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diff --git a/old/52237-0.txt b/old/52237-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f6eae37..0000000 --- a/old/52237-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9927 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of His Most Gracious Majesty King Edward VII, by -Marie Belloc Lowndes - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: His Most Gracious Majesty King Edward VII - -Author: Marie Belloc Lowndes - -Release Date: June 4, 2016 [EBook #52237] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY *** - - - - -Produced by Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - -HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY KING EDWARD VII. - -[Illustration: THE KING - -_From the Painting by Archibald Stuart Wortley, published by Henry -Graves and Co._] - - - - - HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY - KING EDWARD VII. - - BY - MRS. BELLOC-LOWNDES - - AUTHOR OF - ‘THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE MARQUISE’ - - ILLUSTRATED - - London - - GRANT RICHARDS - 9 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C. - - 1901 - - - - -PREFACE - - -_This book, originally published as a Life of the Prince of Wales, has -now been much enlarged and brought up to the latest date, including His -Majesty’s Accession and the events which followed. Fresh illustrations -have also been added. It is believed that no previous attempt has -been made to present a connected account of the Kings life, although -isolated portions of His Majesty’s manifold activities have been -treated of by various writers. Thus the author of the present work -acknowledges considerable indebtedness to the Honble. Mrs. Grey’s -“Journal of a Visit to Egypt, Constantinople, the Crimea, Greece, -etc., in the Suite of the Prince and Princess of Wales”; to Sir W. H. -Russell’s delightful volumes on their Majesties’ tour in the East and -the King’s tour in India (from which two illustrations are reproduced); -and to Sir H. C. Burdett’s “Prince, Princess, and People,” which deals -mainly with the philanthropic work of the King and Queen. A large -number of memoirs have also been consulted, including those of the -Prince Consort, the Duchess of Teck, Baron Stockmar, Archbishop Magee, -Archbishop Benson, Dean Stanley, and Canon Kingsley._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - CHAPTER I - - AN APPRECIATION 1 - - CHAPTER II - - BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS 5 - - CHAPTER III - - THE KING’S BOYHOOD 22 - - CHAPTER IV - - OXFORD, CAMBRIDGE, AND THE CURRAGH 34 - - CHAPTER V - - THE KING’S VISIT TO CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES 43 - - CHAPTER VI - - DEATH OF THE PRINCE CONSORT--TOUR IN THE EAST 55 - - CHAPTER VII - - THE WEDDING OF KING EDWARD AND QUEEN ALEXANDRA 63 - - CHAPTER VIII - - EARLY MARRIED LIFE 83 - - CHAPTER IX - - THEIR MAJESTIES’ TOUR IN EGYPT AND THE MEDITERRANEAN 103 - - CHAPTER X - - THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR--THE KING’S ILLNESS 125 - - CHAPTER XI - - 1873-1875 136 - - CHAPTER XII - - THE KING’S TOUR IN INDIA 143 - - CHAPTER XIII - - QUIET YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK, 1876-1887--VISIT TO IRELAND--QUEEN - VICTORIA’S GOLDEN JUBILEE 159 - - CHAPTER XIV - - SILVER WEDDING OF KING EDWARD AND QUEEN ALEXANDRA--ENGAGEMENT - AND MARRIAGE OF PRINCESS LOUISE 171 - - CHAPTER XV - - THE BACCARAT CASE--BIRTH OF LADY ALEXANDRA DUFF--THE KING’S - FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY--ILLNESS OF PRINCE GEORGE 179 - - CHAPTER XVI - - THE DUKE OF CLARENCE AND AVONDALE 184 - - CHAPTER XVII - - THE HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES--MARRIAGE OF PRINCE - GEORGE--THE DIAMOND JUBILEE--DEATH OF THE DUCHESS OF TECK 200 - - CHAPTER XVIII - - LATER YEARS--A SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO THE KING--GRADUAL - RECOVERY--THE ATTEMPT ON THE KING’S LIFE 220 - - CHAPTER XIX - - THE KING AS A COUNTRY SQUIRE 235 - - CHAPTER XX - - THE KING IN LONDON 251 - - CHAPTER XXI - - THE KING AND STATE POLICY 262 - - CHAPTER XXII - - THE KING AND THE SERVICES 268 - - CHAPTER XXIII - - THE KING AND FREEMASONRY 279 - - CHAPTER XXIV - - THE KING AS A PHILANTHROPIST 287 - - CHAPTER XXV - - THE KING AS A SPORTSMAN 296 - - CHAPTER XXVI - - THE DEATH OF QUEEN VICTORIA--THE KING’S ACCESSION 310 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - - The King. From the Painting by Mr. A. Stuart Wortley _Frontispiece_ - - The King at Homburg xvi - - The Christening of King Edward VII. 9 - - Queen Victoria, the Empress Frederick, and King Edward VII. 11 - - King Edward VII. 13 - - King Edward VII. at the Age of Three 15 - - The King in 1847 17 - - The Landing of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their - Children at Aberdeen 19 - - The King and the Empress Frederick as Children 21 - - The Rev. Henry Mildred Birch, the King’s First Tutor 25 - - Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their Children 27 - - The King at the Age of Eight, and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg - and Gotha at the Age of Five 29 - - Sketching at Loch Laggan--Queen Victoria with King Edward - and the Empress Frederick 31 - - Queen Victoria and King Edward VII. 32 - - The King in 1859 35 - - Christ Church, Oxford 38 - - Trinity College, Cambridge 39 - - The King in 1861 41 - - The Tour in Canada and the United States, 1860 43 - - The Fifth Duke of Newcastle, K.G. 44 - - The King’s Landing at Montreal 46 - - The King laying the Last Stone of the Victoria Bridge over - the St. Lawrence 47 - - The Grand Ball given at the Academy of Music, New York 52 - - Dean Stanley 58 - - The King’s Reception by Said Pacha, Viceroy of Egypt, at Cairo 59 - - The King about the Time of his Marriage 62 - - Queen Alexandra 65 - - The King on Coming of Age 67 - - Queen Alexandra in 1863 69 - - Queen Alexandra 71 - - The Marriage of the King and Queen 75 - - A Contemporary Design for the Royal Wedding 78 - - On the Wedding Day 81 - - Queen Alexandra at the Time of her Marriage 82 - - Queen Alexandra in 1863 86 - - Queen Alexandra in 1864 89 - - Queen Alexandra with the Baby Prince Albert Victor 91 - - King Edward, Queen Alexandra, and Prince Albert Victor 93 - - Queen Victoria with Prince Albert Victor 95 - - King Edward at the Age of Twenty-Three 99 - - Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra, and Princess Christian 101 - - Queen Alexandra about the Year 1865 102 - - Thanksgiving Day, 1872: The Scene at Temple Bar 132 - - Thanksgiving Day, 1872: The Procession up Ludgate Hill 134 - - Queen Alexandra and her Sister, the Empress Alexander of Russia, - in 1873 137 - - Queen Victoria, with the Princes Albert Victor and George, - and their sister, Princess Victoria 139 - - The King’s Indian Tour, 1875 143 - - Embarkation on Board the _Serapis_ at Brindisi 147 - - The King’s Visit to the Cawnpore Memorial 153 - - The King in 1876 157 - - The King in 1879 161 - - The King in 1882 164 - - Queen Alexandra in her Robes as Doctor of Music 169 - - The Duchess of Fife, Princess Victoria, and Princess Charles - of Denmark 175 - - The Duke of Fife 177 - - The Duke of Clarence and Avondale 185 - - Queen Alexandra 193 - - King Edward and Queen Alexandra, with the Duchess of Fife and - Lady Alexandra Duff 201 - - Queen Victoria and the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York 205 - - The King in the Undress Uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet 210 - - The King as Grand Master of the Knights-Hospitallers of Malta, - at the Duchess of Devonshire’s Ball 213 - - The Duke of Cornwall and York in his Robes as a Knight of - St. Patrick 215 - - The Duchess of Cornwall and York 217 - - The Duke of Connaught, the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg, the German - Emperor, King Edward VII., Queen Victoria, and the Empress - Frederick 223 - - The King with the Ladies Duff 229 - - Sandringham from the Grounds 235 - - The Norwich Gate at Sandringham 238 - - The East Front, Sandringham 239 - - Queen Alexandra’s Dairy at Sandringham 241 - - Queen Alexandra at Sandringham 245 - - The Kennels, Sandringham 248 - - Queen Alexandra with her Favourite Dogs 250 - - Marlborough House from the South-West 252 - - Marlborough House: the Drawing-Room 254 - - Garden Party at Marlborough House, July 1881 257 - - Marlborough House: the Salon 259 - - The King as Admiral of the Fleet 269 - - The King as Colonel of the 10th Hussars 273 - - The King and the Duke of Connaught 277 - - Sir Francis Knollys 292 - - Mr. John Porter and Mr. Richard Marsh, the King’s Past and - Present Trainers, and John Watts, his Jockey 296 - - The Egerton House Training Stables, Newmarket 297 - - The King’s Derby, 1896 299 - - The King as a Sportsman in 1876 305 - - The _Britannia_ 307 - - The King as a Yachtsman 308 - -[Illustration: THE KING - -_From a Photograph by T. H. Voigt, Hamburg v.d.H._] - - - - -CHAPTER I - -AN APPRECIATION - - -On the Sunday following that eventful 9th of November on which His -Most Gracious Majesty King Edward VII. first saw the light, the Rev. -Sydney Smith preached at St. Paul’s, and made the following interesting -addition to the Bidding Prayer:-- - -“We pray also for that infant of the Royal race whom in Thy good -providence Thou hast given us for our future King. We beseech Thee so -to mould his heart and fashion his spirit that he may be a blessing and -not an evil to the land of his birth. May he grow in favour with man -by leaving to its own force and direction the energy of a free people. -May he grow in favour with God by holding the faith in Christ fervently -and feelingly, without feebleness, without fanaticism, without folly. -As he will be the first man in these realms, so may he be the best, -disdaining to hide bad actions by high station, and endeavouring always -by the example of a strict and moral life to repay those gifts which a -loyal people are so willing to spare from their own necessities to a -good King.” - -It must be remembered that this prayer was uttered in 1841, and some of -the phrases which the great wit used reflect rather the Holland House -view of the monarchy entertained at that time. Nevertheless, the prayer -is noteworthy because in spirit, if not in the letter, it has been so -completely answered. The manner of King Edward’s accession exhibits to -a contemplative mind the eternal contrast between East and West. In an -Oriental State a new Sovereign is as a rule unknown even in his outward -appearance to his subjects, and is generally tossed up on to the throne -by the angry waves of some palace intrigue of which he himself knows -nothing. But it is the peculiar happiness of the British people that, -in the midst of their bitter grief at the loss of Queen Victoria, -there came to them the swift thought that one whom they had known and -approved from his youth up was her successor, and would assuredly walk -in her footsteps. - -The accession of a Prince so universally beloved to the throne of his -ancestors amid the deeply-felt joy of a great and free people is an -inspiring spectacle. Perhaps, however, it is not fully realised how -much King Edward, in the years of his public life as Prince of Wales, -shared in the duties of the British Crown. The following pages will, -it is hoped, show how completely His Majesty and his lamented mother -agreed in their conception of the position of ruler of the British -Empire. It is known that the death of the Prince Consort drew even -closer the ties of affection which subsisted between the late Sovereign -and her eldest son, and it would seem as if King Edward from that day -forward had set both his parents before himself as exemplars, and had -endeavoured to approve himself to his future subjects as a worthy -son, not only of Victoria the Wise but also of Albert the Good. It is -certainly significant how many of the qualities of both his parents His -Majesty possesses. - -In those admirable messages to his people, and to India and the -Colonies, as well as to his Navy and Army, the King wrote absolutely as -his mother would have wished him to write. There is in these documents -the same keen personal sympathy, the same human touch, so notable -in all Her late Majesty’s letters to her people, the same unerring -perception, the same insight which demonstrated how completely the -heart of the monarch was beating in unison with that of his people. - -Although the British people realised and appreciated the Prince -Consort’s great qualities some time before his death, it is, -nevertheless, true to say that they never came to regard him with -quite the same feeling of affection as that in which other members of -the Royal Family were held. This was in no sense the fault of Prince -Albert, but is rather attributable to that national prejudice against -everything and everybody not originally and completely British which -was especially strong in the middle years of the nineteenth century. -Certainly we have become more cosmopolitan since those days; we have -come to see that the manners and customs of foreign nations are not -perhaps always so absurd as our forefathers, at any rate, supposed, and -may even in some few respects be worthy of adoption and imitation. - -In this salutary process of national illumination King Edward VII. -undoubtedly played a considerable part. From the beginning of his -public career he endeared himself to his future subjects by his natural -_bonhomie_, his tact, and a certain indefinable touch of human sympathy -which characterised all his actions and speeches. He was therefore able -to carry on and to develop with extraordinary success his father’s -work in promoting, not only the higher pursuits of science and art, -but also the more immediately practical application of scientific -principles to industries and manufactures. Few people realise how much -England’s industrial prosperity was advanced both by the father and the -son, and how much greater that prosperity would have been if Prince -Albert’s foresight had been better understood and appreciated by his -contemporaries. - -Prince Albert will also ever be remembered with gratitude by the -British people for the unremitting care which he devoted to the -education of all his children, and especially to that of his eldest -son. Of course the seed must be sown in good ground, and we know that -the ground was good; the effect of that early education is seen in -the admirable tact with which King Edward filled a most difficult -and delicate position for many years. This position was rendered -additionally onerous by the sometimes ridiculous, sometimes malevolent, -stories which used to be circulated about his private affairs. It is -one of the great penalties of Royalty that practically no reply can -be made to the voice of calumny and detraction. The increase of the -means of communication, and the growth of the newspaper press, have -tended to heighten the glare of publicity in which Royalty is compelled -to live. But this bright light of publicity does not at all resemble -that dry light of reason which Bacon regarded as so essential to the -investigations of science; its rays are refracted and distorted by -ignorance and clumsiness, if not by actual malevolence. Mr. Balfour’s -quiet announcement in the House of Commons soon after the King’s -Accession, that on the resettlement of the Civil List no question of -debts will arise for consideration--as was the case, for instance, -on the Accession of George IV.--is an impressive reply to rumours -regrettably current of late years. - -It must have required no common discipline and self-control to bear -such penalties as those, inflicted by the tongue of scandal, and at the -same time to exercise that invariable discretion in reference to the -great interests of State which we all admired so much in His Majesty -when he was Prince of Wales. We should all regard as extraordinary, -were it not that we have become so used to it, the way in which His -Majesty contrived over so many years to be in politics and yet not -of them; to educate himself in State affairs, while preserving that -rigorous impartiality which our constitutional monarchy demands from -the Heir to the throne. The sentiments with which he takes up his -great task as King, not only of the United Kingdom but also of our -vast Colonial Empire beyond the seas, added to the great dependency of -India, is significantly shown in a sentence which His Majesty uttered -in a speech long ago--that his great wish was that every man born in -the Colonies should feel himself as English as if he had been born in -Kent or Sussex. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS - - -King Edward VII. was born on 9th November 1841, at Buckingham Palace. -The Duke of Wellington, who was in the Palace at the time, is said to -have asked the nurse, Mrs. Lily, “Is it a boy?” “It’s a _Prince_, your -Grace,” answered the justly offended woman. - -The news was received with great enthusiasm throughout the country, and -Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had thousands of letters and telegrams -of congratulation not only through official sources at home and abroad -but from many of Her Majesty’s humblest subjects all over the world. -_Punch_ celebrated the event in some verses beginning-- - - Huzza! we’ve a little Prince at last, - A roaring Royal boy; - And all day long the booming bells - Have rung their peals of joy. - - And the little park guns have blazed away, - And made a tremendous noise, - Whilst the air has been filled since eleven o’clock - With the shouts of little boys. - -At the moment of his birth the eldest son of the Sovereign became Duke -of Cornwall. This dukedom was the first created in England. It was -created by King Edward III. by charter, wherein his son, Edward the -Black Prince, was declared Duke of Cornwall, to hold to himself and his -heirs, Kings of England, and to their first-born sons; and it is in -virtue of that charter that the eldest son of the Sovereign is by law -acknowledged Duke of Cornwall the instant he is born. - -At the same time King Edward III. granted by patent certain provision -for the support of the dukedom, including the Stannaries, in Cornwall, -together with the coinage of tin, and various lands, manors, and -tenements, some of which lay outside the county of Cornwall, but were -nevertheless deemed to be part of the duchy. From these rents and -royalties King Edward VII. derived, when he was Duke of Cornwall, a -revenue of about £60,000 a year. - -The little prince also became at his birth Duke of Rothesay, Earl of -Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Great Steward of -Scotland (by act of the Scottish Parliament in 1469), but he was not -born Prince of Wales. King George IV. was only a week old when he was -created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester by letters patent, but King -Edward VII. had to wait nearly a month--till 4th December 1841--for -these dignities. - -The picturesque origin of the title of Prince of Wales is well -known--how King Edward I. promised the turbulent Welsh barons to -appoint them a prince of their own, one who was born in Wales and -could not speak a word of English, and on whose life and conversation -there was no stain at all. Having engaged the consent of the barons -beforehand, he showed them his infant son, Prince Edward, who had been -born in Carnarvon Castle but a few days before, and who was thereupon -acclaimed as the first Prince of Wales. The dignity thus became -established as personal, not hereditary, which could be granted or -withheld at the pleasure of the Sovereign. - -The Earldom of Chester was an early creation which was annexed to the -Crown for ever by letters patent in the thirty-first year of King Henry -III., when Prince Edward, his eldest son, was immediately granted the -dignity. Edward the Black Prince received the Earldom of Chester when -he was only three years old, before he was created Duke of Cornwall. - -Queen Victoria’s recovery was rapid, as will be seen from the following -entry in Her Majesty’s _Journal_ on 21st November, the birthday of the -Empress Frederick (Princess Royal of England):-- - -“Albert brought in dearest little Pussy [the Princess Royal] in such -a smart white merino dress trimmed with blue, which Mama [the Duchess -of Kent] had given her, and a pretty cap, and placed her on my bed, -seating himself next to her, and she was very dear and good. And as my -precious, invaluable Albert sat there, and our little Love between us, -I felt quite moved with happiness and gratitude to God.” - -A little less than a month after the birth of her eldest son, Queen -Victoria wrote to her uncle, Leopold I., King of the Belgians:-- - -“I wonder very much who my little boy will be like. You will understand -_how_ fervent are my prayers, and I am sure everybody’s must be, to see -him resemble his Father in _every, every_ respect, both in body and -mind.” - -Christmas with its Christmas tree brought a new fund of delight to the -Royal parents. “To think,” wrote the Queen in her _Journal_, “that we -have two children now, and one who enjoys the sight already, is like -a dream!” Prince Albert also wrote to his father:--“To-day I have two -children of my own to give presents to, who, they know not why, are -full of happy wonder at the German Christmas tree and its radiant -candles.” - -The christening of the Prince of Wales took place on 25th January -1842, in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, for although Royal baptisms had -hitherto been celebrated within the Palace, both the Queen and Prince -Albert felt it to be more in harmony with the religious sentiments -of the country that the future King should be christened within a -consecrated building. - -As can be easily understood, the choice of sponsors for the Prince -of Wales was a matter of considerable delicacy. Finally the King of -Prussia was asked to undertake the office, and Baron Stockmar gives -the following interesting account of how His Majesty brushed aside the -intrigues which were immediately set on foot:-- - -“Politicians, as their habit is, attached an exaggerated political -importance to the affair. The King, who foresaw this, wrote to -Metternich, and in a manner asked for his advice. The answer was -evasive; and on this the King determined not to give himself any -concern about the political intrigues which were set on foot against -the journey. Certain it is, that the Russians, Austrians, and even the -French, in the person of Bresson (their Ambassador at Berlin) manœuvred -against it. They were backed up by a Court party, who were persuaded -that the King would avail himself of the opportunity to promote, -along with Bunsen and the Archbishop of Canterbury, his pet idea of -Anglicanizing the Prussian Church. When the King’s decision to go -became known, Bresson begged that he would at least go through France, -and give the Royal Family a meeting; but this was declined.” - -The King of Prussia arrived on the 22nd, and was met by Prince Albert -at Greenwich and conducted to Windsor. - -King Edward’s other sponsors were his step-grandmother, the Duchess of -Saxe-Coburg, represented by the Duchess of Kent; the Duke of Cambridge; -the young Duchess of Saxe-Coburg (Queen Victoria’s sister-in-law), -represented by the Duchess of Cambridge; Princess Sophia, represented -by the Princess Augusta of Cambridge; and Prince Ferdinand of -Saxe-Coburg. - -Nothing was omitted to make the Prince of Wales’s christening a -magnificent and impressive ceremony. There was a full choral service, -and a special anthem had been composed by Mr. (afterwards Sir) George -Elvey for the occasion. When Prince Albert was told of this, and asked -when it should be sung, he answered, “Not at all. No anthem. If the -service ends by an anthem, we shall all go out criticising the music. -We will have something we all know--something in which we can all -join--something devotional. The Hallelujah Chorus; we shall all join -in that, with our hearts.” The Hallelujah Chorus ended the ceremony -accordingly. - -[Illustration: THE CHRISTENING OF KING EDWARD VII. - -_From the Painting by Sir George Hayter_] - -“It is impossible,” wrote Queen Victoria in her _Journal_, “to describe -how beautiful and imposing the effect of the whole scene was in the -fine old chapel, with the banners, the music, and the light shining on -the altar.” It was significant of the young Queen’s native simplicity -that the Prince was only christened Albert, after his father, and -Edward, after his grandfather, the Duke of Kent. - -Both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert soon showed that they were -determined to allow nothing like publicity to come near their -nurseries, and the public obtained but few glimpses of the Prince of -Wales as a child. Prince Albert’s intimate friend and adviser, Baron -Stockmar, wrote a year after his birth to one of his friends:-- - -“The Prince, although a little plagued with his teeth, is strong upon -his legs, with a calm, clear, bright expression of face.” Before he was -eighteen months old His Royal Highness had already sat for his portrait -several times. - -King Edward VII. was barely four months old when Baron Stockmar drew -up a very long memorandum on the education of the Royal children. In -this document he laid down that the beginning of education must be -directed to the regulation of the child’s natural instincts, to give -them the right direction, and above all to keep the mind pure. “This,” -he went on, “is only to be effected by placing about children only -those who are good and pure, who will teach not only by precept but by -living example, for children are close observers, and prone to imitate -whatever they see or hear, whether good or evil.” In the frankest -manner the shrewd old German physician proceeded to point out that -the irregularities of three of George III.’s sons--George IV., the -Duke of York, and William IV.--had weakened the respect and influence -of Royalty in this country, although the nation ultimately forgave -them, because, “whatever the faults of those Princes were, _they were -considered by the public as true English faults_”; whereas the faults -of some of their brothers, who had been brought up on the Continent, -though not at all worse, were not condoned, owing to the power of -national prejudice. - -[Illustration: QUEEN VICTORIA, THE EMPRESS FREDERICK, AND KING EDWARD -VII. - -_From the Painting by S. Cousins, A.R.A._] - -The conclusion at which Baron Stockmar consequently arrived was, “that -the education of the Royal infants ought to be from its earliest -beginning _a truly moral and a truly English one_.” It ought therefore -to be entrusted from the beginning only to persons who were themselves -morally good, intelligent, well informed, and experienced, who should -enjoy the full and implicit confidence of the Royal parents. The Baron -did not mince matters with regard to “the malignant insinuations, -cavillings, and calumnies of ignorant or intriguing people, who are -more or less to be found at every Court, and who invariably try to -destroy the parents’ confidence in the tutor.” - -These principles commended themselves to Queen Victoria and Prince -Albert, and Her Majesty wrote the following interesting letter to Lord -Melbourne on the subject:-- - - “WINDSOR CASTLE, _24th March 1842_. - - “We are much occupied in considering the future management of - our nursery establishment, and naturally find considerable - difficulties in it. As one of the Queen’s kindest and most - impartial friends, the Queen wishes to have Lord Melbourne’s - opinion upon it. The present system will not do, and must be - changed; and now how it is to be arranged is the great question - and difficulty.… Stockmar says, and very justly, that our - occupations prevent us from managing these affairs as much - our own selves as other parents can, and therefore that we - must have some one in whom to place _implicit confidence_. He - says, a lady of rank and title with a sub-governess would be - the best. But where to find a person so situated, fit for the - place, and, if fit, one who will consent to shut herself up in - the nursery, and entirely from society, as she must, if she is - _really_ to superintend the whole, and not accept the office, - as in my case, Princess Charlotte’s, and my aunts’, merely for - title, which would be only a source of annoyance and dispute? - - “My fear is, that even if such a woman were to be found, she - would consider herself not as only responsible to the Prince - and Queen, but more to the country, and nation, and public, and - I feel she ought to be responsible only to _us_, and _we_ to - the country and nation. A person of less high rank, the Queen - thinks, would be less likely to do that, but would wish to be - responsible only to the parents. Naturally, too, we are anxious - to have the education as simple and domestic as possible. Then - again, a person of lower rank is less likely to be looked up - to and obeyed, than one of some name and rank. What does Lord - Melbourne think?” - -[Illustration: KING EDWARD VII. - -_From an old Print published in 1843_] - -In his reply Lord Melbourne fully concurred in Baron Stockmar’s -suggestion that a lady of rank should be appointed, and the choice -of the Royal parents fell upon Lady Lyttelton, who had been a -lady-in-waiting from 1838, and who appeared to possess the precise -qualifications which the post demanded. The daughter of George John, -second Earl Spencer, and his wife Lavinia, daughter of the first Earl -of Lucan, she was born in 1787, married, in 1813, William Henry, -afterwards third Lord Lyttelton, and died in 1870. Lady Lyttelton -was installed as governess to the Royal children in April 1842, and -discharged her duties with equal ability and devotion. Early in 1851 -she laid down her office. Her young charges parted from her with sad -hearts and tearful eyes, as Sir Theodore Martin records in the _Life -of the Prince Consort_, while from the Queen and Prince Albert she -received marked proofs of the deep gratitude which they felt for all -that she had done. - -In 1846 King Edward accompanied his parents on two yachting excursions, -in August and September, on board the Royal yacht _Victoria and -Albert_. Writing in her _Journal_ on 2nd September, Queen Victoria -says, with a pretty touch of maternal pride:-- - -“After passing the Alderney Race it became quite smooth; and then -Bertie put on his sailor’s dress, which was beautifully made by the man -on board who makes for our sailors. When he appeared, the officers and -sailors, who were all assembled on deck to see him, cheered, and seemed -delighted with him.” - -Then, when the yacht arrived at Mounts Bay, Cornwall, Her Majesty -records on 5th September that “when Bertie showed himself the people -shouted ‘Three cheers for the Duke of Cornwall.’” - -Again, at Falmouth, on 7th September, the Queen says:-- - -“The Corporation of Penryn were on board, and very anxious to see -‘The Duke of Cornwall,’ so I stepped out of the pavilion on deck with -Bertie, and Lord Palmerston told them that that was ‘The Duke of -Cornwall’; and the old Mayor of Penryn said that ‘he hoped he would -grow up a blessing to his parents and to his country.’” - -At Sunny Corner, just below Truro, the whole population “cheered, and -were enchanted when Bertie was held up for them to see. It was a very -pretty, gratifying sight.” - -Princess Mary of Cambridge, afterwards the much-loved and lamented -Duchess of Teck, gives a delightful picture of the Royal children in a -letter written in 1847 to Miss Draper, her governess. Princess Mary was -then about fourteen, and King Edward was rather more than five years -old:-- - -“We paid a visit to the Queen at Windsor on New Year’s Eve, and left -there on the 2nd. The Queen gave me a bracelet with her hair, and was -very kind to me. The little Royal children are sweet darlings; the -Princess Royal is my pet, because she is remarkably clever. The Prince -of Wales is a very pretty boy, but he does not talk as much as his -sister. Little Alfred, the fourth child, is a beautiful fatty, with -lovely hair. Alice is rather older than him; she is very modest and -quiet, but very good-natured. Helena, the baby, is a very fine child, -and very healthy, which, however, they all are.” - -[Illustration: KING EDWARD VII. AT THE AGE OF THREE - -_From the Painting by W. Hensel, in the possession of the German -Emperor_] - -In August 1847, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, with the Queen’s -half-brother, the Prince of Leiningen, went for a tour round the -west coast of Scotland, taking with them their two eldest children, -the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal. This is notable as King -Edward’s first visit to Scotland, for he was too young to accompany his -parents on their first tour in Scotland in 1842; while when the Queen -and Prince Albert visited Blair-Atholl in 1844 they only took with -them the little Princess Royal. - -Of this tour round the west coast of Scotland we obtain some delightful -details in the late Queen’s _Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the -Highlands_. The Royal party started from Osborne in the Royal yacht -_Victoria and Albert_, and they took the opportunity, after leaving -Dartmouth, of visiting the Scilly Islands. The Queen writes:-- - -“Albert (who, as well as Charles, has not been unwell, while I suffered -very much) went with Charles and Bertie to see one of the islands. -The children recover from their sea-sickness directly.” By “Charles,” -it should be explained, is meant the Prince of Leiningen. Naturally, -when the Royal yacht arrived in Welsh waters, there was the greatest -enthusiasm among the inhabitants at the sight of their little Prince. -It must be remembered that at that time practically nothing was known -by the general public about the Royal children, for their parents -had very wisely resolved that they should as far as possible enjoy a -natural, happy childhood, that being the best possible preparation for -the public life that awaited them. However, evidently no harm was done -by the notice which was taken of the Royal children on this tour. At -Milford Haven their loving mother writes:-- - -“Numbers of boats came out, with Welshwomen in their curious -high-crowned men’s hats, and Bertie was much cheered, for the people -seemed greatly pleased to see the ‘Prince of Wales.’” Then again at -Rothesay, when the yacht had passed up the Clyde:-- - -“The children enjoy everything extremely, and bear the novelty and -excitement wonderfully. The people cheered the ‘Duke of Rothesay’ very -much, and also called for a cheer for the ‘Princess of Great Britain.’ -Everywhere the good Highlanders are very enthusiastic.” - -With regard to her son’s title of Duke of Rothesay, Queen Victoria -appends the following interesting note:-- - -“A title belonging to the eldest son of the Sovereign of Scotland, and -therefore held by the Prince of Wales as eldest son of the Queen, the -representative of the ancient Kings of Scotland.” - -[Illustration: THE KING IN 1847 - -_From the Painting by Winterhalter_] - -At Inveraray, which was next visited, the little Prince first met his -future brother-in-law, the Marquis of Lorne, whom the Queen describes, -in words which have often been quoted but will bear repetition, as -“just two years old, a dear, white, fat, fair little fellow with -reddish hair, but very delicate features, like both his father and -mother: he is such a merry, independent little child. He had a black -velvet dress and jacket, with a ‘sporran,’ scarf, and Highland bonnet.” - -Naturally a good deal of interest was taken in the little Prince of -Wales by those who had an opportunity of seeing him. When the great -geologist, Sir Charles Lyell, went to Balmoral, the Queen’s eldest -son, “a pleasing, lively boy,” gave him an account of the conjuring of -Anderson, the “Wizard of the North,” who had just then shown the Court -some marvellous tricks. Said the Prince in an awestruck tone:-- - -“He cut to pieces Mamma’s pocket-handkerchief, then darned it and -ironed it so that it was as entire as ever; he then fired a pistol, -and caused five or six watches to go through Gibbs’s head; but Papa -knows how all these things are done, and had the watches really gone -through Gibbs’s head he could hardly have looked so well, though he was -confounded.” - -Gibbs, it should be mentioned, was a footman. - -The late Archbishop Benson, before he went up to Cambridge, was tutor -to the sons of Mr. Wicksted, then tenant of Abergeldie Castle. Writing -to his mother on 15th September 1848, young Mr. Benson gives the -following interesting description of a glimpse which he had of the King -as a little boy:-- - -“The Prince of Wales is a fair little lad, rather of slender make, with -a good head and a remarkably quiet and thinking face, above his years -in intelligence I should think. The sailor portrait of him is a good -one, but does not express the thought that there is on his little brow. -Prince Alfred is a fair, chubby little lad, with a quiet look, but -quite the Guelph face, which does not appear in the Prince of Wales.” - -[Illustration: THE LANDING OF QUEEN VICTORIA, PRINCE ALBERT, AND THEIR -CHILDREN AT ABERDEEN - -_From a Painting by Cleland_] - -In September 1848 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert established -themselves with their six children at Balmoral, and Her Majesty -records her first impressions of the place which was to be for so -many years her much-loved Northern home. After describing her own and -Prince Albert’s rooms, she says, “Opposite, down a few steps, are the -children’s and Miss Hildyard’s three rooms.” Only a few days later -we hear of the little Prince of Wales going out with his parents for -a “drive” in the Balloch Buie. “We then mounted our ponies, Bertie -riding Grant’s pony on the deer-saddle, and being led by a gillie, -Grant walking by his side.” Grant, it should be explained, was head -keeper, and much trusted by the Queen and Prince Albert, and for him -was built a pretty lodge called Croft, a mile from Balmoral. “We -scrambled up an almost perpendicular place to where there was a little -_box_, made of hurdles and interwoven with branches of fir and heather, -about five feet in height. There we seated ourselves with Bertie.” It -can readily be imagined with what excitement the little Prince waited -for nearly an hour till his father obtained a shot. The Queen records -how her son helped her over the rough ground until they all gathered -round the magnificent “Royal” which had fallen to Prince Albert’s gun. - -The life at Balmoral was as far as possible shorn of Royal state, and -was much the same, no doubt, as that which was led under many another -hospitable roof-tree in the country round about. Queen Victoria -devoted herself to her husband and children. Thus she records, on 11th -September 1849, “The morning was very fine. I heard the children repeat -some poetry in German.” - -The life at Windsor Castle was scarcely less simple. Writing to an -intimate friend, the late Duchess of Teck thus describes a dramatic -performance at the Castle in January 1849, in which King Edward -appeared, in spite of an accident which he had had a few days before:-- - - -“Last Wednesday we went to Windsor Castle to remain till Friday. The -visit went off very well indeed. The Queen and the children are looking -very well, and the latter much grown. The poor little Prince of Wales -has disfigured his face by falling on an iron-barred gate, and the -bridge of his nose and both his eyes are quite black and bruised, but -fortunately no bones were broken. The first evening we danced till -twelve o’clock. Next day, … dinner was very early, and at eight o’clock -the Play began. ‘Used Up’ and ‘Box and Cox’ were chosen for that night, -and I was much pleased at seeing two very amusing pieces. They were -very well acted, and we all laughed a great deal. The Theatre was well -arranged, and the decorations and lamps quite wonderfully managed. It -was put up in the Rubens-room, which is separated from the Garter-room -by one small room where the Private Band stood. In the Garter-room was -the Buffet, and in the centre hung one of the beautiful chandeliers -from the pavilion at Brighton. The four elder children appeared at the -Play, and the two boys wore their ‘kilts.’ The two little girls had on -white lace gowns, over white satin, with pink bows and sashes. Princess -Royal wears her hair in a very becoming manner, all twisted up into a -large curl, which is tucked into a dark blue or black silk net, which -keeps it all very tidy and neat.” - -[Illustration: THE KING AND THE EMPRESS FREDERICK AS CHILDREN - -_From the Painting by Sir W. C. Ross, A.R.A._] - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE KING’S BOYHOOD - - -In view of all that has been said in the last chapter to show how -anxiously Queen Victoria and Prince Albert considered the education of -the future King of England, it is amusing to record that the latter -was quite five years old before it occurred to the public to take an -interest in the question. It was then that a pamphlet was published, -entitled _Who should educate the Prince of Wales?_ This contribution to -the subject was carefully read by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and -Baron Stockmar drew up another long memorandum, dealing this time with -the question of the Prince’s education alone. He was fully sensible of -the importance of the subject. - -“On the choice of the principles on which the Prince of Wales shall be -educated,” he wrote, “will in all probability depend whether the future -Sovereign of England shall reign in harmony with, or in opposition -to, the prevailing opinions of his people. The importance of the -selection of principles is increased by the consideration that opinion -in Europe is at this moment obviously in a state of transition, and -that by the time the Prince shall ascend the throne many of the maxims -of government and institutions of society now in the ascendancy will, -according to present probabilities, have either entirely passed away, -or be on the very verge of change.” - -After enlarging on this topic, the Baron lays down that the great and -leading question is--whether the education of the Prince should be -one which will prepare him for approaching events, or one which will -stamp, perhaps indelibly, an impression of the sacred character of -all existing institutions on his youthful mind, and teach him that to -resist change is to serve at once the cause of God and of his country. -Baron Stockmar recommends the former course, but he utters the warning -that:-- - -“The education of the Prince should, however, nowise tend to make -him a demagogue or a moral enthusiast, but a man of calm, profound, -comprehensive understanding, imbued with a deep conviction of the -indispensable necessity of practical morality to the welfare of both -Sovereign and people. The proper duty of the Sovereign in this country -is not to take the lead in change, but to act as a balance-wheel on -the movements of the social body. When the whole nation, or a large -majority of it, advances, the King should not stand still; but when -the movement is too partial, irregular, or over-rapid, the royal power -may with advantage be interposed to restore the equilibrium. Above all -attainments, the Prince should be trained to freedom of thought and a -firm reliance on the inherent power of sound principles, political, -moral, and religious, to sustain themselves and produce practical good -when left in possession of a fair field of development.” - -As regards the religious faith in which the future King was to be -brought up, the law prescribed that of the Church of England, and -Baron Stockmar therefore does not discuss that point, but he does -put a question arising out of it, which naturally seemed in that -year--1846--more difficult than it would seem nowadays. The Baron asks -in effect whether the Prince should be made acquainted with the changes -then going on in public opinion in regard to matters of faith, and the -important influence on the minds of educated men which the discoveries -of science were likely to exert in the future? Without suggesting a -definite answer to his own question, the Baron goes on to say:-- - -“The Prince should early be taught that thrones and social order have a -stable foundation in the moral and intellectual faculties of man; that -by addressing his public exertions to the cultivation of these powers -in his people, and by taking their dictates as the constant guides of -his own conduct, he will promote the solidity of his empire and the -prosperity of his subjects. In one word, he should be taught that God, -in the constitution of the mind and in the arrangement of creation, -has already legislated for men, both as individuals and as nations; -that the laws of morality, which he has written in their nature, are -the foundations on which, and on which alone, their prosperity can be -reared; and that the human legislator and sovereign have no higher duty -than to discover and carry into execution these enactments of Divine -legislation.” - -Queen Victoria and Prince Albert also consulted the Bishop of Oxford -(Dr. Wilberforce) and Sir James Clark, both of whom recorded their -views in long and carefully considered papers, in which they came to -conclusions substantially the same as those of Baron Stockmar. On these -principles, therefore, King Edward VII. was educated, namely, that the -best way to build up a noble and princely character was to bring it -into intelligent sympathy with the best movements of the age. - -After some further discussion Prince Albert opened negotiations with -Mr. Henry Birch, afterwards rector of Prestwich, near Manchester, the -gentleman who was ultimately entrusted with the responsible position -of tutor to the future ruler of the British Empire. This young man had -been educated at Eton, where he had been captain of the school and -obtained the Newcastle medal. He had taken high honours at Cambridge, -and had then gone back to Eton as an assistant master. - -The Prince Consort had an interview with Mr. Birch in August 1848, and -says in a letter to Lord Morpeth, “The impression he has left upon me -is a very favourable one, and I can imagine that children will easily -attach themselves to him.” Writing to his stepmother, the Dowager -Duchess of Gotha, in April 1849, Prince Albert observed:-- - -“Bertie will be given over in a few weeks into the hands of a tutor, -whom we have found in a Mr. Birch, a young, good-looking, amiable -man, who was a tutor at Eton, and who not only himself took the -highest honours at Cambridge, but whose pupils have also won especial -distinction. It is an important step, and God’s blessing be upon it, -for upon the good education of Princes, and especially of those who are -destined to govern, the welfare of the world in these days very greatly -depends.” - -[Illustration: THE REV. HENRY MILDRED BIRCH, THE KING’S FIRST TUTOR - -_Photograph by Eastham, Manchester_] - -During the years 1848 to 1850 a Mr. George Bartley, well known at that -time as an actor, was engaged to read at Buckingham Palace translations -of the _Antigone_ and the trilogy of _Œdipus_. Queen Victoria was -so much pleased with the ability which Mr. Bartley showed that she -engaged him to give lessons in elocution to her eldest son, who -certainly profited by them, to judge by the ability which His Majesty -afterwards showed as a public speaker. - -In the summer of 1849 King Edward VII. visited Ireland for the first -time. He landed with his parents at Queenstown, and received a splendid -welcome, which probably laid the foundation of his hearty sympathy -with and liking for the Irish character. Queen Victoria, after vividly -describing the enthusiasm with which the Royal visitors were greeted at -Dublin, Cork, and elsewhere, writes in her _Journal_ on 12th August:-- - -“I intend to create Bertie ‘Earl of Dublin,’ as a compliment to the -town and country; he has no Irish title, though he is _born_ with -several Scotch ones (belonging to the heirs to the Scotch throne, and -which we have inherited from James VI. of Scotland and I. of England); -and this was one of my father’s titles.” - -Accordingly the Prince of Wales was soon afterwards gazetted Earl of -Dublin, but in the peerage of the United Kingdom, not, as had been done -in the case of the Duke of Kent, in the peerage of Ireland. - -It is a curious fact that King Edward visited Ireland, and, as we have -seen, Cornwall, Wales, and Scotland, and made an excellent impression -upon the “Celtic fringe” before he was brought before the public notice -of his future English subjects. - -He made his first official appearance in London on 30th October 1849. -It had been arranged that Queen Victoria was to be present at the -opening of the Coal Exchange, but she was not able to go as she was -suffering from chicken-pox. Accordingly it was arranged that the -Princess Royal and the Prince of Wales should represent their Royal -mother. - -“Puss and the boy,” as the Queen called them, went with their father -in State from Westminster to the city in the Royal barge rowed by -twenty-six watermen. All London turned out to meet the gallant little -Prince and his pretty sister. Lady Lyttelton, in a letter to Mrs. -Gladstone, gives a charming account of the event, and tells how the -Prince Consort was careful to put the future King forward. Some city -dignitary addressed the young Prince as “the pledge and promise of a -long race of Kings,” and, says Lady Lyttelton, “poor Princey did not -seem to guess at all what he meant.” In honour of the Royal children -a great many quaint old city customs were revived, including a swan -barge, and both the King and the Empress Frederick seem to have -retained a very delightful recollection of their first sight of the -City. - -[Illustration: QUEEN VICTORIA, PRINCE ALBERT, AND THEIR CHILDREN - -_From the Painting by Winterhalter_] - -It must have been about this time that Miss Alcott, the author of -_Little Women_, paid a visit to London, and sent home to her family the -following description of the Prince:-- - -“A yellow-haired laddie, very like his mother. Fanny, W., and I nodded -and waved as he passed, and he openly winked his boyish eye at us, for -Fanny with her yellow curls and wild waving looked rather rowdy, and -the poor little Prince wanted some fun.” - -Two years later the King was present at the opening of the Great -Exhibition of 1851, and in the following year Mr. Birch retired from -his responsible post, greatly to the sorrow of his young pupil, who was -a most affectionate and open-hearted little boy. - -In June 1852 Viscountess Canning wrote from Windsor Castle:-- - -“Mr. Birch left yesterday. It has been a terrible sorrow to the Prince -of Wales, who has done no end of touching things since he heard that -he was to lose him three weeks ago. He is such an affectionate, dear -little boy; his little notes and presents, which Mr. Birch used to find -on his pillow, were really too moving.” - -As was natural, there were many discussions as to who should become -the Prince’s next tutor. On the recommendation of Sir James Stephen, -Mr. Frederick W. Gibbs was appointed. He remained in his responsible -position till 1858, and was rarely separated from his Royal pupil -during those seven years. - -But although so much attention was devoted to the education and mental -training of the King, he spent a very happy and unclouded childhood; -and, like all his brothers and sisters, he retained the happiest -memories of the youthful days spent by him at Balmoral, Osborne, and -Windsor. - -The Baroness Bunsen in her _Memoirs_ gives a charming account of a -Masque devised by the Royal children in honour of the anniversary of -the Queen and the Prince Consort’s marriage. King Edward, then twelve -years old, represented Winter. He wore a cloak covered with imitation -icicles, and recited some passages from Thomson’s _Seasons_. Princess -Alice was Spring, scattering flowers; the Princess Royal, Summer; -Prince Alfred, Autumn; while Princess Helena, in the _rôle_ of St. -Helena, the mother of Constantine, who was, according to tradition, a -native of Britain, called down Heaven’s benedictions on her much-loved -parents. - -Shortly before this pretty scene took place, King Edward had made his -first appearance in the House of Lords, sitting beside his Royal mother -upon the Throne. It was on this occasion that the addresses of the two -Houses in answer to the Queen’s Message announcing the beginning of -hostilities in the Crimean War were presented, and there is no doubt -that the sad and terrible months that followed made a deep and lasting -impression on the King’s mind. He took the most vivid interest in the -fortune of the war, and in March 1855 went with his parents to the -Military Hospital at Chatham, where a large number of the wounded had -recently arrived from the East. - -[Illustration: THE KING AT THE AGE OF EIGHT, AND THE DUKE OF -SAXE-COBURG AND GOTHA AT THE AGE OF FIVE - -_From the Painting by F. Winterhalter_] - -The popular concern was exhibited in many ingenious and touching ways. -An exhibition was held at Burlington House in aid of the Patriotic -Fund, and all the Royal children who were old enough sent drawings and -paintings, the King’s exhibit obtaining the very considerable sum of 55 -guineas. - -The worst of the terrible struggle was over by the time King Edward and -the Empress Frederick accompanied their parents to Paris in August of -the same year. The visit was in many ways historically eventful. Queen -Victoria was the first British Sovereign to enter Paris since the days -of Henry VI., and the Royal Party received a truly splendid welcome. -The young Prince and his sister, however, were not allowed to be -idle, and, though they shared to a great extent in the entertainments -organised in honour of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort, their -headquarters remained the whole time in the charming country palace of -St. Cloud, and after sightseeing in Paris all day, they were always -driven back there each evening. It is undoubtedly to the impression -left by this visit that the King owes his strong affection and liking -for France and the French people. When present at a splendid review, -held in honour of Queen Victoria, he attracted quite as much attention -as any of his elders, for he was dressed in full Highland costume, and -remained in the carriage with his mother and the Empress, while the -Emperor and Prince Consort were on horseback. - -The British Royal party remained in France eight days. The last gala -given in their honour was a splendid ball at Versailles, and on this -occasion both the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal were allowed -to be present, and sat down to supper with the Emperor and Empress. A -dance had not been given at Versailles since the days of Louis XVI. - -One of the most pleasing traits in Napoleon III.’s character was -his great liking for children. As was natural, he paid considerable -attention to his youthful guests, who both became much attached to -him; and later, when he was living at Chislehurst a broken-hearted -exile, King Edward never lost an opportunity of paying him respectful -and kindly attentions. Indeed, the King enjoyed his first Continental -holiday so heartily that he begged the Empress to get leave for his -sister and himself to stay a little longer after his parents were gone -home. When with some embarrassment she replied that Queen Victoria and -the Prince Consort would not be able to do without their two children, -he exclaimed, “Not do without us! don’t fancy that, for there are six -more of us at home, and they don’t want _us_”; but it need hardly be -added that this naïve exclamation did not have the desired effect, and -the young people duly returned home with their parents. - -[Illustration: SKETCHING AT LOCH LAGGAN--QUEEN VICTORIA WITH KING -EDWARD AND THE EMPRESS FREDERICK - -_From the Painting by Landseer, published in 1858_] - -A few days later, the Prince Consort, writing to Baron Stockmar, -observed: “You will be pleased to hear how well both the children -behaved. They made themselves general favourites, especially the Prince -of Wales, _qui est si gentil_.” And on the same topic Prince Albert -wrote to the Duchess of Kent: “I am bound to praise the children -greatly. They behaved extremely well and pleased everybody. The task -was no easy one for them, but they discharged it without embarrassment -and with natural simplicity.” - -[Illustration: QUEEN VICTORIA AND KING EDWARD VII. - -_After the Painting by Thorburn_] - -When the King was fourteen he started on an _incognito_ walking tour in -the West of England with Mr. Gibbs and Colonel Cavendish. His father -wrote to Baron Stockmar: “Bertie’s tour has hitherto gone off well -and seems to interest him greatly.” Then followed a short time spent -in Germany, as to which Prince Albert wrote to Baron Stockmar on 26th -July, 1857: “Bertie set out to-day at noon for Königswinter--he will -take a week to get there. Of the young people only Lord Derby’s son -will go with him in the first instance; Wood, Cadogan, and Gladstone -will follow.” - -This visit of the Prince of Wales to Königswinter was for purposes of -study, and he had with him General Grey, Colonel (afterwards General) -H. Ponsonby his domestic tutor, Mr. Gibbs his classical tutor, the -Rev. Charles Tarver (afterwards Canon of Chester), and Dr. Armstrong. -During the Prince’s stay at Königswinter Mr. W. Gladstone, Mr. Charles -Wood (now Lord Halifax), the present Lord Cadogan, and the present Lord -Derby, then Mr. Frederick Stanley, were with him as companions. It -may be conveniently recorded here that in 1858, when Mr. F. W. Gibbs -retired, Mr. Tarver was appointed the Prince’s Director of Studies -and Chaplain, in which capacity he accompanied him to Rome, Spain, -and Portugal, and then went with him to Edinburgh, remaining with -the Prince till the autumn of 1859, when his education ceased to be -conducted at home. - -The King was confirmed in 1858, and the Prince Consort, writing to -Baron Stockmar on 2nd April, gives an interesting account of the -ceremony:-- - -“They were all three [Lords Palmerston, John Russell, and Derby] -yesterday at the confirmation of the Prince of Wales, which went off -with great solemnity, and, I hope, with an abiding impression on -his mind. The previous day, his examination took place before the -Archbishop and ourselves. Wellesley prolonged it to a full hour, and -Bertie acquitted himself _extremely well_.” - -The day following his confirmation the King received the sacrament with -his father and mother, and here may be fittingly ended the story of His -Majesty’s boyhood. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -OXFORD, CAMBRIDGE, AND THE CURRAGH - - -King Edward had now emerged from boyhood, and his loving parents set -themselves to make the arrangements suitable for his growing years. -What these arrangements were will be clear from the following passages -in the Prince Consort’s letter to Baron Stockmar of 2nd April 1858:-- - -“Next week he [the Prince of Wales] is to make a run for fourteen days -to the South of Ireland with Mr. Gibbs, Captain de Ros, and Dr. Minter, -by way of recreation. When he returns to London he is to take up his -residence at the White Lodge in Richmond Park, so as to be away from -the world and devote himself exclusively to study and prepare for a -military examination. As companions for him we have appointed three -very distinguished young men of from twenty-three to twenty-six years -of age, who are to occupy in monthly rotation a kind of equerry’s -place about him, and from whose more intimate intercourse I anticipate -no small benefit to Bertie. They are Lord Valletort, the eldest son -of Lord Mount Edgcumbe, who has been much on the Continent, is a -thoroughly good, moral, and accomplished man, draws well and plays, and -never was at a public school, but passed his youth in attendance on his -invalid father; Major Teesdale, of the Artillery, who distinguished -himself greatly at Kars, where he was aide-de-camp and factotum of Sir -Fenwick Williams; Major Lindsay, of the Scots Fusilier Guards, who -received the Victoria Cross for Alma and Inkermann (as Teesdale did for -Kars), where he carried the colours of the regiment, and by his courage -drew upon himself the attention of the whole Army. He is studious in -his habits, lives little with the other young officers, is fond of -study, familiar with French, and especially so with Italian, spent a -portion of his youth in Italy, won the first prize last week under the -regimental adjutant for the new rifle drill, and resigned his excellent -post as aide-de-camp of Sir James Simpson, that he might be able to -work as lieutenant in the trenches. - -[Illustration: THE KING IN 1859 - -_From a Painting by G. Richmond_] - -“Besides these three, only Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Tarver will go with him -to Richmond. As future governor, when Gibbs retires at the beginning -of next year, I have as yet been able to think of no one as likely to -suit, except Colonel Bruce, Lord Elgin’s brother, and his military -secretary in Canada, who now commands one of the battalions of -Grenadier Guards, and lives much with his mother in Paris. He has all -the amiability of his sister, with great mildness of expression, and is -full of ability.” - -Of these early companions of the King, Lord Valletort succeeded to the -Earldom of Mount Edgcumbe in 1861, Major Teesdale was afterwards well -known as Sir Christopher Teesdale, while Major Lindsay was appointed -extra equerry to the Prince of Wales in 1874, and was created Lord -Wantage of Lockinge in 1885. - -While the Prince of Wales was at White Lodge, where the suite of rooms -which he occupied still bears his name, he saw much of his relations -at Cambridge Cottage; he often rowed up from Richmond or Mortlake, and -mooring his boat alongside the landing-stage at Brentford Ferry, would -get out and take a stroll in the gardens with his aunt and cousin. The -first dinner-party the Prince attended was at the Cottage on Kew Green. - -By Queen Victoria’s special desire, Charles Kingsley about this time -delivered a series of lectures on history to her eldest son, and the -Prince remained fondly attached to the famous author of _Westward -Ho_, who, till his death, was an honoured guest at Sandringham and at -Marlborough House. - -On 9th November of the same year the King attained his eighteenth -year, and became legally heir to the Crown. Queen Victoria wrote him a -letter announcing his emancipation from parental control, and he was so -deeply touched by its perusal that he brought it to General Wellesley -with tears in his eyes, and we have the impartial testimony of Charles -Greville as to the character of the epistle, which was, says the famous -diarist, “one of the most admirable letters that ever was penned.” On -the same day he became a Colonel in the Army (unattached), and received -the Garter, while Colonel Bruce became his governor. - -Exactly a month after his birthday, the King started on a Continental -tour, travelling more or less _incognito_ as Lord Renfrew. He was -accompanied by Mr. Tarver, who had just been appointed his chaplain -and director of studies. The King stayed some time in Rome and visited -the Pope, but on 29th April 1859 the Prince Consort wrote to Baron -Stockmar: “We have sent orders to the Prince of Wales to leave Rome -and to repair to Gibraltar.” For it was very properly considered, that -owing to the Franco-Italian and Austrian imbroglio, it was far better -that the heir to the British throne should be well out of the way of -international dissensions. - -The King reached Gibraltar on 7th May, and visited the south of -Spain and Lisbon, returning home in the middle of the next month; -and then, after having seen something of the world, he again took up -a very serious course of study, this time at Edinburgh. Meanwhile -the education and training of the Heir-Apparent was being watched -very carefully by the British public, and a good many people began -to consider that their future King was being over-educated; indeed -_Punch_, in some lines entitled “A Prince at High Pressure,” -undoubtedly summed up the popular feeling, not only describing the -past, but prophesying, with a great deal of shrewd insight, the future -course of the Prince of Wales’s studies:-- - - To the south from the north, from the shores of the Forth, - Where at hands Presbyterian pure science is quaffed, - The Prince, in a trice, is whipped to the Isis, - Where Oxford keeps springs mediæval on draught. - - Dipped in grey Oxford mixture (lest _that_ prove a fixture), - The poor lad’s to be plunged in less orthodox Cam., - Where dynamics and statics, and pure mathematics, - Will be piled on his brain’s awful cargo of cram. - -But the Prince seems to have borne his course of study very well, -and after his son had been in Edinburgh some three months the Prince -Consort wrote to Baron Stockmar:-- - -“In Edinburgh I had an Educational Conference with all the persons who -were taking part in the education of the Prince of Wales. They all -speak highly of him, and he seems to have shown zeal and goodwill. -Dr. Lyon Playfair is giving him lectures on chemistry in relation -to manufactures, and at the close of each special course he visits -the appropriate manufactory with him, so as to explain its practical -application. Dr. Schmitz (the Director of the High School of Edinburgh, -a German) gives him lectures on Roman history. Italian, German, and -French are advanced at the same time; and three times a week the -Prince exercises with the 16th Hussars, who are stationed in the city. -Mr. Fisher, who is to be the tutor for Oxford, was also in Holyrood. -Law and history are to be the subjects on which he is to prepare the -Prince.” - -[Illustration: CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD] - -The young Prince spent a delightful holiday in the Highlands, and -made an expedition up Ben Muichdhui, one of the highest mountains in -Scotland. Then, on 9th November, his nineteenth birthday was celebrated -with the whole of his family, for the Princess Royal had arrived from -Berlin in order to spend the day with her brother. - -The King was at that time very fond of the writings of Sir Walter -Scott. He has always been a reader of fiction, French, English, and -German, and as a youth he was studious and eager to learn. - -On leaving Scotland he went up to Oxford, being admitted a member -of Christ Church. The Prince seems to have thoroughly enjoyed his -life as an undergraduate. He joined freely in the social life of the -University, and took part in all the sports, frequently hunting with -the South Oxfordshire Hounds. Nor did he neglect his books, for we find -the Prince Consort writing to Baron Stockmar on 8th December 1859 to -say that, “The Prince of Wales is working hard at Oxford.” - -[Illustration: TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE] - -It seems more convenient here to abandon the strictly chronological -arrangement, and to leave the Prince’s visit to Canada and the United -States, which followed immediately, to be described in a separate -chapter, passing on at once to his life at Cambridge. - -Early in 1861 the King became an undergraduate member of Trinity -College, Cambridge. Curiously enough, Dr. Whewell, at that time Master -of Trinity, did not think it necessary to make a formal entry of the -Royal undergraduate, but in 1883, when visiting Cambridge in order to -enter his son, the late Duke of Clarence, as a student of Trinity, the -King expressed the opinion that it was a pity that his own entry had -not been properly filled up, and he offered to fill in the blank spaces -if the book was brought to him. Accordingly the record may now be found -at its proper place in the King’s own handwriting. His entry is as -follows:-- - - _Date of Entry._ _Rank._ _Name._ - January 18th, 1861. Nobleman. Albert Edward - Prince of Wales. - - _Father’s Christian Name._ _Native Place._ _County._ - Albert. London. Middlesex. - - _School._ _Age._ _Tutor._ - Private Tutor. November 9th, Admitted by order of the - 1841. Seniority, Mr. Mathison - being his tutor. - -The entry immediately preceding the King’s name is that of the Hon. J. -W. Strutt (now Lord Rayleigh), in connection with which the following -amusing story is told. A visitor to the library (where the book is -kept) having expressed her doubts as to the King’s intellectual -abilities, the librarian showed her the entry, and said: “You may be -right in what you say, madam, but allow me to inform you that the -Prince comes next to a former Senior Wrangler.” The lady’s astonishment -may be imagined, she being of course ignorant that mere coincidence was -the cause of the juxtaposition of the two names. - -The position of the Prince of Wales in the University was very much -that of an ordinary undergraduate, except in one point--that he was, -by special favour, allowed to live with his governor, Colonel the -Hon. Robert Bruce, about three miles away from Cambridge, in a little -village called Madingley. - -Charles Kingsley at the Prince Consort’s request gave some private -lectures to the Prince of Wales. The class was formed of eleven -undergraduates, and after the Prince settled at Madingley, he rode -three times a week to Mr. Kingsley’s house, twice attending with the -class, and once to go through a _résumé_ of the week’s work alone; and, -according to the great writer’s biographer, the tutor much appreciated -the attention, courtesy, and intelligence of his Royal pupil, whose -kindness to him then and in after-life made him not only the Prince’s -loyal but his most attached servant. - -[Illustration: THE KING IN 1861 - -_Photograph by Silvy_] - -The King certainly enjoyed his life at Cambridge. All sorts of stories, -perhaps more or less apocryphal, used to be told as to his University -career. He was not allowed quite as much freedom as the ordinary -undergraduate, and Colonel Bruce had strict orders never to allow him -to make any long journeys unaccompanied. On one occasion the King made -up his mind that he would like to pay an _incognito_ visit to London, -and he succeeded in evading the vigilance of those whose duty it was to -attend him. His absence, however, was discovered before he could reach -town, and to his surprise and mortification he was met at the terminus -by the stationmaster and by two of the royal servants who had been sent -from Buckingham Palace for that purpose. - -Shortly after his marriage the King took his bride to visit Cambridge, -and after the usual reception, the Royal pair drove to Madingley, to -view the King’s former residence. On reaching one of the streets on the -borders of the town it was found to be barricaded, it being thought -that the carriage would proceed by another route. “This is the way I -always came,” said the King, “and this is the way I wish to go now.” -Forthwith the sightseers were removed and the barricade broken down, -but the King signified his intention of returning by the other road so -that the spectators might not be disappointed. - -The King remained more or less constantly at Cambridge all the winter -of 1861, and it was arranged that during the long vacation he was to go -on military duty at the Curragh. - -While the King was quartered there, Queen Victoria, the Prince Consort, -and the young Princesses paid a short visit to Ireland in order to see -him in his new character of soldier. On 26th August Her Majesty wrote -in her diary:-- - -“At a little before 3 we went to Bertie’s hut, which is in fact -Sir George Brown’s. It is very comfortable--a nice little bedroom, -sitting-room, drawing-room, and good-sized dining-room, where we -lunched with our whole party. Colonel Percy commands the Guards, and -Bertie is placed specially under him. I spoke to him, and thanked him -for treating Bertie as he did, just like any other officer, for I know -that he keeps him up to his work in a way, as General Bruce told me, -that no one else has done; and yet Bertie likes him very much.” - -On the following day, which was a Sunday, the Prince Consort, -accompanied by the Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred, went with Lord -Carlisle to inspect the Dublin prisons. - -Prince Albert spent his last birthday, 26th August 1861, with his -son in Ireland, and the Prince of Wales accompanied his parents and -sisters to Killarney, where they had a very enthusiastic welcome. They -travelled on the Prince Consort’s birthday. On the 29th Queen Victoria -and Prince Albert, with their younger children, left Ireland, and -writing to Baron Stockmar on 6th September the Prince Consort said: -“The Prince of Wales has acquitted himself extremely well in the Camp, -and looks forward with pleasure to his visit to the manœuvres on the -Rhine.” - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE KING’S VISIT TO CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES - - -[Illustration: THE TOUR IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES, 1860] - -During the Crimean war, Canada, stirred, as were all the British -colonies, by the direful stress of the mother country, levied and -equipped a regiment of infantry for service in the field with the -regular British troops--an interesting precedent for what was to -happen in the Boer war nearly half a century later. In return for -their demonstration of loyalty, the Canadians dispatched a cordial -invitation to Queen Victoria to visit her American possessions; but it -was considered undesirable that Her Majesty should be exposed to the -fatigues and the risks of so long a journey. - -Queen Victoria was then asked to appoint one of her sons -Governor-General of the Dominion, but the extreme youth of all the -Princes made that quite out of the question. Her Majesty, nevertheless, -formally promised that when the Prince of Wales was old enough he -should visit Canada in her stead. When the Prince was well on in his -eighteenth year his parents decided that it was time for this promise -to be fulfilled, the more so that it would enable the great railway -bridge across the St. Lawrence at Montreal to be opened, and the -foundation-stone of the Parliament buildings at Ottawa to be laid, by a -Prince of the Blood. - -[Illustration: THE FIFTH DUKE OF NEWCASTLE, K.G.] - -The Prince Consort, with the care and forethought which always -distinguished him in such matters, made a most careful choice of those -who were to accompany his young son. Both Queen Victoria and he felt -the greatest confidence in the Duke of Newcastle, the grandfather of -the present peer, and with him Prince Albert arranged all the details -of the Prince’s Canadian visit. The careful and kindly father forgot -nothing that might be needed. Not only did he take special pains to -secure that the young Prince should learn something of the history, -customs, and prejudices of the Canadian people, but he supplied the -Duke with memoranda which might be found useful in drawing up the -answers to be made to the addresses which were certain to be presented -to the Prince of Wales during his progress through the Dominion. The -best proof of the Prince Consort’s wisdom is to be found in the fact -that every one of these notes afterwards turned out to be simply -invaluable, owing to the peculiar aptness with which they had been -framed to suit the circumstances of each locality where an address was -likely to be received. - -When it became known on the American Continent that the Prince of Wales -was really coming to Canada, the President of the United States, Mr. -Buchanan, wrote to Queen Victoria explaining how cordial a welcome the -Prince of Wales would receive at Washington should he extend his visit -to the United States. - -Her Majesty returned a cordial answer, informing Mr. Buchanan, and -through him the American people, that the Prince would return home -through America, and that it would give him great pleasure to have -an opportunity of testifying to the President in person the kindly -feelings which animated the British nation towards America. At the same -time the American people were told that the future British Sovereign -would, from the moment of his leaving British soil, drop all Royal -state, and that he would simply travel as “Lord Renfrew.” In this again -Her Majesty showed her great wisdom, for it would have been extremely -awkward for the Prince of Wales, the descendant of King George III., to -have visited the American Republic in his quality as Heir-Apparent to -the British Throne. - -After a pleasant but uneventful voyage on board the frigate _Hero_, -escorted by H.M.S. _Ariadne_, the Prince of Wales first stepped on -Transatlantic soil at St. John’s, the capital of Newfoundland, the -oldest British colony, on 24th July 1860. The morning was rainy, but -the moment His Royal Highness landed the sun shone out, bursting -through the clouds, and this was considered by those present to be a -very happy omen. - -On that day the Prince may be said to have really had his first glimpse -of that round of official duties to which he seemed to take naturally, -and in which he was destined to become so expert. - -After the Governor of Newfoundland had been formally presented to the -Prince, the Royal party, which comprised, in addition to His Royal -Highness, the Duke of Newcastle, General Bruce, and Major Teesdale, -went straight to Government House, where the Prince held a reception, -and listened to a considerable number of addresses. The day did not end -till the next morning, for in the evening a grand ball was given by Sir -Alexander Bannerman, and King Edward won all hearts by mixing freely -with the company, and dancing, not only with the ladies belonging to -the Government and official circles, but with the wives and daughters -of the fishermen. It was noticed that the Prince was quite remarkably -like the portraits of his Royal mother on the British coins, and he -displayed, not only in Newfoundland but also during the many fatiguing -days that followed, the extraordinary tact and admirable breeding which -have continually year after year increased the affection with which he -is regarded by the British people. - -[Illustration: THE KING’S LANDING AT MONTREAL - -_From a contemporary picture in the “Illustrated London News”_] - -The wife of the then Archdeacon of St. John’s, in an interesting -letter home, puts on record the impression produced by the King in -Newfoundland:-- - -“His appearance is very much in his favour, and his youth and royal -dignified manners and bearing seem to have touched all hearts, for -there is scarcely a man or woman who can speak of him without tears. -The rough fishermen and their wives are quite wild about him, and we -hear of nothing but their admiration. Their most frequent exclamation -is, ‘God bless his pretty face and send him a good wife.’” - -[Illustration: THE KING LAYING THE LAST STONE OF THE VICTORIA BRIDGE -OVER THE ST. LAWRENCE - -_From the “Illustrated London News”_] - -At Halifax, the news that his sister, the Princess Frederick of -Prussia, had given birth to a little daughter met him, and he hastened -to write home his affectionate congratulations on the event. - -The Prince’s tour through Canada may be said to have been one long -triumphal procession. It was marred by no unpleasant incident, in -spite of the fact that at Kingston and Toronto the Orangemen tried -to induce the Prince to pass under arches decorated with their party -symbols and mottoes. Thanks, however, to the Duke of Newcastle’s tact -and firmness, the attempt failed, and the incident merely served to -illustrate the young Prince’s freedom from party bias. Everywhere the -Royal visitor produced the happiest impressions, and, thanks to his -youth, he was able to endure considerable fatigue without apparently -being any the worse for it. - -In America “Lord Renfrew’s” arrival was awaited with the utmost -impatience, and while travelling over the Dominion His Royal Highness -was surrounded by American reporters. Indeed, it is said that the -Prince of Wales’s visit to Canada formed the first occasion on which -press telegrams were used to any lavish extent. One enterprising -journalist used to transmit to his paper long chapters from the Gospel -according to St. Matthew and from the Book of Revelation in order to -monopolise the wires while he was gathering material for his daily -report of the Royal journey. At a great ball given in Quebec the Prince -tripped and fell with his partner--the article recording this event was -headed _Honi soit qui mal y pense_. - -The Royal visit to Montreal is still remembered in Canada. The Prince -and his suite arrived there on 25th August, and the Prince, after -opening a local exhibition, inaugurating a bridge, holding a review, -and attending some native games, danced all night with the greatest -spirit, even singing with the band when it struck up his favourite air. - -Many little stories were told of the King’s good-nature and affability. -Hearing by accident that an old sailor who had served with Nelson on -board the _Trafalgar_ had been court-martialled, the Prince begged him -off, and asked that he might be restored to his rank in the service. - -The Canadian Government provided a number of riding-horses in order -that the King might see Niagara Falls from several points of view, and -he has since often declared that this was one of the finest sights he -ever saw in his life. Next day, in the presence of the Royal party -and of thousands of spectators, Canadian and American, the famous -rope-walker, Blondin, crossed Niagara river upon a rope, walking upon -stilts, and carrying a man on his back. After the ordeal was over, -Blondin had the honour of being presented to the Prince. The latter, -with much emotion, exclaimed, “Thank God, it is all over!” and begged -him earnestly not to attempt the feat again, but the famous rope-walker -assured His Royal Highness that there was no danger whatever, and -offered to carry him across on his back if he would go, but the Prince -briefly declined! The Prince seems to have been quite fascinated by -the marvellous Falls. On 17th September he insisted on riding over on -American ground for a farewell view of Niagara. - -The Prince of Wales formally crossed from Canadian territory to the -States on the night of 20th September, making his appearance on -Republican soil, as had been arranged, as Lord Renfrew. At Hamilton, -the last place in Canada where he halted, the Prince made a speech, in -the course of which he observed: - -“My duties as Representative of the Queen cease this day, but in -a private capacity I am about to visit before I return home that -remarkable land which claims with us a common ancestry, and in whose -extraordinary progress every Englishman feels a common interest.” - -Great as had been the enthusiasm in Canada, it may be said to have been -nothing to the _furore_ of excitement produced in America by the Prince -of Wales’s visit. At Detroit the crowds were so dense that the Royal -party could not get to their hotel through the main streets, and had -to be smuggled in at a side entrance. The whole city was illuminated; -every craft on the river had hung out lamps; and, as one individual -aptly put it, “there could not have been greater curiosity to see him -if the distinguished visitor had been George Washington come to life -again.” - -Over 50,000 people came out to meet His Royal Highness at Chicago, -then a village of unfinished streets, but there, for the first time, -the Prince broke down from sheer fatigue, and the Duke of Newcastle -decided that it would be better to break the trip from Chicago to St. -Louis by stopping at a quiet village, famed even then for the good -sport to be obtained in its neighbourhood. It was therefore arranged -that His Royal Highness should have a day’s shooting at Dwight’s -Station, and fourteen brace of quails and four rabbits fell to the -Prince’s gun. - -A rather absurd incident marred the complete pleasure of the day. As -the Royal party approached a farm-house an unmistakably British settler -appeared at the door and invited every one _excepting the Duke of -Newcastle_ to enter. “Not you, Newcastle,” he shouted; “I have been a -tenant of yours, and have sworn that you shall never set a foot on my -land.” Accordingly the party passed on, and the farmer, though revenged -on his old landlord, had to forego the honour of entertaining Royalty -under his roof. - -But, notwithstanding this awkward incident, the King seems to have -thoroughly enjoyed his little respite from official functions. At one -moment, when he was out on the prairie, he and his companions desired -to smoke, but nobody had a light. At last a single match was found, but -no one volunteered to strike it. Lots were drawn with blades of the -prairie grass, and the King drew the shortest blade. The others held -their coats and hats round him whilst he lighted the match, and he once -said that he never felt so nervous before or since. - -On 30th October “Lord Renfrew” reached Washington, and Lord Lyons, the -British Minister, introduced him to President James Buchanan, and Miss -Harriet Lane, the latter’s niece and housekeeper. The Prince stayed -at the White House, and President Buchanan, though he could not spare -his Royal guest a certain number of _levées_ and receptions, did his -best to make his visit to the official centre of the American Republic -pleasant. During these five days there occurred a most interesting -event--the visit of His Royal Highness to Mount Vernon and the tomb of -Washington. A representative of the _Times_ gave the following eloquent -account of the scene:-- - -“Before this humble tomb the Prince, the President, and all the party -stood uncovered. It is easy moralising on this visit, for there -is something grandly suggestive of historical retribution in the -reverential awe of the Prince of Wales, the great-grandson of George -III., standing bareheaded at the foot of the coffin of Washington. For -a few moments the party stood mute and motionless, and the Prince then -proceeded to plant a chestnut by the side of the tomb. It seemed, when -the Royal youth closed in the earth around the little germ, that he -was burying the last faint trace of discord between us and our great -brethren in the West.” - -Doubtless the Prince enjoyed these new experiences a good deal more -than did his guides, philosophers, and friends. Political feeling -ran high, and the pro-slavery leaders were very anxious to influence -public sentiment in Great Britain. They formed the project of taking -the Prince of Wales through the South to see slavery under its -pleasantest aspect as a paternal institution. After a good deal of -discussion between the Duke of Newcastle and Lord Lyons, it was felt -better to accept the invitation of some representative Southerners, -and accordingly the Prince went a short tour to Richmond; but it may -be added that a great slave sale which had been widely advertised was -postponed so as not to offend British susceptibilities. The Prince -does not seem to have been at all impressed by the slave cities, and -he flatly refused to leave his carriage to visit the negro quarters at -Haxhall’s plantation, and so he returned to Washington, having shown a -good deal more common sense than had those about him. - -The day that the Prince left Washington for Richmond, President -Buchanan wrote a charming letter to the Queen, in which he said, -speaking of his guest: “In our domestic circle he has won all hearts. -His free and ingenuous intercourse with myself evinced both a kind -heart and a good understanding.” - -From Washington the Prince proceeded to Philadelphia, and there, for -the first time, His Royal Highness heard Adelina Patti. He was so -greatly charmed with her marvellous voice and winning personality, -that he begged that she might be presented to him. - -The Prince’s feelings must have been strangely mixed when he stood -in Independence Hall, but he does not appear to have revealed them -by making any remark, and after staying a few days in Philadelphia -he started for New York, where he received a splendid welcome from -Father Knickerbocker, being met at the station by the Mayor, and driven -through Broadway to the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Half a million spectators -saw him arrive, and so great was the anxiety to see Queen Victoria’s -eldest son at close quarters, that there was no structure in New York -large enough to contain those who thought that they had--and who no -doubt had--a right to meet the Prince of Wales at a social function. - -[Illustration: THE GRAND BALL GIVEN AT THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC, NEW YORK - -_From the “Illustrated London News”_] - -At last a building was found capable of containing 6000 people; -but, looking to the question of “crinolines and comfort,” it was -reluctantly decided that not more than 3000 cards of invitation, -admitting to the ball and to the supper to follow, should be sent -out. Fortunately most of the 3000 guests were important people, and -therefore too old to dance. They represented, in both senses of the -word, the solid element in New York society, for, as they crowded -round the Prince, the floor gave way, and it is a wonder that no -serious accident took place. This splendid entertainment, which took -place in the old Academy of Music, is still remembered by many elderly -Americans. The Prince showed his tact and good taste by frequently -changing his partner. For the supper, a special service of china and -glass had been manufactured, the Prince’s motto, _Ich Dien_, being -emblazoned on every piece. - -During the five days that the Prince remained in New York, he was -the guest of the Mayor and of the Corporation. He seems to have most -enjoyed a parade of the Volunteer Fire Department in his honour. There -were 6000 firemen in uniform, and all, save those in charge of the -ropes and tillers, bore torches. It was a magnificent spectacle, and -the Prince, as he looked at the brilliant display in Madison Square, -cried repeatedly, “This is for me, this is all for me!” with unaffected -glee. - -From New York the Prince went on to Albany and Boston, and at the -latter place Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Emerson, and a number -of other notable Americans were presented to him. He visited Harvard -College, spent an hour at Mount Auburn, where he planted two trees, and -drove out to Bunker’s Hill. - -Portland was the last place visited by the Prince in the United States, -and on 20th October the Royal party set sail for home on board the -_Hero_, which was escorted by the _Ariadne_, the _Nile_, and the -_Styx_. The voyage home was not as uneventful as had been the voyage -out. So anxious were they at Court about the fate of the _Hero_, that -two ships of war were sent in search of the frigate and her escort. -At last, to every one’s great relief, the _Hero_ was sighted, and it -was ascertained that a sudden storm had driven the boat back from the -British coast, and the Royal party had been reduced to salt fare, with -only a week’s provisions in store. - -On 9th November the Prince Consort put in his diary: “Bertie’s -birthday. Unfortunately he is still absent, neither do we hear anything -from him.” Great, therefore, was the joy of the Queen and Prince -Albert when, on 15th November, they received a telegram from Plymouth -announcing the safe arrival of their son. That same evening the Prince -of Wales arrived at Windsor Castle, being greeted with the warmest -affection by his family and friends. - -Queen Victoria showed the most vivid interest in all her eldest son’s -many and varied adventures. Both Her Majesty and the Prince Consort -were very much gratified by the way in which the Duke of Newcastle had -performed his arduous and delicate task, and, after some consultation, -it was decided that the Queen should publicly mark her satisfaction by -conferring upon the Duke the Order of the Garter. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -DEATH OF THE PRINCE CONSORT--TOUR IN THE EAST - - -King Edward’s visit to Germany in the autumn of 1861 is explained by -Sir Theodore Martin, in his _Life of the Prince Consort_, to have been -made with another object in view besides that of seeing the military -manœuvres in the Rhenish Provinces. It had been arranged that he was -to make the acquaintance of the Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who -was then on a visit to Germany, with a view to a marriage, should the -meeting result in a mutual attachment. - -In spite, however, of every precaution to ensure secrecy, until at -least the inclinations of the principal parties should have been -ascertained, the project leaked out, and even before they met, it was -actually canvassed, much to the Prince Consort’s annoyance, in the -Continental papers. From these it soon found its way into the English -journals, where it met with general approval; but as the meeting, which -took place at Speier and Heidelberg on the 24th and 25th of September, -ended with the happiest results, no harm was done, though in other -circumstances it might have been extremely painful. - -“We hear nothing but excellent accounts of the Princess Alexandra,” -Prince Albert notes in his diary on the 30th of September, and he adds, -with evident satisfaction, that “the young people seem to have taken a -warm liking for each other.” On 6th October the Prince Consort, writing -to the King of Prussia, says: “Bertie has come back in raptures with -his excursion to the manœuvres, and cannot speak sufficiently highly -of your kindness to himself, and to all the English officers.” About a -week later the Prince Consort was able to write to Baron Stockmar: “The -Prince of Wales leaves to-morrow for Cambridge. He came back greatly -pleased with his interview with the Princess of Holstein at Speier.… -His present wish, after his time at the University is up, which it -will be at Christmas, is to travel; and we have gladly assented to his -proposal to visit the Holy Land. This, under existing circumstances, -is the most useful tour he can make, and will occupy him till early in -June.” - -The Prince Consort that same autumn went specially to London in order -to inspect the alterations that were being made at Marlborough House, -which was then being actively prepared as a residence for the Prince of -Wales; and on the 9th Queen Victoria wrote in her diary: “This is our -dear Bertie’s twentieth birthday. I pray God to assist our efforts to -make him turn out well.… All our people in and out of the house came in -to dinner. Bertie led me in by Albert’s wish, and I sat between him and -Albert.” - -Prince Albert paid a hurried visit on 28th November to Cambridge in -order to visit the Prince of Wales. The weather was cold and stormy, -and he returned to Windsor with a heavy cold. - -The next few days were spent by both the Prince Consort and Queen -Victoria in considerable anxiety. The seizure of the _Trent_ aroused -a great deal of bitter public feeling, and the fact that America was -convulsed by civil war did not make the position of Great Britain more -easy. The Government adopted a very resolute attitude, and the Prince -Consort, instead of allowing himself to be nursed through his feverish -attack, spent some hours in composing and writing a draft, on the -burning question of the day, to Lord Russell. - -The story of those sad days is well known. As time went on, Prince -Albert grew slightly worse rather than better, but no real danger was -apprehended by those nearest and dearest to him, and Queen Victoria -would not hear of having the Prince of Wales summoned, until at last -Princess Alice, who behaved with extraordinary fortitude and marvellous -self-possession, felt that she must send for her eldest brother on -her own responsibility. She accordingly did so, and King Edward was -always, up to the day of her death, very grateful to her for her prompt -action, because it enabled him to arrive in time to be present at his -much-loved father’s death-bed. Although she was herself overwhelmed -with bitter grief, it was to the Princess Alice that all turned, -for Queen Victoria was so completely overcome that nothing could be -referred to her, and it was finally arranged that the Prince of Wales -and the Princesses Alice and Helena should accompany their mother to -Osborne, where she had consented very reluctantly to go. - -The Prince of Wales returned immediately, in order to complete the -arrangements for the funeral, and to receive his uncle the Duke of -Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, his brother-in-law the Crown Prince of Prussia -(afterwards the Emperor Frederick), and the other foreign mourners who -were to take part in the last sad ceremony. - -The funeral took place on 23rd December, the service being held in St. -George’s Chapel, Windsor. The chief mourner was, of course, the Prince -of Wales, who was supported, in the absence of Prince Alfred (Duke of -Edinburgh), by Prince Arthur. All those present were deeply moved by -the grief of the two young princes. They both hid their faces, and -after the coffin had been lowered into the vault the Prince of Wales -advanced to take a last look and stood for one moment looking down; -then, his fortitude deserting him, he burst into a flood of tears, and -was led away by the Lord Chamberlain. - -Sad indeed were the days that followed. The effect of the Prince -Consort’s death on King Edward’s affectionate and sensitive nature was -terrible, and those about the Court felt that something must be done to -rouse him from his grief. - -[Illustration: DEAN STANLEY - -_From a Photograph by the Stereoscopic Co._] - -As we have already seen, the Prince Consort, not long before his death, -had assented to his eldest son’s proposal of making a tour in the Holy -Land, and it had also been his earnest wish that His Royal Highness -should on that occasion be accompanied by the Rev. Arthur Penrhyn -Stanley, who had himself already taken a journey to Jerusalem. And -so, when the tour was decided upon as a means of rousing the Prince -of Wales from his stupor of grief, Queen Victoria made up her mind -that she would be guided by her late Consort’s wishes, and General -Bruce was commanded to write to Dr. Stanley, but not till he reached -Osborne was he actually asked whether he would consent to undertake the -responsibility. - -[Illustration: THE KING’S RECEPTION BY SAID PACHA, VICEROY OF EGYPT, AT -CAIRO - -_From the “Illustrated London News”_] - -Dr. Stanley, though he regarded the proposal with reluctance and -misgiving, for he could not bear to leave his aged mother, to whom he -was most tenderly devoted, consented to do as Her Majesty wished. It -was ultimately arranged that he should meet the Prince at Alexandria, -ascend the Nile with him, and accompany him, not only through the Holy -Land, but on the Egyptian portion of the expedition. - -On 28th February King Edward, accompanied by General Bruce, Major -Teesdale, Captain Keppel, and a small suite, was joined by Dr. Stanley, -the party at once proceeding to Cairo. “The Prince,” wrote General -Bruce to his sister, “takes great delight in the new world on which -he has entered, and Dr. Stanley is a great acquisition.” They visited -the Pyramids together, and then resumed their voyage, the Prince -characteristically persuading Dr. Stanley to read _East Lynne_, a -book which had greatly struck his imagination. When recording the -circumstance, Dr. Stanley adds:-- - -“It is impossible not to like him, and to be constantly with him brings -out his astonishing memory of names and persons.… I am more and more -struck by the amiable and endearing qualities of the Prince.