(5 of 5)
Ahead of grouse and postage stamps, the royal yacht Britannia is His Majesty's passion. This year, during the Cowes Regatta, English newspapers concealed, but Scottish ones reported, the annoyance of the Cowes populace that George V did not leave his yacht during the whole of "Cowes Week," and the fury of members of the Royal Yacht Club at the King's absenting himself from their annual dinner. Not even Her Majesty could prevail upon Yachtsman George, who was having a gorgeous sea time. To soothe the proletariat Queen Mary went shopping alone several times in Cowes, bought all sorts of knicknacks, including an ink-spot remover.
Their Majesties, thwarted in all efforts to induce Edward of Wales to take a wife, have just sent him to Denmark & Sweden (TIME, Oct. 3) and last week in Stockholm he was being affable to Princess Ingrid, daughter of Crown Prince Gustaf and 100% Protestant. Why? Abruptly George V's youngest son. Prince George left London last week and streaked for Stockholm. Rumors began to buzz that aggravating Edward was playing the role of willing matchmaker between Princess Ingrid, 22, and Prince George. 29.
Of Their Majesty's four sons the Duke of Gloucester is the most diplomatic. Asked "what is your favorite flower?" he adroitly replied. "Flowers of all kind appeal to me." Their daughter, Princess Mary (now the Princess Royal) is known to be devoted to her husband, the spindle-shanked Earl of Harewood. despite a local conviction that he drinks to excess. Most satisfactory of course are the Duke & Duchess of York, except that their two children are girls, Princess ("Baby Betty") Elizabeth and Princess Mary Rose.
*British Liberal campaign quatrain, parodying A. A. Milne's When We Were Very Voting.
*The late Lord Asquith was the last legitimate successor to William Ewart Gladstone as Liberal Leader. When Asquith's power began to wane David Lloyd George seized Liberal leadership but he was deserted at the last election by orthodox Liberal Sir Herbert Samuel and unorthodox Liberal Sir John Simon, the latter remaining in the Cabinet last week supported by 35 Liberal M. P.s.
Sir Herbert's Liberals are considered "orthodox" because they champion Free Trade, the traditional Liberal policy and are supported by such venerable colleagues of the late Lord Asquith as half-blind Viscount Grey of Fallodon and the Marquess of Reading, greatest of Britain's living elder statesmen.
England's Constitution, like its Common Law, is not a document but a body of precedents. It cannot be "violated" in the U. S. sense, but violation of a major precedent amounts to the same thing.