THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1960. -
Now Tony can join Royalty's
ON Christmas Eve the
carollers always
call. He will savour this homely touch perhaps most of all.
He will see them, by the light of a single lantern on $1 crooked pole, marching up the drive to the great rambling house. He will heur their volces chiming t true and clear on the win- ter air, launching out into "The First Nowell" uniler the towers and pinnacles.
them. He w mce! afterwards, when they are in- vited Indoors and ushered inlo And the long drawing-room, Son, Bround the fire, his voice VSE Be ruised in the old
with theirs. favourite
And
with the
لافادة
vulces of the Queen,
The Queen Mother, Princess Morgawet, the Duchess of Kent
As always, the Queen Mother will ask for "Once in Royal
- David's City", Prince Charles
most exclusive party
SANDRINGHAM-A sercen from pomp and protocol,
IL way here, the inspired ley draughts sweep its 300 quussers say, that he proposed rooms, Elrown stifl with the
spindly-legged lacquered cabl to her a year ago.
But not at Christmas. Ha nets that Queen Victoria left. Invitation from the But Antony Armstrong-Jones Special
group,
Christmas at Sandringham 15 a close and family affair; an Easy sequence of happy private traditions away from and pomp, screened from the
the small Sandringham main- tenance staff, or the train of ser vanis drafted in from Burking ham Palace,
by
SIMON KAVANAUGH
After and tenants
dinner there are streamers, paper hats, romping party games,
among the staff They are generous gifts.
Eight years ago, one servant said she would like a ten, set, and received 1. The following Christmas, she expected to re- ceive something smaller. Instead, her gift was a matching dinner service,
It i + family Chrisicons evening.
For the rest, it is A holiday of preordained contentment. There are thools, arranged by the Duke of Edinburgh, across the Royal states; a rough shoot without beaters, perhaps, on Boxing Day, with Annie and And by now it is time for the Charts to carry the excellent family to leave for the litle bag of partridge, pheasant and Gothic church of St Mary woodcock.
Magdalene, BUL prettily in There Is riding for the Queen, Sandringham Park, for morning
village cold.
are singsongs
new
service with four hyning chosen and for the children on their tramps through the by the Queen, and no sermon. pories:
the Queen (The other traditional family curry, lanos for For her, a collection bas been excursion over Christmas: to the Mother and the Duke of Glou- held among Immediate members Festival of the Nine Lessons and vester, well mufled against the
the family.
Carols at a nearby special gift church). With the money, has been bought; and this is pre- Lunch, In the mahogany- dining-room after WI Wont "Slient Night" (and Queen, during the first week of will know, after Christmas at sented now, at an impromptu panellod
sherry and mincepics, 15 д obably another try on the last January, made him a late Sandringhaun, why the late King little ceremony seen by none of
slight affair. The family walk Princess Anne will in addition to the relaxed, informat. George VI was moved to say:
There
round "I have a house in London and Radley,
through the garden si on "Away In A Mangor,"
a home in Norfolk."
follows: the plane, led by the Duke: and volding memories, for the new new,
perhaps, by the brings Now Christmas
At
secret Sandringham,
lyweds, of those other
member of the family too? walks hand-in-hand year ago, dlm problem for the To
prolocal reigns at Christmas.
The days move gently by Carol Party of Dersingham,
The Queen has telerecorded niled with the quiet relaxations Nerulk, singling their lidings of
Deyes
clože of evers
outside
her Christmas Message to Bri- of a wealthy country family, stace at Sandringham. lends and servants,
Lain and the Commonwealth, 80 Antony Armstrong-Jones, when Juy and A new man hux quallid for
And 5001 1be Armstrong- there is no 3 pm stir of B.BC- duty recalls them all to Lon- innst exclusive of Roya}
Joneses will know, by the joy technicians
the around
don, will leave this corner of house-particu the unly way
in two pairs of young eyes, that room off the half.
Bri older, rural England as re- anyone can-by becoming one
on Christmas Eve they were right choose space- But everyone wants to SUC
ag the rest, gretfully
TEAL. of the family.
with the ritual that Albert, ships for Charles, dolls at for and hear it, before tea
What matter if the shambling Quem Victoria's Consart. Aune,
Christmas cake. Then there old place, bullt betweeen 1801 Gegati: present-giving, under the On Christmas morning, the pro toys to be admired and
and 1870, seems hideous to the Eluss-and-tlasel glitter of the peal of church bells from across tried
Or if its wasihatic aya today? 15. Christmas tree in the cream the park blends with the skiri
the long Dinner, at 8 pm, is traditional rigours would daunt anypho not of bagpipes through and gold ballroom.
Royal corridors announcing breakfast, 100: Norfolk turkey with all the drought-hardened in
There are bacon and eggs on trimmings, Christmas pudding: residence?
Going home the sideboard; sausages, kippers, The house is ablaze with light; kidneys, haddocks chops, eggs there are balloons, paperchains,
holly everywhere; chrysanthe when you are married to punched and botted.
Afterwards, there Gre the mums and hathouse carnations Princem, means going home to Queen's gifts
Sandringham. for distribution crom the vasco.
the
What shall fi be for Mr Antony Armstrong-Jones, hus- band of the Princess?
He has been here before, of course, Because of it, there is no other Christmas circle any- where that he would want to join. For it was here, during their daily walks in the 17,009 wooded neres, that he found the heart of his Princess.
of
But now, alighting with the others among the gay decora
red-carpeted liny. tions Wolterton Station, he will share it all.
And, arriving with the Royal dogs, the 150 pieces of luggage, the steel trunks labelled "Royal Nursery," the wicker hampers, polo sticks and picnic stoves,
tradition He will rise it from the first warm moment of arrival in the big brightly-B house, festooned throughout wlili Evergreens foresters culled by
from the eslate.
It begins
There are tables set around the tree; one for each member of the family, on which parcels ay be placed. But there is no
he will begin to understand the mound of parcels for the Queen, the venerabic enduring affection of kings and That is part of queens for this gaunt old house, game,
littlo
and
for Christmas,
MAS
"Why, Mr Braithwaito-just what i wanted!”.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
"I can see we're all broadminded—so ‘hare's another on e."
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