1st Buckingham Palace Guide Company

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The 1st Buckingham Palace Guide Company and 1st Buckingham Palace Brownie Pack were established in 1937 for Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. The princesses were the first members of the British royal family to join the Girl Guide movement as children. [1] The intention of their joining the movement was to "allow them social contacts in a wider field." [2]

Contents

Background

When Princess Elizabeth turned 11 and was old enough to become a Guide, the Queen Mother, who had been involved with the Girl Guides Association as a district commissioner at Glamis, felt that Guiding "would be a happy and normal activity for a young princess who had to learn so many difficult things." [3] The princess's nanny, Marion Crawford, approached the Girl Guide's headquarters at 25 Buckingham Palace Road, where the chief commissioner for England, Violet Synge, was "appalled at the idea of princesses becoming Guides". [4] However, Synge went to meet the girls at the palace and "found two polite, enthusiastic little girls", [5] which was enough to convince her the idea was practicable after all.

1937 Guide Company

The 1st Buckingham Palace Company, part of the Westminster Division of the Girl Guides Association, [6] [7] first met in June 1937. Elizabeth was elected seconder of the Kingfisher patrol with Patricia Mountbatten as her patrol leader. [8] The twenty girls making up the company were the children of members of the Royal household and palace employees. Synge became the company's captain. [9] The princesses made their promise to become enrolled Girl Guides, on 13 December 1937. [10] The Company met in Buckingham Palace's school room. They camped at Frogmore House, [11] used Windsor Forest for trekking, bird watching and campfires [12] and the corridors of Buckingham Palace for signalling. [13] [14] Initially, Margaret, who was too young to become a Guide, was allowed to be a Brownie attached to the Guide Company. [15] After some time a Brownie Pack comprising of 14 girls was opened. When Margaret turned 11 she became a Guide. [16] When WWII broke out, the 1st Buckingham Guide Company was temporarily suspended and the princesses moved to Balmoral Castle, where Elizabeth helped to "revitalise" the local Guide Company. [17] [18] The 1st Buckingham Guide Company reopened at Windsor Castle in 1940, renamed as the 1st Windsor Castle Guide Company. Now including London evacuees among its members, it remained at the castle until the end of the war. [19] [20] Margaret joined the Guide Company in April 1942. [21]

When Elizabeth turned 16 she joined the Youth Registration Scheme at the Ministry of Labour. She wore her Guide uniform when she enrolled. [22] By 1945 Margaret was too old to be a Guide and the Company closed. [23]

1959 Brownie Pack

The 1st Buckingham Palace Brownie Pack was re-formed in the summer of 1959 for Princess Anne. [24] [25] When she turned 11 in 1961, Queen Elizabeth gave permission for the Guide company to be re-formed, [26] which was achieved by amalgamating the 12th Westminster Company with older members of the 1st Buckingham Palace Brownie Pack. [27] The Queen's stated wish was "that the Pack should not be different from other Packs." [28] Anne was patrol leader of the Robin patrol. [29] The captain of the company was Marjorie Bayliss. When Anne had her first official photograph taken on her 13th birthday she wore her Guide uniform. [30] The Company remained active until 1963. [31]

Members

Other members of 1st Buckingham Guide Company included:

Other members of 1st Buckingham Brownie Pack included:

