Counting One's Blessings

by William Shawcross

  As to your luncheon party. All your suggestions sound delectable, but I rather favour your American friends the Laurence Roberts. What fun it will be (at last) to see you in Rome, & in your own house – oh I do hope it all comes off.

  Already I am inundated with anxious letters from low Protestants in this country over my projected visit to the Pope.* I wish that one could convey to these people (who are simple & good) that if one goes to Rome, the Pope, being a Sovereign, must be visited out of politeness if nothing else. There is great ignorance & fear still about the R. Catholic religion – possibly because they are so well organised.

  D’Arcy, I was so grieved to hear about your brother [who had just died]. The links with one’s childhood are so precious, & so comforting, & one hates them to be broken. I am so sorry.

  Please do discuss with the Ambassador about my visit. I am sure that you know the sort of things I would like to see, & the sort of things I ought to see!

  Oh to be in Rome when April’s here!

  Your affec friend,

  Elizabeth R

  In early 1959 Queen Elizabeth made an official tour of Kenya and Uganda – the first time she had visited East Africa since her safari with the Duke of York in 1924–5. Much of colonial Africa was experiencing what Harold Macmillan later called ‘the winds of change’. Ghana was the first British colony to win its independence, in 1957, and it was followed by Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanganyika (Tanzania), Uganda, Kenya, Nyasaland (Malawi) and Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) through the 1960s. All became members of the British Commonwealth, an organization which, throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth II has tended assiduously. She later said that its growth marked ‘the transformation of the Crown from an emblem of dominion into a symbol of free and voluntary association. In all history this has no precedent.’

  The British government considered cancelling the Queen Mother’s 1959 trip because of the unrest; in the event she was received with courtesy and enthusiasm.

  21 February 1959 to Princess Margaret

  Government House

  Entebbe

  Uganda

  My Darling Margaret

  I have been so rushing about that I haven’t had time to write any letters except a scribble to Lilibet, but I have thought of you every day, and now at last I have a whole morning! So I will quickly start before someone comes in to ask questions!

  Kenya was very crowded as to programme, but goodness, what a beautiful country it is! The cool air in the evenings revives one after grilling in the sun in the wrong sort of clothes, and the people were so welcoming & loyal.

  It was so annoying at Mombasa – terrific heat, and when I went to the Arab quarter for welcomes & speeches, each Sheik who came to be presented, looked gravely at my flushed & streaming face, & red eyes (v. small too) and said ‘We DID so love having Princess Margaret here – I do hope she comes again soon, soon’. And then on to the Women’s thing, where the Indian ladies looked at my crumpled dress, & said ‘Oh we did love having Princess Margaret here, she was wonderful’, & the English ladies said ‘It was marvellous having Princess Margaret’, & the Goan ladies said etc etc!

  And as for the Commissioner there, he spoke of nothing but you & the visit, & the visit & you & you, and as he was saying it, I thought of how you would be amused.

  But they did love having you darling as you can guess.

  I had a lizard in my room all night, & it hung over my bed looking at me with bulging eyes. I felt quite embarrassed.

  I came here on Wednesday, & had a busy day in Kampala yesterday, with 3 speeches, & a degree giving in my Chancellor’s robes in great heat, & ending up with a Tattoo at night, which was so gloriously English that it was almost funny.

  The K.A.R. [King’s African Rifles] doing marvellous drill, & re-enacting a battle in Burma, splendid massed bands, all African, except for a very white conductor, wonderful African dancing, & then quite suddenly a skirl of the pipes, & out came 8 Scottish dancers looking exactly like they do in the forecourt at Holyrood, the ladies in white dresses & plaids, and the men in beautiful kilts, & they danced an intricate & pretty reel. […]

  On Thursday I lunched with the Kabaka, & before lunch we went into a room filled with people, & he introduced me round them all. My brother Andrew, my brother Frederick, my brother Henry, my brother Frank, my brother John, my brother Michael, my brother George, my brother Mark, my brother Peter, my brother – oh breathless it was. I think that there were 19 of them. […]

  Betty & Bobbety [Salisbury] have suddenly turned up here, as their aeroplane has something wrong with it, & they are here for a few hours. I must rush & see them. Goodbye my darling, from your

  Very loving

  Mummy

  PS I do hope that the French play is a good one!

