SERVICE OF ROYALTY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22004, 10 January 1935, Page 11

SERVICE OF ROYALTY

EX-MEMBERS OF STAFF CHAT WITH PRINCE HENRY INTERVIEW IN BRISBANE To have a private interview with the Duke of Gloucester, when he was in Brisbane, was an honour that fell to Mr. and Mrs. G. Coe, of Bundaberg, and members of their familv.

For 35 years Mr. Coe was employed in the kitchen gardens and at the stud farm at Sandringham, while Mrs. Coe was in the household service for 25 years. One son, Mr. J. H. Coe, now of Greenslopes, was for 10 years an under-keeper in the pheasantries, and the husband of one daughter, Mr. Arthur Lee, is now head keeper on the Royal estate, and received his long service medal four years ago. Mr. Coe's father, and Mrs. Coe's brother were pensionei's of the Royal service, while Mr. Coe's sisters are still at Sandringham.

It is 20 years since Mr. and Mrs. Coe emigrated to Australia, says the Brisbane Telegraph, but the Duke remembered both, and chatted informally to them for more than half an hour. In the morning Mr. Coe and his son had been invited to Parliament House to have an audience with the Prince, and when he heard that Mrs. Coe and her daughters were in Brisbane ho arranged immediately that they all should come that evening. He was very much amused when Mr. Coe, in conversation, recalled how the Prince used to ride on a tricycle through the kitchen gardens.

Cablegram to the King

No one else was present during the interview, and Mrs. Coe said that the Duke seemed delighted to see them, and talked without any stiffness whatever, saying that he would send a cablegram next day to the King and Queen, to tell them of the meeting. He promised also to call on Mrs. Lee personally when he returned to England. The kitchen gardens, he told Mr. Coe, were now exactly as'they were 20 years ago.

Mrs. Coe's reminiscences of the Royal family are most interesting. All the children, she said, were brought up without any extravagant tastes. Queen Mary, she said, was thoroughly domesticated and took a great interest in every phase of the household work. One day at Park House, where Mrs. Coe was also employed for a time, the Queen made one of her customary tours of the kitchens. Noticing one of the scullery maids peeling potatoes rather thickly, she said, "Oh dear, oh dear, what waste!" The woman responsible was a little upset afterward, but Mrs. Coe pointed out to her that it was only because the Queen disliked to see any waste when there were thousands of poor people without sufficient food.

Interesting Souvenirs

Mr. and Mrs. Coe have many interesting souvenirs of their service with the Royal family, which included part of the reign of King Edward and Queen Alexandra. They have coronation cards from King George and Queen Mary, and also cards of invitation to the wedding dinner in honour of their present Majesties. They also hold a death badge of the Duke of Clarence, in which the Duke of Gloucester was much interested, as he said he had not seen one before. It is a white satin cross, which was pinned on the breast of the Duke of Clarence when he was taken from Sandringham to Wolfenden before his funeral 43 years ago.