QUEEN MARY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 9, 30 August 1911, Page 2

QUEEN MARY.

The Old-fashioned Wife and Mother.

gVERY detail of the Coronation emphasised to the European mind the impression it has furmed of the present Queen of England as pions, Puritanical, and impeccable. The relaxation of manners and even of morals which characterised the British aristocracy in the reign of the late King Edward will not be tolerated in the present period of respectability. Women who invade the Divorce Court, wives who live apart from their husbands, and peeresses who tend to be “fast” will receive short shrift at court. The Queen is understood to have set about a drastic

purification of the tone of English society, and those who perceive the to which she has gained sway over the mind of the King do not doubt her ability to enforce her policy of strict correctness. Primarily, as the “London World” says, Queen Alary is a wife and mother, and she is determined that society shall be governed from the standpoint of the wife and mother. It will be correct in households that model their ways to accord with those of the court to have family player*, to attend church regularly and to manifest a decent respect for the conventions. It was thought that Her Majesty might not be so rigorou* in her ideas after a brief period on the throne. On the contrary, she is more straightlaccd than ever. The royal family is to be. it seems, a pattern and an example of respectability to the AngloSaxon world. Queen Mary, in truth, is deeply religious, retaining the evangelical faith in which she was brought up. writes Air. W. T. Stead in the “London Review of Reviews.” Iler religion is more concerned with morals than with imagination, with conduct more than with belief. She ih a regular church-goer and communicant, who is extremely tolerant in her views.

but very punctual in reading her Bible every day; no matter how much work d*a has to do, she always reads her eha-ter She is not attracted either by j Ritual or by low Church; she loxes g music of the organ and the singin-» < " a well-trained choir. She is very f-\d uf singing, and her voice, although n t strong or of great volume, is sxxn i_ ui'l sympathetic. For the modern love even in her teens, the Queen had no faney, but preferred words more in 1 p. ing with her everyday thought< ■ n„> Lost Chord” ami “The Convent ■r” used to be among her favourite soi Her Majesty has much interested srself in the servant problem. She hag

stated that to her mind the real rcct of the imsatisfactoiy state of things is that mistresses are too little xoiicerned about the comfort of those whom they employThey ought, she says, to do everything they ean to make the leisure hours ot their servants as agreeable as pos-ible, ami Her Majosety has practised what she has preached. Both the King and t.’fieeil loathe gambling. The Queen di- 1 ues cards. Die King plays bridge somci ami for small points, but without ti»y enthusiasm. The King is intere-ti iin athletics, but the Queen cares lift’" l 1 nothing for sport of any kind. Sir s;i keen walker ami an enthusiastic n uli” woman. The Queen is always the m th ,r first and everything else after' ' rd’. When she was compelled to part fr< ■> her children in order to accompany I"' 1 band in his tour round the woi ' ’ -he had a cinematograph fixed in the -wal yacht, so that she might be able, nhettever she chose, to see a living and nt- - ing presentment of her little ones playii uid working. The education of the children h-m ‘>l- - been of very great moment t-- tha Queen, says Mr. Stead further; -Ik'

