BEHIND THE ROYAL SMILE

A Glimpse into a Young Queen Elizabeth II’s World

“Murderer! Coward! Liar!” a stranger once wrote to Winston Churchill, enclosing savagely sarcastic verses.

“I am very sorry to receive your letter with the evidence it gives of your distress of mind,” replied Mr Churchill. “The fact that you do me the greatest injustice does not deprive you of my sympathy, since you have obviously suffered so much.” HOWARD PHILIP IN THE PSYCHOLOGIST, RD AUGUST 1940 As an air raid warden, comedian Groucho Marx, assigned to instruct a class in first aid, was driven to distraction by the stupid questions asked. Finally one woman said: “Mr Marx, suppose you went home and found your wife’s head in the oven with the gas jets on. What would you do?”

“That’s easy,” growled Groucho. “I’d baste her every 15 minutes!” DOROTHY KILGALLEN, RD NOVEMBER 1942 Alice Roosevelt Longworth, 82, has been the most commanding and the most outspoken figure on the Washington, D.C., social scene for many years.

A pillow in her sitting room bears the words: “If You Can’t Say Something Good About Someone, Sit Right Here By Me.” JEAN VANDEN HEUVEL IN THE SATURDAY EVENING POST, RD DECEMBER 1966