Evening star., 1953-05-27
Young Elizabeth H.:
Young EGzobeth H.
Royal Summer Vacation in Scotland
Welcome Chunqe From London's Rush
By MolIie McGee

q SerieS.)
During the first week in August
the royal family leaves Bucking'
ham Palace to go to Balmoral
their home in the Highlands ol
Scotland. There they usually
remain until October. This /.
the longest Of their three annual
holiday periods and by far the
most popular with them. They
spend Christmas at Sandring-
ham, Easter at Windsor Castle
but in later summer they enjoy
the freedom Of being away from
people.
Though Balmoral has the
great halls, turretS and towers
Of a castle, and the estate COM
prises $4,000 acres, the life the
royal family leads there is simple
In the morning, after breakfast,
the Queen will probably ride with
her husband, then come back to
walk and play with the children.
Sheltered, sunken gardens with
bright flower beds and q foun-
tain, deer statue Prince Charles
once climbed, are favorite spots.
The Queen and the Duke Of
Edinburgh are enthusiastic anna
teur photographers.
There is usually a house party
Of relatives or friends during the
royal family's stay in Scotland,
and they choose people they
want to see, and there are other
young people with whom the
younger royalties play. This year
the Dukes sister Sophie and her
children were house guests. Last
year the Duchess Of Kent was
loaned Birkhall, a small house Z
miles away on the royal estate.
The Queen Mother stays there
until her own Scottish home is
ready. There are other houses
and many friends within driving
distance. There is also much
informal visiting; the royal
women leave hats and formalities
behind. wearing tweeds and tar
tanS Of the country and scarves
to protect heads from the sharp
winds.
Shooting and a Picnic
During the shooting season,
when the men go of with their
guns and gillies (guides and
keepers) in the morning, women
in the house party walk out and
join the men for a picnic lunch.
Then they all return late in the
afternoon to a high tea, with a
good substantial Highland fare
set out on a huge table in the
great lounge.
The Queen loves to walk on
the moors, hiking having been
one Of her most popular forms
Of recreation since she was
little girl. The girl guide cap
tain who met the future Queen
in 1887, when she was trying not
only to become a guide, but to
get her 6-year old sister
Princess Margaret admitted,
tells with amusement how: "She
called Come, Margaret and
Margaret toddled over. Show
captain your legs and legs were
duly displayed. There Princess
Elizabeth said proudly, don't
you call those a fine pair of
hiking legs!" The captain had
to admit to herself, "They are
undoubtedly sturdy, though they
are really quite short"
The Queen found an ideal
walking companion in Gen.
Smuts. The dignified South
African statesman and young
Princess wandered over the
moors together. and during the
break in the royal visit to South
Africa. they trekked on foot into
South African mountains. Gen.
Smuts made several visits to
Balmoral.
Queen as a Cook
Picnics at Balmoral are the
sandwich, cold chicken and
thermos variety. Seldom is there
any attempt to cook in the open.
The first time Princess Elizabeth
was confronted with a sausage
in the raw, it came as a nasty
shock to her, but she held the
curious object impaled on stick
in front of the bonfire till its
pale appearance changed to
crisp brown. Elizabeth then was
an enthusiastic Girl Guide.
After dinner at Balmoral it is
traditional for pipers to play,
marching with bagpipes through
dining room and hall. Later in
the evening there may be movies
brought from London, to which
tenants from the estate are often
invited, or charades-when the
young royalties raid wardrobes
for costumes-or they will gather
round the piano and sing. FIRE.
Quently there are parties with
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