REPORT ON ROYALTY

George VI paced up & down the palace garden last week, waiting for a crew of cameramen who never showed up. George had agreed to pose for a colored movie to illustrate the national anthem in Britain's movie houses. On the appointed day all available color cameras were busy and nobody had bothered to tell the King, who eventually stomped back to the palace. TIME'S London Correspondent Alfred Wright last week cabled some other glimpses of George and his family :

Last week I had two good views of the Royal Family without the aid of field glasses. The first was at the Duke of Northumberland's wedding in Westminster Abbey. The second was at the Tate Gallery (TIME, June 24), where I spent the better part of an hour and a half cutting around corners to intercept the royal entourage in their meanderings.

Sound & Straight. The point that impressed me at the wedding was the tremendous virtue and integrity personified by Queen Mary. She walks slowly with the slightly bent posture of an old lady (she is 79), and yet she seems to be as sound as a rock and full of quiet dignity. Like any charming oldster, Queen Mary has developed some pleasing eccentricities. For instance, she always rides in the forward jump-seat of her Daimler, coupling an old-fashioned inclination to see where she is going with an equally old-fashioned desire to sit up straight. And her unswerving devotion to prewar (World War I, of course) conventions leads her to cling rather impishly to her hat styles and to carry a parasol whenever possible.

When it came time for the King and Queen and Princesses to leave the wedding, they all retired from the presence of Queen Mary with impressive respect. The Princesses exhibited great deference to their grandmother, executing careful curtsies.

At the Tate Gallery, the King and Queen appeared alone to open an exhibit of U.S. art. Instinctively my attention was first attracted to the Queen. She was not beautiful, and she was not wearing a spectacular getup. It is just that she is the real star of the team.

Poised & Plump. She has a superb complexion; everyone notices it right away. She moves with the unself-conscious ease of a person who knows she is alone in a room and won't be disturbed. When someone is talking to her, she concentrates completely on what he is saying, despite any & all distractions. During all the time I watched her the Queen maintained a remarkable expression on her face--as if this was an experience she had been awaiting months, and it had turned out better than she hoped.

I had always understood that the Queen photographed poorly, and that she was not nearly as plump as she appears in pictures. This is not so. The Queen has a very round figure with the small ankles and slim lower legs of a woman who would rather eat than bother with her weight. I feel safe in saying that her wardrobe is unimaginative. I'll just add that she avoids a very definite double chin by holding her head well up and out.

Nervous & Kindly. The King looked considerably older than I had expected. His sandy-colored hair is well streaked with grey, and his face is prominently lined. The other thing that surprised me was the bad fit of his naval uniform; the pants, although well pressed, were so full they looked baggy, and the jacket fitted badly around the shoulders. Otherwise, he was well turned out, and his black shoes must have been Simonized.

The King appeared to lack the composure of the Queen. He continually works the muscle of his jawbone, a reflex common among nervous people and one that may have some connection with his stutter. I'm quite sure that art isn't his dish of tea and he seemed to find the tour of the gallery more of a duty than a pleasure. Several times I noticed he ducked away from the lecture to pass a pleasantry with some member of the party.

In order to observe the departure of the King and Queen, I took up an advance station just inside the front door of the Gallery. It turned out to be too good a spot. The royal party halted within a couple of yards of me to say goodbye to their hosts, and my efforts to melt into a pillar were futile. When the King approached me to say goodbye, I high-tailed it for the outskirts of the gathering. Everyone was too polite to say or do anything, if they noticed. But the incident illustrated an important point--the complete lack of police protection necessary for British royalty. Apparently no one wishes to harm them, which is either a great insult or a great compliment. After seeing the spontaneous gatherings which form wherever they go, after hearing nondescript little crowds give them three impromptu cheers as they get in their car, I favor the latter conclusion.

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