"LITTLE DUCHESS" WHO BECAME QUEEN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 94, 7 May 1937, Page 23 (Supplement)

"LITTLE DUCHESS" WHO BECAME QUEEN

Devoiion to Her Family and People HER LIFE AND TRAINING The imfofned pleaiure of Theh*. Majesties King George V. And Queen Mary at the betrothal of their tecond wm to Lady Elizabeth Boww-Lyon, daughter of ihe Earl and Counteu of Strathmore, wai shared by thdr subject* in Ihe Mother Country and across Ihe uu, The young Pjnnce's admiration for thi» charming girl who wai so often chosen a* his dance partner had long been ro- , marked in Ihe Royal Family circle.

She had on. seviral OccaSiOns aetfcd as his hostess at Glamis Castle, ihe; ancient stroaghoid of ths Strathmoreaf, with it» frowning battleraects mad ghoatly legends; with its itraage tale of * room which appeared at long in* tervals, and then disappe&red again, and & family secret xevealed only to the eldest son of the linej its stone* fiaggfcd halls lined with snits of ancient armour. No wonder tihia daughter of a proud Scottish house, tracing its descent from the IQngs of Beotland, had grown up with a deep sense of its traditions and fuli of the romantic loro of her race and couatryaide. s Beautiful, gay, a delightfnl dancer, with an eager and vital approach to life, she was extremely popular and much sooght after. Thongh ahe early xeciprocated the Prinee's love, it is said that she hesitatea long over her answer to his proposal of marriage, tnowing, as she was bound to tio, what aceeptance might demapd of her in duty and nnstinted service. "I dare* •ay she was very much afraid of the position, but she just found she could mot do without liim," said one of her elosest friends after the engagement Was annonneed.

Wedding and Honeymoon. * In Sootiand the news was received With especial joy. Like her mother, the Countess of Strathmore, the Lady ; Elixabeth was admlred and respeeted i for her practipal capabilities and gifts of mind and character. She had played a larger part than is generaUy known in the organisatioa and day-to-day running of Glamis Castle as a war hospital durlng 1917 and 1918, »nd carried much of the hurdon on her \ yonng shoulders. The long and serions ; illness of her mother had made it ; neeessary for her to take over many of the dnties of ihe chatelaine of Glamis after ihe war ended, and she had consequently become known to a veiy Iarge circle. Bnt Scotland was not alone in «x-j pressing delight at this Royal love-story. ' On her wedding day her eharmingly nnaffected manner and evident happieese won her the heart of the whole eonntiy. The honeymoon waa spent ftrct at Bolesdea Iaoey, the beantiful eonntry house of the Hon. Mrs Ronald GreviUe, with its wonderful velvety lawns and fine vlew of the Surrey hills, "and then at Glamis, where "the wee Duchess," as . she was affectionately .known among her own people, was able ,to share with her husband that rich itreasury of Highland history and legend -which had been the delight of her ,e£i3dhood years.

Her First Home The first London home of the Duke and Duchess of York was White Lodge, the house in Richmond Park where King George V. and Queen hfaiy, in those days Dake and Duchess of York, had iived when their eldest son, afterwards King Edward VHl., was born. Qneen Mary took a special pleasure in helpxng the yonng Duchess to give a person*! tonch to the infcerior of "White Lodge by the arrangement of the many weddipg -presents and, with her help; the house became a very charming home, expressive alike of the personalities and tastes of the yonng couple who Hved in it. Goon personal preference for a peacefol coantry life had to give way before the pressnre of public duties. The new Duchess 't personality was so attractive that she was in more than norma! deraaad for ehgagements of every kind. Her first important mission was to aeeewpany her husband to Jugoslavia, where the Duke was standing as godfather to the baby Prince, now King. As a consequence of this visft began ihe friendship with Prince Paul, now Begent of Jugoslavia, 'which has been strengthened in recent years by the Minage of the Duke of Kent to h!s Wife's sister, Princess Marina of | Greece. After an oflcial visit to Ireland J

.-the Duke and -.Duchess wero aHe to spend a very enjojrable hdliday in East Af rica, where they Whfit on safSri, and i found exc^llsnt shootiag. A Radiant Mothft. In Apnl 1926 there was mucn .pleasurable anticipation when it becami* known that the Duke and Duchess had moved into the london home of the Duchess 's parents for the birth bf hep: first chihL Princess Elisabeth was a strong, healthy child, with golden hair and a sunny disposition. The happinesc of the JEtoyal parents now seemed complete, The Duchess was a radiantlv happy and succ§ssful mother. It was known that, with characteristic thordughness, she had, before Her marriage, nndertaken a course of tralnfag in the mothereraft meihods of the Hew Zealand cHid specialist, Sir Truby King. As nurse for her baby, she was especially fortunate in the. servi-ces o' one who, as Lady StratEinorfe 's nurse. watched over her own babyhood Move to London. After the tour of Kew Zealand and Australia began the xeal home life oi the Boyal couple, for White Lodge ».having proved too far from London for | such husy people, they moved into 145 Piccadilly, which remained their home until after their accession to the throne.