  14 April 1959 to Cecil Boyd-Rochfort

  Clarence House

  My dear Cecil,

  Thank you so much for your letter about Bali H’ai. I am glad to hear that he is doing well and hope very much to be able to see him run – I shall be in Rome on April 25th, but might be able to get to Chester on May 7th. Anyway I will have a good try! It is, unfortunately, the week of the Shah of Persia’s visit, so a bit complicated.

  It was splendid Parthia winning his race – what an exciting & rather agonising time of year this is!

  All the hopes & some of the fears loom up, & the future is so unknown, but most thrilling,

  I am, Yours v sincerely

  Elizabeth R

  12 October 1959 to Peter Cazalet

  The Castle of Mey

  My dear Peter,

  Thank you so much for your letter about the horses. […] I am only here for a weekend to make some arrangements in the house before the winter sets in. It is still warm, and the sea in front of the house is full of seals. They lie about on the rocks, looking very benevolent, and rather like people one knows. They really are charming.

  I do hope that you will have a successful Cheltenham and I greatly look forward to this winter’s racing.

  I am, Yours very sincerely,

  Elizabeth R

  23 March 1960 to the Marquess of Salisbury

  Clarence House

  My dear Bobbety

  How kind of you to ask me to dine on June 28th. I would love to come, and shall look forward greatly to seeing you & Betty again.

  So much has happened since I saw you last, & apart from political & world affairs, the nicest has been my daughter Margaret’s engagement!* She is so serenely happy, & he is very nice.

  Oh, & the Baby!* He is also very nice!

  Ever yours,

  Elizabeth R

  7 May 1960 to the Duke of Edinburgh

  Clarence House

  Darling Philip,

  I do want to send you one line of warm & grateful thanks for your kindness and understanding to Margaret on her wedding day.

  It was such a comfort to me, to see you bringing her up the aisle, for it does matter so much on that great day in one’s life, to lean on the arm of a strong & loving person.

  I do thank you with all my heart, & also for being so sweet to her during the last years. It must have helped her a lot, for I think she felt terribly lost when her father died.

  Bless you – your loving m-in-l, E

  22 May 1960 to Princess Margaret

  Government House

  Lusaka

  Northern Rhodesia

  My Darling Margaret

  After the tremendous bustle and noise and hoorays & beauty of your wedding day, you suddenly disappeared, and I feel that I haven’t seen you since you were about 9 years old! I long to hear a little news of your life in the yacht, & I do hope that it has been a wonderful time for you both. I do think that the wedding was perfect, and I have had such charming and touching letters from so many people, saying how glorious it all was.

  I felt that it was a real wedding service, holy & beautiful, and you looked heavenly darling.

  I am so longing to see you again, and what I want you to know
is, that until you have a country house of your own, I hope that you will always come to Royal Lodge when you want to.

  Don’t ask me, just say you are coming, and I hope it will be often.

  How uncomfortable Government Houses are! Tiny bath towels, no lights to dress by, & board-like sheets! But great kindness, & one mustn’t be beastly.

  I have had the usual gruelling tour, and so far it has gone happily. It is a wonderful country, & the people love it so much.

  I went to Barotseland, which is quite delightful. Everyone falls on their knees when they see one – not grovelling but enormously natural & polite.

  No roads, and a vast plain, which every year is inundated by the mighty Zambesi, too beautiful for words, because the water is just going down now, & the tall grass is growing through the water, & this endless vista of shimmer & light is really fascinating.

  The old Paramount Chief is a good ruler, & nobody can approach him except on their knees! I think we might introduce this at Clarence House, it might be an excellent idea!