Anxious that they should each be the roughly taught all that others ran teach them, and, therefore, personally arrang'd the system she desired shculd hr followed. Favouring the Kindergarten for the very young —which amuses while It instruct®—the Queen adopted this method for each one at the outset, ofter herself explaining the use and manipulation of the objects employed. Her Majesty, it seems, has never made the mi-take of allowing or encouraging her children to have very long lessons, and here she is in agreement with the most advanced thinkers of our time, who have become aware that veiy serious injury may be done by overtasking young brains. The princess’ own gouvernante and companion. Madame Bricka, had charge of the elder children when they were young, and the tutors to the young Princes wire Air. Hua and Mr. Hansell, under whosp charge they have been taken io see many of (he historic and show places <d London. They have paid their fir-t vi-its to the Tower of London and to the Zoological Hardens with the fresh natural enthusiasm of a country cousin. They aie dnssed plainly, live plainly, and have good serviceable toys which are not easily de-troyed. No pleasanter picture of an English mother amongst her bairns could be seen than that afforded by the Princess of Wales when living quietly at York Cottage. All the children, even to the youngest, came to their mother’s room for tea, and when there was a baby it was brought down and laid on the conch so that the circle might be complete. No more devoted mother ever existed, and in former days to sep one of the family at Sandringham has been generally to see them all. Mother and children would ride or ramble in the park, the father often completing the happy group. Prince Edward has become Prince of Wales, and bonny Princes# Mary the Princess The remaining four bo\s. Prince Albert, Prince Henry, Prine© George, and Prince John will, all being well, figure in the distant future as Royal dukes. The education and upbringii’j of the Royal children has been on eminently modern lines, writes Airs CSarah A. Tooley in the London “Chronicle.'’ At York Cottage, Sandringham, they have passed much of their time in healtny outdoor exercise, and have been very gradually initiated into book learning. They have been trained to use their eyes and their hands, and to acquire knowledge by observation. At l.ho Technical Schools, Sandringham, they practice needlework and woodcarving. Tho young Princes can compete with their sister in cross-stitch and wool crochet, and each year they send some of their handiwork to the Needlework Guild, of <whiich their mother is president. At Sandringham, too, they have been brought up in friendly association with the rural people. The Princes play cricket and football on the recreation grounds with the village 'boys, and practice at the gymnasium, which King Edward provided for the youth of the district. At Christinas they help to entertain the -• hool children, and join in their merry making. -\t Frogmore House, in Windsor Park, the Royal children have delightful recreations. There is a new cri»cket ground for them, where the young Prir - >.» pf iin teams of boys from Eton <’o!h j. ; t nd St. George's, and where Prin- «'<■-* Mary also tries her skill at a game. During the Diabolo craze the Royal children | hived with the keenest zest, ant the young French boy Marcel Meunier gave .1 display of his skill for them at Marllorough House. From Frogmore, too. th \ on delightful picnics to Virgin i M H< 1 where th< br«g “King Edward \ II.” lies moored on the lake. 'Phis smart little craft was provided l»v . 1 indpapaand on it Prince Edward and IT nee Albert took their first lessons in scan anship before they went to ' ’-•■»inr ( ollege, ami now it serves as a training craft for the younger Primes. It is at Frogmore also that the Royal children practice riding and driving, under the tuition of Mr Stratton, who has hern groom to their father for many years. They have two piirs of drisinj p<*nies. one dark and the other the In .iutifu! vream coloured ponies given to th in by Mr George Sanger. The Windsor home farm and dairy, close to Frogumre House, afford the children endless div< rsion, and h ive somewhat eclipsed their old love, the Sindringli.ini Dairy. In the hay mik'ng season they have glorious times in Windsor Great Park.

All the Royal children have cameras, and receive instruct ion from Mr Hua, one of their tutors and a skilled photographer. They vie with each other in filling photographic albums with snapshots, and may possibly have some sympathy with the Pressmen who are not permitted to snapshot them. They have also their postcard albums, which contain quite a wonderful collection of views sent by their parents from the Colonies and India, and many cards signed “From grandpapa.'* Those from Biarritz have a sad s-’gnili-ra nee now. Prince Edward, who is known in th? family 5 ircle as “David,” played the role of elder brother, even in his earliest years. The newcomers were “the children,” for whom his protecting and admonitory care were quite necessary. There were times, however, when the “new boy,*’ as Prime Albert was called, showed signs of rebellion against the nursery sway of his elder brother, and one day their mother was deeply shocked to find them disputing the possession of the rocking horse with blows. But their father said, “Let them have it out; they will be better friends afterwards.” It was the wish of King Edward that his grandsons should receive a naval education; he had seen its value in the case of his own sons, and always regretted that he had not had a similar training in his youth. Accordingly, Prince Edward entered the Royal Naval College, Osborne, and conformed in all respects to the routine life of a cadet. Prince Albeit followed a year later. Prince Edward, who now as Prince of Wales stands so near the Throne, is a great favourite with everybody. He has great charm and dignity, and a happy knack of doing just the right thing. Though his position will preclude him from following the. Navy as a profession, he is a most enthusiastic sailor, and has a great liking for mechanics. He is musical, with a good tenor voice, and has acquitted himself well at college entertainments. He joined the choir shortly after going to Osborne. Princess Mary, the only daughter, ami known from her birth in 1897 as the “Jubilee baby,” is a fine, bonny girl, with fair hair and blue eyes, a high spirit, and a desire to emulate her brothers in most things. She loves her pony and dogs, and likes to be out of doors a? much as possible. -Shopping expeditions with h«-r governess are also a source of great pleasure. She has a Savings Bank account at a West-end Post Office, and transacts the business herself. She is quick and bright at her studies, but not particiilai ly fond of books. The young Princess had already begun her domestic training, and has taken cooking lessons. The chief event of her life, so far, was when she accompanied her parents to the Court of Norway. IShe was somewhat puzzled to know how “Aunt Maud” had become a Queen. (Since her elder brothers left home for college, Princess •Mary has found her chief companion in Prince Henry. They are very much attached to each other, Prince Henry, according to Mrs Tooley, whose article we follow, is an extremely interesting boy. and gives evidence of having musical ability. He is keen ami quick, and proved quite a shrewd critic of Dr. Byrd-Page when he gave a conjuring entertainment on the young Prince's birthday. He volunteered to hold the conjurer’s arm, and did so with a business-like yr ip, determined that he would vet to the bottom of the trick. Prince Henry has tried the thing himself, but, alas! the balls will not vairsh from and return mysteriously to the bag. Prince Albert thinks he might manage the trick if he “had time,” and Princess Mary inclines to the belief that she could do it if she were a boy.