Por the birth of her second child, in August 1930, the Duchess went nortt | to Glamis. There was great satisfaction in Scotland at the news, for no Royal baby had been born north of the Tweed since Charles I. was born at Dunfernline in 1600. Now, after four hundred years, the grandehild. of the reigning King would have a Scottish mother and a Scottish bixthplace. Scotland gave thb little Princess Margaret Rose an nnstinted welcome, An immense bonfire, lit' with the same torches which had kindled the Duchess 's wedding bonfire seven years earller, blaxed before the. Castle; and ihe baby Princess, held np to the window, blinked in wonderment at her first view bf the world. In *ll the thirteen years of her marriage, the Queen hae quictly, smilingly and untiringly carried out a programme of engagements which hae left her hut little timo for the home li# e to which she and her husband love to devote themselvei. ha spite of this, she has managed to prganise her home down to the last detail, to supervise the daily arrai^gement and preparation of menus, to act as hoetess on innumerable occasions and to remain the ideal , mother anfi compani'on of her- children.

Planning Her Dayl She is noted for her tidy mind, and organises her timo in the most thorough way. Her first task on waking is to go through her eorrespondence wiih her lady-in-waiting, and then earefully through her diary, making a ttmetable for the day, which has to be carried out to the minute, if she is to be in time for her many publie engagements. At this fiiet conference, too, the Qneen decides what dresses she will wear, her varied dnties often necessitating several changes dnring the day. But having once arranged her programme, she carries it out with aa apparent spontaneity which aceonnis in great part for the happy impression she always makes on those who meet her. Love of ihe Stage. Nor do domestic and public duties make up the whole of her life. f ihe has re&l musjtcal taste, and is a great lover of the ballet, which she attends when* ever she can spare the time. It is said that she has suggested to oue of the jounger British ballet produce!* that he should create a Scottish ballet. fonnded on the traditional melodies of her uative country, and with the strikingly picturesque costumes of her Highland forbears. She prefers the theatre to the cinema, but, as Dnke and Duchess. she and her husband have often slipped away together for a visit to the "pictures" in their Tare leisuro moments. On oceasional evenings at home she is able to Indnlge her love of resding, while she shares her husband 'a interest l in the wireless set with which he is so I

fond of experimenting. Both have a strong sense of colour and desig*, which finds expression in the art of petit point embroidery, and many restful honrs have been spent creating beautiful covers for a set of chairs at their country home, Royal Lodge, Windsor, It is at Royal Lodge that the Qneen can satisfy her love of outdoor life, with her horses and favounte dogs-. Her special pet is Qhoo-Choo, a beautiful little Tibetan lion dog — an arislocrat. of ancient lineage — though she loves, too, to share with her children the less dignifled society of their family of Welsh corgis. She is a keen and knowledgeable gardener, and was often consulted in this capacity "by King Edward "Vill., who greatly appreciated his sister-in-law's .clear and praetfcal mind and sympafhetic point of view. Queen's Dresses In clothes the Queen's excellent taste is wcll known. With her graceful figure sind manner she can wear almost any of the current etyles to advantag'e, but her appearance is characterised by regard for suitability and a complete lack of cstentafion. Avoiding all extremes of fashion, her clothes are always eminently wearable, and it is eommon knowledge that bnyers for the American market make a point of attending functions at which she is to be present, in order to be in a position to offier similar designs to their clientele. 3k Scotland and for 'country wear, she often chooses a tartan skirt, worn with a phort tailored jacket in dark cloth br velvet, and when at Royal Lodge, her *wo Httl® girls are dressed simllarly, with kllts and hand-knitted sweaters. Por day occasions In Town, she ie fond of all the shades of grey j and beige, usually choosing a fulllength coat to wear over a dress of

similar material, with a collar of fox as a soft frame to her face. She likes white for the evening, and often chooses white satin, which forms an admirable baekground for her beautiful jewels and the richly eoloured ribbons of the various Orders with which King George Y. and her husband have honoured her. Her hair is very dark brown, and for a long time she wore it parted in the middle with a soft fringe over her forehead. It is said that once she seriously considered having if shingled, but was dissuaded by King George V. who very much disliked short hair. Since her accession, ehe has changed the style, and now wears it parted on ihe left temple, and drawn back in soft waves over her ears to a low knot at the nape of the neck, whilst the fringe no longer appears. Her eyes are beautiful and unusiu&l. Rather light grey-blue in colour, they are fringed with long black lashes— - true Celtie eyes, which aTe said to betolcen seeond-sight in their owners. However this may be, it is rumoured that second sight ruhs in the Strathmore family and th'at if is possessed by the Queen's brother David. When word came that his brother Michael was ''missing," believed to be killed., during the war, he refused to believe it, and was proved right, for after weary months of waiting for news, Michael Bowes-Lyon was traced to a German prison camp, whence he was safely repatnated at the end of the war, Secure in the affection of her husband, her children and the people of her Empire, Queen Elizabeth sets out on a life of renewed and consecrated service. Her youth, her wide range of interests and her democratic interest in the life of the people are omehs of good for Britain, and through Britain for the whole world.