  The only bother about Africa is that one can get malaria and typhoid and smallpox and cholera and bilharzia (nasty) and yellow fever and black fever & I expect pink fever & blue fever & GREY fever (bad) and beige fever (the worst), & huge animals knock on one’s door, & great beasts fly in at the window, and all the time at Royal Lodge the garden is quiet & lovely, & the azaleas are out.

  Ah well, Livingstone & Rhodes made it alright.

  Darling, lots of love to you both, & please write me a small letter saying that you are happy & that all is blissful.

  Your very loving

  Mummy

  25 August 1960 to Queen Elizabeth II

  Birkhall

  My Darling Lilibet

  I simply loved my short but perfect visit to Balmoral, and sank happily into the dearly loved atmosphere of well remembered smells of stone & stocks, & children’s feet running by, & that delectable baby [Prince Andrew], & the door opening & you staggering into my room with that heavenly creature in your arms, & the Moderator [of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland], & the picnics & the card games & the cinema, & especially being with my children.

  That is always the real treat, & the time went far too quickly. Thank you so very much darling, & Philip also, for all your sweetness & kindness to me. Do tell Philip that if he finds that too much grouse driving to get through becomes burdensome, I would gladly take Slioch off your hands. It works very well with Corndavon, & wouldn’t affect any of the other shooting on Gairnshiel, & would save anyway one day, or two. It is rather trying having a very great deal of shooting, & leaves too little time for stalking & fishing & climbing about looking for birds! Anyway, you & he can remember this, in case you wish to be relieved of some ground. Of course I would pay a rent too!

  Thank you again darlings for my lovely visit,

  from your very loving

  Mummy

  17 February 1961 to Queen Elizabeth II*

  Clarence House

  My Darling Lilibet

  I am just going off to Royal Lodge, & taking Charles back for his last 2 days of convalescence. […]

  He seems to have recovered from the measles – he had it pretty badly, and if he gets mumps (which he might), it might be better to snatch him back to have it with Anne!

  She, poor darling, has had a temp: of 99 for over a week, & I did ring up Dr Sheldon to try & make him do something about it, and he is, at last, going to give her some medicine. She seems quite well in herself, except for a cough, & I rather think that she is very ‘thick’ in her throat, & that there is the trouble.

  Feb 19th. It was wonderful having a talk yesterday, & very reassuring to hear your voice & hear that you were surviving. Today, I took Charles up to London, & we attended the BIRTHDAY PARTY of Andrew! We left here, on a glorious English Feb: day – hot sun, blue sky, no wind, & joined the agonizing queue of cars for London. […]

  When we got up to the nursery, there was Andrew looking absolutely angelic, Anne Tennant’s son looking slightly red & angry, & Christa’s* baby looking very brown & exhausted. We sat down to a glorious nursery tea, except for a sweet little girl, who I think is Christa’s, except that she doesn’t speak much English, who refused to sit at the table, & crouched by Andrew’s pen, & spurned any effort to give her food or drink. This devastated the Nannies (3), but they took it very well, & bright conversation at the table, took minds off such a dreadful affair!

  The conversation consisted of,

  Wah! Eeeeeeee! Ungh! (from Andrew) – accompanied by a beaming smile, & banging on his chair –

  Boolah, boolah boolah, belooo belooo thump (Tennant)

  Grrrrrrrrrr, & again grrrrrr (young Christa)

  The noise was terrific, & everyone enjoyed themselves very much. The cake was cut, with great difficulty, by Andrew, & the proceedings ended by me escaping at about 5.30, & arriving back here just as darkness was falling, & having to take the dogs for a tiny walk in the dark!

  I am not sure, but I think that the darling English are going mad. That they can sit about, led by Lord Russell, & hope to achieve anything except making England a laughing stock, is very sad, and I can only hope that if too many people are too silly, that the dear English will once again pull themselves together, and realize what is happening.*

  I have not given you much news of the steeplechasing, because it has all been so depressing. I didn’t want Peter [Cazalet] to run Double Star the other day, because he ran badly the time before, & I am sure he gets bored with racing. […]

  I also sometimes wonder whether I ought to give up my racing – yet it is the only thing that I enjoy (not quite true!). On the other hand it is not nearly so much fun now that you & Margaret never race† – perhaps someday things will look up, so one mustn’t despair.

