Charm of Queen Elizabeth

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 431, 12 May 1937, Page 4

Charm of Queen Elizabeth

Scottish Girl Well Endowed for Onerous Duties of Throne

When King George in January. 1923, gave his,, consent to the engagement of the Duke of York to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, youngi est daughter of the Earl of S 1 rath - ; more, the nation, welcoming the ani nouncement, felt that a precedent of ! great social importance had been , created. In olden times the sone of ■ English Kings had not infrequently chosen their brides from noble but ■ not royal families, but one had to go back more than two hundred and i sixty years for the las< recorded in starve, ’the of the Duke of Yd*k, who afterwards reigned as ! James IT, to the daughter of the ■ firs't Lord Clarendon. Rcyal Blood. ! Lady Elizabeth E. .ves-Lyon, though ■ not of royal birth, has royal blood in • her veins, for the founder of her fam I ily, Sir John Lyon, the Thane of Gia 1 mis from whom the estate -and great I cas 1 le has been inherited, married in ■ 1376 Jean, the daughter of King Rob ' ert II of Scotland. Throughout the ' centuries the succession has remained in the direct line, passing from fa h er to son or from brother to brother • The fajnily has taken its full share i in the history and in* ernal conflicts | of Scotland. The first Lord G? mis was delivered to the English in 142** I as a hostage for King James I. He ' and his two sons were Lords of Coun_ 1 cil. Two of his grandsons fell at ■ Flodden. The ten h Lord Glamis was created' Earl of Kinghorne, and the twelfth assumed the title of Strathmore, by which all his successors have been known. ’ It is said that when Queen Vic’oria • announced the betrothal of her daughi ter, Princess Louise, to th? Marquis i of Lome, the comment of the loyal j clansmen of Inveraray was, “The j Queen must be a prood woman the ' day, marrying her daughter to the j son of the great Duke of Argyll.” ’ PerhiapE some such thought was in j ’he minds of the Forfarshire people, • who had for generations regarded j the house of Glamis with reverence, j when they heard that Lady Elizabeth | was to be the Duke of York’s bride, but in England it was believed that the young girl had hesitated before accepting the great responsibilities and onerous duties the marriage must entail, and that the Queen’s assurance that she would be cordially welcomed as a dauglr er-in_law had had due weight with her Nursing Soldiers. From her babyhood Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, as a member of a large and singularly united family and the beloved youngest daugh er. had had a very sheltered life, surrounded by I hosts of friends, and acquaintance's who appreciated her charm and her I special gift for setting people at their i ease and making them feel that they interes ed her. At the age of fourteen, when she had just passed from childhood to the more mature interests of a girl, her life was overshadowed by the Great War It was, in. deed, when attending a London Theatre on the evening of her fourteenth . birthday that she learned of the declaration of war, and within a few days four of her brothers had en_ ’ listed,. Glamis Castle was immedi- • atcly turned in'o a military hospital, I and for the next five years Lady Elizabeth’s maijn preoccupation was the ;

♦ welfare of the wounded soldiers, I many of whom were afterwards in remote parts of the Empire to cheer her as Duchess of York. It was during the war that La ly Elizabeth grew up, aad soon af er it the girl who was rem stub i-ced. by her | old friends as a most enchanting child I was being recognised as one of the I prettiest girls tnd perhaps the mosi graceful dancer in her young set. The I Duke of York, who had first met her when she was a child of five and had I remembered the occasion, met her I igain when she was eigh’etn, and I two years later he paid a visit to GlaI mis Castle. In the following year, i when Prince. 6 s Mary was married, Lady Elizabeth, as one of jet ■ friends, was among the hr u».snmlds. ' The friendship be ween ’.he Duke of ’ York and tihe Lari of Strarhinore’H daughter developed. They me‘. frei piently at ’h?. arises of IricnCe end were of en seen dancing ’bexsher. but it was .K’e’jy « • * known v.h’ut he Duke’s wishes were; it was also ’understood thre a girl :i chi well I hesi ate to accept the position of the I royal duchess. When all doub’e were i ended by the announcement of their | bestro.hal it was felt the. both fem. i .lies had every reason to be pleased, I but even those who nios‘ appreciated I.he future Duchess were unable to crzsce how admirably she would fill he place she was to assume as fourth day in the land. She received he warmest welcome from all the Royal Family. The King and Queen were delighted with their new daughter and the Prince of Wlales from’the first showed clearly that he heartily approved of his brother’s choice. The four months that elapsed between the engagement and the marriage had 'their arduous duties. Lady Elizabeth though not yert a member of the Royal Family, was now a member of th© circle, and. she set herself to study, under the direction of one versed in the etiquette of palaces, the formalities and technique of royalty, applying herself to the task with a success that is- appreciated wherever she does. By the time the wedding day arrived the people had issurea themselves of her quality, and on her journey to and from the Abbey demonstrated their satisfaction in the marriage. Dear to the Nation. i During the years of her marriage the new Queen has- not only endearedi herself to the nation. Like the King’s children, she industriously and faithfully gives her services to as many good causes as it is possible for her to help, living laborious d'ays, never sparing herself, and doing it all wi h such a happy goodwill that she is considered both patroness and very sincere friend. Perhaps the only critical comment ever made abou-l her, and: on the occasion it was justified, wtafi that of a harassed policeman on duty at a gathering where people greeted her with such enthusiasm that she was engulfed in the crowd. Looking in vain over the bobbing heads for a glimpse of the characteristic little hat and the smiling face, he murmur, ed to himself, “I wish she was net. quite so small.”