… His Royal -Highness had himself laid down a rule that there was to be no shooting -to-day (Sunday), and though he was sorely tempted, as we passed flocks -of cranes and geese seated on the bank in the most inviting crowds, he -rigidly conformed to it; a crocodile was allowed to be a legitimate -exception, but none appeared. He sat alone on the deck with me, talking -in the frankest manner, for an hour in the afternoon, and made the -most reasonable and proper remarks on the due observance of Sunday in -England.” - -A sad event which occurred in March was destined to draw closer -together the ties which were now binding His Royal Highness and his -chaplain, for on 23rd March the news was broken to Dr. Stanley that his -mother was dead. The Prince of Wales showed the kindest and most tender -consideration for his bereaved travelling companion, and was much -gratified that Dr. Stanley very wisely made up his mind to continue the -journey instead of hurrying home at once. - -A few days later the Royal party reached Palestine, and it is -interesting to note that this was the first time that the heir to the -English throne, since the days of Edward I. and Eleanor, had visited -the Holy City. King Edward landed at Jaffa on 31st March, and both on -his entrance into the Holy Land and during his approach to Jerusalem -he followed in the footsteps of Richard Cœur de Lion and Edward I. The -cavalcade, escorted by a troop of Turkish cavalry, climbed the Pass -of Bethhoron, catching their first glimpse of Jerusalem from the spot -where Richard is recorded to have hidden his face in his shield, with -the words, “Ah, Lord God, if I am not thought worthy to win back the -Holy Sepulchre, I am not worthy to see it!” - -The King, accompanied by Dr. Stanley, carefully explored Jerusalem -and its neighbourhood, riding over the hills of Judæa to Bethlehem, -walking through the famous groves of Jericho, and staying some time at -Bethany. - -“Late in the afternoon,” writes Dr. Stanley, “we reached Bethany. I -then took my place close beside the Prince. Every one else fell back -by design or accident, and at the head of the cavalcade we moved on -towards the famous view. This was the one half-hour which, throughout -the journey, I had determined to have alone with the Prince, and I -succeeded.” - -During Dr. Stanley’s previous journey to the Holy Land he had not been -permitted to visit the closely-guarded cave of Machpelah, but on this -occasion, thanks to the diplomacy of General Bruce, not only the King, -but also his chaplain, were allowed to set foot within the sacred -precincts. Even to Royal personages the Mosque of Hebron had remained -absolutely barred for nearly seven hundred years, and on the present -occasion the Turkish official in charge declared that “for no one but -for the eldest son of the Queen of England would he have allowed the -gate to be opened; indeed, the Princes of any other nation should have -passed over his body before doing so.” - -King Edward, with his usual thoughtfulness, had made Dr. Stanley’s -entrance with himself a condition of his going in at all, and when the -latter went up to the King to thank him and to say that but for him he -would never have had this great opportunity, the young man answered -with touching and almost reproachful simplicity, “High station, you -see, sir, has, after all, some merits, some advantages.” “Yes, sir,” -replied Dr. Stanley, “and I hope that you will always make as good a -use of it.” - -On the party’s return to Jerusalem, they witnessed the Samaritan -Passover, and Easter Sunday, 20th April, was spent by the shores of -Lake Tiberias. - -During the journey from Tiberias to Damascus King Edward and his -escort lived in tents, an experience which he seems to have thoroughly -enjoyed. From Damascus the party turned westward, reaching Beyrout on -6th May, and after visiting Tyre and Sidon they proceeded to Tripoli. -On 13th May the King left the shores of Syria, visiting on his -homeward journey Patmos, Ephesus, Smyrna, Constantinople, Athens, and -Malta. - -[Illustration: THE KING ABOUT THE TIME OF HIS MARRIAGE - -_From Photographs by Hughes and Mullins, Ryde_] - -It was very characteristic of King Edward’s readiness to take any -trouble to please those dear to him that wherever he went he collected -a number of flowers or leaves from every famous spot. These, after -having been carefully dried by him, were sent to his sister, the -Princess Royal, afterwards the Empress Frederick, who had a particular -taste for such memorials. - -It was very soon after his return from the East that the King played -for the first time an important part in a family gathering--the wedding -of his favourite sister, Princess Alice, to Prince Louis of Hesse. The -bride was given away by her uncle, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, -but the young Prince of Wales acted as master of the house during the -quiet week which preceded the ceremony. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE WEDDING OF KING EDWARD AND QUEEN ALEXANDRA - - -As is very generally known, the marriage of King Edward to Princess -Alexandra of Denmark was brought about in quite a romantic fashion. It -is said that long before His Majesty saw his future wife he was very -much attracted by a glimpse of her photograph, shown him by one of his -friends. - -A more authoritative story of a photograph is told in the memoir of -the late Duchess of Teck. The meeting at Heidelberg in September 1861, -already referred to, took place when the Danish Princess and her father -were on their way to join one of those famous family gatherings at -Rumpenheim, and the Duchess of Teck’s biographer writes:-- - -“As soon as the Princess arrived at the Hessian Palace, her cousins -were most anxious to hear all about the meeting, and much excitement -followed when Princess Alexandra, producing a photograph from her -pocket, laughingly exclaimed, ‘I have got him here!’” - -It is certain that though many Princesses had been spoken of in -connection with the Prince, and at one time negotiations were actually -impending with a view to his engagement to the daughter of a German -Royal House, all such schemes were instantly abandoned after he had -seen the beautiful Danish Princess. - -Another meeting is said to have taken place in the Cathedral of Worms -during this eventful tour in 1861. The Prince, accompanied by his tutor -and equerry, had gone to examine the frescoes, and when wandering -through the beautiful old Cathedral they met Prince Christian of -Denmark and his daughter intent on the same object. - -Later, after the Prince Consort’s death, during a short visit which -he paid to his cousin, the King of the Belgians, the Heir-Apparent -again met Princess Alexandra, and it is said that King Leopold had a -considerable share in arranging the preliminaries of the marriage, for -it was while the Prince and Princess were both staying at Laeken that -Queen Victoria’s formal consent to her son’s making a Danish alliance -was granted. - -The formal betrothal took place on 9th September 1862, but even then -what had occurred was only known to a comparatively small circle -of friends and relations, for it was not till the eve of His Royal -Highness’s coming of age that his engagement was formally announced in -the _London Gazette_, and so made known to the whole British Empire. - -The announcement roused the greatest enthusiasm, for deep as had been -the public sympathy with Her Majesty, a widowed Court could not but -cast a very real gloom, not only over society, but over all those -directly and indirectly interested in the sumptuary trades and the wide -distribution of wealth. It was universally felt that the marriage of -the Heir-Apparent would inaugurate a new era of prosperity, and scarce -a dissenting voice was raised to oppose the Grant voted by the House of -Commons for the Royal couple. - -On the proposal of Lord Palmerston, it was decided that the Prince of -Wales should receive from the country an income of £40,000 a year, with -an added £10,000 a year to be specially set apart for the Princess. -And so it came to pass that the Heir-Apparent and his bride began -housekeeping with an income of somewhat over £100,000 a year, for, -owing to the Prince Consort’s foresight and good sense, out of the -savings made during his son’s long minority, Sandringham, of which the -initial cost was £220,000, had been purchased. - -Unlike most Royal engagements, that of the Prince and Princess of Wales -lasted nearly six months, but active preparations for the wedding did -not begin till the official announcement had been made. - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA - -_From a Photograph in the possession of the King of Denmark, taken on -1st December 1862_] - -Although Princess Alexandra had visited England as a child in order to -make the acquaintance of her great-aunt, the Duchess of Cambridge, it -was at Laeken that she was presented to her future mother-in-law, Queen -Victoria, who was then paying a visit _incognito_ to King Leopold. -Later on, the young Princess, accompanied by her father, paid Queen -Victoria an informal visit at Osborne. She did not on this occasion -come to London or take part in any public function, but rumours of her -beauty and of her charm of manner had become rife, and as the wedding -day, which had been fixed for 10th March, approached, the public -interest and excitement were strung to the highest pitch. It was felt -that Denmark’s loss was Britain’s gain, and Alfred Tennyson, the Poet -Laureate, voiced most happily the universal feeling in his fine lines: - - Clash, ye bells, in the merry March air! - Flash, ye cities, in rivers of fire! - And welcome her, welcome the land’s desire, - Alexandra. - -With what feelings the event was regarded among King Edward’s near -relatives may be estimated from the following characteristically -warm-hearted references in the diary of the late Duchess of Teck, whose -mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, was the bride’s great-aunt:-- - -“_Brighton, November 9._--The Prince of Wales--God bless him!--attains -his majority (21) to-day. After luncheon we watched anxiously for the -expected and longed-for arrival of dear Christian, who was on his way -back to Copenhagen, having established Alix at Osborne. At half-past -three we had the happiness of welcoming him, and for upwards of three -hours sat talking over the _Verlobung_ [betrothal] of Alix and Bertie. -We had much to hear and discuss, and while fully sharing his happiness -at the marriage we could enter into his feelings at leaving Alix thus -for the first time. We dined at eight o’clock, a party of five, and -toasted our dear Prince in champagne. - -“_Cambridge Cottage, November 21._--… We reached Windsor Castle about -twelve, and were shown into our old Lancaster Tower rooms, where we -were presently joined by darling Alix,--too overjoyed at the meeting to -speak!--dear Alice and Louis; after a while Alix took me to her room.… -I then returned to the others, and we went with Alice to see her rooms -in the Devil’s Tower, where Louis was being _sketched_; here the poor -dear Queen joined us and remained with us for some time. We lunched -without Her Majesty, and Beatrice came in afterwards.… Went into Alix’s -room again and played to her _en souvenir de Rumpenheim_, afterwards -accompanying her into all the state-rooms, Mama, Alice, Louis, and -Helena being also of the party. On our return Mama and I were summoned -to the Queen’s Closet, and had a nice little talk with her, ending with -tea. We were hurried off shortly before five, Alix, Alice, and the -others rushing after us to bid us good-bye.” - -[Illustration: THE KING ON COMING OF AGE - -_From an Engraving published by Henry Graves and Co._] - -Even the humblest of His Majesty’s subjects usually finds a good -deal to do in the weeks that precede his marriage, and it will be -easily understood that the high station of the future King rather -augmented than diminished these engrossing occupations. He had to -receive and suitably acknowledge countless addresses of congratulation -from individuals, corporations, and other public bodies; he had to -superintend the extensive alterations which were still being carried -out at Marlborough House; he had to pass in review the innumerable -details of the various elaborate functions which were to mark the -occasion of his marriage; and last but not least it was considered -desirable that he should now go through the somewhat trying ceremony of -taking his seat in the House of Lords. - -Nearly three-quarters of a century had elapsed since the Heir-Apparent -to the British Crown had taken the oath and his seat as a Peer of -the Realm. It was on 5th February 1863, within a few weeks of his -marriage, that King Edward went through this historic ceremony, and -it is a curious fact that the business before the House of Lords on -that occasion was an Address from the Crown to the British Parliament -announcing the Prince’s approaching marriage. It is also noteworthy -that soon after the ceremony the two chief dignitaries of the English -Church, the new Archbishops of Canterbury and York, also took the oaths -and their seats upon the Episcopal benches of the House. - -The Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Mary and a brilliant array of -Peeresses and ladies from the various foreign Embassies and Legations -were present at the ceremony, which was invested with a great deal -of pomp and solemnity. After prayers had been read by the Bishop of -Worcester, a procession emerged from the Prince’s Chamber, and advanced -slowly up the floor of the House. First came the Usher of the Black -Rod, followed immediately by the Garter King of Arms, attired in his -robes. Then came the Prince of Wales, preceded by an equerry, bearing -his coronet on an embroidered crimson cushion. His Royal Highness -was also accompanied by the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Argyll, -the Hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain, and Lord Edward Howard, who -represented the infant Duke of Norfolk, Hereditary Earl Marshal. - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA IN 1863 - -_From the Painting by Madame Jerichau, published by Henry Graves and -Co._] - -The Prince wore the scarlet and ermine robes of a Duke over the uniform -of a General. He also wore the Order of the Garter, the Order of the -Golden Fleece, and the Order of the Star of India. As he entered the -House, the Peers rose in a body, the Lord Chancellor alone remaining -seated and covered with his official hat. His Royal Highness then -advanced to the Woolsack, and placed his patent of peerage and writ of -summons in the hands of the Chancellor. The oaths were administered to -him at the table by the Clerk of Parliament, the titles under which the -Prince was sworn being those of Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Chester, Earl -of Carrick, Duke of Rothesay, and Lord of the Isles. - -After the roll had been signed the procession moved on, and His Royal -Highness, on reaching the right-hand side of the Throne, took his seat -upon the Chair of State specially appropriated on State occasions to -the Prince of Wales. While thus seated he placed on his head the cocked -hat worn by general officers in full dress. The Prince and the other -Peers finally left the House, retiring by the entrance at the right of -the Throne in the same order as they had entered. - -About an hour later His Royal Highness re-entered the House dressed -in ordinary afternoon costume, and took his seat on one of the -cross-benches, thereby formally dissociating himself from either -political party. The Prince remained almost throughout the entire -debate. When leaving he shook hands with the Earl of Derby and a number -of other Peers whom he recognised. - -As is well known, the only votes which King Edward has ever given in -the House of Lords have been in favour of the Bill for legalising -marriage with a deceased wife’s sister, but he is a constant visitor -at the Houses of Parliament when anything of special interest is going -on, and there is no doubt that he takes the keenest interest in the -political questions of the day. - -As regards the Deceased Wife’s Sister Bill, it is well known that the -King and the Bench of Bishops hold opposite opinions, and there is a -curious allusion to this in the _Life_ of the late Archbishop Benson. -The Archbishop went to a great garden party given by Queen Victoria in -July 1896, and thus describes it in his diary:-- - -“The Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace was of 4000 persons.… -The Prince, after glancing my way several times, came up, holding out -his hand _as if_ diffidently, and saying, ‘Will you shake hands with -me?’ I said, ‘Vicisti, sir.’ He said, ‘What?’ But on my saying again, -‘Vicisti,’ he laughed very heartily in his own way.” It should be -explained that the Prince and the Duke of York had just voted in the -House of Lords in favour of the Deceased Wife’s Sister Bill, the third -reading of which was passed. - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA - -_From a Photograph by Mayall in 1863_] - -The Danish people were extremely pleased at the marriage their -Princess was making, and so determined were they that she should not -go dowerless, that 100,000 kroner, known as “the People’s Dowry,” were -presented to her, and countless presents, many of them of the humblest -description, poured in upon her from all over the sea-girt kingdom. -By the Princess’s own wish, 3000 thalers were distributed among six -Danish brides belonging to the poorer classes during the year of Her -Royal Highness’s marriage. The fact became known, and naturally greatly -added to Her Royal Highness’s popularity, and from the day she left -Copenhagen to that on which she landed on British soil, the journey of -Prince Christian and his family, for Princess Alexandra was accompanied -by her father and mother, and brothers and sisters, was nothing short -of a triumphal progress. - -The Royal _cortège_ left Denmark on 26th February, reaching Cologne on -2nd March. There the Prince of Wales’s _fiancée_ received the first -greetings of her future husband’s people, the British residents. The -whole party were also royally entertained at Brussels by the Count of -Flanders; and at Flushing they found a squadron of British men-of-war -to escort the Royal yacht _Victoria and Albert_. - -On the morning of 7th March the Danish Royal Family first saw the -white cliffs of Old England, and at twenty minutes past eleven, -the Royal yacht, which had steamed slowly up the river amid craft -splendidly decorated with flags and flowers, anchored opposite the -pier at Gravesend. A moment later the Prince of Wales, accompanied by -a numerous suite, and attired in a blue frock-coat and gray trousers, -stepped on board. As His Royal Highness reached the deck Princess -Alexandra advanced to the door of the State cabin to meet him, and, -to the great delight of the assembled crowds ashore and afloat, the -Prince, walking quickly towards his bride, took her by the hand and -kissed her most affectionately. - -Then followed the procession through London; every street, from the -humblest portions of the East End to the great West End thoroughfares, -was lavishly decorated, and the Prince and Princess accepted addresses -presented by the Corporation and many other London public bodies. - -The Princess of Wales gave some special sittings for a medal which -was struck to commemorate her public entry into the City of London, -and it remains one of the finest examples of Wyon’s art. The reverse -represents the Princess Alexandra, led by the Prince of Wales, and -attended by Hymen, being welcomed by the City of London, who is -accompanied by Peace and Plenty, the latter carrying the diamond -necklace and earrings which the City offered to the Princess as a -wedding present. In the background is the triumphal arch erected -by the Corporation at London Bridge, where Her Royal Highness first -entered the City precincts. The medals were struck only in bronze, and -were presented to Queen Victoria, King Edward, and Queen Alexandra, all -the members of the Royal family, the Royal and distinguished guests who -were asked to the wedding, and the members of the Corporation of the -City of London. - -The poor young Princess must have been glad when that long day came to -an end, for the Royal train from Paddington to Windsor did not start -till a quarter past five, and thus from early morning till late in the -afternoon the future Queen had been compelled to remain the cynosure -of all eyes. It is an interesting fact that the engine which took the -Princess to Windsor was driven by the Earl of Caithness, then the best -known amateur locomotive engineer of the day. - -As may easily be imagined, the Royal borough was determined not to be -outdone by London in the matter of a bridal welcome. The Eton boys -presented an address signed by the whole 800; and then came the arrival -at the Castle, where Queen Victoria, surrounded by all her children and -a large number of Royal visitors, received her future daughter-in-law. -Then followed two days of almost complete rest for the Princess. - -King Edward, in addition to the multifarious duties which beset even -humble individuals when they are about to enter the holy estate, was -also compelled to hold his first _levée_ within a few days of his -wedding. Over a thousand gentlemen had the honour of being presented to -him, the presentations, by Queen Victoria’s pleasure, being considered -as equal to presentations to Her Majesty. The _levée_, which was held -in St. James’s Palace, was also attended by about seventeen hundred of -the nobility and gentry, all anxious to do honour to the Heir-Apparent, -who was, it need hardly be added, attended by a brilliant Court. - -The Prince and the British Royal Family had not been idle during the -period of the engagement. His Royal Highness himself ordered and -examined the designs for all the gifts about to be presented by him -to his bride, and to her family whom he specially wished to honour. -His first present to her, the engagement ring, has since served as -keeper for the Princess’s wedding ring. It is a very beautiful example -of the jeweller’s art, being set with six precious stones--a beryl, -an emerald, a ruby, a turquoise, a jacinth, and a second emerald, the -initials of the six gems spelling the Prince’s family name, “Bertie.” -His Royal Highness’s gifts also included a complete set of diamonds and -pearls, comprising diadem, necklace, stomacher, and bracelet; also a -very beautiful waist-clasp, formed of two large turquoises inlaid with -Arabic characters, and mounted in gold. - -Queen Victoria presented her daughter-in-law with a set of opals and -diamonds exactly similar in form to that designed for Princess Alice by -the Prince Consort. Her Majesty also gave the Prince a centre-piece, -which was presented to him in the name of the Prince Consort and of -herself. This fine piece of work had been designed by the Prince -Consort as a gift to his son. It has a group at the base showing Edward -I. presenting his heir to the Welsh chieftains, and round the base are -portraits of six Princes of Wales. Queen Victoria, whose thoughtful -care was shown in this as in many other matters, gave the Prince and -his bride a great deal of valuable plate as well. - -The London jewellers had certainly cause for rejoicing over the Royal -marriage, for the Prince, not content with presenting his bride-elect -with a number of other very costly gifts, also showered gems on all -his own and her relations. Neither were his friends forgotten. He -ordered twenty breast-pins, heart-shaped, encircled by brilliants, -with the initials of himself and the Princess traced in rubies, -diamonds, and emeralds occupying the centre of each heart. These were -distributed to his brothers and to a number of his intimates. To his -future mother-in-law, Princess Christian of Denmark, the Prince gave a -beautiful bracelet, containing a miniature of himself; also a diamond, -ruby, and emerald brooch, inscribed with the date of the marriage, -and containing miniature portraits of himself and the Princess. An -exactly similar jewel was presented by Princess Alexandra to the Queen. - -[Illustration: THE MARRIAGE OF THE KING AND QUEEN - -_From a Painting by W. P. Frith, R.A. published by Henry Graves and -Co._] - -In order efficiently to conduct the Royal wedding in St. George’s -Chapel at Windsor, it became necessary to build proper apartments for -the accommodation of the bride and bridegroom on their arrival, and for -the Lord Chamberlain to marshal the processions without any danger of -a hitch. With this object the Board of Works built an immense Gothic -hall, opening out of the west door of the Chapel, and surrounded by -apartments appropriated to the use of the Royal Family. Facing the -Chapel, the two rooms upon the right were assigned to the bridegroom, -and those on the left to the bride. - -The marriage of King Edward and Queen Alexandra was the first Royal -marriage which had been celebrated in St. George’s Chapel since that -of Henry I. in 1122. The day was kept as a public holiday throughout -the country, and the attention of the whole kingdom was concentrated -on Windsor. The ceremony took place on 10th March 1863, at 12 o’clock. -The total number of persons admitted to the Chapel did not exceed 900 -ladies and gentlemen, exclusive of the Guards and of the attendants on -duty. - -The scene will never be forgotten by those who had the privilege -of being present. It was an extraordinarily magnificent pageant, -heralds and trumpeters in coats of cloth of gold adding greatly to the -brilliancy and pomp. - -Queen Victoria surveyed the scene from the Royal closet, which, placed -on the north side of the Communion Table, is really a small room in -the body of the Castle with a window opening into the Chapel. Her -Majesty was clad in deep black, even to her gloves, and she wore a -close-fitting widow’s cap, but in deference to the occasion she had -consented to put on the broad blue riband of the Order of the Garter -with the glittering star, and this was specially noticed by the few -persons who, from the body of the Chapel, caught a glimpse of their -beloved Sovereign. - -The bridegroom, as in duty bound, arrived some time before the bride. -He was supported by his uncle, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and -his brother-in-law, the Crown Prince of Prussia, and wore the uniform -of a British General, the Collar of the Garter, the Order of the Star -of India, and the rich flowing purple velvet mantle of a Knight of the -Garter. His supporters also wore the robes of the Garter, and the three -were naturally the centre of interest till the arrival of the bride, -who came in upon the stroke of half-past twelve. - -[Illustration: A CONTEMPORARY DESIGN FOR THE ROYAL WEDDING] - -Princess Alexandra, who was given away by her father, wore, according -to the notions of that day, a very beautiful and splendid wedding -dress. It consisted of a white satin skirt, trimmed with garlands of -orange blossom and puffings of tulle and Honiton lace, the bodice being -draped with the same lace, while the train of silver moire antique -was covered with nosegays of orange blossom and puffings of tulle. In -addition to the necklace, earrings, and brooch presented to Her Royal -Highness by the bridegroom, she wore the _rivière_ of diamonds given -by the Corporation of London, and three bracelets, presented to her -respectively by Queen Victoria, the ladies of Leeds, and the ladies of -Manchester. On her beautiful hair, which was very simply dressed, lay a -wreath of orange blossoms covered by a veil of Honiton lace. - -The bridal bouquet was composed of orange blossoms, white rosebuds, -orchids, and sprigs of myrtle, the latter being taken from the same -bush as that from which the myrtle used in the Princess Royal’s bridal -bouquet was cut. - -As the Princess moved slowly up the Chapel her train was carried by -eight bridesmaids, Lady Victoria Scott, Lady Victoria Howard, Lady -Agneta Yorke, Lady Feodora Wellesley, Lady Diana Beauclerk, Lady -Georgina Hamilton, Lady Alma Bruce, and Lady Helena Hare. They each -wore dresses of white tulle over white glacé silk, trimmed with blush -roses, shamrocks, and white heather, with wreaths to correspond, and -each also wore a locket presented to her by the Prince of Wales, -composed of coral and diamonds, signifying the red and white which -are the colours of Denmark, while in the centre of each was a crystal -cipher forming the letters “A. E. A.” twined together in a monogram -designed by Princess Alice. - -It is an interesting fact that all these ladies are still living, or -were until quite lately, and many of them became Queen Alexandra’s -personal friends. Even now Her Majesty occasionally wears the splendid -diamond and enamelled bracelet, made in eight compartments, each -containing a miniature of one of the Royal bridesmaids, which was their -gift to her on the occasion of the marriage. - -The ceremony itself did not last very long. The Prince is recorded to -have answered his “I will” right manfully, but the Princess’s answers -were almost inaudible. As soon as the Prince of Wales and the Princess -Alexandra were man and wife, they turned to the congregation hand in -hand, bowing low to the Queen, who, in returning the salutation, made a -gesture of blessing rather than of ceremonious acknowledgment. - -The late Bishop Wilberforce thus describes the scene in the Chapel:-- - -“The wedding was certainly the most moving sight I ever saw. The Queen, -above all, looking down, added such a wonderful chord of feeling to all -the lighter notes of joyfulness and show. Every one behaved quite at -their best. The Princess of Wales, calm, feeling, self-possessed; the -Prince with more depth of manner than ever before.” - -Dr. Norman Macleod wrote:-- - -“I returned home and went back to the marriage on the 10th of March.… -I got behind Kingsley, Stanley, Birch, and in a famous place, being in -front of the Royal pair. We saw better than any except the clergy. It -was a gorgeous sight, yet somehow did not excite me. I suppose I am -past this. - -“Two things struck me much. One was the whole of the Royal Princesses -weeping, though concealing their tears with their bouquets, as they -saw their brother, who was to them but their ‘Bertie,’ and their dead -father’s son, standing alone waiting for his bride. The other was -the Queen’s expression as she raised her eyes to Heaven, while her -husband’s Chorale was sung. She seemed to be with him alone before the -throne of God.” - -Mr. W. P. Frith, who had been commissioned to execute a painting of -the Royal marriage for Queen Victoria, was accommodated with a special -corner for himself and his sketch-book, and later, all those who had -taken part in the historic pageant sat to him for portraits with the -most excellent result. - -On their return to the Castle a few moments later the bride and -bridegroom were met by Queen Victoria and conducted to the Green -Drawing-Room, where the formal attestation of the marriage took place. - -[Illustration: ON THE WEDDING DAY - -_From a Photograph by Mayall_] - -It may be added that among those present at the marriage and afterwards -at the wedding breakfast were the Rev. H. M. Birch and the Rev. C. F. -Tarver, the Prince’s tutors, and when lunch was over these gentlemen -were informed that their old pupil sent them a souvenir of himself, of -which he desired their acceptance. This souvenir proved to be in each -case a copy of the Holy Scriptures, handsomely bound, and containing an -inscription in His Royal Highness’s own handwriting. - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA AT THE TIME OF HER MARRIAGE - -_From a Photograph by Hughes and Mullins_] - -The wedding breakfast, which was served in St. George’s Hall, was very -sumptuous, but out of respect to the Queen’s recent bereavement there -were not many speeches--a circumstance which probably did not greatly -disappoint either the bride or the bridegroom. While the marriage was -actually in progress the King of Denmark was entertaining both the -rich and poor in his kingdom right royally, and it must have been a -pleasant thought for the Princess to know that her marriage was filling -with gladness innumerable multitudes both of her own people and of her -husband’s future subjects. - -At four o’clock the Prince and Princess took their departure for -Osborne, where a very short honeymoon was spent. On their return home, -which in this case meant Windsor, it was noticed that the lovely bride -looked the very picture of happiness. The streets of Windsor were -decorated with flags, and the Royal borough looked as gay as it did on -the wedding day. - -After the marriage the Liturgy of the Church of England was officially -altered by the introduction of the name of the Princess of Wales -into the Prayer for the Royal Family. The Scottish Church was also -officially instructed to pray for “Her Most Sacred Majesty Queen -Victoria, Albert Edward Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all -the Royal Family.” