A Queen Chooses Simple Colour Scheme

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 237, 7 October 1938, Page 16

A Queen Chooses Simple Colour Scheme

Before she travelled back to Belgrade Queen Marie of Yugoslavia spent a few busy days planning final details of the simple colour schemes in a block of London flats that she prefers for herself and her two younger sons, who are at school in England. Here sho intends to stay during visits to them in the holidays and at half term.

The young Princes Tomislav and And rej will share a bedroom, painted a plain cream, and provided with deep green brocade curtains in one of the three small flats on the sixth floor that Queen Marie has had arranged in one big apartment.

A favourite colour of the Queen is pale blue. Her own bedroom, her bath-

room and her wardrobe room are all painted very pale pastel blue. Curtains of matt surfaced oyster satin in the Queen’s bedroom have a delicate design of flowers in pastel pink, blue and green, with draped pelmets of plain oyster satin. The bed is upholstered in the same oyster satin and piped with blue. Alabaster lamp stands stand on the kidney-shaped dressing table, skirted in pale bluo moire. Blue is the colour of the painted breakfast-in-bed tray, and the china is cream with a pale blue edge. On a bedside table the Queen has a black jug and glasses for iced water, which is her favourite beverage. Curtains with a simple star pattern were chosen for the wardrobe room—lined on both sides with built-in cupboards for the Queen’s dresses, hats and shoes—and for her bathroom. Those in tho wardrobe room are of matt surfaced satin in pale blue with a white star, and those in the bathroom are of pale blue oil-silk with a silver star. In the same flat is a kitchenette where early morning tea is prepared for the Queen and her secretary. The second flat is given up to the dining-room, kitchens, and little telephone and business room for the .Royal A.D.C. Sun pie Luncheons. Not more than six people can be entertained to luncheon or dinner in the dining-room planned by Queen Marie in a colour scheme of off-white, green and cigar-brown. When the Duchess of Kent and Mme. Balli were guests at a tiny house-warming luncheon given by Qaeen Marie they sat at a square table painted pale green and oyster. China 'is cream, patterned with laurel leaves. This square table is to be replaced by two pval tables of Englisn yew wood which can bo put together, or a leaf added in the middle when necessary. Yew wood chairs are upholstered in pale green velvet patterned with small white shells. Queen Marie chose this in a London store, where all-British materials were selected by her and a friend. Mushroom Colour. One reason why Queen Marie has furnished a sitting-room rather than a formal drawing-room in her London home is that her children may feel at home in a pleasant informal atmosphere tree from ceremony. There is just one beautiful 17th-century flower-picture on the mushroom-painted walls. Furniture is of walnut, and sofa covers, chair covers and curtains are of soft green and mushroom-patterned brocade. Flowers are arranged in off-white pottery urns. Telephones throughout the flats are painted off-white to match the walls.