TWO ROYAL CHILDREN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23019, 22 April 1938, Page 3

TWO ROYAL CHILDREN

RUGS USED FOR EDUCATION NURSERY RHYMES PORTRAYED A firm belief in the educational value of nursery rhymes and fables is held by the Duchess of Kent, who has had some of them woven into two most interesting rugs for her children. Prince Edward's rug depicts seven favourite English rhymes woven in gaily coloured Scottish wools, and Princess Alexandra's rug is inscribed in her mother's childhood tongue —French —illustrating 34 of Lafontaine's fables. One. day these hand-made rugs, each 7ft. Gin bv 4ft. Gin. will become heirlooms in the Royal Family. Experts believe that they arc capable of three centuries of hard wear. The animals on the rugs have provided the Royal babies with their first adventures in tho world of imagination. Nurse Smith is called on to relate how the cow jumped over the moon; this makes tho centre panel in Prince Edward's rug. Ho never tires of hearing about the various nursery rhymes. The little Prince is to learn to count from his rug, claims a Daily Telegraph and Morning Post correspondent. The figures are printed down tho left side, and 110 will say the alphabet from the letters printed across the top and bottom. All her five names, Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel, and the date of her birth in French are woven into Princess Alexandra's more cosmopolitan rug, from which sho will make acquaintance with Lafontaine's animal characters. Each rug contains five to six million stitches, took six girls a year to do, and is inscribed with the name of the London needlework carpet artist, Mr. Pontremoli.