ELIZABETH’S FUTURE

Northern Advocate, 29 December 1934, Page 4

ELIZABETH’S FUTURE

EDUCATION QUESTION. SCHOOL OR PRIVATE? How is Princess Elizabeth, the little fair-haired girl who may one day be Queen of Britain,/to be educated? There have been frequent conferences and discussions among the Royal Family about this problem, which, with the Princess’s eighth birthday, has come to a head, states the “Sunday Express.” The King and Queen, the Duke and Duchess of York and the Prince of Whales —who is always recognised in the Royal Family as the interpreter of public opinion of the day—have discussed it from every angle, and the question has also been submitted to members of the Cabinet for their opinion. 5

At first, the Duchess of York pleaded for the Princess to go to a girls’ school. She sees Princess Elizabeth, not as a future Queen of England, third in succession to the Throne, but as her little daughter, whose happiness is her one abiding care, and she is only anxious, to have her brought up like any normal girl. Private Tuition. Already the great weight of royal responsibility is making itself felt on the life of the little Princess, and though her parents are continually on guard to keep from her the burdens of public life as long as may be. she is already conscious of her unique position. When, however, the difficulties of the position, the embarrassment that might arise both for the Princess and her schoolfellows, who might one day have to curtsey to her as their Queen, were explained to the Duchess, she withdrew‘her plea. There is now unanimous agreement among the Royal Family that the Princess shall be allowed to complete her education at home with a governess. All the precedents and records, which have been carefully consulted during the past months, point to this course, and it is now.certain that the Princess will never attend school. Plans for the future are still nebulous, but it is cxti'cmely likely that she will go abroad to be “finished.” It will be recalled that Queen Victoria, when nine years old, and generally regarded as heiress to the throne, was entrusted to the care of a tutor and a governess, while Parliament voted an annual grant of £6,000 for her education. So far the education of Princess Elizabeth has not cost the nation a penny. Princess Elizabeth is'' at present learning English, French, geography, history and arithmetic. Of these, history is easily her favourite, with geography a close second, and arithmetic easily last. She Likes Toast. When lessons end at four o’clock the little Princess has tea in the nurse? - yShe does not like biscuits very much, but no tea is complete without buttered toast, which she likes to make in front of the nursery fire. Sometimes, when official engagements permit, the Duchess joins her daughters in the nursery, and on rare occasions—a special privilege this, and one sparingly allowed —the Princess is asked down to tea in the drawingroom, to meet her mother’s guests.