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -EARLY MARRIED LIFE - - -At the outset of their married life King Edward and Queen Alexandra -were called upon to perform the public duties of the Sovereign, which, -since the Prince Consort’s death, had in some measure necessarily -developed upon the Duke of Cambridge and his family. The late Duchess -of Teck’s biographer records that Society did its utmost to give the -beautiful young bride a right royal welcome. A memorable event of -the London season was the Guards’ ball in honour of the Prince and -Princess of Wales, held in the picture galleries of the International -Exhibition. The decorations were unusually magnificent, and Queen -Victoria graciously lent some splendid plate from Buckingham Palace. -Many members of the aristocracy, too, placed at the disposal of the -Duke of Cambridge, as head of the Committee, their collections of gold -and silver plate, the contributions being valued at £2,000,000. The -guests, limited in number to 1400, began to arrive at nine o’clock, and -soon after ten the ball was opened by a royal quadrille, in which eight -couples took part, the Duke of Cambridge dancing with the Princess of -Wales, and the Prince of Wales with Princess Mary (afterwards Duchess -of Teck). The Prince and Princess of Wales showed their appreciation of -the entertainment which their soldier hosts had provided by remaining -almost till dawn. - -One of the first public appearances made by King Edward after his -marriage was at the Royal Academy dinner, where he made an excellent -short speech, greatly impressing those who were present by his modesty -and good sense. Sir Charles Eastlake was then President of the Royal -Academy, and Lady Eastlake gives this amusing account of the affair in -her reminiscences:-- - -“All went perfectly well at the Royal Academy dinner. My husband was -quite enchanted with the Prince of Wales, and with his natural manners -and simplicity. The Prince hesitated in the middle of his speech, so -that everybody thought it was all up with him; but he persisted in -thinking till he recovered the thread, and then went on well. The very -manner in which he did this was natural and graceful. He was so moved -when mentioning his father that it was feared he would break down. -After the speech the Prince turned to my husband and told him he was -quite provoked with himself. ‘I knew it quite by heart in the morning’; -but he evidently had no vanity, for he laughed at his own ‘stupidity,’ -and immediately recovered his spirits. ‘Hesse’ was next the Prince, who -chaffed him from time to time, and told him he would have to sing a -song.” - -William Makepeace Thackeray was among the other speakers at the Academy -dinner, which was very shortly before the famous novelist’s lamented -death. At the anniversary of the Royal Literary Fund some months later -King Edward made some graceful and appropriate allusions to the great -writer whom the Empire had lost. He spoke with evident feeling of the -fact that Thackeray had been the life of the Fund, always ready to open -his purse for the relief of literary men struggling with pecuniary -difficulties. - -This spring was a very busy time for both King Edward and Queen -Alexandra. On 8th June they were sumptuously entertained by the -Lord Mayor at the Guildhall, when the Prince took up the freedom of -the City, to which he was entitled by patrimony. The entertainments -included a great ball, which the Princess opened, dancing a quadrille -with the Lord Mayor, while the Prince had the Lady Mayoress for his -partner. - -A week later the Royal couple attended “Commem.” at Oxford. They -received a splendid welcome both from the University authorities and -the undergraduates. The honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law was -conferred on King Edward in the Sheldonian Theatre, where the wildest -uproar prevailed, till amid a sudden lull of perfect silence Queen -Alexandra entered with Dr. Liddell, the then Dean of Christ Church. -Scarcely had she traversed half the distance to her seat when a cheer -loud and deep arose, and seemed to shake the theatre to its foundation, -to the evident gratification of her Royal husband. - -After the ceremony was over their Royal Highnesses escaped from all -their friends and entertainers and took the opportunity of going over -what had been the Prince’s rooms as an undergraduate. That same evening -a ball was given in the Prince’s honour in the Corn Exchange by the -Apollo Lodge of Freemasons. - -Shortly after their visit to Oxford the Prince and Princess celebrated -their house-warming at Marlborough House by an evening party and a -ball. During the summer months they spent some time at Sandringham in -the original house, which at that time stood in an isolated park, and -which was afterwards pulled down and superseded by the present very -much larger and more comfortable mansion. There can be no doubt that -Queen Alexandra’s strong affection for her country home is based on the -tender recollections of her early married life. It is a significant -fact that when the new Sandringham House was built, she begged that -her boudoir in the new mansion might be arranged so as to be an exact -reproduction of her boudoir in the old house. - -Among the very first visitors entertained at Sandringham by the Royal -bride and bridegroom was Dr. Stanley, who spent Easter Sunday with them -there. - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA IN 1863 - -_From the Painting by Lauchert, published by Colnaghi_] - -“On the evening of Easter Eve,” he writes, “the Princess came to -me in a corner of the drawing-room with her Prayer Book, and I went -through the Communion Service with her, explaining the peculiarities -and the likenesses and differences to and from the Danish Service. -She was most simple and fascinating.… My visit to Sandringham gave me -intense pleasure. I was there for three days. I read the whole Service, -preached, then gave the first English Sacrament to this ‘angel in the -Palace.’ I saw a great deal of her, and can truly say that she is as -charming and beautiful a creature as ever passed through a fairy tale.” - -Much satisfaction was felt by the nation when the interesting fact -became known that Queen Victoria hoped to welcome the first of her -British grandchildren in the month of March. One Friday evening, early -in January, shortly after Queen Alexandra, who was staying, had been -skating on Virginia Water, near Windsor, her eldest child appeared -so unexpectedly that for a while the Royal baby had to be wrapped in -cotton wool, for all the beautiful layette which was in course of -preparation was at Marlborough House. - -The rejoicings over the event, both in this country and in Denmark, -were naturally very great, more especially when it became known that -the Royal infant was none the worse for his early arrival. Among -the two Royal families most immediately concerned the interest and -excitement were intense. Princess Alice wrote to Queen Victoria on -9th January 1864, “I was aghast on receiving Bertie’s telegram this -morning announcing the birth of their little son.” But this feeling -of trepidation quickly gave place to one of relief when the bulletins -announced the steady progress of both mother and babe, and soon the -British public saw many charming photographs and portraits of Queen -Alexandra in her new _rôle_ of mother. At the time of the birth of -the Duke of Clarence Queen Alexandra was not yet twenty, but, like -Queen Victoria, she seems to have been wholly absorbed in her maternal -duties, and at any moment she would joyfully give up attending a State -function or ball in order to spend an hour in her nursery. - -It need hardly be said that the first portion of the Prince and -Princess’s married life was overshadowed by the war between Denmark -and Prussia. The young Princess was naturally strongly patriotic in -her sympathies. At breakfast one morning a foolish equerry read out -a telegram which announced a success of the Austro-Prussian forces, -whereupon Her Royal Highness burst into tears, and the Prince, it is -said, thoroughly lost his temper for once, and rated his equerry as -soundly as his ancestor, King Henry VIII., might have done. An amusing -story went the round of the clubs about this time. It was said that a -Royal visitor at Windsor asked Princess Beatrice what she would like -for a present. The child stood in doubt, and begged the Princess of -Wales to advise her. The result of a whispered conversation between the -two was that the little Princess declared aloud that she would like to -have Bismarck’s head on a charger! - -In July 1864 the Prince laid the foundation-stone of the new West -Wing of the London Hospital. He was accompanied by the Princess. This -was one of the first occasions on which King Edward showed his great -interest in hospital management. The fact that there was a separate -ward for the Jews aroused his keen interest. In the same month King -Edward and his Consort went to the Fourth of June at Eton, and also -stayed at Goodwood for the races. In the middle of August they went to -the Highlands, visiting Stirling Castle on the way. They spent some -weeks at Abergeldie, entertaining a great deal. Dr. Norman Macleod -stayed with them there. It was during this stay in Scotland that the -Prince and Princess first became intimate with the family of their -future son-in-law, and the Countess of Fife, his mother, gave a great -picnic in their honour. - -That autumn they went from Dundee to Denmark, being accompanied by -their baby, now nearly a year old. This was King Edward’s first visit -to his wife’s home. They received a most enthusiastic welcome, and -were splendidly entertained. At Bernsdorf, where the Royal party spent -several days, a number of shooting parties were organised in honour of -the Prince, who, certainly for the first time in his life, was invited -to shoot foxes. He bagged two, and some of the teeth of the animals -were set as breast-pins for him. - -From Elsinore the Prince and Princess went in their yacht to Stockholm -in order to pay a visit to the King and Queen of Sweden. In Sweden also -the Prince was invited to take part in several hunting expeditions. One -odd bag resulted in ten foxes, six hares, and seventeen stags. - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA IN 1864 - -_From the Painting by Lauchert, published by Henry Graves and Co._] - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA WITH THE BABY PRINCE ALBERT VICTOR - -_Photograph in 1864 by Vernon Heath, published by McQueen_] - -After sending Prince Albert Victor home with Countess de Grey, the -Royal couple travelled back _via_ Germany and Belgium, visiting on the -way Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse at Darmstadt, and making a short -stay at Brussels. Then they came home for the rest of the autumn to -Sandringham, where Queen Alexandra spent her twentieth birthday. - -The year 1865 proved an eventful one to both King Edward and his -wife. King Edward paid his first State visit to Ireland, opening the -International Exhibition of Dublin on 9th May, and a little less than a -month later Prince George of Wales was born at Marlborough House. - -Although there have at various times been more or less serious fires -in Royal residences, Sandringham, for instance, having been almost -destroyed by a conflagration within the last few years, the King has -only once been really in a fire, and this was just a month after his -second son’s birth. The fire began in the floor then styled the nursery -floor, and after Queen Alexandra had been moved to another part of the -house with her two children, King Edward set to work with the utmost -energy to check the flames. It need hardly be said that very soon the -whole of London seemed to be congregated in Pall Mall and St. James’s -Park. At first it could not be made out where the fire was coming from, -and the King helped to rip up the whole of the nursery floor before -the mischief could be traced, and while doing so he nearly had a bad -accident, for he fell some distance through the rafters. - -At last, however, the fire was got under, and it was found that -comparatively little harm had been done. Then for the first time it -occurred to some one to ask if Marlborough House was insured. Strangely -enough this very important precaution had not been taken. Now, however, -both Marlborough House and Sandringham are insured to their full value. - -King Edward from childhood has always shown the keenest interest -in firemen and fires. During many years of his life he used to be -informed whenever a really big blaze was signalled, and he has attended -_incognito_ most of the great London fires during the last thirty years. - -[Illustration: KING EDWARD, QUEEN ALEXANDRA, AND PRINCE ALBERT VICTOR - -_Photograph in 1864 by Vernon Heath, published by McQueen_] - -About this time the King visited the gigantic steamship _Great -Eastern_, off Sheerness, in order to see the Atlantic telegraph cable, -which had just been completed. He was received by a number of prominent -engineers, and while he was present the last section of the cable was -being wound into the tanks on board the _Great Eastern_ from the vessel -alongside which had brought it from the works at Greenwich. A message -was sent through one of the coils, the length of which was equivalent -to the distance from Sheerness to Valentia. The signals transmitted, -“God Save the Queen,” were received at the other end of the coil in -the course of a few seconds, a fact which, commonplace as it may now -seem, struck the onlookers in the year 1865 with amazement. The King -visited every portion of the huge ship, and accepted specimen pieces of -portions of the cable in various stages of manufacture. - -In that same year, that is two years after her marriage, Queen -Alexandra performed her first public act by opening the Cambridge -School of Art. It was in 1865 also that the King attended his first -public dinner as President of the Royal Literary Fund, and on this -occasion he toasted the ladies in the following graceful words:--“In -the presence of a society accustomed to cultivating with such success -the flowers of literature, it would be unpardonable to forget the -flowers of society.” - -During that summer the Prince and Princess visited Cornwall, and went -down the Botallack tin mine, near St. Just, the depth of which is about -200 fathoms. The bottom level of the mine extends horizontally about -half a mile beneath the sea. A part of this mine then belonged to the -Prince as Duke of Cornwall. During the same tour he visited Land’s End. -The day was exceptionally clear and fine, and the Prince lingered for -some time among the grim rocks which form the western-most point of -England. - -All this time Queen Victoria was living in the strictest retirement, -and the great shadow of the Prince Consort’s death had thrown scarcely -less gloom over the life of his eldest son. King Edward mourned deeply -for his father, and it is significant that he never lost an opportunity -of testifying in his public speeches to the high purpose and noble -aims which had distinguished Prince Albert’s life. To the cost of the -mausoleum at Frogmore the King contributed from his private purse no -less a sum than £10,000. At the end of 1865 he sustained another severe -blow in the death of Lord Palmerston, whom he had honoured with his -special friendship, and whom he had been accustomed to consult in his -private affairs. - -Not till February 1866 did Queen Victoria consent to open Parliament -again in person. She was accompanied by the Prince of Wales and two of -her daughters, the Princess of Wales being accommodated with a seat on -the Woolsack facing the Throne. - -[Illustration: QUEEN VICTORIA WITH PRINCE ALBERT VICTOR - -_Photograph by Hughes and Mullins, Ryde_] - -It was in this year, when the Austro-German war was going on, that -King Edward established special telegraphic communication between -Marlborough House and the seat of war. Like his lamented mother, he -is a shrewd observer of foreign politics, and now that he is called -upon to reign, he will be, as she was, the greatest help to the -Foreign Minister of the day. He has since kept up in every important -war the practice of securing the earliest possible telegraphic -information, notably in the Franco-Prussian, the Russo-Turkish, and the -Greco-Turkish wars, but most of all in the Boer war. - -In the summer of 1866 the King laid the foundation-stone of the new -building of the British and Foreign Bible Society, when he was received -by the venerable Earl of Shaftesbury, President of the Society, the -Lord Mayor, the Archbishop of York, and the Bishop of Winchester. - -In his speech the King recalled the fact that only sixty-three years -previously Mr. Wilberforce had met with a few friends in a small room -in a dingy counting-house and had established the Bible Society, while -in the interval the Society had already spent six millions of money -in the furtherance of its objects, and that it had contributed to -the translation of the Bible into two hundred and eighty different -languages and dialects. The King further said:-- - -“I have an hereditary claim to be here on this occasion. My -grandfather, the Duke of Kent, warmly advocated the claims of the -Society, and it is gratifying to me to reflect that the two modern -versions of the Scriptures more widely circulated than any others--the -German and English--were both in their origin connected with my family. -The translation of Martin Luther was executed under the protection -of the Elector of Saxony, the collateral ancestor of my lamented -father; whilst that of William Tyndale--the foundation of the present -Authorised English Version--was introduced with the sanction of the -Royal predecessor of my mother, the Queen who first desired that ‘the -Bible shall have free course through all Christendom, but especially in -my own realm.’ It is my hope and trust that, under the Divine guidance, -the wider diffusion and a deeper study of the Scriptures will, in this -as in every age, be at once the surest guarantee of the progress and -liberty of mind, and the means of multiplying in the present form the -consolations of our holy religion.” - -In the autumn following, King Edward and Queen Alexandra, accompanied -by their two sons, visited the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland at -Dunrobin. At that time the most northern point of railway communication -was at Ardgay, and thence the King and Queen had to drive a distance of -twenty-five miles before they could reach Dunrobin Castle. All along -the route they received a most enthusiastic welcome. They arrived at -night at the Castle, and were received in Royal Highland style. Among -those asked to meet them were the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of -Saxe-Weimar, and many members of the leading Scotch nobility. The King -reviewed the Sutherland Volunteers in the grounds of the Castle, and -later, on the same day, the Duke of Sutherland announced that it was -the wish of the King that the whole of the corps should adopt the kilt -as their uniform, His Majesty having a preference for the national -costume. - -Shortly after their return from Scotland the King and Queen had the -pleasure of entertaining the Queen of Denmark and her two younger -children, and they spent some time at Sandringham with Queen -Alexandra, while the King went to Russia in order to be present at -the marriage of his sister-in-law, Princess Dagmar, to the then -Cesarewitch. It was quite late in the year, and it was considered that -the cold in St. Petersburg would be too severe for Queen Alexandra to -accompany her husband. The King, who attended the Imperial marriage -in his official capacity, was accompanied by a considerable suite, -including Lord Frederick Paulet, Viscount Hamilton, the Marquis of -Blandford, and Major Teesdale. On his arrival at St. Petersburg he was -met at the railway terminus by the Emperor of Russia, the Cesarewitch, -and the Grand Dukes; and he was given splendid quarters at the -Hermitage Palace. - -King Edward has always been known to have a great liking for Russia and -the Russian people, and he is himself very popular in St. Petersburg. -After the Imperial marriage he visited Moscow, being accompanied by -the Crown Prince of Denmark. The Princes went over the Kremlin, and -the King paid a call on the Metropolitan Archbishop, the highest -dignitary of the Russian Church. The aged ecclesiastic received him in -a perfectly plain cell. They conversed for a quarter of an hour, and as -the King took his leave, the Metropolitan gave him his blessing, and -with the assistance of his monks accompanied his Royal visitor to the -door. - -The year 1867 was, if not very eventful, an anxious one, for both -before and after the birth of Princess Louise, now the Duchess of -Fife, on 20th February, Queen Alexandra suffered from acute rheumatism -and inflammation of a knee-joint. Her illness caused so much anxiety -at the Danish Court that her father and mother came over and spent -some time in London. King Edward was most devoted in his attentions -to the invalid, and actually had his bureau moved into her sick-room -in order that he might not be separated from her in her convalescence -even by the imperious demands of his enormous correspondence. Happily -Queen Alexandra grew quite strong again, but the serious nature of her -illness may be judged from the fact that she was not able to drive out -until 9th July. Naturally for the rest of that year the King and Queen -lived very quietly and went about as little as possible. - -Five years after their marriage the King and Queen paid a visit to -Ireland, and their reception was marked by a very genuine demonstration -of cordiality and even of enthusiasm. On arriving in Kingstown Harbour -Queen Alexandra was presented, as Queen Victoria had been in 1849, -with a white dove, emblematic of the affection and goodwill which she -was supposed to be bringing to the distressful country. King Edward, -with his usual tact, declared it to be his wish that no troops should -be present in the streets of Dublin. Entire reliance was accordingly -placed on the loyalty and hospitable spirit of the people, and, in -spite of many doleful prognostications to the contrary, the Royal visit -was successful from every point of view. - -It has often been asserted that King Edward is fonder of the Emerald -Isle than is any other member of his family; he certainly numbers -several Irishmen among his closest friends. Although he thoroughly -enjoyed his visit, this one week in 1868 was one of the most tiring -ever spent by the King. Like his younger son, twenty-nine years later, -the King was installed with great pomp as a Knight of the Order of St. -Patrick, on which occasion he used the sword worn by King George IV. -The King also unveiled with much ceremony a statue of Edmund Burke. -The _Times_ described the exertions entailed by the Royal visit in the -following vivid passage:-- - -“There were presentations and receptions, and receiving and answering -addresses, processions, walking, riding and driving, in morning and -evening, military, academic, and medieval attire. The Prince had to -breakfast, lunch, dine, and sup, with more or less publicity, every -twenty-four hours. He had to go twice to races, with fifty or a hundred -thousand people about him; to review a small army and make a tour in -the Wicklow mountains, of course everywhere receiving addresses under -canopies and dining in State under galleries full of spectators. He -visited and inspected institutions, colleges, universities, academies, -libraries, and cattle shows. He had to take a very active part in -assemblies of from several hundred to several thousand dancers, and -always to select for his partners the most important personages.… He -had to listen to many speeches sufficiently to know when and what to -answer. He had to examine with respectful interest, pictures, books, -antiquities, relics, manuscripts, specimens, bones, fossils, prize -beasts, and works of Irish art. He had never to be unequal to the -occasion, however different from the last, or however like the last, -and whatever his disadvantage as to the novelty or dulness of the -matter and the scene.” - -[Illustration: KING EDWARD AT THE AGE OF TWENTY-THREE - -_From a Painting by Weigall, published by Henry Graves and Co._] - -Some amusing incidents happened. A loyal Irish girl, determined to -have a good look at her future King and Queen, defied all rails and -barriers, and, mounted on horseback, dashed through the crowd of -sightseers and galloped past the Royal visitors, exclaiming, “Oh, thank -you all, I have seen them and shall go home happy now.” King Edward, -with a smile, raised his hat, which was certainly the most sensible -thing he could have done in the circumstances. - -The King has always shown great interest in Ireland and Irish matters, -so much so that it has been more than once whispered that he is a Home -Ruler. He gave his warm support and help to a fund for the relief of -distress in Ireland, and more recently, during the annual Show of the -Royal Agricultural Society, he took the opportunity to receive and -entertain at Sandringham no fewer than three hundred and fifty Irish -tenant-farmers. - -On their way back from Dublin the Prince and Princess of Wales visited -North Wales, and on landing at Holyhead they passed along the pier -through a double line of aged Welshwomen, who were all wearing the tall -hat and national dress of the Principality. At Carnarvon the Prince -inaugurated some new waterworks, and after this ceremony the Royal -party proceeded to the famous castle, where they were presented with an -address from the Council of the National Eisteddfod. The Prince replied -in a neat little speech, in which he observed that he and the Princess -received the address with peculiar satisfaction on the anniversary of -the birth, on 25th April 1284, and in the very birthplace, of the first -Prince of Wales, “Edward of Carnarvon,” the son of Edward I. - -King Edward’s fourth child, the Princess Victoria, was born on 6th -July, and after a quiet summer spent at Sandringham the King and Queen, -attended by a small suite, left Marlborough House in November for a -long Continental tour, which extended over some months and enabled them -to renew old ties and make new friendships. They spent a few days -in Paris, and paid a visit to the Emperor and Empress of the French -at Compiègne, where, during a stag hunt organised in honour of King -Edward, an accident happened which might easily have cost him his life. -As he was galloping along one of the grassy drives of the forest, a -stag rushed from one of the cross-paths and knocked him and his horse -completely over. Fortunately he was not hurt, though much bruised and -shaken. Without alarming those about him, he again mounted and went on -hunting to the end of the day. At this house-party the King and Queen -had as fellow-guests Marshal Bazaine, Count von Moltke, and a number of -other notable people destined to make history. - -[Illustration: QUEEN VICTORIA, QUEEN ALEXANDRA, AND PRINCESS CHRISTIAN - -_Photograph by Hughes and Mullins, Ryde_] - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA ABOUT THE YEAR 1865 - -_From a Photograph by Hughes and Mullins_] - -Queen Alexandra’s birthday, 1st December, was spent in Denmark. After -a short stay there the travellers went to Berlin, where a large family -party was assembled to meet them, and on 18th January, which is, -curiously enough, one of the only two days of the year in which it -can be held, a Chapter of the Order of the Black Eagle was convened, -and King Edward was formally invested with the insignia of this, the -highest Order in Germany, by the King of Prussia, to whom he was -introduced by his brother-in-law, the Crown Prince, and by Prince -Albert of Prussia. - -Then followed an interesting sojourn in Vienna, where the Royal party -were splendidly entertained by the Emperor and Empress of Austria, a -suite of apartments in the Burg having been specially prepared for them. - -These Continental visits, however, were all preliminary to a prolonged -tour in Egypt and the Mediterranean, which must be described in a -separate chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THEIR MAJESTIES’ TOUR IN EGYPT AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - - -Of this tour Queen Alexandra’s Bedchamber Woman, the Hon. Mrs. Grey, -wrote a charming record, which her brother-in-law, General Grey, -persuaded her to give to the world. It should be mentioned that Mrs. -Grey was a Swedish lady, the daughter of Count Stedingk. Her first -husband, the Hon. William George Grey, eighth son of the famous Earl -Grey who was Prime Minister in the reign of William IV., had been dead -some years before this tour began. She afterwards married _en secondes -noces_ the Duke of Otranto, but it will be more convenient to speak of -her here as Mrs. Grey. - -Mrs. Grey begins by giving an outline of her plans for the summer of -1868, and then goes on:-- - -“These plans were, however, all upset by a letter from the Princess, -in which she told me that she wished me to accompany her on the tour -she projected with the Prince of Wales to the East, and to join her -at Copenhagen in the beginning of January; and that in the meantime I -might remain quietly--which she knew would be a pleasure to me--with my -father and mother in Sweden. This was too tempting an offer not to be -eagerly embraced.” - -Mrs. Grey went to Copenhagen, and there writes in her journal at the -beginning of 1869 the following sketch of the tour:-- - -“_January 12._--Soon after breakfast I went to see my dear Princess, -and to hear something of the proposed plans. I found her, as usual, -most kind and affectionate, but very sorry that the few weeks she had -been able to spend with her father and mother had come to an end. Her -visit seemed to have been a great happiness to her. It is now arranged -that we shall set out for our long journey on the 15th, and that while -I accompany Her Royal Highness as her lady-in-waiting, Lady Carmarthen -and Colonel Keppel, who accompanied the Prince and Princess from -England in November, shall part from us at Hamburg, and, with Sir W. -Knollys, take the Royal children home. The plan is for us to pass by -Berlin and Vienna, and embark on board the _Ariadne_ frigate, fitted as -a yacht, at Trieste; sail from thence to Alexandria; and, after going -up the Nile as far as the Second Cataract, to visit Constantinople, the -Crimea, and Greece, before returning home somewhere about the beginning -of May. Such is the plan made out for us, but it is, of course, open -to many changes, as the political state of things between Greece and -Turkey at the present moment may, after all, very possibly upset the -latter part of the journey; and in that case we shall return home -through Italy.” - -King Edward and Queen Alexandra were joined at Trieste by Prince Louis -of Battenberg, the Duke of Sutherland, Dr. (afterwards Sir) W. H. -Russell, and other friends, together with their suite. There the Royal -party embarked on board H.M.S. _Ariadne_, which had been specially -fitted up for their reception. Of the accommodation in this vessel Mrs. -Grey gives an attractive account:-- - -“The _Ariadne_, in reality a man-of-war, but for this occasion fitted -up as a yacht, is most comfortable. The Prince and Princess have two -large sleeping cabins, besides a large cabin for a sitting-room, -and another for a dining-room. I have a charming cabin also, with a -bath-room outside, and my maid next door to me. In short, I think we -were all much pleased with the accommodation and arrangement of what is -to be our _home_, while at sea, for the next four months.” - -The travellers reached Alexandria on 3rd February 1869, and were met -by the usual loyal greetings, addresses, and bouquets presented by the -British residents. The party then went on to Cairo, where they were -received by the Viceroy of Egypt and his ministers. Here the King and -Queen were assigned a palace, which Mrs. Grey thus describes:-- - -“The Palace of Esbekieh is beautiful, full of French luxury, but -without the real comfort of an English house. The Prince and Princess -have an immense bedroom, full of rich French furniture. The beds are -very beautiful, made of massive silver, and cost, I believe, £3000 -each! My room is so large that even when the candles are lit, there -might be somebody sitting at the other end of it without your knowing -it. You could not even hear people speaking from one end to the other! -It is as high as it is long, with nine large windows. There is a -beautiful silver bed, a large divan (rather high and hard for comfort) -round half of the room, a common writing-table and washhand-stand -(put in all the rooms at the request of Sir S. Baker), a large sofa, -and quantities of very smart chairs round the walls. The curtains and -covers of the furniture are all made of the richest silk. Add to all -this, one immense looking-glass, and you have the whole furniture of -my room, which is more like a State drawing-room at Windsor than a -bedroom. All the other rooms are furnished in the same way.” - -Queen Alexandra and Mrs. Grey had an absolutely novel experience on 5th -February, namely an invitation to dinner at the Harem of “La Grande -Princesse,” the Viceroy’s mother. - -The Queen, her lady-in-waiting, and two English ladies were received -at the door of the Palace by la Grande Princesse, the second and third -wife of the Viceroy (the first and fourth were not well), his eldest -son, and two eldest daughters. La Grande Princesse took Queen Alexandra -by the hand, while one of the wives handed Mrs. Grey, another Mrs. -Stanton (wife of the British Consul), and one of the daughters Miss -M’Lean; and so the party went in procession to an immense drawing-room, -the whole way thither being lined with slaves. No stay, however, was -made in the drawing-room, and what followed reads like a page out of -the _Arabian Nights_. - -The visitors were conducted straight to the dining-room, after having -a cherry given them to eat, handed to them on a beautiful gold tray, -with goblets and plates of gold and precious stones. A slave then -offered each visitor a silver basin to wash their hands in before -sitting down to dinner. In the middle of the room there was a kind of -round silver table, about one foot high from the floor, looking more -like a big tray than anything else; large square cushions were placed -all round it, and the company sat down _à la Turque_ round the table, -la Grande Princesse having Queen Alexandra on her right, next whom was -Mehemet Taafik Pasha, then the third Princess and Mrs. Grey, with the -second Princess next, on the left side of the Viceroy’s mother. Mrs. -Stanton and Miss M’Lean, with the two daughters of the Viceroy, dined -in another room. - -A slave then entered very smartly dressed, half her skirt being of -black satin and embroidered in gold, and the other half of yellow -satin, also trimmed with gold, and with a sort of turban on her head. -She had a beautifully embroidered napkin, with gold fringe, hanging -on her arm, as a sort of badge of her office, which corresponded with -that of a European _maître-d’hôtel_. She placed each dish in the middle -of the table, beginning with soup--a sort of chicken broth with rice. -Each visitor was given a sort of tortoiseshell spoon, with a large -coral branch as a handle, but neither knife nor fork; and then, at a -sign from the old Princess, everybody dipped their spoons into the -tureen together. Next came an enormous piece of mutton, of which the -company had to tear off bits with their fingers and put them straight -into their mouths. About twenty dishes followed in rapid succession, -alternately savoury and sweet, and the dinner ended with _compôte_ of -cherries. No wine or water was served during the meal, and Mrs. Grey -confesses that she felt thoroughly disgusted. - -Some very necessary washing of hands followed, and then there was -an entertainment in the great drawing-room, given by musicians and -dancing-girls, in the course of which a slave brought in a tray covered -with black velvet cloth embroidered with pearls and uncut emeralds, and -decorated with an enormous diamond star in the centre. This was lifted -off, and then were revealed a number of cups encrusted with diamonds, -and full of coffee. These were handed round, and a slave brought pipes -and cigarette-holders, all lavishly ornamented with precious stones, -each mouthpiece being formed of one large ruby or emerald. - -After an interval the visitors were taken all through the upper rooms, -a young prince who acted as interpreter being most anxious that Queen -Alexandra should see everything. “La Princesse doit tout voir,” he kept -saying. More music and dancing followed, and more coffee, until at -four o’clock it seemed to be time to go, so Queen Alexandra rose, and -the party were handed out to the door of the garden at which they had -entered amid enthusiastic demonstrations of affection on the part of -their hospitable entertainers. - -There can be no doubt of the impression which the Queen’s graciousness -and charm created. Mrs. Grey says:-- - -“They were all perfectly enchanted with the Princess, and about -every ten or fifteen minutes _une phrase de cérémonie_ was exchanged -through the Prince [that is, the young Egyptian prince who acted as -interpreter]. ‘La Grande Princesse est si contente de vous voir,’ -or ‘La Grande Princesse regrette tant que cela soit contre l’usage -du pays, de vous rendre cette visite’; and so on.