The Future Princess Royal.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 73

The Future Princess Royal.

— How She is Being Educated. — The future Princess Royal, .Princes* Mary of Wales, is the subject of a sketch, by Mrs Sarah A. Tooley, in the January, number of the Girl's Realm.

Princess Mary is known as the Diamond 1 Jubilee baby of the Royal Family, for she was born, in April, 1897, two months before the Diamond Jubilee celebration of Qu«en Victoria. She received the-namear of Victoria Alexandra. Mary, after her great-grandmother and her two grand-* mothers, and for some years was called' Princess Victoria, but as her aunt hadi the same name it became confusing, and mow 6he is always called Princess Mary, which she naturally prefers to little Victoria, j The upbringing of the Princess forms aT striking contrast to that of Queen Victoria s , shut up within the confines of Kensington Palace, with no companions of her own( age, and always surrounded by oldetf _ people over-anxious for her model behaviour, and instead of hockey, tennis, or, diabolo, lessons from a tutor at the age of five. To Princess Mary the lines have fallen in different places, and being the' only girl among five boys, we may be sura' she has plenty of fun and frolic with her. brothers. She : is now 11, and a higltjj spirited girl devoted to all kinds- of oilt^ door games, including cricket, and she fa, longing for the day when she wi'l be abler to play golf. At d'iabolo she is .an eagend competitor with her brothers, who are alffl mest enthusiastic players. She is alstr fond of riding; tlie- shaggy little Welstfj pony and the" sleek, handsome donkey ofil her younger days have now given place to a pretty chestnut pony. • The royal children - have two pairs of driving ponies, ,one dark and the other the beautiful cream-coloured pair givetf to them by Sir George Sanger. Within the grounds of Frogmore, Princess Mary

and her brothers are learning to drive. ' Another delight to the princess is the home farm and dairy, where she can feed the poultry, watch the butter-making, make friends with the calves, and have a ■ glorious time in the hay, if it happens to be the hay-making season when the Court is at Windsor. Perhaps the greatest delight of all at Frogmore is the picnicking at Virginia Water, where the children take tea on board the brig King Edward VII, a smart little craft used by Prince Edward and Prince Albert when preparing for their studies as naval cadets at Osborne. Princess Mary now knows the names of all parts of a ship, and she is learning to fish and to row, and soon the art of swimming will be added to her many other outdoor accomplishments. Photography is another favourite amusement, and in this the princess has an accomplished guide in her aunt, Princess Victoria. Aunt and niece arp great friends, and, during the lons* absences of tin 1 Prince and Princess of Wales in the colonies and in India, were much together. Aunt Victoria devotes herself to her ' nephews and nieces in a wonderful manner, ' and- on her birthday always gives a ' children's party at Buckingham Palace. When in London Princess Mary accompanies her brothers to see the sights — the Tower, the Zoo, etc. ; but it must not -be supposed that her life is one long holiday.