THE PRINCE'S SISTER

Southland Times, Issue 18828, 22 May 1920, Page 8

THE PRINCE'S SISTER

“THE MOST POPULAR LADY.”

BRITAIN’S DEMOCRATIC PRINCESS.

The present world-tour of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales has not only provided opportunity for demonstrations of unequalled enthusiasm for Britain’s democratic mon-

archy among the outposts of Empire, but has emphasised the desirability of more frequent visitations from the constitutional heads of our national life. Needless to say, no Royal visitor could be more welcome than Princess Mary, whose tactfulness and charm have endeared her to Britishers in the Home Land. The proposed visit to the Continent provides hope for a future world lour by the Princess, for whom a warm welcome is assured.

Princess Mary, only daughter of their Majesties the King and Queen of England, is an outdoor princess, who rides and rows and renders valuable assistance to her parents and her brothers, the princes, in making the royal family one of the most popular insri tutmus in this democratic country. Princess Victoria Alexandra • Alice Mary wd! be twenty-four years of age on April 25 next. She was bom in the year of the memorable Diamond Jubilee of her greatgrandmother, Queen Victoria, then ruling over the British Empire. During her brief life she has been great-granddaughter, granddaughter. and daughter of the reigning queens and monarchs of England, yet today she is hailed by all her countrymen as the perfect type of all-round English girl, fresh, unspoiled, with that inherent love for the great outdoors which is the most attractive characteristic of Britain’s daughters.

IN LINE FOR THE THRONE.

“Princess May,” they used to call her :n those days when she was a bonny little blue-eyed tot at York Cottage, Sandringham.Jier birthplace. Her father, the present. 3\ing George, was then only the eldest sou of the then Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII., so the mantle of royalty did not weigh too heavily upon her tiny shoulders. Nevertheless, she was in direct line fhr the throne ho the present Queen saw to it that her education was all that a princess's should be. Mdle. Dussau was appointed governess for the little princess, and though she never went to school, she was taught more subjects and more about them in the short period of her tutelage

i i.-.n iho average American schoolgirl learns ot in ion years of study.

: ’.e of the best linguists among the younger royalties. Princess Mary learned

early to speak French, German and Italian, (he first two languages with a fluency unexcelled by her grandmother. Besides these •he dabbled in Spanish, Norse and Danish. But her schooling was of the all-round variety; geography, music, art, science, acei,l owork. sports, swimming, dancing—there seems to be no limit to this royal young lady’s accomplishments. Benold J:er to-day, in her twenty-third year, fair-haired, with deep blue eyes, and ee- high pink complexion for which the most, beautiful of English girls are famous; ot medium height, with a well-balanced figure, which is almost girlishly lissome and not quit;* athletically rounded. Princes.-: .Mary is an ardent athletic. She r < <::■ ;mt. bowling with the best of them, and wielding a dangerous bat when her t' "in'; s!ie drives and rides, plays a good game of tennis, ami a bad game of ; "ho is a really expert swimmer, and | c;.n paddle her own canoe. Which leads ! . .he inevitable anecdote. Pih.czr* ltd ary was boating on the Thames, cor,ir- young and vivacious boys imm College. The two skiffs coli; :ed. w.ioreupon one of the youngsters arosc, and in a loud voice which shocked '-•‘m i 'ecus' cha.iperone, who was some distance away, demanded: "t-.av; Wiiy didn’t your mother teach you how m row before she let you out?” "Vi by didn’t yours teach you good manners?” tiie princess came back without an instant's hesitation, skilfully disentangling her boat and leaving a very awed young man m complete silence. TWICE REPORTED ENGAGED. 'lvu.-c already has England's princess been i rrnn. ouciy reported engaged to be married, '.he nr-: time was in IP 15. when she was but eighteen, when rumour had it that she .'.as i,i matey Prince Eric of Denmark, a youii; about her own age. who was then expected to become ’’King of Poland.” The rumour proved unfounded; the war further change ; the m ■:> of Europe, and the ques:mr; •>; a Polish icing was dropped. in I" a London daily announced iua! ir was able to state that Princess Mary '■ as engaged to marry the Karl of Dalkeith, .-on oi the seventh Duke of Buccleueh, twenty I; vu year.' of age, a lieutenant in the j GienaduT Focards. Tins was hailed as a -: ; -n of the new democracy, when a royal prince, ' should marry n u! ude royalty. The rep.on was at once denied from Buckingham Palace, and the incident closed with a ret; act'on by the paper. I'm number of young unmarried men among European royalty ;s rapidly dwindling; nunc of the royal princes of ot her hma-e. ha- been mentioned lately as eligible ■r Pm nano of Princcm Pia.rv. dhe princess L—. eh is active in various sorts of work, an-! .-hows no disposition to take the occasional rumours of iicr impending marriage 1 > Mary is shortly to leave England on a lour of the European capitals, i .'■ns wdi \isif riari-p B;at--els, Copenhagen, J ' Lii:;Ji m, Ciirisih.nia, and possibly Rome i ■u. .'a.; d. Since her brotiier. the Prince i .' ;de-'. has become Overworked, with trips V-'uy where. inve ,; t’tures, opening bazaars, 1 .''••nnu r-.-roncs ami other manual !a- ---■ '■ ; ur - m igned for royally, Princess Mary hj; s come to his relief. Kite attends many I i n: ' .ms devoted to English women; she is burst-1: commandant of the Girl Guides d :hi/land and frequently takes part in heir meetings. During tii.’ war England’s princess did valiant service a.s a V.A.D. She studied a.','! b'.c: sue tuliy qualified as a nurse. She ■T'-’nt three days of each of her busy weeks iT.ng to ilie woumled at Devonshire ; a File was also honorary colonel of a era'd. English wginirnt. and handed out ibaa.i ,ims to heroes with all the graciousmof her parents ami brother. EXPERT WITH A NEEDLE.

: l-Mi'v.-o) 1; is one of Princess Mary’s b'dcs. When a hub girl she learned to < openly. When war came and with b rhf need of ail sorts of clothing for ho!i!ie:s and for the poor the personally n: ■ ■■ !:; garments, which were distribuIt v. ;t» n;-ccs.-.iiry to conceal from the n--:j-i-.-nt- tb* origin of ihwc gift?, otherwise, - a a tlu! love ! lie English poor have for their princess, they would have framed them for th“ front parlour, but never worn them. Queen Mary did not believe in her daughter being educated entirely alone; it was impracticable to send her to a public .-ehooi, so a dozen or more young ladies of the court were invited to attend lessons with her. They also had classes in sewing, and on one occasion turned out more than .110 wonh for a charity bazaar, all with their own hands. Dancing had always been a bone of eonteniion with the royal families of England; some rulers have approved it, others have not. When the princess was a little girl the dispute was raging. She learned to dance, however, and now that democracy has triumphed and dancing is permitted to princesses she is the most graceful and naturally the most sought after of partners at the balls which are given to court society. A princess might have all the qualities possessed by Princess Mary and yet not bo popular with the people. Yet it is an undisputed fact that just as the Prince of Wales is the most popular young man in the British Empire, so is Princess Mary the mod popular young lady. It is not because they are “royalty”; it is a question of that subtle, intangible thing called “personality.”—New York Tribune.