Counting One's Blessings
Page 41
I do hope that you are well and not feeling cast down by the bleakness of life. I find London very gloomy, & everybody behaves as if they were deaf. They don’t listen to anything anybody says – but perhaps they are right.
Hoping to see you before long.
I am, Yours v sincerely
Elizabeth R
After the war, Royal Tours of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other Dominions were planned as a way of thanking their peoples for the sacrifices they had made. South Africa was the first such destination and the Royal Family set sail in HMS Vanguard on 1 February 1947. It was one of the coldest winters in memory; the workings of Big Ben froze solid and so did the Thames, and there were constant power cuts. The King and the Queen were both reluctant to leave the country in such circumstances, but their welcome in South Africa was as warm as the weather, even in the traditionally anti-British Boer territories. The abundance of the country was astonishing, but the journey, much of it by train, was exhausting, particularly for the King. Towards the end of the tour Princess Elizabeth celebrated her twenty-first birthday and made a moving radio broadcast to her people in which she pledged that ‘my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be dedicated to your service.’
Saturday 1 February 1947 to Queen Mary
HMS Vanguard
My Darling Mama
I believe that a helicopter is going to land on this ship today, so I shall take the opportunity of a mail to send you one line of love. It is horrid to think that we shall not see you for so long, but May will soon be here, and a happy reunion.
Our cabins seem very comfortable, & we are settling in busily. We got up early this morning, & left a very grey & snowy England as dawn lightened the sky – I wish that one could feel happier about the state of the country, so many homeless is a terrible thing, and so bad for home life in general.
With so much love darling Mama,
Ever your loving daughter in law
Elizabeth
PS Arthur has got the School of Needlework in hand, & Jack Spencer will, I hope, prove a good choice as Chairman.
21 February 1947 to Queen Mary
Government House
Cape Town
My Darling Mama,
This is the first opportunity that I have had to write to you, as the last four days have been so busy we had hardly time to breathe!
This morning Bertie opens Parliament so we have an hour or two of quiet until 11.30.
Everybody has been very kind here in Cape Town, and I think that the visit is going well. There are so many serious racial problems, but so far all sections of the community have been most welcoming.
Yesterday we went out to Paarl and Stellenbosch, two very Nationalist and Afrikaans speaking towns, and had the most delightful reception – very nice country people, and they had prepared a picnic on the top of a mountain with a staggering amount of home made food! Lovely old Dutch recipes and French Huguenot dishes – Bertie and I were stunned by so much, & then we descended the mountain and had luncheon under the trees, again a mass of food, & we nearly burst! The tables looked so lovely piled high with grapes & peaches & pears, & beautiful flowers – and all good simple home grown food – the people here are very lucky to be able to grow so much for themselves. We find that we simply cannot eat all they offer us! I will write more fully from the train – we start today on this immense tour – I do hope it won’t be too tiring for Bertie. We are thinking of you all shivering at home, and wish we could help. I see that the Indian thing is out today, poor Dickie* will need our prayers. Your very loving E
9 March 1947 to Queen Mary
The White Train
My Darling Mama
We are just back in this comfortable but very wobbly train, after 3 days in Bloemfontein. We stayed at Government House which has just been built, and is very pretty & well arranged tho’ small for a large party such as ours. I enclose a photo in case you would care to see it. I think that Lady Duncan* had a good deal to do with the building of it, and the laying out of the garden.
Bloemfontein is a great centre of Nationalism, and practically all the Town Council & the Administration are Nationalist, & were rather suspicious to start with. The members of the provincial council are mostly old Boer farmers, men of iron, but fine old men, & we all got on very well together. Six of them had fought against us in the Boer War, & proud of it!
There was of course, a garden party, & a Ball, & children’s gatherings, and yesterday we went by air to their little game reserve, where we had lunch with the members of the provincial Council and their wives, & over meat broiled over an open fire, we became quite friendly, & I think that they softened towards us. It was hardly worth flying out to see a few buck, but it was worth the friendly picnic atmosphere & chance of making friends.
Today we went to Church in the Cathedral, then to the Zoo which is in a very lovely garden, & this afternoon we visited some farmers & called on old Mrs Steyn, widow of the old President of the Free State, & she sent you many messages, & said that she always remembered a luncheon in London when you were Princess of Wales, & how much she admired you. A wonderful old lady, & very interesting about the old days. […]
We think of home all the time, and Bertie has offered to return, but Mr Attlee thought that it would only make people feel that things were getting worse, and was not anxious for him to come back. This is a very difficult and anxious time, and the British people seem to be taking it very magnificently.
I wore your lovely tiara for the Opening of Parliament, & I told the Press that you had lent it to me for the purpose, & they were all delighted. Do please forgive this abominable writing, but the train shakes & sways, & it is difficult to write.
We find that the stops every two hours are rather exhausting, but we try to get out & talk to people because they are so nice, & some come a very long way, carrying babies, & standing patiently for hours, & one meets the ordinary citizens in this way.
