THE YOUNGEST KING

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 February 1935, Page 11

THE YOUNGEST KING

♦ ~~ HOW TIME IS SPENT. Many may have been wondering how King Peter of Yugoslavia, who is the youngest king in Europe, fills up his time, states a London writer. At first a great effort was made to send him back to his preparatory school in England, and there is not the least doubt that would have been the very best’thing possible for him and for Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, the Constitution of the country for’ bade the king leaving it for any but brief visits. Now we hear that he has an English tutor who looks after him and his younger brothers and a few chosen compatiots of his own age, who are encouraged to try to forget that then fellow-pupil is the king. Now that he has come to the throne he has a whole bedroom to himself, a small, very simple room, his brothers occupying a much mote pretentious room near by. Anything like self-indulgence is rigorously ruled out. Up he has to get at 6.30 every morning. His breakfast is on the English pattern, taken with his brothers and consisting of tea, porridge, some meat, bread and butter and marmalade. A real English breakfast! His lessons sound terrible for a lad of eleven: five modern languages, principles of statecraft, history of his country and dynasty, and military science. We must suppose that there is the usual background of reading, writing, and arithmetic, with spelling and so forth. At any rate, part of the day is spent with his mother and brothers in simple family life, when he is able to forget the shadow hanging over him and can really be himself.