The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-20
BY RUSSELL LANDSTROM

South Africa -(HJ Princess Eliza
beth Alexandria Mary Windsor,
heir to the British throne, symbol
Of a war generation bent p o n
reform and of the worlds
most popular girls, will celebrate
her 21st birthday April 81, thus
marking the transition from royal
apprenticeship to sterner response
bilities.
On the anniversary which coin
cides with the end of the royal
tour, the princess will broadcast
to the British Commonwealth and
empire from Capetown. The
speech will be the most important
she ever has delivered.
The occasion will be highlignted
by a rally of young people, Il state
dinner, fireworks display and a
civic hall. Three days later the
king, queen and princesses will
sail On H. M. S. Vanguard f r
England and the destiny awaiting
the heir presumptive.
American troops in wartime
Britain liked Princess Elizabeth
bee use she was friendly and un-
affected; General Thomas Hol-
comb, United States minister to
the Union of South Africa found
that she had an old head on young
shoulders; South Africans h a e
been drawn to her, although re-
marking that at times she seemed
too serious-minded and reserved.
The pith of most British opinion
resides in a growing confidence in
her capabilities and judgment,
young though she is. The period
of her annealing was M OF I'M
precedented shocks, rigors and
challenges.
When Princess Elizabeth, in
company with Princess Margaret,
visited t h British Legion's me
mortal poppy factory il London
last autumn, one gnarled veteran
of the Somme said feelingly:
That girls the biggest asset this
country has g o t. She'll make a
grand queen"
That is an opinion heard often
and expressed on many levels.
AS one of a family known for
its excellent teamwork, its de-
cidedly British - but not insular
- characteristics, its love OF do
mesticity d it's quiet courage
under fire, Princess Elizabeth
naturally would be held in high
esteem by the millions over whom
she one day will rule.
Older folk who recall that at the
outbreak of war the princesse:
were mere children say that unit
recently E%lizabeth's position wa:
taken for granted in a somewhat
vague distant fashion. Now t h {
%adolescent has become a woman
and Elizabeth moves into tina
succession of monarchs and heirs
who, with only one break, have
dwelt in Windsor castle since The
era of William the conqueror.
The public is now satisfied that
S h e has been properly trained
to take tn t place. schooled in
many ways as any other child
might be, without stressing the
greatness of her future position.
No one played a greater part
in the education Of Princess Eliza
beth than her regal grandmother,
Queen Mary, h watched over
her studies, and in large measure
had the final say about clothes,
recreation and matters OF dis
cipline. In recent years it has
been Queen Mary W h escorted
Elizabeth to art galleries; scien-
tific laboratories, industrial plants
schools and nurseries.
Another who h deply influ-
enced the Princess is her COVER
ness Of more than Is years, the
Scottish born Miss Marian Craw-
ford, now in her middle thirties.
A woman Of wit, ready sympa-
thies' and a dislike Of pedantic
methods. she proved an ideal
guide for a child destined for
exalted station.
Impulsiveness and a c r a n
capriciousness we're restrained in
the formative years. The greatest
care was taken to make sure