Princess Elizabeth May Marry Lieut. Mountbatten

Grey River Argus, 22 March 1947, Page 8

Princess Elizabeth May Marry Lieut. Mountbatten

(N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent). LONDON, March 20.

Rumours still persist, despite the official denial, of an impending, engagement between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece. It was inevitable that considerable publicity should be given to JLhe London Gazette announcement that the Prince has been granted British, naturalisation under the name of Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. It is stated he takes up British citizenship with great pride. The renouncement of his foreign title does not make him less eligible as a possible consort for the Princess. If the King gave his consent, there would be no constitutional reason why the Princess should not marry a commoner not of the Roman Catholic faith and still remain heir to the throne. Lieutenant Mountbatten, could have retained his former title during his lifetime, but in abandoning it he is complying fully with the edict of King George V., who said in 1932 that the use of foreign titles by a British subject should be discontinued in due course. Since the Greek Royal family has no surname, the Prince took the surname of his .mother’s family. She is Princess Alice of Battenburg, who is a great-grand-daughter of Queen Victoria. Viscount Mountbatten, Viceroy-designate of India, is a younger brother of Princess Alice.

The Prince is a second cousin to the King. His official permanent address is 16 Chester Street, London, which is tlie house of Viscount Mountbatten, with whom he makes hjs home. He recently said good-bye to Viscount Mountbatten, who leaves to-day for India, and then returned to H.M'.S. Royal Arthur, the naval shore establishment at Corsham, . Wilts, where he is an instructor to a class of Petty Officers. It was stated recently in an American magazine that Prince Philip has written three times weekly to Princess Elizabeth since she left for South Africa,