ROYALTY AT HOME

Evening Star, Issue 23113, 12 November 1938, Page 29

ROYALTY AT HOME

PRINCESSES "LILLIBET" AND MARGARET ACTIVE AND IMAGINATIVE CHILDREN .[Pcccv Scott, in ‘ Christian Science Monitor.’] It is a family; a simple, happy family; and because of that fact it is the centre of the British nation’s interest and affection. ■When Princess Margaret played .with the hymn books in the pew of the little church in- Hertfordshire where she and the Princess Elizabeth went to service with the late Lady Strathmore, their grandmother, the little girl would not desist for a pull at her skirt by her elder sister. A smack on the hand from Princess Elizabeth sent a thrill through the village children. They looked at one another, and the thought, in the eyes of each of them was: ‘ Just like us!” They would have thought it quite natural if they could have heard Princess Margaret asking afterwards why her sister was prayed for in church and not herself. “ Why don’t they pray for me? said the little Princess. “ I’m just as naughty as Lillibet!” Princess Elizabeth still retains the name she gave herself as a »he is always ‘‘Lillibet ” at home. Princess Margaret has no nickname; she is not' even “ Peggy,” as is customary in Scotland when the name is ■‘‘Margaret.” # # * * Princess Margaret is the mischievous member of the family, and Princess Elizabeth is often seen trying to keep her in order. From a baby Lillibet knew instinctively what to do. No one can forget seeing the baby with the golden curls holding out her tyms to the crowd. And now she tells her little sister when to wave and kiss her hand. Older people remark on Princess Elizabeth’s beautiful manners. At a big children’s .party,- when most children have forgotten everything but the excitement of the - irioment. she > will catch sight of an adult person she knows and go across to speak to her. Perhaps it was more than good manners which made her say to her hostess at a party: “ I don’t know where you get your presents, but they’re lovely.” “Better brought up than most children,” is the verdict of the other mothers. They smiled when they heard the King add, when the Queen hail asked Princess Elizabeth, who had been getting rather excited, to fctpb something for her at a party: And < be qU As a rule, it is the fascinating little Princess Margaret who is the more impulsive and who talks more than her The prettiest picture of the King as father was seen at Royal Lodge, tlm week-end home of the Royal Family in Windsor Park, Their Majesties plav games with the children after tea, an Princess Margaret came hopping into the room on one foot. She said that her other foot was wet, but when guests who were present looked at the shoe it appeared to be quite dry. The child insisted, however, and hopped up to the King, who took off her shoe and sock, found that they were quite dry, and put them .on again.- Some fathers might even have sent for the nurse. When the Royal Family are together, only their invited, guests are present. The Queen always pours tea, and they wait on each other. ' , They play “ Old Maid ” or “ French Families ” with the children ; the little Princesses bring their plasticine and get assistance in making new models; they watch their " father working out a jig-saw puzzle; or they entertain him and their guests with action songs. Both the children are quite free from shyness, and the Queen is wise enough to see that the dancing and mimeing which a famous dance teacher comes to the Palace to teach them, is the best possible means of developing grace and poise. . They are dancing whenever there is an opportunity, whether it is in tap dancing shoes to music, or in their dressing gowns before the nursery fife. . _ ■

The King as well as the Queen takes a great interest in all the activities of their small He watches their progress in riding, swimming, and skating. The Queen does not ride, but the King rides with his little daughters in Windsor Great Park, and plays tennis with them in the garden at Buckingham Palace. The children punt on the garden lake. The King has had a swimming pool made for the little Princesses at lloyal Lodge, near the miniature house which the Welsh people gave Princess Elizabeth, and where the children play.-The little girls go once a week for a swimming lesson at the Bath Club, and Princess Elizabeth has recently gained the Royal Life Saving certificate. The daily programme of lessons and recreations is kept even more faithfully, perhaps, than with other children. When a mother in an East End home which the King was visiting told His Majesty that her boy had begged to stay aivay from school because she wanted to see Princess Elizabeth, the King smiled and said that she had to stay at the Palace and do her lessons. Every Sunday afternoon the little girls are sent back to the Palace from Royal Lodge, where they spend the week-end with their parents, so that they will be ready for their lessons next morning. The King and Queen usually return on Monday. * * * * Every-Monday afternoon the little Princesses have a unique history' lesson. Queen Mary takes her granddaughters to some place of historical

