QUEEN MARY AT HOME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22543, 7 October 1936, Page 4

QUEEN MARY AT HOME

OVERSEAS LEAGUE TEA A delightful glimpse of Queen Mary and her village at Saiidringham was given to members of the Overseas League yesterday, when Mrs. Alfred Watt, M.A., 0.13.10., world president of the Associated Countrywomen of the World, was entertained at morning tea. Mrs. Watt, who was accompanied by Miss 10. Smart, was received by Mrs. J. T. F. Mitchell and bv Mrs. J. Alexander, wife of the president of the league. Other visitors who were present were Mrs. W. Deans, of Christehurch, Dominion president of the Women's Institutes, Mrs. Stanley Phillips, president of the Auckland Federation of Women's Institutes, Mrs. W. 'I capo, vice-president of the Auckland Federation, Mrs. Arthur Cherry, a member of the federation executive, and Mrs. M. 1. Forrest, of Winnipeg. £ Queen Mary, Mrs. Watt said, had from the first shown a great interest in the women's institutes, and wished to found one at the village attached to Saiidringham. She therefore asked Mrs. Watt to act as organiser, and the latter, not without some trepidation, accordingly went to Saiidringham and addressed the Queen, Princess Mary and their ladies, and the villagers on tho founding and work of an institute, and Inter on tho life and work of farm women of different countries. It was, tho speaker said, a revelation to Her Majesty and the ladies of the Court to discover what a great debt the Empire owed to its agricultural pioneers. Little anecdotes concerning incidents of this memorable afternoon, of the kindness, ready sympathy and remarkable memory of the Queen, made Mrs. Watt's informal talk something quite out of the ordinary. The ladies in waiting, she said, were rather dubious about tho success of the institute, for the fact that 200 people travelled with the late King George and Queen Mary when they came to Saiidringham meant that their social strata were very diverse, and the village was somewhat different from the average. However, the organisation was started and was still nourishing, and the Queen played a very active part in its work. At the conclusion of her talk, Mrs. Watt showed those present tho badge of tho Associated Countrywomen of the World, which was designed by her son, and members were also able to see copies of the association's magazine and tho book which had been published on subjects of interest to women.

The clubrooms were decorated with Tccland poppies and tiger lilies, and during the function bouquets were presented by Mrs. Alexander to Mrs. Watt and tho visiting ladies.