WIDELY POPULAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 207, 1 September 1934, Page 9

WIDELY POPULAR

PRINCE GEORGE’S ROMANCE HOPE OF THE YUGO SLAVIANS THE WISHING BELL TOLLED k ßy Telegraph—Press —Copyright' LONDON, Aug. 31. The Daily Telegraph’s Hied correspondent .says that Prince George declared this afternoon that he intends to fly to London next week with Princess Marina and present her to the King and at Balmoral. During a luncheon at Prince Paul's villa, a Slovene girl in picturesque national costume, presented Prince George and Princess Marina with a dish of Yugoslav national sweet duicasa, saying: “May your love continue throughout life a? sweet as this dulcasa.” The Post Office at Bled has been overwhelmed with congratulatory telegrams, and e-ght extra officials were urouglit in to meet the emergency. The Prince this afternoun rowed Princess Marina to a romantic i.dund in the centre of Lake Bled. Here, hand in hand, they mounted 160 steps leading to the ancient Chapel to the Virgin and toiled the famous wishing bell, which is reputed to make every wisn while the bell is tolled come true. The Prince is proving himself a good sportsman and has already shot tnree chamois. Princess Marina accompanied him, but dovs not shoot. It is understood that Princess Marina’s talents are pronouncedly feminine. She has a light hand for pastry, can. make beds, play the piano, and paint. Moreover, she makes her own frocks. The income of Prince Nicholas since he left Greece has been mainly the outcome of the sale of his mother’s jewels. So far the only ference of opinion between Prince George and Princess Marina is that he smokes American cigarettes and she Jugoslav brand. Equerry’s Statement In a message from Lake Bled, Major Butler, Prince Guorge’s equerry, revealed that the engagement was arranged live days alter his arrival in Jugo-Slavia, though the Prince hud no intention of marrying when he left England. The Prince announced the news at a family gathering attended by Prince Nicholas, Princesses Helena and Marina, when the party was on the point of going to Salzburg. They kept it a secret until it was announced in London in a Court circular, The Prince’s Return Prince George is expected to return J to England at about the end of next week. He will then go to see the King at Balmoral to discuss the date of the marriage and other plans. ANOTHER ROYAL MATCH. HOLLAND AND SWEDEN LONIDON, Aug. 30. It is understood that Princess Juliana, of Holland, is betrothed to Prince Bertil of Sweden. PRINCE NICHOLAS PLEASED PASSIONATELY FOND OF ENGLAND Received Aug. 31, 8.45 p.m. LONDON, Aug. 31. Prince Nicholas, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail by telephone, said that the young couple were ideally happy and had expressed a wish to be married as soon as possible. “I, myself, love England passionately,” said the Prince. “When our child is there it will be like returning to the happy days I used to spend when I visited my beloved Aunt Alexandra and the delightful English people. I want to thank the people of tho British Empire for the way they have received the engagement. Princess Marina is of the GreekOrthodox faith, and therefore no religions difficulties arc involved in the match. To find a common ancestor of the couple it is necessary to go back three generations, . to King Christian IX. of Denmark whom both the young people claim as a great grandfather. Christian w*as the father of Queen Alexandra, Prince George’s grandmother, and also of the Princess’ grandfather, Ge-orge 1., King of the Hellenes and founder of the present exiled Greek Royal House. Princess Marina is the youngest of the three daughters of Prince Nicholas, a younger brother of the late King Constantine of Greece, and uncle of the present ex-King., George IT. In spite of her title, the Princess is not Greek by descent. Her lineage on the paternal side is that of the Royal House of Denmark, or. to be more exact, the House of SchleswigHolstein Sonderbucg Glucksburg. On the side of her mother, tho former Grand Duchess Helen, she is a descendant of the Romanoffs, from whom came also her paternal grandmother, the late Queen Olga of Greece.