Evening star., 1952-02-06

return from the six weeks, $4,000
mile trip.
War prevented his further
travels until 1t ended.
It was nearly two years after
the end Of the war when the King
undertook the ambitious frater-
nal mission to South Africa
youngest Of the dominions, a po-
itically touchy union of British
and Beers, or Afrikaners as they
prefer to be. called.
The King and Queen, with then
two daughters and essential MEM
bers OF the royal household, set out
from Portsmouth at the end Of
January. 1g47. in the mighty bat
tleship Vanguard. They arrived
In Capetown February II.
Get Rousing Reception.
The thunderous ovation the
royal party received in that pic
turesque city was merely the first
Of a long succession of rousing re-
ceptions on q two months journey
BY train. air and motorcar, they
covered some 10000 miles in the
Union and Southern Rhodesia.
To an Orange Free State audi
ence. made up principally OF
Afrikaners, the King said: Brit
ish and Dutch had an equal share
in the foundation and develop
ment Of this region. That is some
thing OF which. ! am sure. you
are rightly proud. Wherever we
have gone on our tour we
have seen nothing but the happi-
est results of that cooperation be-
tween the two sturdy pioneering
races.
81 urge you and your people not
to forget your past, but to build
upon the best of it. and so go for
ward with Gods blessing for a
bright and prosperous future"
No greater warmth toward the
King. Queen and Princesses was
manifested anywhere than In some
Of the native communities. Often
the scenes were touching. as when
children sang their folk songs OF
poorly clads blacks clustered al
some isolated railroad station tc
hail and sefenade the 'father o1
nations"
Historians agreed that Georges
choice Of d wife was a fortunate
one. a boon TO the Empire as well
as a personal blessing. He re-
ferred to her as his "heipmate.'
Lively. yivacious Girl.
Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
youngest daughter Of the Ear
and Countess of Strathmore, was
. lively, viyacious girl popular
alike in London society and in
her native Scotland. AS a close
friend of young Albert's sister
Princess Mary. she naturally saw
q good deal of her future hus-
band In their growing up years
Naturally also. perhaps, the
young FRINGE fell in love with
her. Inescapably, legend flowed
with the fact in the the telling od
their romance. And q story that
was told repeatedly-and may
well be true in the absence Of Of
fetal disclainer-had it thai
Prince Albert wooed deyotedly anc
ardently for three years without
any actual assurance that he
would be accepted.
# He proposed three times before
he won her assent, the story ran
and IL was the encouragement
from his mother. Queen Mary
that inapelied him to press his
courtship. Lady Elizabeth was
quoted Us telling friends that the
prospect, though then remote
that she might one day be Queen
filed her with dread.
The Prince and Elizabeth flrst
met at a party when he was q To-
year-old sciloolboy at Eton and
she was S. At Christmastime and
other holiday seasons for several
years they were together.
Years later, when they met
again, they eagerly summoned
remembrance of their childhood
fun, and it made a renewal OF
their association easy. 1t was In
1919, in the ballroom Of big
town house at the peak Of the
london social season, that they
saw each other after a long in
terlude.
True Love Match.
The court circular of January
Is, 1923, confirmed the swiftly
rumors of a ripening
romance. It stated:
cit is with the greatest pleas
ure that the King and Queen
the betrothal of their
beloved son, the Duke of York, to
the Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon,
to which union the King has
gladly given his consent"
Soon details of the courtship
became public knowledge. The
Duke had won his bride in the
course of a Sunday afternoon
stroll at the Hertfordshire seat OF
the Strathmores. It was winter
time but the young girl was fasci-
mated by the contours and vistas
of q wood which in childhood she
had always believed to be en-
chanted. 1t was there they made
their pledge.
since q brother Of Charles II
married Lady Anne Hyde. daugh-
ter of the Earl of Clarendon in
the nth century, no Prince in
direct succession to the throne
had been bethrothed to a COM
moler.
Britain and the Empire exulted
in the Dukes engagement to Lady
Elizabeth. They considered it a
striking example Of a new demo-
cratic spirit. The marriage, it
was said, would draw the people
closer to the monarchy. Every
where people seemed to sense