THEIR Majesties the King and Queen, Patrons of the Institution, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, K.G., President, and H.R.H. the Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, Patron of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, attended the fourth annual Life- boat Matinee in London, which was held on 7th November at the London Hippodrome.

The theatre was lent to the Institution by Mr. R. H. Gillespie, Managing Director of Moss Empires, Ltd., and the sale of tickets was in the hands of a special committee of which the Marchioness of Londonderry, D.B.E., a i Vice-President of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, was chairman.

Their Majesties were received by the Prince of Wales, Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, the Duchess of Port- land? a Vice-Patron of the Guild, the Marchioness of Londonderry, Sir God- frey Baring, Bt., Chairman of the Com- mittee of Management, the Hon. George Colville, Deputy-Chairman, the Mayor of Westminster (Captain J. F. C. Ben- nett), and Mr. George F. Shee, M.A., Secretary. Bouquets were presented to the Queen and Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, and, in the interval, Mr. R. H.

Gillespie, Managing Director of Moss Empires, Ltd., and Mr. Frank Bcor, the Manager of the Theatre, were presented to Their Majesties.

Among those who gave their patronage to the Matinee were their Excellencies the French, Bslgian and Japanese Ambassadors, the Norwegian and Danish Ministers, and the Mayors and Mayoresses of Westminster, Finsbury.

Islington, Holborn and St. Pancras.

Among those who took tickets were the Belgian and Japanese Ambassadors, the German Embassy, and the Maharaja of Bikaner, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, the Maharaja of Baroda and the Sultan of Jodhpur, who were in London attending the Indian Round Table Conference.

A variety programme was given, and among those taking part in it were Miss Gladys Cooper, Sir Gerald du Maurier, Mr. Henry Ainley. Miss Beatrice Lillie, Miss Isolde Menges, and Mr.

George Robey. To all who so generously gave their services the Institution would like publicly to offer its warmest thanks.

The programme also included " Heroes of the Sea/' a sound film of the Life-boat Service, taken by British International Pictures, Ltd., and presented to the Institution by Mr. John Maxwell, the Chairman of the Company. It had not previously been shown in public.

The programme sellers were boys from the training ship Stork, in charge of Captain C. Gordon Grant. R.N.

The Hippodrome has accommodation for 1,587 people, and every seat was sold, many applications for tickets having to be refused. The gross pro- ceeds were £1,542 15s. Id., and a message was received from the King and Queen that they " had enjoyed the Matinee immensely.".