The Queen Mother

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 May 1939, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Queen Mother

Has (Ton the Love and Admiration of the Empire

Her Majesty, Queen Mary, mother of o/ir present King, lias won the- love and admiration of the people of the British Empire. During all the years of his Jong reign, King George V was ably helped by his Queen. His interests and the Empire’s interests were her interests. Never was she found lacking in any aspect of royal service to the nation. But Queen Mary was a kindly and devoted mother, too. During those black days of the abdication crisis, the hearts of all were sad for the mother of that king who gave up his throne. And that sympathy still exists for the mother who never sees her eldest son though he is only a short journey from England. Not since his last dinner in England just prior to his memorable broadcast before leaving for the Continent, has the Duke of Windsor seen his mother. At that dinner the host and hostess at Windsor Roval

Lodge were the new King and Queen. Queen Mary was there and all the royal family. It ,was a family farewell before the Empire farewell. Judge of the mother’s sadness! Queen Mary always set before her children the highest ideals of service and Royal dignity. In those respects, it is said, her eldest son was always a trial to her. Yet even at the time of the abdication when all the traditions of royal service and dignity seemed to be crashing to life ground, Queen Mary and hei’ family—all of them—remained united as a family and united in the service of the Empire. To realise just how remarkable that last family farewell z was, how solid the domestic relationships of the family were, one need but try to imagine some comparable upheaval in any private family. Would its members show the same mutual affection and respect? Would they show the same consciousness of duty trausceMding grief and personal feelings .’ It was a tribute to their mother. Though a son had thrown to the winds all he had been trained to achieve; though he had nearly broken her mother’s heart by a style of living wholly foreign to his upbringing, she was'still the kindly mother saying goodbye—goodbye to her son, goodbye to her most cherished ambition. By the example, training and love of their mother, the British Royal Family, though of diverse tastes and character, remain united by bonds of affection for one another and for their noble mot her.