… At last they all -expressed a hope that the Princess would come and dine again on her -return to Cairo.” - -The same evening Queen Alexandra had the pleasure of visiting some -beautiful Arab horses in the stables of Ali Sherif Pasha. - -Before starting on their journey up the Nile the King and Queen took -the opportunity of witnessing the curious and interesting Procession -of the Holy Carpet starting from Cairo on its way to Mecca, which, -strangely enough, few of the Europeans who at that time visited Cairo -cared to see. Every year two carpets are sent, one of which goes to -Medina to serve as a covering for the tomb of the Prophet, and the -other to Mecca to be a covering for Kaabah or the central point of the -Mahomedan religion. The King and Queen also witnessed the departure -of the pilgrims for Mecca, or rather of that portion of the pilgrimage -consisting of sheikhs and holy men, escorted by irregular cavalry and -artillery, which left the city to join the other pilgrims encamped on -the plain outside. - -On 6th February the voyage up the Nile began. The party was a large -one, and the number of vessels provided for them formed quite a little -fleet, of which the following was the order of sailing:-- - -A large and very smartly fitted-up steamer, the _Federabanee_, Captain -Achmet Bey, headed the squadron, and was occupied by Prince Louis of -Battenberg (then a midshipman on board the _Ariadne_), Major Teesdale, -Captain Ellis, equerries in waiting, Lord Carrington, Mr. O. Montagu, -Dr. Minter, Sir Samuel Baker, and Mr. Brierley. On deck there was a -large saloon, all fitted up with silk and looking-glasses and every -description of luxury, and there meals were served. Outside this there -was a small open saloon with a large looking-glass at the back, in -which the scenery could be viewed in comfort. - -The _Federabanee_ towed a most beautiful dahabeah, or Nile boat, which -was named the _Alexandra_, and in which the King and Queen and Mrs. -Grey lived. It was all fitted up in blue and gold, with a great deal of -taste, and the cabins were all large and most comfortable. Mrs. Grey -mentions that the King and Queen had “a very nice sleeping cabin, with -a bath-room and dressing-room apiece.” The _Alexandra_ also contained -a large sitting-room with a piano, and outside there was a place for -sitting and reading, as well as the upper deck. The only inconvenience -of this arrangement was that the travellers in the dahabeah had to -go on board the _Federabanee_ for every meal. This necessity was -especially hard on Queen Alexandra, who resolved, however, to return -to the dahabeah after breakfast as often as she could in order to have -time for painting and reading; this, with the active co-operation of -Mrs. Grey, she contrived to do on a good many days. - -After the dahabeah came a kitchen steamer, carrying four French -cooks and one Arab cook, and towing a barge full of provisions and -live stock, such as turkeys, sheep, and chickens. Following this -came another steamer, having on board Colonel Stanton, British -Consul-General at Cairo, with two Egyptian gentlemen, Mourad Pasha and -Abd El Kader Bey, and towing a barge containing horses, donkeys, and a -French washerwoman. Nor was this all. In his anxiety to do everything -possible for the comfort of the Royal party, the Viceroy had actually -provided another steamer of lighter draft than the _Federabanee_, -simply in case the latter vessel should get stuck in the mud. - -The whole flotilla was completed by a steamer belonging to the Duke -of Sutherland, the father of the present Duke, who brought with him -a distinguished party, composed of his son, Lord Stafford, Colonel -Marshall, Dr. Russell, Mr. Sumner, Professor Owen, Mr. Fowler, the -distinguished engineer, Major Alison, the Duke’s brother Lord A. Gower, -and Sir Henry Pelly. - -The King looked forward to having plenty of sport during the voyage. -Accordingly he had taken a large variety of guns of almost every -calibre in use, as well as a wherry to be used for approaching land -game. For the purpose of capturing crocodiles, nets were brought which -had been specially made under the superintendence of Sir Samuel Baker. -The King also specially arranged for the inclusion in his party of a -clever naturalist and taxidermist. - -Both the King and Queen greatly enjoyed this novel form of yachting, -although, unfortunately, bad weather soon set in, and the _Alexandra_ -was frequently enveloped in clouds of dust and sand. Notwithstanding -this, however, the King had fairly good sport and bagged some very -large birds, though the crocodiles were, on the whole, conspicuous by -their absence. Soon the Royal taxidermist could show some very fine -specimens of spoonbills, flamingoes, herons, cranes, cormorants, and -doves. - -Mrs. Grey thus records an amusing adventure which happened on 9th -February:-- - -“The fog was so thick this morning that we could not start till nine -o’clock, the hour at which we are in future usually to begin our day’s -voyage being between five and six in the morning; and then to go on, -with occasional stoppages, till six in the evening. We now only went -on for about an hour, as the Prince wanted to try and shoot some ducks -from a small punt with a large gun, which had been lent to him for the -trip. At eleven, the Princess and myself, with Prince Battenberg, Sir -S. Baker, Mr. Brierley, and Dr. Minter, followed in another boat to -look at the shooting. We saw perfect swarms of wild ducks, and hundreds -of flamingoes and a few pelicans. However, the ducks took fright, and -only a few flamingoes were shot. We determined to land, as soon as we -saw that we could no longer spoil the sport; but the water being low, -we stuck fast in the sand about thirty or forty yards from the shore. -The four boatmen at once took off their jackets, shoes, and trousers; -but luckily some undergarments (waistcoats and trousers in one) -remained; and in they jumped, and dragged the boat a few yards, beyond -which their utmost efforts were unable to move it. The alternative was -now either to remain in the boat or to allow ourselves to be carried -through the water. Of course we chose the latter. Sir S. Baker and Mr. -Brierley carried the Princess, crossing their arms, on which she sat.” - -Ultimately the whole party got off and reached Minieh. There the King -joined a shooting party on the following day, while the Queen, Prince -Louis of Battenberg, and some of the others visited the Viceroy’s -palace, and afterwards saw the process of making sugar out of the -sugar-canes. Queen Alexandra and Mrs. Grey were allowed to visit the -wife of one of the directors of the sugar factory, whom Mrs. Grey -describes as a very ugly woman, painted and bedizened. The room was -full of her women friends, all as ugly and as lavishly dressed as -she was. Queen Alexandra, however, was much pleased with the novelty -of such a visit, for, though the hostess and her friends were very -cheerful and talked and laughed, yet naturally everything that was -said was quite unintelligible to their English visitors. The Queen -afterwards sent some presents to the ladies in memory of the visit. - -On the 11th the Queen and Mrs. Grey succeeded in staying for the whole -day in the dahabeah, where they played and wrote and painted. The same -thing happened on the afternoon of the 13th, the morning being occupied -by an interesting lecture from Mr. Fowler on the Suez Canal. - -During the voyage Queen Alexandra had one very serious adventure. -One night the King, who was on board the steamer, observed a light -reflected on the side of the _Alexandra_. He at once gave an alarm, -the Queen and Mrs. Grey, who were in the dahabeah, were hurried off -to the shore, and the fire, which had been caused by a lighted candle -in Prince Louis of Battenberg’s cabin, was put out by the King and -his suite. Had not the quick eye of the King discovered the danger -a terrible disaster might have happened, for the boats were wooden -and scorched by an Egyptian sun, while there were, of course, a -considerable number of cartridges on board. - -The 14th was Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, and Mrs. Grey records -that King Edward read the service to the party and the servants very -impressively. The party frequently landed to visit the temples and the -other splendid ruins of ancient Egyptian civilisation. On one occasion -the King caught a bat in the large tomb of Rameses IV. - -The party started to see the Temple of Karnak by moonlight on the -evening of the 18th. The King rode a milk-white ass caparisoned in -crimson velvet and gold, while the Queen was mounted on a gray mule. -When they approached the temple an electric light was lit between -each enormous column, and in the background there was a display of -rockets and fireworks, forming stars of different colours. This had -been arranged by the King as a surprise for the Queen, though Mrs. Grey -confesses that the secret had been accidentally revealed. However, she -describes the whole scene as one of surprising beauty. She walked alone -with the Queen amid the gigantic columns, until they were recalled to -the prosaic luxury of the nineteenth century by being offered glasses -of iced champagne. - -The 20th was rendered memorable by a mishap; all the steamers stuck -fast in the ground, with the result that everybody had to turn out, -and all the luggage had to be removed in order to lighten the boats. -The King and Queen and Mrs. Grey were entertained on board the Duke of -Sutherland’s steamer at dinner, and by the next day the difficulty of -the sand-banks had been surmounted, thanks to the smaller steamer which -the Viceroy’s foresight had provided. - -On the 21st the King again read Divine Service, and the party arrived -at Assouan. Here they found a large number of camels ready to carry the -baggage across from the First Cataract to Philæ, whither the party rode -to see the boats in which they were to go on to the Second Cataract. On -the 22nd the King started first in order to pay a visit to Lady Duff -Gordon, who was living in her dahabeah a little above Assouan; while -the Queen, the Duke of Sutherland, and Mrs. Grey followed in a boat to -the foot of the First Cataract, where they were to meet the King. There -seems to have been some hitch in the arrangements, but Queen Alexandra -was not at all disconcerted, and was highly amused at having to ride -a wretched donkey without a bridle, and with a cushion for a saddle, -though Mrs. Grey, who was no better mounted, regarded the incident with -less philosophy. After a time, however, they met their own donkeys, and -ultimately joined the King’s party, who had been getting very anxious. - -The Duke of Sutherland and his party left on the 23rd, while the Royal -party continued their voyage in two new dahabeahs tied together, and -towed by a small steamer. The accommodation was not nearly so good as -it had been below Philæ. The Queen and Mrs. Grey landed frequently, -and the latter notes that her Royal mistress found great pleasure in -distributing the _baksheesh_ for which the natives were continually -asking, especially the little children. On one occasion the Queen and -her lady-in-waiting found a donkey running about; they caught it, and -the Queen mounted it and rode through the fields in the cleverest way -without saddle or bridle. - -Meanwhile the King was very anxious for crocodile, but he had very poor -luck, though he had better sport with fishing. It was not, indeed, -until the 28th that he had a fair shot at a crocodile, which he killed -at fifty yards with his first barrel. The excitement was tremendous -among the party, for, as is well known, the shyness of these beasts is -so great that they are among the most difficult game to stalk in the -world. This specimen was 9 feet long and 4 feet round the body; and it -was at once skinned with a view to being stuffed. Inside the creature -was found a quantity of pebbles, two bottles full of which were brought -away as mementoes. - -The King and Queen throughout the voyage took the greatest interest in -the antiquities along the route, visiting all that were accessible. -Mrs. Grey mentions how much Queen Alexandra enjoyed the extreme -peacefulness of the life led by the party, for there was no post nor -any papers, and, after the first inconvenience had worn off, the -feeling that no means existed of either sending or receiving letters -soon became perfectly delightful. - -A touching incident occurred at Wady Halfa on 3rd March. The party were -at dinner, when the King and Queen took a fancy to a little boy whom -they saw watching the torches, which were always fixed in the ground -on shore wherever the Royal dahabeah stopped for the night. On being -questioned, the child said that his father was dead, his mother had -married again, and he had not a friend in the world. He was delighted -with the idea of going with the party, and so he was engaged as a pipe -cleaner. The only property he had was a white linen shirt and a white -cap. Mrs. Grey describes him as an intelligent ugly little boy, not -very black, but rather bronzed, and wearing a large silver ring in one -ear. - -Whenever the dahabeah stopped, numbers of natives came down to the -bank, mostly children; and at first the Queen used to throw them bread -and oranges, but it was discovered that they regarded empty bottles as -much more valuable, and for these there was the greatest competition, -although in the end they generally agreed to divide the spoil equally -in the most good-humoured manner. At one place a little Nubian monkey -was presented to Queen Alexandra, and the fortunate donor was -presented in return with a double-barrelled English fowling-piece and -some money. - -There were the usual groundings on sand-banks, but nothing else of -interest occurred, and the party returned to their old dahabeah on -8th March, having thoroughly enjoyed their expedition to the Second -Cataract. After lunch the King and Queen, with Mrs. Grey and Sir Samuel -Baker, paid a visit to Lady Duff Gordon in the dahabeah, which she had -made entirely her home on account of her health. - -The return voyage down the Nile began on the following day, and -immediately the big steamer stuck fast on the old sand-bank which gave -so much trouble on the way up, although the Viceroy had had six hundred -people working away in the interval to deepen the channel. No amount of -exertion could get the steamer off, and consequently the little steamer -was used, and Prince Louis of Battenberg, Sir Samuel Baker, and Lord -Carrington had to sleep on deck. - -On 10th March, the anniversary of the King and Queen’s wedding day, -some members of the Duke of Sutherland’s party, which had broken up, -met the Royal party at Thebes, namely, Colonel Stanton, Sir Henry -Pelly, Major Alison, and Abd El Kader Bey. Colonel Stanton entertained -the party, and Mourad Pasha proposed the health of the Royal pair. -After dinner the party went to the house of Mustapha Aga, the English -Consul, where they saw some famous Egyptian dancing-girls, including -the Taglioni of the country, and some remarkable mummy cases, which -had been excavated on purpose for the King. The following day they -visited the spot where the digging was going on. Mrs. Grey describes -it as like a coal pit, at the bottom of which was a magnificent stone -sarcophagus, said to be that of the beautiful Queen Nicotris, which the -King intended to take to England, together with a selection of mummies. - -This was the last day’s picnic on the Nile, and the party were due -at Minieh in two days, going thence by rail to Cairo. On the 15th, -however, the Queen, Mrs. Grey, and some of the gentlemen of the party -paid a visit to the little town of Minieh, where an old woman was -engaged to tell fortunes. This she did with the aid of a heap of shells -and bits of coloured glass; and she told the Queen that she had many -friends and much money, with the usual “patter” traditional among -fortune-tellers. Thence the party went on to the house of the Governor -of the town, where a kind of lemonade was offered to the visitors, and -the Queen was presented with a beautiful white parrot and two live -flamingoes. The menagerie already consisted of the Nubian monkey, a -snapping turtle, and two goats. As for the little Nubian boy, who was -added to the party at Wady Halfa, he turned out much too sharp and -difficult to manage, so, instead of bringing him to England, the King -decided to start him in life with a donkey, as one of the numerous -donkey boys so common in Egypt. - -On 16th March the party went by train from Minieh to Ghizeh, where -they were met by the Viceroy’s eldest son and a number of officials. -After some conversation the King and Queen took their leave, and the -Royal party, entering some carriages, drove to the Pyramids. At the -foot of the big Pyramid they found a small pavilion which had been -built on purpose for the Royal visit. The King and Queen, in spite -of the slippery, difficult, and suffocating ascent, visited the -King’s and Queen’s chambers, and the King actually went up to the top -of the Pyramid. Dinner was served in the pavilion by order of the -Viceroy, consisting of nineteen dishes, eight entrées, ice, and other -luxuries--quite a small dinner for Egypt. - -On the night drive to Cairo which followed, there was very nearly a bad -accident, the carriage being driven up against a high white flag-post, -which it fortunately only just touched. - -During the voyage down the Nile the King received letters to say that -as the differences between Turkey and Greece had been happily settled, -their Majesties were free to pay their proposed visit to Constantinople -and Athens. - -The King and Queen spent a week in Cairo, and saw all the sights of -that wonderful city, which were then, it must be remembered, much -more novel than they are nowadays when Egypt has become a regular -winter resort. Mrs. Grey gives an amusing description of a shopping -expedition on which she attended Queen Alexandra in the Turkish bazaar. -Abd El Kader Bey, their old friend of the Nile expedition, did the -bargaining in the Oriental method. The Queen wished to buy a burnous, -but the price was too high, and so Abd El Kader Bey sent for a shopman -from another shop where they had seen a similar burnous, and employed -him to help in bargaining with the other shopman. This extraordinary -device was most successful, and the Queen ultimately obtained her -burnous for £9. - -On the 19th Mrs. Grey attended the Queen in the ordeal of being -photographed on a dromedary, and then the party, having been joined by -the King, went to see the museum of Egyptian antiquities, where the -distinguished French Egyptologist, M. Mariette, explained everything. -In the evening of the same day there was a great dinner at the -Viceroy’s palace on the other side of the river, where the scene was -one of truly Oriental magnificence and luxury, finishing up with a -display of fireworks so arranged that their reflection was seen in a -large ornamental piece of water. - -The Royal party had intended to leave Cairo on the 21st March, but the -King was persuaded by the Viceroy to remain over the Feast of Bairam, -which corresponds with the Christian Easter. Consequently, instead of -starting immediately, the Queen, to her great delight, was able to -pay a visit to the wife of Mourad Pasha, who had attended so ably to -the comfort of the Royal travellers during their voyage on the Nile. -Queen Alexandra was delighted with this lady, who was most kind and -good-natured, and spoke French very well, her father, indeed, having -been half a Frenchman. - -On the 22nd the Queen started after breakfast for the bazaars, and met -the King there and shopped until lunch-time. In the afternoon the Queen -and Mrs. Grey visited the wife of Abd El Kader Bey, and then went on -to see Achmet Bey, the captain of their dahabeah. His wife received -the English visitors with much enthusiasm, kissing both the Queen and -Mrs. Grey violently. Mrs. Achmet was a very pretty woman with pleasant -manners, but although she could only speak Arabic, which was not -understood by her visitors, yet she never stopped talking for a minute. - -The following day, the 23rd, was the first day of Bairam, and the Queen -again visited la Grande Princesse, the Viceroy’s mother, who held a -sort of Drawing-room in the Harem. In the evening the Queen went to -the Viceroy’s palace across the river to dine with His Highness’s four -wives. The Princesses were much charmed with some photographs which -the Queen gave them of herself. Shortly before leaving she expressed -a wish to see how the Egyptian ladies’ outdoor veils were fastened -on. Some were accordingly sent for, and Queen Alexandra was dressed -up in a veil, much to her amusement; her eyebrows, and those of Mrs. -Grey, were painted, and the thin veil and the burnous were put over -them. These Her Majesty and her lady-in-waiting were entreated to -keep as a _souvenir_ of their visit. They were still wearing their -Egyptian dresses when they returned to their palace, but to their -great disappointment found everybody gone to bed except their courier, -whom they succeeded in surprising, though he very frankly said that he -thought the ladies were looking far better than usual. That was the -last night in Cairo. - -On the following day the Royal party had a very hot and dusty journey, -and arrived at Suez at seven o’clock in the evening. There they were -joined by Dr. Russell and Major Alison, and were met by the great de -Lesseps. Dinner was served in the large dining-room of the hotel, and -among the waiters the King observed a small black boy about fourteen -years old, who seemed intelligent above the average. After dinner His -Majesty asked the landlord of the hotel about him, and, finding that -he was an Abyssinian boy and had an excellent character, he decided to -take him home instead of the little _mauvais sujet_ whom the party had -picked up at Wady Haifa. - -Then came one of the most interesting episodes of the tour, namely, -their visit to the Suez Canal, where their Majesties were received and -escorted by M. de Lesseps. The works of the Canal Company were by no -means completed, but they were being actively carried forward, a large -dock, 450 feet long, having been already finished. At Tussum the King -performed the important ceremony of opening the sluices of the dam -across the finished portion of the canal, thus letting the waters of -the Mediterranean into the empty basin of the Bitter Lakes. - -The Royal party then drove about three miles beyond the town through -the desert to the Viceroy’s _châlet_, a pretty little place built on -high ground overlooking Lake Timsah. The King and Queen were lodged -here, the rest of the party having to rough it in out-houses and -tents. Dinner was served in a large tent, and, thanks to the Viceroy’s -forethought, it was a most excellent French dinner, for His Highness -was determined that his guests should not have to rough it unless it -was absolutely necessary. - -The next day the Royal party went up the Canal towards the -Mediterranean, and after driving through Port Said, they embarked on -board the Viceroy’s yacht _Mahroussa_ for passage to Alexandria. M. de -Lesseps and his party also came on board the yacht. When the vessel -passed outside the breakwater she began to roll so much that dinner -became more exciting than comfortable. One swell threw everything off -the table, and the Royal party were rolled out of their chairs, and -then in an instant, before they had time to pick themselves up, another -roll threw the ship over on the other side. Fortunately, however, the -rolling did not last very long, and the resources of the yacht were so -great that dinner was not long interrupted. - -The following morning the yacht arrived at Alexandria, where the -Royal party visited the various sights, including Cleopatra’s Needle -and Pompey’s Pillar. Then they were rowed off in a barge to the -_Ariadne_, their old home, which looked quite small and poor after -the gorgeous _Mahroussa_, with its silk hangings, Italian marbles, -mosaic mother-of-pearl, and so on, though in reality it was much more -comfortable in a practical way. Here they said good-bye, much to their -regret, to Mourad Pasha, Abd El Kader Bey, and old Captain Achmet, as -well as to Colonel Stanton, the British Consul. - -The next day, 28th March, the _Ariadne_ left for Constantinople, but -nothing much of importance occurred during the voyage, and the vessel -anchored on 1st April some three miles from Constantinople. There the -Royal party were transferred to the Sultan’s yacht _Pertif Piati_, -in which they went past the entrance to the Golden Horn, as far as -the Saleh-Bazar Palace, which had been assigned as a residence by the -Sultan to the King and Queen during their visit. The Sultan himself -received the Royal party on landing, and took Queen Alexandra up to her -rooms, every one following. - -Mrs. Grey describes the rooms in the Saleh-Bazar Palace as not quite -so gorgeous as those which they had had at Cairo, but, on the other -hand, fitted up with the most perfect taste in the French style. Every -European luxury had been provided. The lattice work, which is always -put up across the windows in Turkish houses in order to screen the fair -inmates from the rude gaze of outsiders, had been removed and replaced -with magnificent silk hangings. All the servants appointed to wait -on the King and Queen were Greek and European, except the coachmen, -who were French. The meals at the Palace were all served on gold and -silver plate studded with gems; a band of eighty-four musicians played -during dinner; every morning arrived gorgeous presents from the Sultan, -including exquisite flowers and trays laden with fruits and sweets; -while, at a clap of the hand, black-coated chibouquejees brought in -pipes with amber mouth-pieces of fabulous value, encrusted in diamonds -and rubies. There was a complete Turkish bath establishment in the -Palace, and the slightest wish expressed by the Royal guests was -considered an order. - -Almost immediately after the arrival the labour of official functions -began, King Edward going to pay a visit to the Sultan at the Palace of -Dolma-Baghtche. The next day the Royal party saw the Sultan going to -the Selamlik, the brilliant uniforms and the native ladies in their -white yashmaks and brilliantly-coloured dresses producing to Mrs. -Grey’s eyes the effect of a bright flower-garden. While the pageant -was passing, little Prince Izzedin, the Heir-Apparent, visited their -Majesties. Nothing could exceed the anxiety of the Sultan to entertain -his distinguished visitors in a splendid manner, and he certainly seems -to have succeeded. - -On 4th April the Royal party dined with the Sultan at the Palace of -Dolma-Baghtche. The dinner was good, and well served in the European -fashion, but it was remarkable for being the first time that the Sultan -had ever sat down to dinner with ladies; and, indeed, it was the first -time that any of his own Ministers, except the Grand Vizier, had ever -been known to sit down in his presence. Half the party were Turks, -and they looked so frightened and astonished that they acted as wet -blankets to the rest of the company, which included Mr. Elliot, the -British Ambassador, and Mrs. Elliot, and General Ignatieff, the Russian -Ambassador, and his wife. The Sultan was in high good-humour, but spoke -very little. - -After dinner Queen Alexandra, attended by Mrs. Grey and accompanied by -Mrs. Elliot and Madame Ignatieff, went to visit the Sultan’s mother -and wife. The visit very much resembled that which had been paid in -Cairo to La Grande Princesse; and the most amusing part of the evening -was the sudden appearance of the Sultan’s son, aged ten, and daughter, -aged nine, who both came marching in followed by slaves. Both were -enormously over-dressed, the little girl, indeed, being hardly able to -move under all her lace and finery. They sat themselves down in large -arm-chairs, and the little Princess kept slipping down off hers, but a -slave always helped her up again. - -The King and Queen, who adopted for the nonce the name of Mr. and Mrs. -Williams, spent the whole morning of 5th April in the bazaars, attended -by Mrs. Grey, and entirely escaped being recognised. Another Oriental -precedent was broken on the 7th, when the Royal party went to the -opera, and the Sultan joined the King and Queen and Mrs. Grey in the -Royal box. This was the first time that the Sultan had been seen with -ladies in his box. On the following day Queen Alexandra was delighted -to have an opportunity of seeing the Sultan’s stables, containing about -200 horses of extraordinary beauty. - -It would be tedious to describe in detail the ceremonies and visits to -places of interest which the Royal party paid. In this way the days -were filled up until the 10th, when it was decided that the Queen -should accompany the King in his proposed visit to the Crimea. - -After lunching with the Sultan, the Royal party again went on board -the _Ariadne_ with the usual ceremonies, and started for the Crimea. -They had a beautiful passage across the Black Sea, and arrived in the -harbour of Sevastopol on 12th April. The great struggle with Russia was -still fresh in every one’s memories, and they found not a single ship -in the harbour, and all the forts and fortifications abandoned--indeed, -the whole town on one side almost one mass of ruins. The _débris_ -remained just as they were left in 1856, and the populace, which before -the war amounted to 60,000, had been reduced to 5500. - -As soon as the _Ariadne_ had cast anchor a boat came off containing -General Kotzebue, Governor-General of New Russia, and General -Jukoffsky, Governor of Crim Tartary, who had come from Simferopol -to meet King Edward. They were accompanied by Admiral Kisalinsky, -the Commandant of Sevastopol, and other officials, together with -the British Consul at Odessa. The Russian authorities offered every -possible assistance to the King and Queen in order that they might see -everything that could be seen. - -On that first day of their arrival they visited the Russian cemetery, -and then drove to the battlefield of the Alma, where Mrs. Grey records -the shaking which the Queen and she experienced in driving over the -rough ground still full of great holes made by the shells used in the -battle; indeed, the pony carriage broke down, and they had to get into -a larger one with four horses. They saw the broken-down bridge over the -Alma, just as it was left after the battle; the party drove through -the water, and Dr. Russell pointed out where the Duke of Cambridge -had passed with his Staff--in fact, the King and Queen examined the -battlefield most thoroughly, studying the various positions occupied by -the forces on both sides. - -The Russian authorities entertained the party at luncheon in a Tartar -farm-house, which had been used during the war as a field-hospital. -Dr. Russell, Major Alison, and Captain Ellis, who had all been there -during the war, were perpetually pointing out fresh places of interest, -and in the evening the Russian officials were entertained at dinner on -board the _Ariadne_. Nothing could exceed the tact and courtesy of the -Russians, who affected to regard the war as if it had been some long -distant historical campaign, and had no hesitation even in pointing out -to their visitors the different places where the Russian forces had -been beaten. - -It is needless to mention the names of all the places visited by the -Royal party. Wherever they went the beautiful old Russian custom of -offering bread and salt was never omitted, the inhabitants of the -villages always rushing out and presenting these signs of hospitality -to Queen Alexandra. - -On the 14th the Royal party found the _Psyche_ in the harbour of -Balaklava, in which they embarked and steamed out of the harbour to -see the rocks at the entrance where the ship _Prince_ was lost in -1845, and where the Duke of Cambridge had such a narrow escape in the -_Retribution_. On re-landing they visited the field of Balaklava, and -listened to many amusing stories told by Dr. Russell. - -That night the party slept at Livadia, and were most agreeably -entertained by Count Stenboch, who had been sent all the way from St. -Petersburg on purpose to receive the King and Queen. The _Ariadne_ and -_Psyche_ had been sent round from Sevastopol to meet the party, and -after visiting some villas in the neighbourhood, they all embarked in -the _Ariadne_ and bade farewell to their Russian friends with much -regret. - -On the 16th they anchored again opposite the Sultan’s palace, and His -Majesty and King Edward exchanged farewell visits. On the 17th the -_Ariadne_ left Constantinople for Athens; she was lighted up with -red and blue lights held by sailors at the end of the yard-arm. The -Turkish ships were all illuminated, and rockets, music, and cheering -sped the parting guests. - -Bad weather detained the _Ariadne_ until the 20th, when they entered -the Piræus, where the King of the Hellenes and Prince Frederick of -Glucksburg came on board. The King had arrived, on purpose to receive -the Royal visitors, from Corfu, where the Court was established, and -after two days’ sightseeing His Majesty was to conduct the Royal party -there, where he had left the Queen. King Edward and Queen Alexandra -duly arrived at Corfu on the 24th, and on the following day, which was -the Festival of St. Spiridion--the patron saint of Corfu--they had an -opportunity of seeing the town _en fête_. The body of the saint was -carried in procession amid much picturesque rejoicing of the populace. -On the 27th the King left for the Albanian coast for some wild boar -shooting, and returned on the following evening, having bagged two -boars and other game. - -The visit to Corfu came to an end on 1st May. There was a great display -of fireworks, and the _Ariadne_ and the _Royal Oak_ were dressed with -red and blue lights. Unfortunately there was a sad accident which -occurred just as the illuminations were over. One of the sailors fell -overboard, and though a most careful search was made, nothing was ever -seen or heard of him again except just the splash as he fell into the -water. - -On the following day the Royal party arrived at Brindisi, and returned -to London over-land, stopping a little while in Paris, where they were -treated with the most marked attention by the Emperor and Empress of -the French. - -As may be easily imagined, the King is very popular all over France, -and he has had many curious and interesting adventures when going -out in the semi-_incognito_ which he affects when travelling for -pleasure. On one occasion, shortly after the end of the war, he -visited the battlefield of Sedan attended by General Teesdale. He was -naturally anxious that his identity should not become known, for French -susceptibilities were very keen at that time, and he had no desire to -appear to glory over his brother-in-law’s brilliant victories. When -the time came to pay the hotel bill General Teesdale found with great -dismay that he had no ready cash; the King was in an equally penniless -condition; while any telegram sent would have disclosed the identity of -the Royal visitor. At length, after much discussion, the equerry made -his way to the local _Mont de Piété_ and placed both his own and King -Edward’s repeater in pawn. - -Among the formal acts of ceremony which King Edward performed during -this year was the unveiling of a statue of the late Mr. George Peabody. -In the speech which he delivered on this occasion he alluded in the -warmest terms to his feeling of personal friendship towards the United -States, and his enduring recollection of the reception which had been -accorded to him there. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR--THE KING’S ILLNESS - - -The outbreak and progress of the Franco-Prussian war were naturally -watched with the keenest interest at Marlborough House. Two of the -King’s own brothers-in-law were serving with the German forces, while, -on the other hand, he not only had many close ties with France, -but from childhood had always regarded the Emperor and Empress of -the French with special affection. When public subscription lists -were opened in aid of the ambulances, which distributed medical aid -impartially to the sick and wounded on both sides, King Edward gave a -liberal donation; and when the Empress Eugénie fled to England, one of -the first visits which she received at Chislehurst was from the King -and Queen Alexandra. - -Exactly ten years after the first dread news of the Prince Consort’s -fatal illness had gone forth, it became known that the Heir-Apparent -was lying seriously ill at Sandringham. Not very long before, Princess -Alice, who was then staying at Sandringham, wrote the following note to -Queen Victoria:-- - -“It is the first time since eleven years that I have spent Bertie’s -birthday with him, and though we have only three of our own family -together, still that is better than nothing, and makes it seem more -like a birthday. Bertie and Alix are so kind, and give us so warm a -welcome, showing how they like having us, that it feels quite home. -Indeed, I pray earnestly that God’s blessing may rest on him, and that -he may be guided to do what is wise and right, so that he may tide -safely through the anxious times that are before him, and in which we -now live.” - -Princess Alice little knew the days and nights of anxious misery that -were coming so swiftly upon her brother’s peaceful household, and -indeed upon the whole nation. The King sickened in London, but as soon -as he felt himself to be seriously attacked he insisted on going home -to Norfolk, where the disease was pronounced to be typhoid fever. - -The King, his groom Blegge, and Lord Chesterfield, who had all been -at Scarborough with Lord Londesborough, were stricken simultaneously, -and public attention was soon wholly concentrated on the three cases. -Curiously enough, the groom and the peer both died, though in neither -case were any pains or expense spared. Doubtless King Edward’s youth -and excellent constitution stood him in good stead, but for many days -the issue was considered exceedingly doubtful. - -The patient was nursed entirely by his wife and his sister, Princess -Alice, his medical attendants being Doctors Jenner, Gull, Clayton, and -Lowe. On the last day of November came an official notification:-- - -“The Princess of Wales has borne her great trial in the most admirable -manner and with singular equanimity. While fully aware of the gravity -of the Prince’s serious illness, Her Royal Highness has throughout been -calm and collected.” - -But the patient’s state was known to be critical, and soon it was -announced that Queen Victoria was going to Sandringham, which she did -on 29th November. - -The anxiety, succeeded by the most heart-breaking suspense, which -prevailed in the Royal family is well reflected in the following -extracts from the diary of the late Duchess of Teck, who was then at -Strelitz:-- - -“_November 25._--Read Gussy Alix’s letter to Mama about our poor, dear -Wales, who was attacked with the fever about the 19th or so, and is -under Dr. Gull’s charge, who says it must have its twenty-four days’ -course, and that so far all is going on as well as can be expected. - -“_December 1._--… When I finished my packet for the messenger, I -telegraphed to darling Alix, and flew up to Mama to consult her about -it.… From Alix somewhat better news reached us, after a bad telegram at -three from dear Alice. - -“_December 2._--A rather better account of Wales. - -“_December 3._--Wales improving.… - -“_December 5._--… Better accounts from Sandringham, but poor Lord -Chesterfield dead. - -“_December 6._--… Reassuring message from Alice. - -“_December 8._--… Opened a telegram with anxious and distressing -news from Sandringham; poor dear Wales has had a relapse; his state -evidently very critical. _Gott helfe weiter._ We were much upset, and -with a heavy heart I closed my packet for the messenger and wrote -till dressing-time, though I had much difficulty in settling down to -anything.… Mama was very silent all dinner-time, but we never for a -moment suspected, what we afterwards learnt had been the case, that -she had received a worse telegram at five o’clock, and had in kindness -kept it from us.… I wrote _chez moi_ till a most alarming telegram from -Alice to Mama was brought me, with which I hastened to Gussy.… We cried -over the almost hopeless accounts together, which spoke of the end as -not far distant, provided dear Wales did not at once rally, and with -despairing hearts we joined the others in the blue drawing-room. Fritz -came in presently, and I read him the three telegrams received that -day, and a letter from Lady Macclesfield. Later Mama sent for Gussy and -me to wish us a sorrowful good night. I then went to my room and wrote -till nearly four, feeling sleep out of the question. - -“_December 9._--Gussy rushed in with a rather more hopeful telegram: -‘Night quiet, exhaustion not increased, breathing clearer.’ God grant -he may yet rally and pull through! It was a relief after all we had -undergone, and thank God for it; the agony of suspense was hard to -bear.… - -“_December 10._--On our return from church we found a telegram from -Sandringham, which Gussy tremblingly opened. _Es lautete, ‘a shade -better.’_ Thank God! I ran with it to Tante.… - -“_December 11._--About noon Geraldo rushed in with two telegrams, one -sent off last night, the other this morning; both _heartrendingly sad_, -and giving next to no hope, but for the words, ‘Yet we hope.’ They were -a _cruel_ check to our faint hopes. We could think and talk of nothing -else.… - -“_December 12._--Dolphus brought us a very hopeless telegram from -Alice: ‘Night restless, very delirious, no signs of improvement.’ -After a while I went to my room and read the papers with accounts from -Sandringham and Windsor.… - -“_December 13._--… To Mama’s _entrée_, where I found her, Gussy, and -Tante much upset over a very disquieting message from Alice, which -said, ‘Night without rest. No important change in the general state. -Breathing is weak. Anxiety increased.’ One can only look to God’s great -mercy for further hope! - -“_December 14._--… Bülow congratulated me on the better accounts which -had just been received from Sandringham! It was the first I had heard -of it; just at that moment Wenckstern appeared with the telegram: -‘Quiet sleep at intervals, gravity of symptoms diminished, state more -hopeful.--Alice.’ God be thanked for this blessed change!… I read -aloud in Mama’s room, amid tears and sobs, the touching account in the -_Daily Telegraph_ of our dear Wales’s illness, of all that goes on at -Sandringham, of the prayers for him and the sermons preached about him. - -“_December 15._--A much more hopeful telegram from Alice, as follows: -‘Bertie has passed a quiet night. The debility is great, but the -conditions are much more favourable.’ Thank God for this great mercy.” - -The feeling aroused through the United Kingdom was far greater than -any public expression of emotion since the death of Princess Charlotte -in 1817. In every town, crowds waited anxiously for the issue of -newspapers containing the latest news of the Royal patient’s condition, -and the Government found it expedient to forward the medical bulletins -to every telegraph office in the United Kingdom. In the churches of -every religious communion, prayers were offered, though almost without -hope, for the recovery of King Edward. - -At length, on 1st December, the King recovered consciousness, and his -first remark to those about him was, “This is the Princess’s birthday.” -The next coherent utterance came when he heard that Queen Victoria had -been at Sandringham. “Has the Queen come from Scotland? Does she know -I am ill?” he asked; but this slight rally did not continue, and soon -all the Royal family were summoned to Sandringham. On 9th December the -fever had spent itself, but the patient’s strength was considered to be -exhausted. Special prayers were offered up in all churches; and shortly -before the service in St. Mary Magdalene’s, Sandringham, the Vicar -received the following note from Queen Alexandra:-- - -“My husband being, thank God, somewhat better, I am coming to church. I -must leave, I fear, before the service is concluded, that I may watch -by his bedside. Can you not say a few words in prayer in the early -part of the service, that I may join with you in prayer for my husband -before I return to him?” - -The Vicar, before reading the Collect, in a voice trembling with -emotion, which he vainly strove to suppress, said: “The prayers of the -congregation are earnestly sought for His Royal Highness the Prince of -Wales, who is now most seriously ill.” - -The day following, an article in the _Times_ began: “The Prince still -lives, and we may still therefore hope”; and so the weary days dragged -on. On the 16th it was recorded that the patient had enjoyed a quiet -and refreshing sleep, and on the 17th, a Sunday, those of the Royal -family who were then at Sandringham were present at church, when, by -special request, the Prince and Blegge were recommended to the mercy of -God in the same prayer. That same day Queen Alexandra visited the poor -dying groom, and after his death, which occurred within the next few -hours, both she and Queen Victoria found time, in the midst of their -terrible anxiety, to visit and comfort his relations. - -By Christmas Day the danger may be said to have been over, and on 26th -December Queen Victoria wrote the following letter to the nation:-- - -“The Queen is very anxious to express her deep sense of the touching -sympathy of the whole nation on the occasion of the alarming illness of -her dear son, the Prince of Wales. The universal feeling shown by her -people during those painful, terrible days, and the sympathy evinced -by them with herself and her beloved daughter, the Princess of Wales, -as well as the general joy at the improvement of the Prince of Wales’s -state, have made a deep and lasting impression on her heart, which can -never be effaced.…” - -Queen Alexandra and Princess Alice now felt that their patient was well -enough for them to leave him for an hour or two in order to assist at -the distribution of Christmas gifts to the labourers on the estate. In -the ceiling of the room afterwards occupied by Queen Alexandra as a -bed-chamber, the mark of an orifice might be seen from which projected -a hook supporting a trapeze, by the aid of which the patient, when on -the slow and weary road to convalescence, could change his position and -pull himself up into a sitting posture. - -Another memento of the King’s terrible illness is the brass lectern in -the parish church. On it runs an inscription:-- - - TO THE GLORY OF GOD. - A THANK-OFFERING FOR HIS MERCY. - 14TH DECEMBER 1871. - ALEXANDRA. - - “When I was in trouble I called upon the Lord, and He heard me.” - -The last bulletin was issued on 14th January, and nine days later Sir -William Jenner was gazetted a K.C.B. and Dr. W. Gull was created a -Baronet--rewards which gave particular satisfaction to the nation. - -It was whispered at the time that King Edward, under Providence, -really owed his recovery to one of those sudden inspirations of genius -of which the history of medicine is full. He seemed to be actually -_in extremis_, when one of his medical attendants sent in haste for -two bottles of old champagne brandy and rubbed the patient with it -vigorously all over till returning animation rewarded the doctor’s -efforts. - -King Edward’s recovery was hailed with feelings of deep thankfulness by -the whole nation, and it was universally deemed appropriate that public -thanks should be returned to Almighty God for His great mercy. The -utmost interest was taken by all classes of society in the preparations -for the proposed National Thanksgiving. Mr. William Longman wrote to -the _Times_ urging that, as in 1664 and 1678, subscriptions should -be invited for the completion of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in -London as a perpetual memorial of the event. - -During the interval before the day fixed for the National Thanksgiving, -King Edward and Queen Alexandra paid visits to Windsor and Osborne. -When they returned to London one of the first visitors they received -was Dr. Stanley, who had now become Dean of Westminster. It was -resolved that they should attend a private service of thanksgiving in -the Abbey, which the Dean thus describes in a letter to an intimate -correspondent:-- - -“I went to Marlborough House to suggest, through Fisher and Keppel, -that the Prince of Wales should come. He consented at once, and it was -agreed that he, the Princess, and the Crown Prince of Denmark, and if -in town, Prince Alfred, should come. I kept it a secret except from the -Canons. We met them at the great Western door; the nave (as usual) was -quite clear. They walked in with me, and took their places on my right. -I preached on Psalm cxxii. 1. The Prince of Wales heard every word, and -has decided that it shall be published, which it will be, and you shall -have a copy. It was one of those rare occasions on which I was able to -say all that I wished to say. They were conducted again to the West -door, and departed.” - -The day fixed for the public National Thanksgiving in St. Paul’s was -27th February, and never, save perhaps on 22nd June 1897, did Queen -Victoria and her eldest son and daughter-in-law receive a more splendid -and heartfelt welcome. Thirteen thousand people were admitted to the -Cathedral, among them being most of the notable personages of the day, -including all the great officers of State. - -[Illustration: THANKSGIVING DAY, 1872: THE SCENE AT TEMPLE BAR - -_From the “Illustrated London News”_] - -The procession set out from Buckingham Palace at twelve o’clock. First -came the Speaker, the Lord Chancellor, and the Commander-in-Chief, in -their carriages, followed by nine Royal equipages, in the last of which -sat Queen Victoria, dressed in black velvet trimmed with broad bands -of white ermine, Queen Alexandra in blue silk covered with black lace, -King Edward in the uniform of a British general and wearing the Collars -of the Orders of the Garter and the Bath, Prince Albert Victor then a -boy of eight, and Princess Beatrice. The late Duchess of Teck, to her -great grief, could not be present, as her eldest son had sickened with -scarlet fever. - -In the Green Park the procession was greeted by an army of 30,000 -children, who sang the National Anthem as the Royal carriages drove by. - -St. Paul’s was reached at one o’clock, and the Royal party were -received at the great West door by the Dean and Chapter. Queen Victoria -passed up the nave leaning on the arm of her son, who conducted Her -Majesty to a pew which had been specially prepared for the occasion. - -The service began with the “Te Deum,” and after some prayers a special -form of thanksgiving which had been officially drawn up was said. Then -the Archbishop of Canterbury preached a short sermon from the text, -Romans xii. 5, “Members one of another.” The service concluded with a -thanksgiving hymn which had been specially written for the occasion. -The proceedings were over by two o’clock, and the procession returned -by a different route, along Holborn and Oxford Street, in the presence -of an enthusiastic crowd said to be the largest ever collected in -London. As the poet sings:-- - - Bear witness, thou memorable day, - When, pale as yet, and fever-worn, the Prince, - Who scarce had plucked his flickering life again - From halfway down the shadow of the grave, - Past through the people and their love; - And London roll’d one tide of joy thro’ all - Her trebled millions and loud leagues of men. - -Two days later Queen Victoria wrote from Buckingham Palace to Mr. -Gladstone, who was then Prime Minister, one of those touching letters -which on many occasions drew still more closely together the ties of -loyalty and affection between Her Majesty and her people. The Queen -wrote that she was anxious “to express publicly her own personal -very deep sense of the reception she and her dear children met with -on Tuesday, the 27th of February, from millions of her subjects on -her way to and from St. Paul’s. Words are too weak for the Queen to -say how very deeply touched and gratified she has been by the immense -enthusiasm and affection exhibited towards her dear son and herself, -from the highest down to the lowest, in the long progress through the -capital, and she would earnestly wish to convey her warmest and most -heartfelt thanks to the whole nation for this great demonstration of -loyalty. The Queen, as well as her son and dear daughter-in-law, felt -that the whole nation joined with them in thanking God for sparing the -beloved Prince of Wales’s life.…” - -[Illustration: THANKSGIVING DAY, 1872: THE PROCESSION UP LUDGATE HILL - -_From the “Illustrated London News”_] - -Although the Duchess of Teck had not been able to attend the -Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul’s, she returned to England in time to -take part in a great ceremony which took place on the 1st of May at the -Crystal Palace. Referring to this occasion, she writes:--“We drove -down to Sydenham with Louise as Alfred’s guests to attend the _fête_ -in celebration of Wales’s recovery. Concert: Sullivan’s _Te Deum_, -Miscellanies with Titiens.” - -The impression made by King Edward’s illness and marvellous recovery -upon the Royal family in general is well illustrated by the following -passage from a letter written by Princess Alice to her mother in -December 1872:-- - -“That our good, sweet Alix should have been spared this terrible grief, -when this time last year it seemed so imminent, fills my heart with -gratitude for her dear sake, as for yours, his children and ours.… The -14th will now be a day of mixed recollections and feelings to us, a day -hallowed in our family, when one great spirit ended his work on earth -… and when another was left to fulfil his duty and mission, God grant, -for the welfare of his own family and of thousands.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -1873-1875 - - -The year 1873 was spent on the whole very quietly by the King and -Queen. His Majesty took up once more the thread of his public life -which had been interrupted for a considerable time by his illness and -convalescence. - -A pleasant glimpse of the home life at Sandringham about this time is -given in the following letters from the witty and eloquent Archbishop -Magee (then Bishop of Peterborough), written to his wife:-- - -“SANDRINGHAM, _6th December 1873_. - -“… I arrived just as they were all at tea in the entrance hall, and had -to walk in, all seedy and dishevelled from my day’s journey, and sit -down beside the Princess of Wales, with Disraeli on the other side of -me, and sundry lords and ladies round the table. The Prince received me -very kindly, and certainly has most winning and gracious manners. The -Princess seems smaller and thinner than I remember her at Dublin. They -seem to be pleasant and domesticated, with little state and very simple -ways.” - -“_7th December 1873._ - -“Just returned from church, where I preached for twenty-six minutes -(Romans viii. 28). The church is a very small country one close to the -grounds. The house, as I saw it by daylight, is a handsome country -house of red stone with white facings, standing well and looking -quietly comfortable and suitable. I find the company pleasant and -civil, but we are a curious mixture. Two Jews, Sir A. Rothschild -and his daughter; an ex-Jew, Disraeli; a Roman Catholic, Colonel -Higgins; an Italian duchess who is an Englishwoman, and her daughter -brought up as a Roman Catholic and now turning Protestant; a set of -young lords, and a bishop. The Jewess came to church; so did the -half-Protestant young lady. Dizzy did the same, and was profuse in his -praises of my sermon. We are all to lunch together in a few minutes, -the children dining with us. They seem, the two I saw in church, nice, -clever-looking little bodies, and very like their mother.” - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA AND HER SISTER THE EMPRESS ALEXANDER OF -RUSSIA, IN 1873 - -_From a Photograph by Maull and Fox_] - -King Edward and Queen Alexandra represented Queen Victoria at the -marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh and the Grand Duchess Marie of -Russia in January 1874. The English marriage service was performed -by Dean Stanley, who wrote to Queen Victoria an interesting letter -describing the Imperial wedding, in which he mentioned how much he -had been struck, both in the chapel and at the subsequent banquet, -by the singular difference in character and expression of the four -future kings, the Prince of Wales, the Crown Prince of Prussia, the -Cesarewitch, and the Crown Prince of Denmark, who were all present. - -On the Sunday following the wedding King Edward and Queen Alexandra -attended the service at the English Church in St. Petersburg, and the -Dean preached on the marriage feast at Cana in Galilee, much the same -sermon which he had preached in the Chapel-Royal at Whitehall on the -Sunday following the marriage of their Majesties. All through this -visit to Russia their Majesties were received with unusual distinction, -and a grand parade of troops was held in honour of King Edward. - -King Edward dined in the Middle Temple Hall on Grand Night of Trinity -term in 1874. On this occasion His Majesty humorously expressed the -opinion that it was a good thing for the profession at large, and for -the public in general, that he had never practised at the Bar, for he -could never have been an ornament to it. In saying this his modesty -probably led him astray, for he is a thoughtful and lucid speaker, and -his habits of method and order would certainly have stood him in good -stead if he had been compelled to apply his mind to any profession. His -Majesty was elected a Bencher of the Middle Temple in 1861, and served -the office of Treasurer in the Jubilee year of 1887. - -[Illustration: QUEEN VICTORIA, WITH THE PRINCES ALBERT VICTOR AND -GEORGE, AND THEIR SISTER, PRINCESS VICTORIA - -_From the Painting by James Sant, R.A._] - -When King Edward and Queen Alexandra were first married they always -gave two great balls at Marlborough House each year--one on the -anniversary of their wedding day, and one at the close of the London -season. But the most splendid entertainment ever given by their -Majesties was the great fancy dress ball in July 1874. Over fourteen -hundred invitations were sent out, and the Royal host and hostess made -no stipulations as to the choice of costume, leaving it to individual -taste. The Queen wore a Venetian dress, and was attended by her two -young sons as pages. The King appeared as Charles I., wearing a costume -exactly copied from the famous Vandyke picture, that is, a maroon satin -and velvet suit, partly covered with a short black velvet cloak, while -the black hat, trimmed with one long white feather, was looped up with -an aigrette of brilliants. He also wore high buff boots, long spurs and -sword, while round his neck hung the Collar of the Garter. - -Many of the costumes worn were very interesting and curious. In the -Fairy Tale Quadrille, the Earl of Rosebery, then quite a youth, was -Blue Beard; Mr. Albert (now Earl) Grey, Puss in Boots; and the Duke of -Connaught, the Beast. Lord Charles and Lord Marcus Beresford were a -couple of Court jesters. The only person present who was not in fancy -dress was Benjamin Disraeli, then Prime Minister. He wore the official -dress of a Privy Councillor. - -That same year the King and Queen visited Birmingham for the first -time, being received by the then mayor, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, who -was at the time credited with being so advanced a Republican that many -fears were expressed that he might behave with scant courtesy to his -Royal guests, and bets were even taken as to whether he would consent -to shake hands with them! However, these prognostications proved -groundless, and it is particularly interesting to recall the comment -which the _Times_ made on the following day:-- - -“Whatever Mr. Chamberlain’s views may be, his speeches of yesterday -appear to us to have been admirably worthy of the occasion, and to -have done the highest credit to himself. We have heard and chronicled -a great many mayors’ speeches, but we do not know that we ever heard -or chronicled speeches made before Royal personages by mayors, whether -they were Tories or Whigs, or Liberals or Radicals, which were couched -in such a tone at once of courteous homage, manly independence, and -gentlemanly feeling, which were so perfectly becoming and so much the -right thing in every way as those of Mr. Chamberlain.” - -On the same day that this appeared in the leading journal, Sir Francis -Knollys wrote to Mr. Chamberlain a most cordial letter, in which he -said:-- - -“I have received the commands of the Prince and Princess of Wales -to make known through you to the inhabitants of the borough of -Birmingham the satisfaction they derived from their visit to that -town yesterday. They can never forget the reception they met with, -nor the welcome given to them by all classes of the community.… I -may further congratulate you and the other members of the reception -committee on the happy result of their labours. Nothing could have been -more successful, and their Royal Highnesses will ever entertain most -agreeable recollections of their visit to Birmingham.” - -In conclusion, Mr. Chamberlain was informed that the King wished to -give £100 to a Birmingham charity, and was asked to state which he -considered to be the most deserving, and at the same time the most in -need of support. - -The festivities of the following Christmas were overshadowed by the -death at Sandringham from inflammation of the lungs of Colonel Grey, -who had been for some time a valued member of the Household. It was -with reference to this sad loss that Princess Alice wrote to Queen -Victoria:--“Dear Bertie’s true and constant heart suffers on such -occasions, for he can be constant in friendship, and all who serve him, -serve him with warm attachment.” - -In 1875 the death of Canon Kingsley came as a great blow to their -Majesties, who were both fondly attached to the famous writer. