ROYAL BIRTHDAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21245, 27 July 1932, Page 5

ROYAL BIRTHDAYS

THEY ARE CELEBRATED SIMPLE TASTE? nr IHlt HON. MHS. FRANCES EASCEELES, Aunt of tile Princess Boyal and Enrl of Hnrewood No. -XX. The English people associate Royal birthdays with peals of bells, salutes of guns and with the publication, in case of tho King's anniversary day, of a birthday honours list. Yet Royal birthdays are usually spent very jnnch as arc civilian ones. Perhaps there is. a private dinner party, but only too often the normal activities of busy lives make even such a celebration impossible. It need hardly bo said that the postbag is very heavy on tho occasion of a Eoyal birthday, and both King George, Queen Mary and their children take a genuine interest in seeing what the day has brought to them. Some of the mail is quaint, indeed. For instance, on tho Princo of Wales' last birthday the Queen received a laboriously written note from a very prosaic address, which ran: —"Just a few lines hoping you are the same as this leaves me at present. Wishing your son many happy returns of tho day, for his date I do always remember as lie was born on iny wedding day! " " How kind of her to remember my David!" exclaimed tho Queen, for ail women feel very much alike on their children's birthdays. The Royal birthday Ims always been a family rather than a public event, is recorded of King Edward Vlf, that, !:« arly 60 years ago, when lie was Prince of Wales, the first thing ho said on coming out of the delirium of a fever that nearly .cost him his life, was " This is tiic Princess' birthday!" In those days the Royal Family always spent birthdays and fimily anniversaries in Norfolk if they could manage it, delighting to meet as » family party in the semi-privacy of the Royal house at Sandringham. A Love of Flowers Probably a spirit of reaction accounts for the fact that English Royal women so much appreciate gifts of flowers. Though naturally their birthdays are celebrated by the presentation of many and valuable gifts, yet both Princess Mary and her mother seem most to delight in remembrances taking the form of a oouquct. Both mother and .daughter agree also in loving simple and homely flowers, rather than the exotic and expensive. Primroses and snowdrops, freesias, • even cowslips, they prefer to anything ornate, so long as the flowers are arranged in an individual manner. . For instance, tlio Princess Royal paid an official visit to a'girls' school just before her last birthday, and she was delighted to find that day remembered by tho girls, who sent her a charming bouquet, which consisted entirely of flowers of the school colours. These she was pleased to arrange in her drawing room at Chesterfield House. Later her brother sent her a gorgeous slieaf of tall pink roses, which she decided to use for her birthday party that night, and she had them placed in the smaller dining room, where she and her most intimate friends, would be. So there is no lack of personal appreciation when Royalty has birthday flowers sent. All the same, one cannot wonder at Queen Mary's .very human expression of weariness at the sight of huge pink carnations, surely the most sophisticated of all flowers. Last year the Prince of Wales spent bis birthday quietly at Snnningdalc playing golf, and one can quite believe that to such a busy man this would be a ' greater treat than any organised festivity could be. The Younger Folk Birthdays count little once one is iver 20 years of age, but the younger feneration of the Royal Family are still it the stage when their own particular festival is the brightest day in the year s history. Princess Mary's elder son is unfortunate in having his birthday in the middle of his school term, but his younger brother is more happy, being born in August vacation time \Vork will never interfere with his celebration! Ilis cousin, Princess Margaret Rose, was born exactly six years later, ( on August 21, 1930, so one can safely predict some joint birthday parties when the little girl is old enough to appreciate them. Princess Margaret Rose will be more foitunate than her elder sister, whose first birthday had to be spent without her parents, who were a>vay on their great world tour. In spite of this fact, however, the birthday was celebrated with all due importance with her Royal grandparents. < Princess Elizabeth's fifth birthday was a very happy affair, celebrated at Windsor Castle, where there was quite a family gathering. The King's own chef made the birthdav cake, which was duly decorated with five candles, and, of course, the occasion was celebrated with a wondeiful show of new toys. The Princess Royal s birthday comes only four days later than her niece's, and last year the Queen ftavc her a s her present a leather handbag specially fitted to hold race-card and pencil. '