Why Princess Margaret can't the Southern Belles' Club

There are customs and manners that Southern ladies observe, of which those from other regions apparently are uninformed. Now every little Southern girl is or should be taught from infancy that one simply does not wear white shoes after Labor Day or before Easter. Though I do not recall my mother specifically making me sit down and memorize that "rule," I grew up knowing it. And I still observe it. If we saw someone and they were otherwise adequately dressed, but wore WHITE SHOES in the fall or winter, we immediately knew that they're not from around here. Oh, we didn't say anything because even more important than our white shoes rule, Southern children were/are raised to be polite and courteous. Making fun of someone's attire would bring on "chastisement." We just shook our heads sadly, because they didn't know the rule.

I am sure had this happened at Boston, Seattle or San Francisco, no one would have heard of it, but it happened at the Dallas International Airport (Texas is a Southern state) in November in the mid-1970s. There was a contingent of ladies from the most prestigious Dallas woman's club, there to meet Princess Margaret of Great Britain as she stepped off the plane; but when she appeared, she was wearing WHITE SHOES! And the fashion editor from the Dallas Morning News was there to

photograph and describe her attire from head to toe! It is said that an audible gasp arose from that group of Southern ladies and the one holding the bouquet of roses for the princess almost dropped it! I doubt that Princess Margaret received an invitation to join that club. She apparently failed the basic test.

I can just imagine the conversation in one of the limos (out of hearing of the princess of course). "I can't believe what I just saw!."

"Why, my dear, me either! Do you suppose they don't know the rule in England?"

"Well, I reckon not. And we're going straight to that dinner (noon) meeting with the mayor. There's no time for her to change those shoes; and who would tell her! Bless her heart, I am so embarrassed for her. You would think her staff would have done some research and found out the rule!"

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