interest, such as Westminster Abbey, St, Paul’s,Cathedral, or a museum. Her Majesty is a wonderful guide to the museums, for she has watched the collections grow and has often: added a missing link which she has found on her visits to antique shops in various parts of the country. Queen Mary often shares the quiet home life of the Royal Family, while finding it no longer necessary to assist at various functions ns she did when theyoung King and Queen first came to .the Throne. Queen Mary has shown the Queen all her favourite shops at Windsor, and the children love to go shopping with them. ' Two invoices are always sent up to the Castle for Queen Marv, so that there is one to check the goods and the other to remind her of the ■ treasures she has in store. The little Princesses delight to pay out of their own purses for everything they buy. The shopkeepers of Windsor are proud of the fact that the King and Queen walk unattended along the Windsor streets. It has been a tradition with the Royal Family. A guide to the Castle has never got over the astonishment of two Americans whom* he was conducting, after he had asked them to stand aside for a moment as King George V. and Queen Mary, with the present King and Queen, passed on foot on their way from the Castle to the Dean’s House, unattended. ' The great Castle at Windsor does not awe the little Princesses, who are heard laughing and shouting through the corridors. In Buckingham Palace, where the corridors are particularly long, they have been seen riding their bicycles! At Windsor they ride them, or- their ponies, ,in the park. Round about the Royal Lodge the park is very quiet and undisturbed. There is probably a nurse ■•with--a baby under the trees, who will point out the pink Georgian bouse with its simple pak door as “ not a bit like a royal residence,” and perhaps a couple of young riders. The little Princesses often walk

over to the park gate and talk to the porter, who has been 44 years in the Royal service, about their gardens, their two dogs, and their ponies. « « t * Princess Margaret comforted herself in an original way about her pony which died. “ Do you think my pony has gone to heaven? ” she asked tier nurse. “ Yes, I think so,” was the reply. “Then I won’t be sorry any more,” said the little girl, “ because Jesus can ride on him, instead of on that old donkey.” When the Archbishop of Canterbury was staying with the Royal Family, he asked Princess Margaret if she would take him for a walk in her garden. “ Yes,” she replied, “ if you won’t talk about God, 1 know all about Him.” At Balmoral, the children had the joy of living in a cottage. With their governess, they occupied the Garden Cottage which Queen Victoria built in tho grounds. It is a charming bungalow, with a verandah round about. Trunks of trees support the roof, and on each an old-fasliioned lamp is hung. There is a dear little kitchen, a pretty sitting room, and bedrooms. The telephone connects tho cottage with tho castle. The little Princesses are in country surroundings, for wild flowers grow among the grass and the River Deo winds its way at the end of the garden. Lessons go on whether the court is at Balmoral or Buckingham Palace, except for the usual holidays, and both French and Scottish governesses are with the little Princesses at Balmoral. When they go, as they often do, for picnics with the King and Queen, however, no nurses or governesses are in attendance. The postman who saw a man jump over a hedge followed by a lady and two children, and then discovered that they were the Royal Family, witnessed a very usual occurrence. •” • * # * Her Majesty is beloved by everybody. Great Britain is happy in having a Queen who is not only sweet and kind, and constantly thinking of other people, but who has character. People who know her intimately, sav that she is one of the greatest women they have met. Knowing her family, they realise that she is a true daughter of a noble house. Her home life was tvpieal of the best in Scottish tradition,' which had its foundation in religion and its expression in earing for the peop'e of the count rvsi/b- The Queen was brought up. to look after other people.

Her Majesty shares a great love of children with Queen Mary. They both go to children’s parties with the little Princesses. At Lady Aster’s party, which she always gives for Princess Elizabeth’s birthday, both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary sold in the shop, which was part of the fun. In appearance the little Princess grows more and more like Queen Mary, with whom she has been a good deal. From a child, Her Majesty has accustomed her to being in the public eye as if' she were determined that sho should not suffer os she did herself from shyness. On the other hand, she has guarded her from being spoilt by too much attention. When Princess Elizabeth w r as quite small, she was with her grandmother, in a shop in Bond streot. She kept running to and from the door, and then, unable to control hor impatience any longer, she said: “Do be quick, Granny. There are. such a lot ■of people -waiting to see me! ” ; (But Queen Mary , told her lady-in-waiting ,to take the little girl out by a hack entrance and drive home in a taxicab! Both the little girls help Queen Marv with “ Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild,” in which Her Majesty is so interested. Princess Elizabeth knitted a baby’s blue jacket for it and Princess Margaret a pink scarf. # * * * In gaining her second-class badge as a Girl Guide, the Princess Elizabeth nas become proficient in many things which are after her mother’s heart that she should know. The little Princesses are enthusiastic about their Guide work. Every Wednesday the Kingfisher Patrol of Buckingham Palace, and the Leprechaun “ Six ” of the Buckingham Palace pack of Brownies meet at the palace. The patrol and the pack are made up of their own little friends. Whether at Balmoral or at Sandringham, at Windsor or at Buckingham Palace, the home life of the King and Queen and their children is simple and

natural. They have more family life than many of their friends, and this in spite of the fact that they are frequently in public.