ELIZABETH TO BECOME MOTHER

Northern Advocate, 5 June 1948, Page 4

ELIZABETH TO BECOME MOTHER

LONDON, Fri. (11 a.m.) .—Princess Elizabeth is expecting a baby about the middle of October. Idle first official indication was given tonight in a Buckingham Palace announcement which said: “Pier Royal Highness Princess

Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh ments after the end of June.”

will undertake no public engage-

The child will be the second in the line of succession to the, British Throne.

Chief, including taking the salute outside Buckingham Palace oh June 6, the freedom of the City of London to the Dnke of Edinburgh at the Guildhall on June 8, visits to Ascot races with the Royal Party on June 15, 16, 17 and 18. STRENUOUS PROGRAMME Since her return from the crowded five-day visit to Paris with her husband, Princess Elizabeth has undertaken an even more strenuous programme than usual. Paris admired her for keeping many official and private engagements although she often looked wan and pale. At the trooping of the colour on June 6 Princess Elizabeth will watch from the Horseguards’ Arch. Last year she rode with His Majesty on parade. Her last engagements in June are an inspection of the depot of Companies of the Grenadier Guards at Caterham Barracks on the morning of June 28 and the opening of a children's hospital at Banstead in the afternoon. It is not known where the Princess hopes to have her baby but her probable choice will be between Windlesham Moor, which sirs --rid the Duke of Edinburgh have leased, or at Balmoral where she may join Their Majesties for the summer stay. Clarence House in. St James will not be ready until next year. The birth will be the first in direct line of kuccession since Princess Margaret was born 18 years ago. The baby will be Their Majesties’ first grandchild.

Princess Elizabeth was married on November 30 last year. The announcement confirms strong rumours circulating during the past three months.

Palace officials have been besieged with inquiries. Doctors in attendance are likely to be Sir John Weir, Physician to the King and Physician-in-Ordinary to Queen Mary, who was the first homeopathist appointed to the Royal Family, Dr Ivan Magill, famous anaesthetist, and Mr Cedric LaneRoberts, gynaecologist and one of Britain’s foremost obslreticians. Princess Elizabeth’s immediate engagements include the Derby tomorrow and the national festival of youth and sport at Wembley tomorrow evening, the drumhead service of the Grenadier Guards, of which she is Colonel-in-

The position of children born to Princess Elizabeth is not altered by the fact that she is heiress presumptive to the Throne, as the law does not exclude the possibility of the birth of a son to the King.

Princesses do not transmit titles to their children ana therefore no title is provided for the children of Princess Elizabeth until after her succession to the Throne.