The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-26
QUEEN MARY,s. 17TH BIRTHDAY TO
 BE WIDELY OBSERVED TO-DAY.

VI A& pire on which the sun never sets the bannerof Britain will fly to-day in honor of the forty-seventh birthday of Mary, Queen of the United Kingdom and of the Dominions beyond the seas and Empress of India. The Queen was Princess Mary of Teok before her marriage to Prince George in 1893. Her father was His Hirhness the Duke of Teck and her mother was Her Royal Highnesss Princess Mary Adelaide, $ daughter af Ills Royal fIi ghness the first Duke of GambPidee Queen Maisy's younger brother, tus Frederick William Alfred George of Teck, was recently named to succeed His Royal High ness the Duke of Gonnaught as Governor-Gen eral of Canada.
 Queen Mary was a famous horsewoman in her girlhood days, but Of late years she has de- veloped a great fear of horses and it is now sew eral years since she last took ride. She is pro- dcient in German Italian and French, plays the piano and harp, and is very fond of reading but she finds her favorite recreation in plying the arts of a needIewoman. As a result of the Queen activity in this line, the cult of stitch cry prevails widely in London society, and nee dlework has taken the place of bridge among Engli shwomen who look to the Queen as their atbiter.
 Queen Mary it is said, has insisted upon SUI perintending all the details and workin of the royal household, and does much work which was heretofore intrusted to officials of the court One of her first acts after she was exalt- ed to the throne was to reorganize the house. hold and to hIscnafge many suseieSS servants and functionaries.
 sThe business-like spirit that pervades the whole of the Queens householdsis most strik- ine.' says the Ladies' Field, an English publica- ion Everything seems to proceed there as though by cIoekwork, and while there is no stint Her Majesty permits no waste the striot- est economy being enforced in every direction. The Queen exercises full control over all that takes place in her name, and scarcely a letter is dispatched before it is submitted to Her Ma iesty fer her approval.
 The ladies of the household of an English Queen are divided into four classes The mis- fress of the robes is the most important of the ladies who serve the Queen and is the nominal head of the household. Of lesser importance are the ladiessof the bedchamber now modest lv styled Iadies-in- aiting, although the former designation Is officially the correct one, and harks back to g day when the women who held such positions actually aided in the robing and disrobing of the Queen-a task now performed bV serviters Next in order are the women of the bedchanber. one of whom is constantly in attendance upon the Queen except when Hef Majesty eKpressessa desire to be left alone The bedchamber women are chosen by the Queen from among her intimate friends, and the titled woman who receives the royal command to be- come ssbedchanber woman considers herself highly ho1lored Ladies of the bedchamber must Be peeresses, but bedchan1ber women, while they must have rank need not be peeress- es, hence the distinction in title. s
 Maids of honor, who represent the fourth class of the ladies of the Queens households are chosen from the unmarried girls who are in ia vor with the Queen, and who are the daughters of viscounts or barons, the granddaughters of peers. Daughters of dukes, marquises and ear1s are above this position. A maid of honor is invested with the title Of 'shonorable' = which she bears for life, whether she remains single or n1arries. The badge of office is miniature of the Queen set in diamonds and becomes the personal property of the recipient The office of maid of honor is much sought after as it gives opportunities for favorable marriage.