Delia [Peel] & Mima* are great helps, & the two equerries are learning quickly, for being War appointments, they have never seen this sort of thing. I rather miss Joey Legh – he is so good on these trips & can speak with authority on occasions, which is very useful.
I have ordered you some crystallised fruits – they are just making this year’s, so I hope they will arrive fresh.
Much love darling Mama,
Ever your loving daughter in law
Elizabeth
16 April 1947 to Queen Mary
The White Train
Bechuanaland
Darling Mama
Today we left Bulawayo after a very strenuous but interesting visit to Southern Rhodesia, which included a trip across the Zambesi to N. Rhodesia.
Government House at Salisbury is charming, and I would have liked a few more days there, to see a little more of the country, & to collect one’s thoughts & impressions. But everything has been a great rush, which was inevitable I suppose, as it would have meant at least another three weeks added on to the tour if we had gone a little more slowly.
Rhodesia is most attractive, a very agreeable mixture of British & good Colonial, and a nice feeling of freedom everywhere. I think that they need British capital, because one sees signs of American infiltration through commerce, and they are so loyal, & all try & ‘buy British’, even if it is a little more expensive. Anyway, our goods are excellent, which is most pleasing.
This Country is terribly dry. They are going through a bad drought poor things.
The Kennedys* were very nice & charming hosts – it was delightful to stay with someone! One misses that so much in South Africa. […]
Bertie is rather tired – the pace has been very hot, and the weather at the Victoria Falls boiling – I do hope that the trip home will rest him a little, tho’ the journey out was not really peaceful.
He has worried so much about affairs at home, & this tour has been really exhausting on top of all that. I think that it was high time that a visit was paid in South Africa, & if it
proves successful, then it is all worth while.
We are so looking forward to seeing you darling Mama,
Ever your loving
Elizabeth
26 April 1947 to May Elphinstone
HMS Vanguard
At sea
My Darling May
Thank you a thousand times for your angelic letters, it really was dear of you to write, and I can’t tell you how glad I was to get them & hear some news from home. Our tour was so concentrated and such a rush, that there literally wasn’t a moment for letter writing, so I thought I would send you a line from this ship, & hope that you will get it before we meet!
I long for you to come out to South Africa & see the wonderful, glorious flowers and shrubs – though we were not there at the right time, the profusion & terrific colours just took my breath away! There were a few heaths still in flower in Cape Colony, just enough to give one an idea of the wonderful sight it must be when they are all out, and hibiscus & frangipani, & morning glory (which at once made me think of Mother) not to mention roses & lilies and delphiniums and chrysanthemums & dahlias all mixed up together! There were beautiful flowering shrubs in Rhodesia, and when we stopped at St Helena, I managed to pick a wild Arum lily growing by the road!! It was much bigger and thicker than those round the altar at Easter!
It was an extremely interesting tour, as it is such a complex country, with the white races quarrelling & hating each other, and the black races growing enormously in numbers …
They were marvellously kind & welcoming to us – even the old Nationalist Boers, reared to hate England, gave us a very hearty welcome, and I do hope that our visit has done good.
It would be a thousand pities if S. Africa became a Republic, because the Crown is really the only link now left, & I do trust this will not happen, tho’ there have been quite strong feelings for one in recent years.
One feels the lack of an English Governor General – it is really very unsuccessful to have a local, however nice, because he can never feel free to do things or take a lead, which is badly needed.
I am thankful to say that I got through the tour alright, tho’ very, very tired – one feels quite sucked dry sometimes – I am sure that crowds of people take something out of one. I can almost feel it going sometimes, and it takes a little time to put it back.
Well, darling, it will be wonderful to see you all again – we have been 10,000 feet up in the air, and a mile & a quarter below the earth, but a little bit of England & Scotland will be heaven.
I do hope that the garden survived the ghastly winter – & that you have kept well, likewise my darling Sid.
Please give him a kiss on his nice pink cheeks, or two kisses – one on one pink cheek, & one on the other, & to end up with, one on the tip of his dear little nosey posey, & many to yourself
from your very loving
Elizabeth
7 July 1947 to May Elphinstone
Buckingham Palace
My Darling May
This is one line to tell you very secretly that Lilibet has made up her mind to get engaged to Philip Mountbatten. As you know, she has known him ever since she was 12, & I think that she is really fond of him, & I do pray that she will be very happy. Your Elizabeth had a long talk with him on Sunday & liked his interest in many things & ideas, which was nice. But I did want you to know before it was announced darling.
We are keeping it a deadly secret, purely because of the Press, if they know beforehand that something is up, they are liable to ruin everything!
