Dedicated to
The Immortal Memory of
MARIE, OUEEN OF ROUMANIA
and Princess of England

The beloved friend who before her death, seeing with clear vision the approaching danger threatening all Christendom from East and North, inspired me to make my pen a sword for justice; her last words to me on earth still echoing in my heart . . .

“DO NOT LOSE FAITH”

To-day, on Europe’s red Calvary, her martyred people, as she once prayed they might, hear the voice of their beloved Crusader-Queen, “even from the silence of the tomb”; see her deathless spirit flame through the darkness of this starless midnight, and rekindle from the memory of her shining courage, their torch of faith to rise undaunted, and to follow fearless where Christ alone can lead all betrayed and crucified humanity, out of the bondage of Anti-Christ from death to life in our time.

MARIE, QUEEN OF ROUMANIA
“Her spirit liveth evermore”

IMMORTAL see I Thee, My Queen, My Queen,
In Vision clear. And Children yet unborn,
In Thy dear Name proclaiming the New Dawn
Of Christ and Kings. So shall Thy Spirit shine
Crusader Queen, as deathless light Divine
For the Earth’s glory, our salvation here
From all conflicting evils that we fear.
So give us strength, Thine own true Knights to be,
Our Holy Grail, Thy Shrine, Our Queen Marie.

Venice. 18th July, 1938

MOURN HER!
QUEEN OF QUEENS

OH! Soul of all thy nation’s darkened days,
Who fearless led them through war’s burning rays
From death to life, defeat to victory,
Their queen of queens; to-day they weep for thee
As for a saint, whose brave unshrinking hand
With tender healing touch once saved her land.

Thy soldiers march with slow and measured tread,
Adored, whom once thy shining beauty led.
And countless hearts of king and peasant mourn
Thee, Friend and Queen, who through their ranks art borne
To the lonely glory of the royal tomb,
Which seals thy beauteous body in its gloom.

And we far off, numb with the grief that sears,
Who loved thee so with grief too deep for tears,
Feel tolling bells and muffled drums for thee
Beat on our hearts with voice of memory,
Echo in our thoughts, pierce our souls with pain,
Who may not look upon thy face again.

Venice. Sunset. Sunday, 24th July, 1938
In The Hour of Burial of Marie,
Queen of Roumania
My Queen-Beloved Whose Spirit Liveth.

PRAISE HER!
MARIE, QUEEN OF ROUMANIA

PRAISE Her England! This daughter of thine own,
The fairest flower in thy royal garden grown.
With eyes like deep blue pools of tender light,
Destined to guide a nation through the night
Of war, thy ally, bearing loyalty’s Cross
Aloft through opposition’s fiery force.

Praise her dear land of whom God made her queen,
With courage, truth and tolerance to gleam
Jewels in Roumania’s crown; gifts of her heart
Who selfless for her people played her part
Of sacrifice, as their ambassadress
Herself to save them after war’s distress.

Praise her Oh Earth! who showed us the true road
Unto eternity. Who bore life’s load
Of sorrow with brave mirth and tenderness;
Knew human pain, injustice, loneliness;
Felt thorns within Her crown, yet understood,
And in Her wisdom used Her power for good.

Venice. 28th July, 1938

To
MARIE, QUEEN OF ROUMANIA
My Queen Crusader

“QUO VADIS DOMINE?”

RIGHT and Left conflicting evils clamour,
Crooked Cross, The Sickle and the Hammer,
Anti-Christ, anti-kings, one and the same
These symbols with different tongues and name.
But thou for God, turned not to left or right,
Our Queen whose spirit leads us through the night.

Confused, afraid, as we like Peter flee,
Confronts us Christ, “Quo Vadis Domine?”
And we who were of leadership bereft,
Who sought new leaders to the right or left,
Turn back with Him, the brave Royal Road to tread,
As thou who followed fearless where He led.

Venice. 13th August, 1938

LEST MEMORY DIE!

HEAL not my wound Oh! God, lest Memory die
If grief no more my soul shall crucify,
And loneliness and yearning agony
Shall cease to pierce the very heart of me
And Memory die!

London. 18th July, 1939

MARIE—QUEEN OF ROUMANIA

MY Queen, Time passes, memories fade,
But I each dawn acclaim Thee still who made
My life a braver thing because Thy soul
Had faith in me, and trusting made me whole.

London. 18th July, 1948

Privileged to have had the inspiration and encouragement of the great and talented Royal friend to whom this work is dedicated, as well as the appreciation of a wide circle of men and women of all ranks and ages, in the many lands in which she has lived and had her poetry and prose assessed for “its inimitable beauty, depth and power”; the greatest honour yet bestowed on this distinguished writer, was doubtless when her Grecian Poems published in post-war Athens, roused the Greeks as a nation by her sensitive and beautiful interpretation of the heroic spirit of their land, she knows and loves so well, to acclaim “this great Philhellenic poetess and writer, Mrs. Haldane-Duncan”, as “THE WOMAN BYRON of our ERA”.

A selection from the Grecian Poems is included in this preliminary book of world-wide themes in war and peace, to be followed by the author’s collected works.