DLA014-0006 Transcription
BRITISH LEGATION,
BUCHAREST.
3rd May 1921.
Dear Mr. Laszlo,
We have been here now for a fortnight and have made some charming acquaintances among the Roumanians. We like the place very much, in spite of certain inconveniences of life: Contrary to Kipling’s postulate in his famous poem, East and West do meet here, and the dove-tailing in places is distinctly defective!
We had a private audience with the Queen[1] last week, and you will be interested to hear that à propos of a portrait of hers she said "Of course the person I want to do my portrait is Laszlo"![2] We of course told her of your having done my wife's[3] portrait [2103], and she was much interested. I am sure you would have a delightful time if you came here to do her portrait. The Palace just outside the town was formerly an old monastery and is a fine spacious building in the Roman-Byzantine style. The throne room where she received us is an arched room decorated very tastefully in gold tout à fait dans la note and quite suggested the throne room of a Byzantine Empress!
Another day we visited a certain Mrs Martineau in her apartments at the Palace, where she has been staying, for a
[Page 2]
month or so arranging the gardens.[4] Perhaps you know her in London, her sister is Lady Maitland.[5] I can assure you that the apartments reserved for visitors are delightful.
In July and August the Queen will be at the Palace at the famous mountain resort Sinaia.[6] I have not seen it yet, but they say it is a fine one, and the scenery magnificent. I have no doubt we shall see the Queen from time to time, and if there is anything you would like me to say to her, you have but to write and let me know.
I expect you are now busy with the second portrait of Lord Inchcape [113317],[7] and I shall be most interested to see it when we are back in London. My wife says she is very anxious to have a photograph of the first portrait [3161] which we saw, has this been done yet? We expect to come on leave at the end of September and go to Scotland for a bit and we should be in London the last ten days of October.
With kind remembrances from us both, | Yours very sincerely
Millington Drake
CC
14/02/2006
[1] Queen Marie of Romania, née Princess Marie of Edinburgh (1875-1938) [2961]
[2] De László had first met the then Crown Princess Marie in Vienna in 1899. It was not, however, until she visited London in 1924 that he actually painted her [3200]. For further biographical notes on Queen Marie of Romania, see [2961].
[3] Lady Millington-Drake, née Effie Mackay (1894-1984) [2103]
[4] Lady Alice Margaret Martineau, née Vaughan-Williams (c.1865-1956) was an English writer and garden designer. She had close ties to the Romanian royal family, dedicating her 1924 book, The Secrets of Many Gardens, to Queen Marie of Romania.
[5] Gwendoline Lucy Maitland, Countess of Lauderdale, née Vaughan-Williams (c. 1869-1929)
[6] Pelișor Castle (part of the same complex as the larger castle of Peleș), in Sinaia, Romania
[7] James Lyle Mackay, 1st Earl of Inchcape (1852-1932). It is not known whether this second portrait of Lord Inchcape was completed. See [113317]. Lord Inchcape signed the Sitters’ Book on 7th March 1921 and [3161], which is presumed to be the first portrait, is inscribed 1921 III.