THE ROYAL TOUR

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20717, 30 January 1939, Page 6

THE ROYAL TOUR

PREPARING THE REPULSE ti SUITES OF ROOMS QUEEN’S OWN FURNITURE (Times Air Mail Service) LONDON, January G The King and Queen will have their own furniture in the battle cruiser Repulse when they cross the Atlantic to Canada in her in May, says the Naval reporter of the Daily Express. Dining and drawing room suites from the royal yacht Victoria and Albert are to be transferred as soon as the building- of their apartments in the ship is completed. Ten extra cabins/ are being put on the open deck alongside the superstructure. They will make the Repulse suitable for use afterwards as a flagship, which carries extra staff.

The quarters normally occupied by Lhe captain are being refitted for the use of the King and Queen. There will be a big day cabin and study for the King, and a dining-room the whole width of the ship. All the cooking will he done in teh existing captain’s galley. Fitted as Boudoir

The captain's sleeping cabin will be the King’s bedroom, and his spare cabin the Queen’s. An extra bathroom is being installed for the Queen’s use.

The captain will have lo live in the small sea-cabin on Ihe bridge, which lie uses in the ordinary way only while the ship is at sea. Vice-Admiral Sir Dudley North, who commands tho royal yachts and is responsible for the King’s safety at sea, will probably be in the Repulse for the cruise. One of the extra cabins being built on the port side is to be fitted up as a boudoir for the Queen. It will have dainty hangings, a pile carpet, and comfortable chairs. The lighting equipment of the impulse has been affected hardly at all by lhe changes. One 4-inch gun lias been disniounled to make a sun lounge above the King's dining-room. Stored In Hangar Two other 4-inch guns of old pattern have been removed from the space on which the new cabins are being built, but they were due to be replaced by more modern guns in other positions. Many of lhe officers will have to give up their cabins to members of lhe suite and “double up” for the lime being in two-berth cabins with oilier shipmates. The whole of the twenty-five tons of baggage for the royal party will be stored in one of teh hangars. It will be loaded and unloaded by the cranes that normally hoist in the ship’s airplanes. The royal barge from lhe Victoria and Albert will be used for all trips between ship and shore. The piano mi the royal apartments is also to lie transferred from the Victoria and Al-