AWAY FROM CITY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20893, 24 November 1937, Page 12

AWAY FROM CITY

QUEEN MARY MAY ACQUIRE A COUNTRY HOME The fashion for having a country home within easy reach of London grows steadily in popuiartiy, states a London correspondent. There is now talk of Queen Mary acquiring a country house. In this she will be following the example set by many members of her family. The King and Queen, of course, have Royal Lodge for their country home, as distinct from their many official residences. Here they can live informally and enjoy the simplicity of an ordinary home life. The Duke and Duchess of Kent spend most of their week-ends at Soppins, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester stay at Aidershot, the Duke of Connaught has for many years had a country house at Bagshot, and Queen Mary’s brother, the Earl of Athlone, with his wife, Princess Alice, live a good part of the year at Brantridge Park, their Sussex home. Sussex is spoken of as a probable choice for Queen Mary. It is a county she knows well and loves, and, within a 50-miie radius of town, unspoilt country can still be enjoyed. It is certain that Queen Mary would be in her element planning and furnishing a country house, for she has a genius for home-making, and it is no secret that the present perfection of the Royal palaces is very largely due, not only to the practical Interest which she has shown in them for so long, but also to her extraordinarily wide knowledge of period furnishings and her fine taste in art.