GLOWING TRIBUTE

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3899, 10 May 1937, Page 18 (Supplement)

GLOWING TRIBUTE

DIGNITY OF THE CROWN. A CHARMING CONSORT. “Of the many visitors we have had, I have not met one who asked more sensible questions and showed greater understanding of our fundamental problems. He does like getting to the bottom of things,” was the remark of the manager of a large buisness, one of the principal British manufacturing concerns in the City, in summing up the character and personality of the Duke of York, our present King,” says the London Times. “These words,” the Times adds, “apply equally to his interest in domestic apd Dominion affairs, which is also shown by the diary he has kept of his Australian and New Zealand tour, in which are recorded the people he met and every conversation he had and which afforded something valuable. The Duke of York may to the outsider appear somewhat aloof, but his appearance is deceptive. Five minutes talk with him reveals that he is well informed and anxious to serve his fellow-men, to comprehend their difficulties, and maintain to the fullest the high traditions of his family position. As a boy the Duke of York suffered a slight speech defect, inducing shyness which might have produced lifelong results. Nevertheless, guided by skilled advice, but mainly through his own perseverance and courage, the Duke conquered his infirmity, traces of which only manifest themselves on rare occasions. While the Duke of York is extremely conscious of the dignity of the Crown and all it stands for, he is intensely human, proof of which is shown at his annual boys’ camp. AFFECTIONATE AND UNITED FAMILY. “The Duke possesses an astonishing memory. He is an excellent shot, a good horseman, tennis player, and golfer, a. keen gardener, and has many great qualities and ideals. He has a will of his own, but is always ready to discuss a point with those not agreeing with him. Advice from responsible quarters is not taken amiss. “His consort shares the Duke’s high ideals, and apart from her personal charm has the gift of quickly putting people at ease. She has ail unfailing sense of humour and an imperturbable temper. Every' genuine case of suffering appeals to her sympathy, but she is swift to detect the professional begging letterwriter. The Duchess’s powers of observation are acute, and there is little she does not notice when making visits. The committees of hospitals and public institutions would be astonished if they heard her private comments, especially when there has been a superabundance of eye-wash, which both she and the Duke abominate. That is one of the reasons why the Princesses have been brought up in an atmosphere of simplicity. Realising how Princes Elizabeth might get her head turned, they have forbidden flattery and adulation, but she and her sistei- have been taught to acknowledge properly the greetings of crowds, good manners being strictly insisted upon. The Duke and Duchess of York have aimed to educate their daughters to be natural, ’ unselfish, and unspoilt, in which they have been remarkably successful. Both of them love animals, keenly enjoy life, and are devoted to their parents.

“A more affectionate and united family it would be impossible to find, or one more ready to carry out more whole - heartedly any task, however onerous.”