also likes stewed rabbit and calves' liver and bacon. Steamed puddings, especially small marmalade puddings, are a regular choice. .."■■■- : \

When she gives tea parties the Princess chooses the cakes, all homemade, in the Palace kitchen, and decides the fillings of the sandwiches..

At Christmas and birthday anniversaries the Princess chooses the. presents she gives to relatives and young friends. She also thinks out and writes the greetings which accompany them. Her writing is well formed and shows strength of character. Her signature especially shows a well-de-veloped personality.

PRINCESS ELIZABETH IS GROWING UP

Another indication of the Princess's emancipation from the nursery is the way her programme is compiled.' She andher sister work entirely independently of their 1 parents' plans. ;

rNearly every Friday afternoon, -for instance, they all go down to 'Royal Lodge, Windsor, for the weekend. |But if the King and Queen are* delayed the Princesses set- off as usual in their own car,; driven by their'own chauffeur and with their own little retinue. They also have their own bodyguard.

'.-.' The Princess is a . good. mixer. She talks knowledgeably: on many- subjects, stops to, speak to ■/ members . of the. Royal household, and. always .has something to-say to strangers. ■- .

When she spends a holiday at Windsor, Balmoral, or Sandringham, one of her pleasures is visiting i with the Queen the tenants of.the estate.."...

The Princess's growing-up has been marked . recently -by the wearing of more shapely: shoes, and abandoning the hair* ribbon her younger sister stijl wears. But the Queen ■ still chooses her clQtb.es/ ~ She has decided views and prefers her twk>; daughters to be dressed alike as far as colour and fabric are concerned, although Princess Elizabeth wears slightly more grown-up styles. ,

There are already indications that Princess Elizabeth will be in the. not-too-distant future one of the most active members of the Royal Family. She has. already .become patron ofv.a charity, the Princess" Elizabeth . of York Hospital for Children. Also she recently attended the pony ;show at the Royal Agricultural Hall, accompanied by her sister, but without any other menjberioif: the Royal; Family, when she presented rosettes to the winners. » ■

A month or two ago she organised the. exhibition of dolls presented by the" French Goye^nmeht; at St.. Janies's Palace, unpacking.' each exhibit herself and making all the arrangements.