Other

In 1970, a 75-page Kingfisher patrol logbook, written by Elizabeth, was auctioned in New York. It was believed to be the only handwritten document by the Queen to be ever offered for public sale. [41]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Proctor, Tammy (2002). On my honour. New York, USA: American Philosophical Society. p. 33. ISBN   0871699222.
  2. ↑ Cathcart, Helen (1962). Her Majesty the Queen The Story of Elizabeth II. New York, USA: Dodd, Mead and Company. p. 39.
  3. ↑ "The Queen and the Guides". The Blue Mountains Advertiser. Katoomba, NSW, Australia. 1954-02-11. p. 21.
  4. ↑ Hampton, Janie (2011). How the Girl Guides won the war. Oxford, UK: ISIS. p. 221. ISBN   9780753152812.
  5. ↑ Hampton, Janie (2011). How the Girl Guides won the war. Oxford, UK: ISIS. p. 221. ISBN   9780753152812.
  6. ↑ "The Westminster Division". Chelsea News. London, UK. 1939-05-05. p. 8.
  7. ↑ "40 facts about Buckingham Palace". British Monarchy Media Centre. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
  8. ↑ "The Queen and the Guides". The Blue Mountains Advertiser. Katoomba, NSW, Australia. 1954-02-11. p. 21.
  9. ↑ Sheepshanks, Mary (2012). Wild Writing Granny: A Memoir. York, UK: Stone Trough Books. p. 134. ISBN   9780954454272.
  10. ↑ "The 1st Buckingham Palace Company and Pack". The Guider (Vol. * No. * ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. January 1938. p. 7.
  11. ↑ Sheepshanks, Mary (2012). Wild Writing Granny: A Memoir. York, UK: Stone Trough Books. p. 136. ISBN   9780954454272.
  12. ↑ Paddington, Teresa (2012). The Elizabeth II Pocket Bible. Richmond, UK: Pocket Bibles. p. 6. ISBN   9781907087486.
  13. ↑ Brandreth, Gyles (2005). Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage. New York, USA: Norton. p. 91. ISBN   9780393061130.
  14. ↑ "Princess Elizabeth is proud member of First Buckingham Palace Guide Company". The Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Canada. 1937-12-04. p. 24.
  15. ↑ Hampton, Janie (2011). How the Girl Guides won the war. Oxford, UK: ISIS. p. 221. ISBN   9780753152812.
  16. ↑ Hampton, Janie (2011). How the Girl Guides won the war. Oxford, UK: ISIS. p. 221. ISBN   9780753152812.
  17. ↑ "The Queen and the Guides". The Blue Mountains Advertiser. Katoomba, NSW, Australia. 1954-02-11. p. 21.
  18. ↑ "Princesses gather moss for Red Cross". Times Colonist. British Columbia, Canada. 1940-02-10. p. 6.
  19. ↑ Sheepshanks, Mary (2012). Wild Writing Granny: A Memoir. York, UK: Stone Trough Books. p. 132. ISBN   9780954454272.
  20. ↑ "She knew both the princesses as Guides". The Daily News. Perth, Australia. 1949-01-20. p. 12.
  21. ↑ "Princess Margaret". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. 1942-04-11. p. 2.
  22. ↑ Hampton, Janie (2011). How the Girl Guides won the war. Oxford, UK: ISIS. p. 223. ISBN   9780753152812.
  23. ↑ "Princess takes salute at parade of 2,000 Guides". Daily Mirror. London, UK. 1947-07-14. p. 12.
  24. ↑ "Princess Anne to join Girl Guide movement". The Bharat Scouts and Guides Bulletin (Vol. 10 No. 4 ed.). Madras, India: The Bharat Scouts and Guides. July 1959. p. 4.
  25. ↑ "Princess in Blue". The Bolton News. Bolton, UK. 1961-05-18. p. 1.
  26. ↑ "The 1st Buckingham Palace Guide company". The Guider (Vol. XLVIII No. 6 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. June 1961. p. 165.
  27. ↑ "The 1st Buckingham Palace Brownie Pack". The Guider (Vol. XLVI No. 7 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. July 1959. p. 193.
  28. ↑ "The 1st Buckingham Palace Brownie Pack". The Guider (Vol. XLVI No. 7 ed.). London, UK: Girl Guides Association. July 1959. p. 193.
  29. ↑ "News from everywhere". The Children's Newspaper. London, UK. 1961-03-06. p. 2.
  30. ↑ "Princess Anne is 13". Staffordshire Sentinel. Stafford, UK. 1963-08-15. p. 4.
  31. ↑ "Princess in Blue". The Bolton News. Bolton, UK. 1961-05-18. p. 1.
  32. ↑ "Princess Elizabeth is proud member of First Buckingham Palace Guide Company". The Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Canada. 1937-12-04. p. 24.
  33. ↑ "Silver Jubilee". The Children's Newspaper. London, UK. 1947-10-25. p. 2.
  34. ↑ "Princess Elizabeth is proud member of First Buckingham Palace Guide Company". The Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Canada. 1937-12-04. p. 24.
  35. ↑ "Princess Elizabeth is proud member of First Buckingham Palace Guide Company". The Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Canada. 1937-12-04. p. 24.
  36. ↑ "Princess Elizabeth is proud member of First Buckingham Palace Guide Company". The Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Canada. 1937-12-04. p. 24.
  37. ↑ "Princess Elizabeth is proud member of First Buckingham Palace Guide Company". The Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Canada. 1937-12-04. p. 24.
  38. ↑ Sheepshanks, Mary (2012). Wild Writing Granny: A Memoir. York, UK: Stone Trough Books. p. 134. ISBN   9780954454272.
  39. ↑ Mary Main (1959-05-29). "Princess Anne is a Brownie now". Alderley and Wilmslow Advertiser. Wilmslow, England. p. 4.
  40. ↑ Mary Main (1959-05-29). "Princess Anne is a Brownie now". Alderley and Wilmslow Advertiser. Wilmslow, England. p. 4.
  41. ↑ "Queen's Girl Guide book on sale". Hull Daily Mail. Hull, UK. 1970-12-10. p. 1.
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