Evening star., 1929-11-16
BY w. r. MARSDON.


toward her untitled relatives by mar
riage is worth special mention.
The old tradition of the English royal
house was virtually to ignore untitled
relations by marriage. But then such
relations might almost have been count
ed on ones fingers.
Royalty at that time was practically
an exclusive caste. When the Earl of
Fife married the princess royal, eldest
daughter of King Edward, Queen Vic
toria thought it impossible mere Earl
should become Son-in-lav of the heir
to the throne. She created the earl a
duke and ignored his untitled relations
Even Queen Alexandra, who had far
less rigid notions on keeping royalty a
separate caste, had seen little or moth
ing OF her Son-in-laW'S untitled rela-
tions.
ignoring Now Is Impossible.
But since the war the English royal
family have been brought SO extensively
into relationship by marriage with peo-
pie of untitled rank that for royalty to
ignore them would be ridiculous and
impossible.
1t was characteristic of Queen Mary
that she accepted the fact that the
English royal family had ceased to be
exclusively royal by birth, and she not
only met but went out of her way to
meet those people of untitled rank with
whom her family had become related
by marriage.
Princess Pats Marriage.
The first member of the English royal
family to marry after the war was the
Princess Patricia of Connaught, daugh-
ter Of the Duke of Connaught and first
cousin of King George. She was mar
IN DO
army.
When the princess became engaged
the enthusiastic feeling of regard the
war had engendered among women of
all classes for members of the fighting
services was still at its height. The
princess expressed desire to drop her
royal rank altogether and become Mrs.
Ramsay.
"I feel more honored," she said, "at
becoming the wife of captain of the
navy then 1 would if l married a duke
or a prince"
Retains Rank at Court.
Queen Mary did not view the idea of
royal ladies marrying commoners and
dropping their royal rank with quite
the same enthusiasm. But she prob
ably would have consented to the
Princess Patricia having her way only
for the fact that the princess father
and Queen Victoria both thought it
would be derogatory to the royal fam
lily that the Kings first cousin should
becom a commoner by rank.
The matter ended by the princess
dropping her royal rank and becoming
Lady Patricia Ramsay. At court, how
ever, she still ranks as royalty.
The marriage of the Princess Mary
to Lord LaScelles and of the Duke of
York to Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon
brought the English royal family into
relationship with a number of people
of untitled rank
Marrying the Queens Nephew.
And by the marriage of the Queens
nephew, the Marques of Cambridge, to
Osmond Hastings, gentleman farmer
and brother of Lord Huntingdon, the
Queen became the aunt-in-law of a
lady of untitled rank.
Miss Hastings went to Buckingham
Palace before her engagement was an
nounced to see Queen Mary. They had
met before, but only in that distant
way in which girls in society meet her
majesty, which means bow from the
Queen acknowledged by curtsey.
Miss Hastings did not expect very
pleasant interview. She knew young
people were kept at a distance by the
Queen. and she knew also that her
majesty would have desired her nephew
to choose girl of higher rank.
But she was agreeably surprised. She
received a warm, kindly welcome.
you will be a member of my family
after your marriage" said the Queen,
and then added in her downright way,
THAT is an honor I am sure you will
always remain worthy Of"
Today, among the untitled relations
of the English royal family by mar
riage are number of professional peo-
ple-surveyors, barristers, stockholders
and others. In bygone days any such
relatives by marriage of the royal fam
lily would have been unknown at court.
All on Invitation Lists.
Today all the untitled relatives of the
King and Queen are on the lord cham
berlain's invitation lists at court. More
over any girls whose parents are re-
lated to the royal family by marriage
may be presented at court by their
mothers, even though the latter have
not been presented.
In some instances members of the
families with whom the royal family
have become related by marriage have
been admitted to special degree of in
timacy with their royal relatives.
For example, Sir William and Lady
Noreen Bass are today among Queen
Marys most intimate friends and con-
stantly have been guests at Sandring-
ham.
Lady Noreen Bass before her mar
riage was Lady Noreen Hastings. She
is an aunt of Miss Dorothy Hastings. In
pre-war days all Lady Noreen saw of
the royal family was when she made
q nf
(Copyright, 1929. by North American News
paper Alliance.)
(Next and concluding chapter: The
Future of Queen Mary)