THE QUEEN AS MILLINER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2951, 24 November 1900, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE QUEEN AS MILLINER.

(JI.A.P.) In her younger days, the Queen had a great taste for millinery, and nob only decided how her hats and bonnets were to. be made, but occasionally, with her own Royal hands, trimmed or altered them! Her Majesty, of course, could not often find time to indulge her fancy for millinery work, but whenever the opportunity occurred she generally included it in her recreations. Being, as a rule, an excellent sailor, she usually sat on the deck of the Royal yacht when crinsing in fine weather, / and during her first crossing to Ireland, in 1849, astonished some of the officers and crew by having an untrimmed straw bonnet, some ribbons and a feather, -with needles, cotton, etc., brought to the place where she was sitting under an awning. Then, after a little consideration, the Queen set to work deftly arranging the ribbons, altering a bow here, a knot there, until she was satisfied with the effect, finally putting in the feather in most coquettish style. After this, her Majesty descended to her cabin, taking the bonnet with her.

The Queen always 'took the greatest interest in the clothes her children wore. She would only allow simple and comparatively inexpensive materials for her little girls’ gowns, freshness and simplicity being the keynotes to the Royal children’s toilettes. In summer, the Princesses wore washing frocks and pHjn white straw hats trimmed with ribbons, even when accompanying the Queen to the public functions they were occasionally allowed to attend.