  I think that it is wonderful what you & Philip have done in India – I have always felt, that the glorious influence of Queen Victoria and the British Army, & the supreme I.C.S. [Indian Civil Service] have laid such a foundation of trust & good government, that even politicians cannot break something as good.

  Everyone has been ill here – I have survived so far, but have not been feeling very gay – I rather think that I have missed my usual dose of flu, it certainly gives one a rest, & a respite!

  With all my love, & I think of you so many times during the day, & my goodness, such prayers at night!

  Your very loving

  Mummy

  PS I am terribly sorry that there are so many blots – the nib is a bit uncertain.

  7April 1961 to Miss Penn

  The Royal Lodge

  My dear Miss Penn,

  When I went to my sitting room at Clarence House yesterday and saw the lovely clock‡ on the table, I instantly thought, that is just what Arthur* would like, and when I read your letter, and realized that he wanted me to have it, I found a tear was falling.

  I am so deeply touched by his thought of me & I shall always treasure the clock. I have tried, once or twice, to write to you, to try & tell you how eternally grateful I shall always be to Arthur for his wonderful support & unselfish & devoted service to me & my family.

  He was such a great and wise person, and that he is no longer there, with his balance & right advice on all the many problems that assail one, is a terrible loss. Clarence House is certainly not the same place without him, & he is continually missed by all my Household & all the servants.

  He was so marvellous in always making himself available to listen to their troubles & perplexities, & the wonderful mixture of fun & understanding of human nature with which he solved their problems, always sent them away happy.

  For myself, to be able to have Arthur for wise counsel in so many difficult situations, & to be able to share the pleasure of beautiful things, & to laugh was something which has meant more to me than I can ever say, both in happy days and sad days.

  If we all miss him so much, I cannot bear to think what the loss must mean to you.

  I do feel for yo
u so much and for Eric and Prue† who love him too.

  How wonderful to have lived a life such as Arthur lived, spreading gaiety & kindness around you, & goodness & courage as well. He was a great example in how to live on this earth.

  I am so glad to have the clock, & when I look at it I shall think of his exquisite taste & knowledge, & be so thankful for his long friendship.

  I am, Yours very sincerely,

  Elizabeth R

  23 May 1961 to Queen Elizabeth II

  Birkhall

  My Darling Lilibet

  You remember that I told you yesterday that Bali H’ai had run so badly in the Yorkshire Cup, well, I heard from Cecil this morning saying that he had a very small knot just above the near hind joint (the same leg as before, only higher) and he sounded doubtful if he would be sound again. It’s very sad, as he ran so well at Kempton. I shall have to try & get another N.Z. horse!

  My goodness, racing can be disappointing – you’ve had your fill too.

  It is so lovely up here – so green & so brilliant in light, and I do think that it is a real holiday. I like it, because I can get away from ladies in waiting (however nice!) for the whole day, & with luck, only have an evening meal together!

  I have been thinking such a lot about Charles – I suppose that he will be taking his entrance exam for Eton soon – I do hope that he passes, because it might be the ideal school for one of his character & temperament. Also, however good Gordonstoun* is, it is miles & miles away, & he might as well be at school abroad. Also, all your friends’ sons are at Eton, & it is so important to be able to grow up with people you will be with later in life. And so nice, & so important when boys are growing up, that you & Philip can see him during school days, & keep him in touch with what is happening – he would be terribly cut off & lonely up in the far North.

  I am sure that it must be a worry to Philip & you, because one loves one’s old school, but if he can get into Eton it would solve many difficulties, one being religion. It’s always a tricky one with the heir to the Throne, & one would not be involved in any controversies in a staunchly protestant place like Eton Chapel!