ELIGIBLE AS QUEEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 94, 21 April 1944, Page 4

ELIGIBLE AS QUEEN

PRINCESS ELIZABETH IS EIGHTEEN TO-DAY TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY A As from to-day Princess Elizabeth ijf eligible to become Queen of England should anything happen to her father. His Majesty, King George VI. She is 18 years old to-day, and, as has beein indicated in recent Press cable messages from London, has been taking, of late, an increasingly prominent place in public. Representations were made by the Welsh people recently to have Her Highness’ title changed to that ot Princess of Wales, thus adhering to the conception that the next' person to occupy the Throne should be either a Prince or a Princess of Wales. By express wish of her parents, however, there is to be no alteration in status. Recently, during a tour of Wales with her parents, Princess Elizabeth wan hailed by tne people as “Our Princess.” This is the first time since Queen Victoria’s girlhood, more than 100 years ago, that a princess is the heir presumptive to the Throne. Queen Victoria’s accession to the Throne was when she was 18 years of age. She was 12 years old before she was made aware,of the lot lif e had cast for her. When’told she said: “I will be good.” Princess Elizabeth was the world’s best known baby, and she has grown to become its' best-beloved young woman. Hers is th e Royal blood of England and Scotland, and her upbringing has been marked by that common sense which characterised the training of both her father and mother. And in that training her Royal grandmother, Queen Mary, with experience of 26 years on lhe Throne as Consort, has played no small pari. Queen Mary giving freely of her experience in duties that one day will fall to the lot of her grandchild. Naturally, at such a time, there is speculation as to whether Princess Elizabeth will ever become Queen Elizabeth. If a prince was born to the present King and Queen he would become heir presumptive, provided Princess Elizabeth had not been crowned Queen before his arrival. Succession to the Throne at present is in the following order: (1) Princess Elizabeth. (2) Princess Margaret Rose, (3) the Duke of Gloucester (Governor designate of Australia), Prince Edward (son of the late Duke of Kent). In these days of modern uncertainty, when the Crowned heads of nations are in the front line of battle with their subjects, men, women and children, there are few who are confident about making predictions as to how succession to the Throne will devolve. There is emphasis to that in the tragic death of the Duke of Kent. He lost his life in an aircraft accident when on a special mission by air from Britain to Iceland, in August. 1942. The plane crashed in the Highlands of Scotland. The Duke, at that time, was Governor Designate of Australia. Princess Elizabeth, wearing the uniform of the Sea Rangers, visited the National Sea Scout exhibition at the London Scottish Drill Hall, London, on Tuesday. She was enthusiastically welcomed by Sea Rangers, Sea Scouts and a large number of visitors. A fine model of His Majesty’s telegraph ship Iris, the most modern cable ship in the world, attracted her attention. She asked a number of questions about marine cable maintenance.