Evening star., 1953-05-20
By MolIie McGee

By MoIIie McGee
They are a perfect couple"
the old ladies of London agree,
yet six months before the royal
engagement was announced few
people in Britain had ever heard
of Lieutenant Philip Mount
batten, though he had lived
there most of his twenty-six
years. When he appeared with
his future bride, he made an
excellent impression.
His Royal HighneSs, the Duke
Of Edinburgh, is 81 years old,
over six feet tall, blonde and
blue-eyed. His Danish grand
father-EngliSh Queen Alexan-
der's brother-was elected King
of Greece. Until he became
naturalized in February. 1947,
the Duke bore the title of
Prince of Greece and family
name of SchleSwig- -Holstein-
Sonderburg- -Glucksberg.
From his mothers side, the
Duke gets his love of the sea.
Her father, Prince Louis of Bat
tenberg-who changed his name
to Mountbatten-was Admiral
of the British Fleet, and married
Queen Victoria'S daughter Vic
toria. The old Queen had great
affection for this son-in-law
In the Navy, the young Duke
Is popular with the lower deck
and he has friends in every walk
of life. From his usual position
on public occasions, step to the
side and behind Her Majesty. he
has been quick to size up a
situation and ease tension.
During the Canadian tour, a
group of young matrons had been
invited to an official lunch to
meet Elizabeth. For months their
costumes and behavior had been
subjects of anxious consultation.
The great day arrived, but to
their disappointment, they were
to lunch at buffet, while Eliza,
beth, in a neighboring salon, sat
at a beautifully appointed table
with local bigwigS. The young
women were standing mournful-
ly in groups, almost in tears,
when the door opened and the
Duke, who had attended a stag
lunch, walked in. well, you're
certainly better looking than the
lot I was with" was his first ex-
clamation. In a flash every wo-
man was smiling, the day was
saved even before the Queen
joined him.
Experts Perplexed
The precise standing Of a
prince conSort in a modern court,
is puzzling experts on protocol.
and to determine the exact place
he should occupy at the corona
tion, historical legal advice has
been sought. In the meantime he
has-by the Queens command
the position of premier Duke,
preceding the Queens uncle, the
Duke of Gloucester, and has been
busily occupied in going through
the private and official papers of
the other prince consort who had
TO deal with an unappreciative
public as we'll as manage Queen
Victoria.
Inherently an outdoor man
he smokes and drinks in modera-
tion and keeps in training-the
Duke rides and plays polo, swims
and sails and is a good cricketer.
He is said to have ambitions to
be jet plane pilot since his first
flight in a Comet, so duties in
connection with sports are among
his most congenial.
He is not very fond of the
pompous side of official life, and
refuses to be made ridiculous
under preteXt of etiquette. On
one occasion the Queen. present.
ed with a bouquet on arrival at
an important ball. was asked to
dance Immediately with the
leading dignitary. The bouquet
was handed to the Duke. He
Stood for a moment with the
great bunch of flowers, then
hung the flowers by their ribbon
on an electric light bracket,
chose a partner and danced off.
He has the discipline of the
Navy, but it is taking a little
time for him to become accus-
toned to various oddities of his
new life. Like any other young
man who had never worn kilt
in public, he still feels little
i'll at ease in Scottish national
dress. though he wore it this
summer to the Braemar games
near Balmoral. His appearance
in a knickerbocker suit is an
other innovation for him. though
this was country wear for Brit
aims past kings, and, contrary
to the rumor that it came out OF
the Balmoral attic. it was made
for him by his uncle's tailor.
Before Philip was married, he
drove a tiny MIG. car which his
future wife told him made her
feel as though she was sitting
on the road" But he continued
to take her driving in the little
car.
Their Foncy Costumes
When the American Ambassa-
d6r and his wife gave q fancy