THE ROYAL FAMILY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 147, 9 July 1937, Page 4

THE ROYAL FAMILY

Press Assoaiation. j

Interesting Event Is Rumoured

(By Telegraph

WELLINGTON, Last Night. Private letters from prominent? New Zealanders in England report a persistent rumour that there may be an interesting event in the Royal Family at the end of the year. ' Consistently, in England, it appears to be reported that the Queen may shortly retire from public engagements and the public eagerly awaits the confirmation of this report. It is stated that the reason the family of their Majesties is not bigger is entirely due tb the circumstances atteuding the birth of the two little Princesses. In both cases, well-informed quarters declare, surgical aid had to be sought and in such cases families are usually restricted to two children, medical opinion being against submitting the mother to a third operation. Princess Elizabeth is now 11 years old and Princess Margaret Rose will be seven years old next month, when the Queen will * be 37. She was married at the age of 22. It is believed in England, it appears from the communications received, that the attitude of their Majesties towards the succession has been that matters should not i'est as they are and that tlie handing on of thcjMonareliy to the Princess Elizabeth wonld give liei" too grent a ta.sk for a woman. Tlie King, of course, is still only 41 and may reasonablv expeefc to eelebrate his Silver Jubilee as a sovereign, in which event the Princess would be of mature age when she as- ' cended the Throne. However, statements in England are that, though the circumstances may not "be unattended with peril for the Queen, their Majesties anticipate a third child Which, it is hoped, will be a boy.