Queen's Court

Free Show. All along the Mall from Buckingham Palace nearly to Trafalgar Square stretched a double row of shiny limousines bearing debutantes, peeresses, diplomats and their wives to Her Majesty's first Court of the season. Stalled by the formality of the occasion, the cars were surrounded by a dense, jostling mass of working girls, tired shoppers and messenger boys, who scrambled like children at the Zoo for a peek at High Society before going home to tea. The great state show soon to take place inside the palace was not for them. This was their -show, and for three hours as the cars waited in line they made the most of it with pointed umbrellas and still more pointed comments.

"Ah! Don't look at 'er. She's an ole frosty fice. Where's 'Elen? We want 'Elen!!"

Quite as exciting as the fact that because of the King's illness, this was the first formal Court a British Queen had held alone for 29 years, was the fact that California's Helen Wills, the world's most beautiful tennis champion, was about to be presented. The crowd swarmed like bees about the Rolls-Royce (borrowed) in which Miss Wills's Grecian "poker" face showed, beside her equally statuesque blonde California friend Harriet ("Hatsy") Walker. Unperturbed, while sweating policemen held back the crowds, Miss Wills sketched in a notebook. After a while she pulled the side curtains of the car, leaned back without disturbing the feathers in her hair, daydreamed. In the line in another car (make unnoticed) sat Miss Virginia Willys of Toledo, Ohio, daughter of Motor-maker John North Willys.

State Show. After three hours, a gorgeous group of peers, officers and diplomats stood in the white and gold throne room of Buckingham Palace, facing two massive folding doors. Calm Helen Wills and 349 other debutantes waited in an adjoining drawing room, shepherded by black, silk-stockinged Gentlemen Ushers with long white wands.

Suddenly, behind blue hydrangeas, the band of the Irish Guards struck up "God Save the Queen." The folding doors opened, disclosed the broad gold-laced backs of the court chamberlain and court steward, bowing low before Majesty. Chamberlain and steward backed into the room. Entered the Queen of England, ablaze with diamonds, wearing a "white and gold gown with an overdress of changeable pastel shades," as fashion technicians described it. Holding her firmly by the hand was scarlet-coated Edward of Wales, his uniform collar embroidered with the wild onion of the Welsh Guards. Prince Edward led his mother to the single throne on the dais, bowed, took his place in the brilliant family circle of his brothers, his sister, his uncles and his aunts.

One by one the debutantes entered, three white feathers in their hair, court trains trailing just 18 inches on the ground behind them, long white gloves on their arms. One by one they curtsied as the chamberlain read their names aloud, and walked backwards to the side of the throne room. Each presentation took just 30 seconds. Miss Wills was seen to smile slightly as the Queen dipped her head in acknowledgment of the Wills curtsey.