ROYAL FAMILY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20491, 17 February 1930, Page 15

ROYAL FAMILY.

DUKE AND DUCHESS OF YORK

DETAILS OF MARRIED LIFE

Before his marriage to the Duchess, tho Dulco of York was chiefly known as tho student among tho members of the Royal Family. If there was any question of social moment, any question of works management, then tho Duke of York was called in lo advise his father or his older brother, writes Evelyn Graham, oflicial autobiographer. Since his marriage tho Duke has not forgotten his old enthusiasms; indeed, they havo even grown since his wedding. For t,ho Duchess, in pursuit of her ambition to heip her husband in his work, has proved an eager pupil, and there arc few decisions that lie comes to nowadays in his official duties in this sphere on which ho has not had tho assistance of his wife's advice.

Though generally they both havo too nuich work to do to attend any but the most important functions in each other,s company, tho Duchess has taken up hei share of tho Hoy id welfaro work, and visits settlements and factories nearly as much as her husband. When slio goes there, however, sho is interested largely in the domestic aspect rather than tho economic aspect of affairs. It is largely a question of the difference between a woman's outlook and a man's. The Duke, on being shown over a settlement of ex-servicemen or over a factory, is interested in how each process is cailied out. In what accommodation the men havo for washing, for recreation, for rest. Tho Duchess is more interested to know how they live, what sort of houses they have, and whether their rents are high or low. The Duke and Duchess do not always quito agree with each other, however, in matters concerning their public work. Sometimes they even have friendly arguments.

" If I can see what a man's home is like," once said the Duchess, " if I can see whether it is clean and tidy, and can talk to his wife and ( see whether she is a neat and happy'woman, then I know whether the man is happy in his work and whether that work is being done woll."

To See for Themselves. " Yes," replied the Duke, " that is all very well, but I cannot advise a man whom lo marry, nor a woman how to keep her home neat and tidy. What I can see is whether the works are being run efficiently, whether the men "havo room lo wash, and time to rest, and whether their games arc keen and well organised. "Jf those games are well run and the moi< are keen, then the works are as efficient as I could wish for, and outside that there is nothing that I can do."

There you have the difference between the outlooks of tho Duchess and tho Duke on social problems, and there you havo probably the essential difference between any good man and any good woman ,on the question. Both of them are equally right, both of them are working for tho same end, but tho paths that they are taking toward them are entirely different. There is one aspect of the question, however, on which the Duke and Duchess arc at one, and that is a determination to see everything for themselves. It would be much easier for them to allow themselves to bo conducted round factory or hospital like sheep and to see only, that which tljey were intended to see.

The Duke and Duchess both refuse to do this. Within reason they insist on taking their own itinerary, and it takes a very skilful works manager lo prevent them seeing the worst, as well as tho best sido of any factory. There is one other branch of work of a social nature that I should like to mention, and that is tho duty of the Duke of York as Lord High Commissioner in Scotland. This task, too, brings us a view of the Duchess in her own land.

It was quite recently that there devolved on the Duke the ceremony of opening the Presbyterian Assembly in Scotland. Since wo'are dealing with the married life of the Duke and Duchess we havo but little concern here with tho ceremonial and tho pageantry of that office. What we are more concerned with is the opinion that her fellow Scots have of the Duchess and her Royal husband. In Scotland it is the one place that they never forget that the Duchess of York is a daughter of the Earl of Strathmore and is Scottish to the core. . Jacobite Sentiment.

There is still a relic of the Jacobite sentiment in Scotland, though it is more a tradition than anything else. While the Duke and Duchess of York were in Scotland ' [ was present at a small dinner of some young Scotsmen in whose families the Jacobite tradition runs very strong. They are mostly very young men, and rather foolishly, no doubt, they are accustomed to drink their first toast to the King across the water, over their finger bowls. When tho port came rouild I was expecting , that tho usual toast would be drunk. 'Then our president got up. "To tho grandfather of our Scottish Princess," ho said. And we drained our glasses at a draught. Among the ordinary Scots, however, there is no trace of this Jacobito tradition. Tho King of England is for them the King of Scotland, and there's an end of it. But it cannot bo denied that there was a really strong feeling of joy when the Duke chose a Scottish bride, and uppermost in tho minds of many a Scottish peasant is the realisation that Princess Elizabeth is half-Scot.

I shall never forget tho words of an old Scottish peasant ono day when the Duchess was staying at Glamis Castle. " Yes," sho said, terminating a long discussion on the Duko of York. " Ho had the whole world to pick and choose from, but when he wanted a bride it was to Scotland that ho had to come."