AWKWARD PRESENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 124, 22 November 1932, Page 11

AWKWARD PRESENTS

PRINCE'S SIX BRIDES

It is an inflexible rule of the British Eoyal Family that its members,should not accept presents from strangers. And one of themost difficult of the problems tliat face King Georgo and Queen Mary and their sons is how-to refuse gifts— some very valuable —offered to them in ignorance of this rule, without hurting the feelings of the donors (writesa correspondent). , The recent birthdays of tllo King and Queen which occurred within eight days of each other, saw the usual flood of gifts to Buckingham Palace from leyal subjects—whose disappointment at getting them back had to be assuaged to the best of the ability of the' Eoyal secretariat. • • . . ■ When the Duke of York became engaged to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, scores of- very valuable gifts were 'sent to'the Duko by strangers. Each one was returned from -the office 'of the King's private secretary, a poUtelyworded note informing the' sender thatit, was contrary to etiquette to. accept a'wedding gift from anyone, who was not a personal friend. ' As the most-travelled member of the Eoyal Family, the Prince of Wales has had more embarrassing gifts than probably "any other man in tho world, and has developed a technique of his own for dealing with, them. But even his tact must have been taxed to the utmost by the problems which confronted him with half a dozen dusky maidens cent him by. an African chief. Thia was

in the heart of the jungle during the Prince's last hunting trip, and the bevy of damsels arrived at his camp 'without any warning. An interpreter explained that they wer.e sent by the chief, to be the Prince's brides. SILVER FRYING- PANS. ' _ . The Prince replied that in his country a man could have only, one wife, and added that the girls were all so beautiful he could not choose among them. Sending a gift to the chief and something to each of tho girls as an extra proof of his appreciation of the honour done him, the Prince was able to dispose of the awkward ''present*' without causing trouble. Another problem is what.to do with sotue of the presents the Royal Family are obliged to accept. The lion and lioness presented to the King by the Emperor of Abjrssinia, for instance, had to be sent.to the London Zoo for safe keeping. And it. must have puzzled Queen Victoria to know what to do with the silver frying pan she received every Christmas from a King of Siam. It became known recently that King George could not get certain broadcasting stations on the wifeless receiver he was then using, and at once s* flood of radio sets and of- offers of others- began pouring in.