Your very loving
E
Philip Mountbatten, the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, was born in 1921 and went to school at Gordonstoun in Scotland. He had a distinguished war in the Royal Navy and was mentioned in dispatches. He was a good-looking and strong-willed young man, and Princess Elizabeth had been attracted to him for many years. At Balmoral in September 1946 the young couple decided to marry; the King and Queen persuaded them to wait until after the South African trip to announce their engagement. They did so on 10 July 1947.
9July 1947 to Prince Philip
Buckingham Palace
My dear Philip,
I am so disappointed to be laid aside with this laryngitis, because I particularly wanted to see [you] & tell you how happy we feel about the engagement, and to say how glad we are to have you as a son-in-law. It is so lovely to know you so well and I know that we can trust our darling Lilibet to your love and care.
There is so much that can be done in this muddled & rather worried world by example & leadership, & I am sure that Lilibet & you have a great part to play. It’s not always an easy part, for it often means remaining silent when one is bursting to reply, & sometimes a word of advice to restrain instead of to act! But I have great confidence in your good judgement, & am certain that you will be a great help & comfort to our very beloved little daughter.
I am determined to get up tomorrow, but I have to speak to you on my fingers! But anyway, this little note brings you my fond love, and the assurance of my true affection – and please do feel that you can come & talk to me about anything you feel like talking about, & I shall always be ready to help in any way possible.
Ever your affect aunt*
Elizabeth
10July 1947 to Sir Osbert Sitwell
Buckingham Palace
My dear Sir Osbert,
It was so kind of you to send your good wishes on the engagement of our daughter, and I was much touched to receive them. We feel very happy about it, as he is a very nice person, & they have known each other for some years which is a great comfort. Everyone has been so kind about the announcement, & having minded so much about Mr Molotov’s ‘No’s’,† I think that people feel like a moment of rejoicing over a young lady’s ‘Yes’!
I want to thank you also for the very delightful book, ‘A Free House’.* I have only had time to glance at it, but it looks enchanting – What an extraordinary man Sickert must have been, and what a lot he had to say. That’s one thing I enjoy very much in painters – they have so much to say, & so much to criticise.
I loved sitting to A. John – he was such fun and never drew breath except when the Griller Quartet† came & played next door and put him off completely. He quite rightly said that he couldn’t possibly listen and paint. Myra Hess‡ came & played one day, & that was so delicious that it put him off even more!
The day that the Griller Quartet was coming to play, I was sitting to A. John, & he was painting hard, when my page came into the room and said in a rather trembling voice, ‘The gorillas have arrived,’ which terrified us both, and I expect poor A. John had a vision of several shambling baboons coming in to say how much too long my nose was, & wasn’t one eyebrow higher than the other.
I have really suddenly remembered this, & it all comes from Sickert, so I hope you will forgive such a rambling & boring letter of thanks.
I would so love you to come & see the picture gallery here. Anthony Blunt§ has re-hung the pictures, & we have brought the two enormous Van Dycks from Windsor. Will you be here when we return from Holyrood on the 25th? Would you be so kind as to let me know some time, & then perhaps you could find a day.
I am so very sorry to hear that you are still in pain. It is such a horrible infliction, and I hope that you will soon feel better. The treatment sounds quite awful, & most agonising – only bearable if it is really doing good.
With again all my thanks for your kind letter,
I am, Yours very sincerely,
Elizabeth R
Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth were married in Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947. On their honeymoon, first at the Mountbatten home, Broadlands, in Hampshire and then at Birkhall, the Princess and her new husband wrote loving letters to her parents. The Prince, who had been created Duke of Edinburgh on his marriage, wrote to the Queen, ‘Lilibet is the only “thing” in the world which is absolutely real to me and my ambition
is to weld the two of us into a new combined existence that will not only be able to withstand the shocks directed at us but will also have a positive existence for the good …’*
24 November 1947 to Princess Elizabeth
Buckingham Palace
My Darling Lilibet
Your most angelic letter has given me the greatest joy, I have read it, and re-read it, and each time I feel more thankful for our darling little daughter! You have written so sweetly & wisely, and thank you with all my heart.
Papa & I are so happy in your happiness, for it has always been our dearest wish that your marriage should be one of the heart, as well as the head, and we both love Philip already as a son. I do pray that he will feel truly at home with us, & I know that he will be a great help to us both.
I must admit that I have been thinking about you for nearly every minute since you drove away on Thursday! This is only natural, because one’s child is part of one’s life, and marriage is such a great step, and we do love you so very much. So your letter was very welcome, for it told me of your happiness & of Philip’s love and care for you.
Darling Lilibet, no parents ever had a better daughter, you are always such an unselfish & thoughtful angel to Papa & me, & we are so thankful for all your goodness and sweetness.
It is lovely to think that your happiness has made millions happy too in these hard times, & it is a wonderful strength to the country that we can feel like one big family on occasions. As you say, ‘we four’ have had wonderful fun & much laughter even through the darkest times, and I look forward to more fun & laughter with ‘us five’. Thank you again my darling for your wonderful letter which I shall always keep.