HUMAN ROYALTY

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 November 1928, Page 7

HUMAN ROYALTY

MR. LANSBURY’S ADMISSIONS.

Some interesting admissions regarding his relations with Royalty are imade by Mr George Lansbury, M.P., in a readable volume of his adventures and experiences, “My Life.” Mr Lansbury, who is nearly 70, has learned that the Royal Family are very much like everyday men and women, and he frankly records regret jat having behaved toward them as 'he would not have behaved to his friends and fellow Labour leaders.

He recalls that many years ago he 'was one of those who joined a branch of the old Social Democratic Federation in censuring Mr Harry Quelch, (because he met the Prince .of Wales, who. later became King Edward. He now writes: —

, “It was very childish . . . Quelch appeared in what is known as morning dress, a high hat, white waistcoat, etc. One would have imagined from the indignation this provoked that he £iad deserted and gone over to the 'enemy. 1 “He was upset that I joined in the censure, and later so was I. What did it matter if he met a prince? Perhaps they could both teach the other something. ...”

Later, Mr Lansbury was a witness before the Poor Law Commission on \which the same Prince of Wales sat. {There was a luncheon: “After lunch we all stood round talking, and I found myself looking over the head of the Prince, who was offering round cigars. “I just ignored them, because I am ,a non-smoker, but I have always felt a bit ashamed of myself for not being courteous enough to notice the case coming round. I had rather steeled Imyself not to be impressed by Royalty. , “I can see is was' all very nonsensi[cal,. because there is no doubt in my (mind that everybody, from the Prince to Henry Broadhurst (a trade union ,member of Parliament), was willing jto hear anything I had to say about ‘th© Poor Law, and to give it as much consideration as other people.” The Prince, too, was impressed by Mr Lansbury, and sent him a letter ’saying his evidence was the best he had heard from his side.

After the war the writer was pleased to take the present- Queen and Princess Mary around the Poplar school at Sheffield. He records; • “Like the rest of people, queens and kings, princes and princesses are all very human, and in going round the school tile things which interested the Queen and her daughter were not the buildings, but the children. I (think they were both surprised and 'delighted to see so many bonny, happy, [healthy children in what is a Poor Law \school.”

. In this case the writer himself was criticised for walking round the grounds as guide to the Queen with his hat on, and thus acting in a “grossly disloyal manner.” “1 had no thought of anything of the kind,” he comments. “I walked with my hat on because I should batch cold if I left it off.”