Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-18
Queen Mary Is Liked
Among Her People
Special Correspondence Of the Star.

SifClal itfEespOu1eHsc VI ~
LONDON, June II. 1911.
A MONG her real friends and those
"A who know her we'll there is great
feeling of satisfaction in noting the IN
creasing popularity of Queen Mary with
her people at large. and the decreasing
amount of comments-common enough at
one time-to the effect that she is cold.
standoffish, stiff and other remarks of
that kind.
The explanation of the whole thing is
summed up in one short word-shyness-
and perhaps only her majesty knows what
II is to he shy in a position such As she
holds. That she has not the compelling
fascination possessed by Queen Alexandra
is patent. but ask her many humble
friends in the Thames valley, where she
was born and brought up. whether she
is stand-off. and they will well nigh TALL
on YOU and rend You There where as
girl with her popular mother. Jolly
Mary as the late Duchess OF Teck used
10 be called. she was to he seen almost
daily attending some concert, or bazaar,
school prize-civing- She IS simply
adored, and 1t has always been grief
to them to hear her misjudged by people
who did not know her.
OF course. as Duchess Of York and
Princess of Wales, she was quite over
Swallowed by Queen Alexandra. and like
the sensible woman that she Is. she never
attempted to push herself forward. In
deed, at the time of the death OF King
Edward she still remained in the back
ground. though she could. by right have
done a little showing on her own account
People have just realized that and IT has
weighed tremendously in her favor. Now,
when she drives about with her lttle
daughter, she is winning all hearts by
the really charming smile-that Is never
perfunctory-that she bestows on her peo-
pie There are brains behind that smile
and a real Womanly personality.
There is a little old world village called
Petersham which, though within eight
miles from the heart of London, might
we'll be sixty miles away, where Queen
Mary has many friends Here lives
lady. who, before the queen was married.
was great friend Of the late Duchess OF
Teck. and whom they visited quite ire
duently The eldest daughter was mar
ried the year before the queen. and she
and her father and mother attended the
wedding II was beautiful summer
day, and everybody walked from the
church to the brides home. The duchess
and Princess May, as she then was, re-
fused absolutely to usurp the brides po-
sition that day. but insisted on taking
second Mace They walked behind her
and her bevy of bridesmaids to the house,
helped to cut her cake and plant Tree
but always after her.
on the occasion of another visit to
Petersham the queen was walking with
another resident of the village, whose
house-exactly opposite the church-they
passed on the way.
You live there, don't you?" said the
queen.
Yes, ma am replied the lady.
You know the saying. suppose. re-
marked the queen with a smile. the
nearer the church the farther from
grace.
Among the children in the neighborhood
she had heaps of friends. The little
daughter of the vicar of another parish
was her devoted slave. and used to spend
many happy afternoons in the pretty
gardens at White Lodge, the queen
home, and when she married and became
the Duchess of York and left the district
she gave this girl a pretty bracelet with
the words ITO Kathleen, from her friend
May" on it.
And now that the queen has become the
first lady in the land none of her old
friends have been forgotten. Al every
one of the public functions at which she
has appeared she has made special ar
rangements for some of her former serV-
ants 10 see her, and the Petersham lady,
though a commoner and holding no po-
sition at court whatever. Will see hef
crowned at Westminster Abbey, probably
one of the few untitled and unomcial
spectators in the abbey that DAY, Tor
space is so limited that very rev tavors
of this kind can be granted.
Besides with her fair hair. blue eyes
and nice fresh complexion, Queen Mary
is quite good to look on She Is big, OF
course but tall enough to carry that on:
but her style really is rather frumpy. No
one expects her TO wear "hobble skirt
or a cartwheel on her head. but her am
pie skirts of thick. stiff brocades and her
little hats punched Stiffly all round with
flowers and tilted we'll forward on her
neatly dressed head contrasted badly
with the German empress, who has just
been over here and who. though still
bigger and older woman. looked so smart
in her flowing dresses of chiffon or other
soft materials. her picturesque hats and
fluffy white hair.
A still greater contrast lay between
Princess Mary and Princess Luise, the
empress daughter There is five years
difference. il is true. but Princess Mary
looked a funny little oldfashioned thing
in her plain frocks, tightly tied-back hair
and really awful hats sitting beside the
self possessed Teuton princess in large
hat and up-to-date dress. Princess Mary
seems to have inherited her mothers shy
ness for when she is out driving she sits
up very straight and bows stffly. her
cheeks flushed bright pink. but SO bashtul
that She quite forgets to smile.
In fact it is the solid rather than the
ornamental virtues that are characteristic
of Queen Mary, and. after all. these are
the ones that wear best. Evidence of her
extreme common sense comes out every
day Recently all the papers published
pa graph to the effect that the Strictest