Monday, April 21, 2014

Princess Elizabeth reaches majority age

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April 21, 1944

Princess Elizabeth, heiress presumptive to the throne, celebrates her 18th birthday day.  Having reached the age of majority, the princess becomes "automatically" a member of the Counsellors of State.  She will also have her own staff and a lady-in-waiting. 

The elder daughter of King George VI,  Princess Elizabeth also "goes a little deeper into the servitude of etiquette and the great office that awaits her."

Elizabeth has been preparing for her future role for nearly her entire life, "since she was old enough to learn," writes the New York Times.  She has studied modern languages.  She "rides and shoots and plays tennis and swims."   She very likely knows more about the United States "than most of us do."

The princess was raised simply by her parents in "Piccadilly, in Scotland, at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park."  She "has no more clothes coupons than any other girl," and she has "plenty of fun."

Princess Elizabeth "loves to dance," and some of "our American officers have danced with her."  She likes almost everything "except arithmetic," and can have "small thought of the long years of public cerium and function that are before her."

She is "kind, intelligent, unpretentious, democratic," and she is the eldest daughter of the "democratic king and queen of our ally and friend."  The New York Times' editorial also adds: "We all feel a friendly and not in the least snobbish interest in her and wish her all good fortune."

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