Queen a Real Democrat

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21379, 23 June 1939, Page 14

Queen a Real Democrat

A “sing-song” on a British battleship; rollicking choruses, laughter; good-fel-lowship. A Marine is pounding the keys of a piano accompanying a charming lady who is singing lustily “I’ve Never Seen a Straight Banana.’’ And the singer —none other than she who is now Queen Elizabeth. This is one of the many pleasant memories recalled as a result of the Royal visit to Canada by a Sydney journalist who was on the Renown when the present King and Queen visited Australia and New Zealand as. Duke and Duchess of York in 1927. What the social routi for the King and Queen would be when travelling on a passenger liner, as they did on the voyage to Canada, he could not say, but there was no doubt that their open manner would win many friends. “They are two cf the most charming and natural people one could ever wish to meet,” he said. “They are most democratic, and have the gift of putting everybody at ease immediately they meet them.” Describing life on the Renown during the Voyage, the journalist said the atmosphere of friendliness about the Royal couple was communicated to all parts of the ship. “There was nothing aloof about the Duke and Duchess,” he said. “Although they had their own reserved deck space, they mingled freely with the officers and others on board, and attended ship’s concerts. “The Duchess, as she then was, delighted everybody with her singing of the song, ‘l’ve Never Seen a Straight j Banana.’ “The Duke could tell a good story, and related once how a bearded photographer. who was particularly anxious to photograph him. became involved in an embarrassing situation. “The photographer was having difficulty with his camera, and this nx -nt that the Duke had to pose for some time. The man got his picture, ‘but.’ said t. a Duke, ‘in his excitement he got his whiskers ‘angled up with his shutter.’”