KING AND MAGIC BEAM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20851, 18 April 1931, Page 3 (Supplement)

KING AND MAGIC BEAM.

QUEEN MARY "TRAPPED."

INCIDENT AT EXHIBITION. The King crossed the invisible ray—the magic unseen beam which guards the Shah of Persia's crown jewels—when he went to the Persian Art Exhibition at the Royal Academy recently, and, without realising it, " trapped " the Queen in one of the adjoining rooms. No one enjoyed the joke better or laughed morn heartily than the King himself when he heard later how the invisible ray had made a " prisoner " of the Queen. She was so absorbed in the tapestries and carpets that she stayed behind while the King continued his tour, accompanied by Mr. Arthur Pope, one of ihe directors of the exhibition.

The King stood for a time before the Shah's treasures and heard from Mr. Pope how the invisible ray, if crossed, would raise an alarm throughout the Academy, swing burglar proof duors across the entrances to all the salons, and switch on red danger lights all over the building. The King was thrilled and, in order to satisfy his curiosity, stepped across the beam. Off went the hooter with its deafening call to the attendants, up went the warning red lights, and the great doors swung into position.

The Queen, still absorbed in the carpets in the room beyond, exclaimed. "What's that?" and Mrs. Pope, who was escorting her round the exhibition, explained that it was the invisible ray at work. When she rejoined the King later, the Queen was greatly amused to hear from hint how he had " trapped ' her