Royal childhood - a glimpse into the life of a little prince

By Teresa Dapp

Even royal princes sometimes dream of being a secret agent like James Bond.

Prince Andrew, younger brother of Charles, heir to the British throne, came closer than most children to living this dream when in 1966 — at the age of six — he was given a replica of the legendary silver DB5 driven by 007 in Goldfinger and Thunderball. Andrew’s toy included revolving numberplates, small toy machine guns positioned behind the front headlights and a function to confuse pursuers using clouds of smoke. It was a gift from carmaker Aston Martin.

The child-sized, one-seater Bond car is probably the most spectacular royal toy on view at a special exhibition in Buckingham Palace that gives an unprecedented glimpse into how young members of the British royal family grow up.

Spanning more than 250 years, “Royal Childhood” brings together a wide variety of objects, including a white rocking horse that was a present to Prince George, one of the latest additions to the royal family, from US President Barack Obama and wife Michelle.

A tea set dating from 1930 with a teapot shaped like a rabbit shows that Queen Elizabeth II was learning to make a nice British cup of tea from the age of four.

Two years later, the young princess received an entire kitchen, replete with dining table, cupboard, cooker, washboard, clothes mangle and ironing board. They were household items a future queen would normally not be familiar with.

“Toys were always also considered tools for learning, especially in higher social circles,” comments Karin Falkenberg, head of the Nuremberg toy museum in southern Germany.

“After all, you should also know what the servants do.”

Toys were often used to imitate the lives of grownups, for example by playing with dolls and dressing them in the fashion of the time.

Accordingly, it is hardly surprising that the young princess Elizabeth’s doll Pamela from 1936 wore a very similar coat to the one the future queen and her younger sister Margaret wore at the time.

Equally delicate is a finely decorated silver rattle dating from the year 1762, which belonged to George IV when he was a young prince.

A doll’s house dating from the 1780s and based on Buckingham Palace with its 775 rooms was a favourite plaything of his sisters. It contains finely crafted scaled-down furniture.

Just as fascinating as the glimpse into the playrooms of British princes and princesses is the palace itself. Each year the staterooms are opened to the public for eight weeks in August and September.

Previously during these summer openings, visitors could admire the Queen’s ball gowns or a fully set table for a state banquet.

On the way to the exhibition, visitors pass the throne room where the official wedding photographs of Prince William and new bride Catherine were taken.

Between chandeliers, wall tapestries and noble vases, a photo of Prince Charles and sister Anne reading can be seen, evidence that

Buckingham Palace is not only a symbol of the royal family, but also their home. -DPA