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -THE KING’S TOUR IN INDIA - - -[Illustration: THE KING’S INDIAN TOUR, 1875] - -Lord Canning, the great Viceroy of India, once told the Prince Consort -how desirable he thought it that the Prince of Wales should, when grown -up, visit Queen Victoria’s Eastern Empire, and later on, those who had -the privilege of the young Prince’s friendship were well aware that an -Indian tour had become one of his most ardent wishes. - -But the project of the Heir-Apparent’s visit to India only really took -shape early in 1875, and on 20th March it was publicly announced that -the Prince contemplated this journey, the Marquis of Salisbury, who -was then Secretary of State for India, making an official announcement -to the Council of India of the intended event. The Council passed a -resolution that the expenditure actually incurred in India should be -charged on the revenues of that country. - -Curiously enough, a great deal of hostile feeling was aroused by the -announcement of this Royal tour. On 17th July a great meeting was held -in Hyde Park to protest against the grant of money which was then being -sanctioned by Parliament to defray the expenses of the journey. Many -people went so far as to declare that they would have acquiesced in -the passing of the vote had the Heir-Apparent’s visit to his mother’s -Eastern dominions been a “State visit” instead of a mere “pleasure -trip.” And yet it need hardly be pointed out that, greatly as King -Edward looked forward to his tour, the journey was likely to prove -anything but a mere “pleasure trip” to India’s Royal visitor. He and -those about him well knew that from the moment he landed at Bombay -till the day he left India he would not only constantly remain _en -évidence_, but he also expected to conciliate the many different races -with which he was going to be brought in contact when passing through -the various Indian States. - -There were many points to be considered about the tour. The rules -and regulations which had sufficed for the Prince in Canada and the -Colonies were inapplicable to India. One notable feature of Oriental -manners is the exchange of presents between visitors and hosts, and it -was early arranged that King Edward’s luggage should contain £40,000 -worth of presents to be distributed among the great feudatory and other -potentates who would have the honour of entertaining or at any rate of -meeting him. - -It was also arranged that he was to be the guest of the Viceroy, Lord -Northbrook, from the moment he landed on Indian soil; and, roughly -speaking, it was estimated that the expenses of the reception alone -would probably come to about £30,000. The estimate made by the -Admiralty for the expenses of the voyage to and from India, and the -movements of the fleet in connection with the Royal visit, came to -£52,000; while for the personal expenses of the visit a vote of £60,000 -was included in the estimate submitted to the House of Commons when -in Committee of Supply. However, here again this suggestion did not -meet with universal approval when the necessary resolution was brought -forward in the House. Mr. Fawcett, afterwards Postmaster-General, -raised a discussion, basing his objections to the vote partly on -sentimental and partly on economic grounds. However, he only found -thirty-three members to agree with him, and the vote was passed. During -the debate, Mr. Disraeli, who was then Prime Minister, drew a very -remarkable picture of the extraordinary pomp and circumstance with -which King Edward was about to be surrounded. - -It was felt better that he should go as Heir-Apparent of the Crown, -and not as the representative of Her Majesty, but, as might have been -expected, these fine distinctions were not understood in India, and -he was expected to do just as much as he would have done in a more -directly official capacity. - -Before starting on his tour he thoroughly studied the subject of -India and her peoples, and he even made himself acquainted with the -peculiarities of every one of the large Indian cities where he would be -expected to receive and answer addresses. - -The question of the suite was, as may be imagined, very important. It -was early decided that Sir Bartle Frere, whose name was familiar to -millions of the inhabitants of India, should accompany King Edward, -and the Duke of Sutherland was also asked to join the party. Of his -private friends, the Earl of Aylesford, Lord (now Earl) Carrington, -Colonel (now General) Owen Williams, and Lieutenant (now Admiral) Lord -Charles Beresford, also accepted an invitation to be of the party. -Then came the official Household, consisting of Lord Suffield; Colonel -Ellis, the Prince’s equerry, to whom was confided the delicate question -of the giving and receiving of presents; General (now Sir Dighton) -Probyn, to whom were left the arrangements for horses, travelling, -and shooting parties; and Mr. (now Sir Francis) Knollys, the Prince’s -private secretary. Canon Duckworth went as chaplain, and Dr. (now Sir -Joseph) Fayrer as medical man. Mr. Albert Grey (now Earl Grey) went as -private secretary to Sir Bartle Frere, Mr. S. P. Hall accompanied the -party in order to sketch the incidents of the tour, while Lord Alfred -Paget was specially commissioned by Queen Victoria to join the suite. -Dr. W. H. (now Sir William) Russell, the famous war correspondent, who -was temporarily attached to the suite as honorary private secretary, -wrote on his return a very interesting account of the tour, entitled -“The Prince of Wales’s Tour in India,” which has remained the standard -authority on the subject. - -On the day that King Edward left Sandringham, amid many demonstrations -of goodwill and wishings of God-speed from his country neighbours, he -presented his Consort with a team of Corsican ponies and a miniature -drag. He spent the last few days of his stay in England with Queen -Alexandra and their children at Marlborough House. On the Sunday before -his departure they were all present at divine service in Westminster -Abbey, and the next day the King went to say good-bye to his old friend -Dean Stanley, who, in a letter to an intimate correspondent, gave the -following vivid description of the visit:-- - -“On the Sunday night we had a message to say that the Prince and -Princess of Wales would come to take leave of us at 3.30 P.M. the next -day. They came about 4 P.M., having been detained by the members of the -family coming to Marlborough House. - -“They brought all the five children, wishing, the Prince said, to have -them all with him as long as possible. - -“They all came up, and remained about twenty minutes. Fanny was in the -back library, and the children, after being for a few minutes with -Augusta, who was delighted to see them, went to her. - -“The Prince and Princess remained with Augusta and me. A. talked with -all her usual animation. They were both extremely kind. The Princess -looked inexpressibly sad. There was nothing much said of interest, -chiefly talking of the voyage, etc. As I took him downstairs, he spoke -of the dangers--but calmly and rationally, saying that, of course the -precautions must be left to those about him. I said to him, ‘I gave you -my parting benediction in the Abbey yesterday.’ ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘I -saw it. Thank you.’ - -“Later on in the evening Augusta wished me to telegraph our renewed -thanks and renewed good wishes to the _Castalia_ at Dover. I did so, -and at 11 P.M. there came back a telegram from him: ‘Many thanks for -your kind message. God bless both of you! Just off for Calais!’” - -King Edward started from London on 11th October, immense popular -interest being taken in the event. Huge crowds assembled long before -the departure of the special train from Charing Cross, and the King -and Queen Alexandra were wildly cheered. The Queen accompanied her -husband as far as Calais, and then the King travelled across the -Continent _incognito_, meeting his suite, who had started a few days -previously, at Brindisi. - -[Illustration: EMBARKATION ON BOARD THE “SERAPIS” AT BRINDISI] - -The eventful journey was made in the _Serapis_, one of the old large -Indian troopships, and the voyage was very successful from every point -of view. The Royal party spent a few days at Athens, where the King was -entertained by his brother-in-law, the King of Greece, to whom he had -brought a number of gifts from Sandringham, including an Alderney bull -and cow, a ram and sheep, several British pigs, and a number of horses. - -From the Piræus the _Serapis_ proceeded to Egypt, and King Edward -invested Prince Tewfik, the Khedive’s eldest son, with the Order of the -Star of India. - -As the _Serapis_ steamed onwards the various programmes of the Royal -progress through India were submitted to the King, and even the -addresses which were to be presented to him were shown and his answers -were carefully prepared; in fact, before he left Aden, His Majesty knew -with what words the Corporation of Bombay, for instance, would receive -him. - -As may be easily imagined, all India was by now in a ferment of -excitement, and the official world were very much concerned at the -immense responsibility placed upon them by the mother-country. Four -officers, of whom two had obtained the Victoria Cross, were carefully -selected and commissioned to look after the comfort and the safety -of the King and of his suite, Major Bradford (afterwards Sir E. R. -C. Bradford, Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police) being -entrusted with the responsible task of attending to the safety of the -Royal visitor’s own person. - -The question as to how King Edward was to make his first appearance -in Bombay was keenly discussed, and at one time it was thought that -splendidly caparisoned elephants would form the most fitting mode of -transport from the landing-stage to Government House, but finally the -party went in carriages. Among the cargo of the _Serapis_ were three -valuable horses, specially chosen from the Marlborough House stables, -which had been regularly taken to the Zoo, in order to be accustomed -to the sight of the wild beasts and reptiles which they were likely to -meet with in India. - -At last it was noised abroad that the _Serapis_ had been sighted, and -the Viceroy, Lord Northbrook (afterwards Earl of Northbrook), went -out to meet King Edward, returning to Bombay in order to receive him -on landing. There was a good deal of discreet curiosity as to which -of them would give precedence to the other, for of course the Viceroy -represents Her Majesty, and so was entitled to take precedence, but -Lord Northbrook, with considerable tact, unobtrusively gave his Royal -guest the first place. - -The moment the King emerged from the dockyard a salute was fired, and -at every station in India, whether important or obscure, the signal was -given by telegraph for a Royal salute wherever there were guns to fire -it. - -While actually in Bombay King Edward and his suite became the guests -of the Governor, Sir Philip Woodhouse, and it was there that two days -after his arrival in India the King celebrated his thirty-fourth -birthday, the first object which met his eyes in the morning being a -charming portrait of Queen Alexandra, who had specially entrusted it to -Sir Bartle Frere. On this eventful day the glories and the fatigues of -the King’s Indian tour may be said to have begun. - -The Royal birthday was duly honoured all over Hindustan at noon, and -although the heat, even at 8 A.M., had been very considerable, the King -was compelled to hold a great reception in full dress, that is to say, -in a uniform of English cloth loaded with lace and buttoned up to the -throat. The scene was very impressive. The King during the reception -was seated on a silver throne, and everything was done to invest the -affair with the greatest pomp and circumstance. His suite all stood -round him in full uniform; behind the throne was a portrait of Queen -Victoria; and although the King was not supposed to hold durbars, the -ceremony being simply styled a private visit or reception, it was -in every way as impressive and remarkable as if it had carried full -official significance. - -An immense number of native Princes and Rajahs paid their respects in -person to their future Sovereign. The first potentate to be presented -was the Rajah of Kholapur, a child of twelve years old, the ruler of -nearly a million people. The little Rajah was attired in purple velvet -and white muslin encrusted with gems, his turban containing a King’s -ransom of pearls and rubies. In spite of his extreme youth the Indian -Prince remained perfectly serious, and went through the somewhat -complicated ceremonies with absolute self-possession. - -After the last Rajah had departed, King Edward had a long talk with -the Viceroy, and then made his way to the _Serapis_, where he had the -pleasure of seeing the crew enjoying the birthday dinner provided by -himself. He also cut a birthday cake, and looked over the telegrams -just received from Sandringham. That same evening was held a great -reception, to which naturally the British officials and residents came -in great force. - -The next few days were also equally well filled. King Edward had to -pay elaborate return visits to the chiefs and Rajahs who had attended -his reception, and it was then that he was enabled to show his tact -and the extraordinary knowledge he had acquired of their complicated -ranks and genealogies; indeed, he greatly pleased several important -Rajahs by showing that he had heard of the antiquity of their families, -and by graciously alluding to the gallant deeds of their ancestors. -The British people of Bombay had organised a great dinner for the -sailors of the fleet, and, much to their gratification, the King -consented to attend the banquet. Not content with a mere formal glance -at the proceedings, he mounted a plank, and with a glass in his hand, -exclaimed to the delighted men, of whom there were over two thousand -present, “My lads, I am glad to meet you all. I drink your good health, -and a happy voyage home.” - -King Edward took the opportunity of laying the foundation-stone of the -Elphinstone Docks, the ceremony being carried out with Masonic honours, -and it was considered very interesting and significant that among -members of the craft present were Parsees, Mahomedans, and Hindus. - -During the month of November the King visited Poona, where he held a -review, and visited the Court of the Gaikwar of Baroda. There a fine -elephant was prepared for his use. The animal was of extraordinary -size, and the howdah on which the King rode was said to have cost four -lakhs of rupees. He held a reception at the Residency, and had his -first sight of Indian sport, for he attended a cheetah hunt, himself -killing a fine buck, and much enjoying his day’s sport. About the same -time he also joined a pig-sticking expedition, a very popular Indian -sport, and at last, to his great satisfaction, had the opportunity of -“getting his spear,” in other words, of killing a wild boar. - -Then, returning to Bombay, the Royal party once more took up their -quarters on the _Serapis_, where the King spent Queen Alexandra’s -birthday. From Bombay he found time to visit the Portuguese settlement -of Goa, and thence went on to Ceylon, where he inspected a tea -plantation, and where the peepul planted by him in commemoration of his -visit is still proudly shown to the ubiquitous globe-trotter. - -At Madras the King had a splendid reception, spending, however, 14th -December, the anniversary of his father’s death, in retirement at -Guindy Park, the country seat of the Governor, eight miles from the -city. - -Christmas Day was spent in Calcutta, where an immense programme was -gone through, including a considerable number of public ceremonies, -the holding of audiences, and last, but not least, a _levée_, at which -both natives and Europeans were present. After the King and the Viceroy -had attended divine service in the Cathedral, His Majesty entertained -a large party at lunch in the _Serapis_. His health was drunk with -Highland honours, and many messages were exchanged between himself and -“home.” On the afternoon of the same day the Royal party drove out to -the Viceregal Lodge at Barrackpur. - -The most important ceremony attended by King Edward in India, namely, -a Chapter of the Order of the Star of India, at which he acted as High -Commissioner for his Royal mother, was held on New Year’s Day 1876. -His Majesty wore a field-marshal’s uniform, almost concealed beneath -the folds of his sky-blue satin mantle, the train of which was carried -by two naval cadets, who wore cocked hats over their powdered wigs, -blue satin cloaks, trunk hose, and shoes with rosettes. The Chapter -tent was carpeted with cloth of gold with the Royal Arms emblazoned in -the centre. An immense number of the Companions of the Order attended, -forming a most impressive procession, walking two and two, one half -native and the other European. The Begum of Bhopal, the first Knight -Grand Commander, had a procession all to herself. She was veiled and -swathed in brocades and silks, over which was folded the light blue -satin robe of the Order. - -The King took his seat on the daïs, and after the roll of the Order -had been read, each member standing up as his name was called, the -Chapter was declared open, and His Majesty directed the investiture -to proceed. Never had such a gathering been seen in India. Among -those present were Lord Napier of Magdala, “Political” Maitland, the -Maharajah of Kashmir, and the Rajah of Patiala, who wore the great -Sancy diamond in his turban. - -As each investiture took place, seventeen guns were fired, and the -secretary proclaimed aloud the titles of the newly-made Knight -Grand Commander or Companion as the case might be. The pageant was -incomparably splendid, the close of the ceremony being quite as fine -as the beginning, for the Knights Grand Cross, the Knights Grand -Commanders, and the Companions all formed once more in a procession in -the reverse order of their entry. - -At the close of the King’s visit to Calcutta he began his journeys by -rail. At Benares he visited the famous Temples, and the Golden Pool, -going from thence by steamer to the old port of Rammagar, where he and -his suite were splendidly received by the Maharajah, who presented him -with some very costly shawls and brocades, together with what is to an -Indian the very highest proof of regard, namely his own walking-stick, -a thick staff mounted with gold. - -At Lucknow the King laid the foundation-stone of a memorial to the -natives who fell in the defence of the Residency. On this occasion he -took the opportunity of paying a well-deserved tribute to the faithful -soldiers of the native army. Some of the veterans were presented to -him, and they were not allowed to be hurried by, ragged, squalid, or -unclean; indeed, His Majesty insisted on exchanging a few words with -several of them. - -While at Lucknow he took part in a pig-sticking expedition, at which -Lord Carrington’s left collar-bone was broken, and curiously enough, -Lord Napier of Magdala met with a precisely similar accident on the -same day. - -[Illustration: THE KING’S VISIT TO THE CAWNPORE MEMORIAL] - -From Delhi the King proceeded to Cawnpore, a spot he had been extremely -anxious to visit, in common with many less illustrious tourists. His -Majesty, after a drive to the site of the old cantonments, where the -heroic defence took place, made his way to the Memorial Church, where -he stopped close to the gateway which no native may pass through. There -he alighted, and, with signs of deep emotion, walked to the spot which -marks the place of the fatal well. There was deep silence as he read -aloud in a low voice the touching words, “To the memory of a great -company of Christian people, principally women and children, who were -cruelly slaughtered here.” - -On returning to Delhi the King held a _levée_, attended by hundreds of -British officers, at the close of which several notabilities of the -native army were presented. The next day a great review was held, Lord -Napier of Magdala entertaining His Majesty at his own camp. Delhi was -illuminated, and no trouble was spared in showing what was once the -capital city of India to the Royal visitor. - -Some interesting hours were spent at Agra, where the King went to see -the Taj illuminated, the beautiful marble “Queen of Sorrow” erected by -the Shah Jehan in memory of his much-loved wife, Moomtaz i Mahul, who -died at the birth of her eighth child. The King was so greatly charmed -with the beauty of the Taj, lit up by myriad lights, that he would not -return to the city till nearly midnight. All through the journeys and -expeditions which immediately followed, His Majesty could not forget -what he had seen, and before finally leaving the district he paid one -more visit to the famous tomb, seeing it this time not illuminated, but -by the beautiful full Indian moonlight. - -The King shot his first tiger on 5th February in the neighbourhood -of Jeypur, but it was by no means the last, for it is recorded that -he shot six tigers in one day when hunting in Nepaul with Sir Jung -Bahadur. Then he returned through Lucknow, Cawnpore, and Allahabad. -At Jubbulpur His Majesty went through the prison, and had some talk -with seven Thugs who had been thirty-five years in confinement, and -whose life in the first instance had only been spared because they had -turned Queen’s evidence. The King questioned them as to their hideous -trade, and one man, a villainous-looking individual, answered proudly, -in reply to the question as to how many people he had murdered, -“Sixty-seven.” - -King Edward and his suite left Bombay for home on 13th March, just -seventeen weeks after the _Serapis_ had first dropped anchor in Bombay -harbour. During those four months he had travelled close on 8000 miles -by land and 2500 miles by sea, and during that time he had become -acquainted with more Rajahs than had all the Viceroys who had ever -reigned over India, and he had seen more of the country than had any -living Englishman. - -The intelligence that Queen Victoria was about to assume the title of -Empress of India had become known before the _Serapis_ left Bombay, and -caused her son great gratification. Curiously enough, the King met Lord -Lytton, who was on his way out to Hindustan to succeed Lord Northbrook -as Viceroy, when the _Serapis_ was going through the Suez Canal. - -The Royal party spent five days in Egypt. By 6th April Malta was in -sight, and the King was received there with great enthusiasm, as was -also the case at Gibraltar, where he had the pleasure of meeting his -brother, the Duke of Connaught. From there the _Serapis_ proceeded by -easy stages round Spain, the King taking the opportunity of visiting -Seville, Cordova, Madrid, the Escurial, Lisbon, and Cintra. At Madrid -King Alfonso came to meet the King at the station, and they drove -together to the Palace, going from there to Toledo in order that the -Royal visitor might inspect the famous manufactory of Toledo blades. - -As the _Serapis_ anchored near Yarmouth the King was informed that -Queen Alexandra and the Royal children had come to meet him on board -the _Enchantress_. He immediately went on board their ship, bringing -Her Majesty and their children back with him a little later on board -the _Serapis_. - -It need hardly be pointed out that King Edward received a very -remarkable number of gifts during his tour in India. The cost of a gift -made to him by a native Prince was supposed to be strictly limited to -£2000 in value, but in many cases this restriction was evaded by the -present being priced at a nominal sum, the real value being anything -from £5000 to £30,000. As an actual fact the splendid collection -brought home by His Majesty, which is his own personal property, is -said to be worth half a million sterling. - -Some time after his return home the King kindly allowed his Indian -gifts to be exhibited to the public. They were afterwards distributed -between Marlborough House and Sandringham, a considerable portion of -them finding a resting-place in the Indian room of Marlborough House. -There also were carefully stored away in solid silver cylinders all the -addresses received by the King during his eventful Indian tour. - -King Edward, who takes the very keenest interest in live animals, -brought back quite a menagerie with him from India, and the quarters in -the _Serapis_ assigned to his pets was for the time being a veritable -Zoo, for there were tigers, elephants, ostriches, leopards, birds, -ponies, cattle, monkeys, dogs and horses, some of which spent a -peaceful old age at Sandringham. - -There can be no doubt that from a political point of view the tour was -a great success, doing much indirectly to consolidate the British power -in India. It is also a curious commentary on the objections raised by -the economy party to the visit that no less a sum than £250,000 was -spent in London alone by native Princes in buying presents for His -Majesty. - -The principal incident of the voyage home had been a farewell dinner -given by the officers of the _Serapis_ to the King and his suite when -the vessel was nearing harbour. - -The table was laid for forty on the main deck (called the Windsor Long -Walk), which was decorated with flags, trophies of arms, and ornaments. -After Queen Victoria had been duly honoured, Captain Glyn proposed King -Edward’s health, and begged him to accept an album as a keepsake from -himself and his officers. It contained, besides a large photograph -of every officer, photographed groups of the men and the Guard of -Honour, views of different parts of the ship, and photographs of a few -favourite animals. - -The real popularity of the King’s visit to India was significantly -proved by the popular demonstrations which awaited him on his return. -Enthusiastic greetings of welcome hailed him in the evening both -at Victoria Station and in his drive round by Grosvenor Place, -Piccadilly, and St. James’s Street to meet the Queen at Buckingham -Palace. The appearance of the King and Queen at the Royal Italian -Opera in the evening, within two hours of their reaching home, was a -particularly graceful act of consideration. Nothing could surpass the -enthusiasm with which they were greeted when they were seen in the -Royal box. - -[Illustration: THE KING IN 1876 - -_From a Drawing by Sargent_] - -During the days that followed, their Majesties received congratulatory -visits from all the members of the Royal Family then in England, and -from many distinguished personages. On the Sunday after his return, -King Edward, accompanied by his Consort, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the -Duke of Connaught, attended divine service at Westminster Abbey in the -afternoon, when special thanksgivings were offered up for His Majesty’s -safe return from India. - -Soon afterwards the King was entertained at a banquet and ball given -by the Corporation of the City of London at the Guildhall. The -temporary building erected for this brilliant assembly, to which over -five thousand were invited, occupied the whole of Guildhall Yard. The -reception hall was on the basement floor, the ballroom being built -above it, and was beautifully decorated and draped with Oriental -hangings. A daïs had been erected for their Majesties; and the scene -is described as a combination of quaintly mediæval magnificence with -modern luxury and elegance. The reception ceremony took place in the -new library of the Guildhall, where an address of welcome, in a golden -casket of Indian design, was presented to the King by the Lord Mayor. -His Majesty, in a brief reply, said that it was his highest reward and -his greatest pride to have received from the citizens of London and his -countrymen such a welcome at the termination of a visit which had been -undertaken with the view to strengthening the ties that bound India to -our common country. The invitation tickets for this brilliant function -were both beautiful and appropriate, the Star of India and the Taj -Mahal at Agra figuring prominently in the design. - -Among the other entertainments given in honour of the King’s return -may be mentioned a concert at the Albert Hall. King Edward and Queen -Alexandra on their arrival were received by a Guard of Honour of 120 -bluejackets from the _Serapis_, the _Raleigh_, and the _Osborne_, under -the command of Captain Carr Glyn, and in the vestibule were all the -Council of the Albert Hall, wearing the Windsor uniform. At their head -was the Duke of Edinburgh in naval uniform. The vast hall was crowded -with a distinguished audience. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -QUIET YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK, 1876-1887--VISIT TO IRELAND--QUEEN -VICTORIA’S GOLDEN JUBILEE - - -The year 1876 was marked, in addition to King Edward’s return from -India, by a curious example of His Majesty’s tact and courage. He -consented to preside at the special Jubilee Festival of the Licensed -Victuallers’ Asylum, and this action aroused an extraordinary amount of -feeling in temperance circles. Before the day of the festival he had -received more than 200 petitions from all over the kingdom begging him -to withdraw his consent. His Majesty, however, attended the festival, -and in his speech pointedly referred to his critics, observing that he -was there, not to encourage the consumption of alcoholic liquors, but -to support an excellent charity, which had enjoyed the patronage of his -honoured father. - -It is interesting to note the manner in which King Edward always -refers to his father, with whom he undoubtedly has far more in common -than is generally supposed. Perhaps the most conspicuous taste shared -by the father and the son is a really keen and personal interest -in exhibitions of all kinds. This was probably first realised by -those about him twenty years ago, when the King accepted the onerous -duties of Executive President of the British Commission of the Paris -Exhibition of 1878. He threw himself with ardour into this work almost -immediately after his return from India, and during a short visit which -he paid to France in that spring he received a considerable number of -official personages connected with the approaching exhibition. - -The King, accompanied by Queen Alexandra, unveiled in the following -July a statue of Alfred the Great at Wantage, the birthplace of -the famous King. The statue was the gift of Colonel Lloyd-Lindsay -(afterwards Lord Wantage), the sculptor being Count Gleichen (Prince -Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg). King Edward is a lineal descendant of -King Alfred by the intermarriage of the Saxon with the Norman reigning -houses in the eleventh century, and it was most appropriate that he -should have been invited to perform the ceremony. - -In January 1878 King Edward, accompanied by Prince Louis Napoleon, -visited the late Duke of Hamilton at Hamilton Palace, in Lanarkshire. -The Crown Prince of Austria was also a guest of the Duke at the time. -The King greatly enjoyed this visit to the premier Peer of Scotland, -who is of the ancient lineage of Scottish Royalty. The Royal visitors -enjoyed some excellent sport in the historic Cadzow Forest--_Cadyow_ -having been granted by King Robert the Bruce after the battle of -Bannockburn to Sir Gilbert Hamilton, the ancestor of the present Duke. -Here still remain the few old oaks of the once great Caledonian Forest, -immortalised by Sir Walter Scott in his ballad of “Cadyow Castle”; and -here are also the wild white bulls of the same breed as preserved at -Chillingham, and the famous Cadzow herd of wild cattle. - -This year of 1878, so brilliant in Paris, brought to the British Royal -family a bereavement which can only be compared for its suddenness and -bitterness with the death of the Prince Consort. The Grand Duchess of -Hesse (Princess Alice), after nursing her children through a malignant -diphtheria, herself fell a victim to the same dread disease on the -very anniversary of her father’s death. The blow fell with peculiar -severity on the King and Queen Alexandra, with whom Princess Alice had -been united in the bonds of the closest affection, especially since the -King’s illness, in which she had proved herself so devoted a nurse. The -link between the Royal brother and sister is significantly shown by -the fact that Princess Alice never visited England without paying long -visits at Sandringham or at Marlborough House. The King was one of the -chief mourners at the funeral in Darmstadt. - -[Illustration: THE KING IN 1879 - -_From a Portrait by Angeli, published by Henry Graves and Co._] - -After this blow the King and Queen naturally remained for some -months in the deepest retirement. A new grief was, however, in store -for them--the tragic death in the following June of the young Prince -Imperial, in whose career the King had always taken a warm and almost -paternal interest. His Majesty was among the very first in this country -to be informed of the terrible news, and he was of the greatest -assistance to the stricken Empress Eugénie in making the complicated -arrangements for the funeral. His active sympathy, and the announcement -that the heir to the British Crown intended to be the principal -pall-bearer of Napoleon III.’s ill-fated son, aroused much comment on -the Continent, and gave great satisfaction to Frenchmen of all shades -of political opinion. On a beautiful wreath of violets which was sent -from Marlborough House for the funeral at Chislehurst were the words, -written in Queen Alexandra’s own hand:-- - - “A token of affection and regard for him who lived the most - spotless of lives and died a soldier’s death fighting for our - cause in Zululand. - - “From ALBERT EDWARD and ALEXANDRA, - July 12, 1879.” - -The King strongly supported the movement for erecting a memorial to -the Prince Imperial in Westminster Abbey, and subscribed £130 to the -fund which was raised for that object. The opposition to the scheme -was, however, so strong that it fell to the ground. That the King’s -feelings were not modified in any way is shown by the fact that early -in January 1883, His Majesty, accompanied by his two sons, Prince -Albert Victor and Prince George, with the Duke of Edinburgh and the -Duke of Cambridge, unveiled a monument to the Prince Imperial at -Woolwich. This “United Service Memorial” was erected by a subscription -raised throughout all ranks of the Army, Navy, Royal Marines, Militia, -Yeomanry, and Volunteers, and Count Gleichen was the sculptor. The -King, in a speech at the unveiling, commended the virtues, the -blameless life, the courage, and obedience to orders manifested by -the young Prince, as a bright example to the young men entering the -Military Academy, and remarked that it was only a natural impulse which -prompted his desire to join his English comrades in the war in South -Africa, in which he fell fighting for the Queen of England. - -In view of Princess Louise’s subsequent marriage it is interesting -to record that in the autumn of 1880 the King, accompanied by Prince -Leopold and Prince John of Glucksburg, visited the Earl of Fife at Mar -Lodge. On the evening of their arrival Lord Fife gave a grand ball, -at which his distinguished visitors were present. The entertainment -included a torchlight procession and dance by the Duff Highlanders. The -party also enjoyed some deer-stalking in the Forest of Mar. - -An incident worth recording occurred in January 1881, during a visit of -the King and Queen to Normanton Park. Queen Alexandra drove with Lady -Aveland to Oakham, and paid a visit to the ancient castle, on the inner -walls of which are nailed numerous horse-shoes, the gift, or rather -the toll, of various Royal and noble personages. A large horse-shoe of -steel, perfect in shape and of elegant workmanship, had been made for -the Queen to offer. Her Majesty examined the other horse-shoes in the -Castle hall, and chose the position in which she desired her toll to -be affixed, namely, over a large one supposed to have been the gift -of Queen Elizabeth. The Queen greatly enjoyed following this ancient -custom, a mark of territorial power possessed for many centuries by the -Ferrers family, a shoe from the horse of every princely traveller who -passed that way being a tax due to the Ferrers or Farriers. Among the -horse-shoes specially noticed by Queen Alexandra were one contributed -by Queen Victoria before her accession, on 2nd September 1833; another -by the Duchess of Kent on the same date; also one offered by the Prince -Regent, afterwards George IV., on 7th January 1814. - -It was in this year that the King had an opportunity of exhibiting in a -public manner his strong interest in the British Colonies, the welfare -of which was not then so much a matter of concern in the eyes of our -statesmen as it is now. The occasion was a dinner given to the members -of the Colonial Institute by the then Lord Mayor, Sir George MacArthur, -himself an old colonist. An extraordinary number of distinguished -men connected in various ways, official and other, with our colonies -were present. In his speech the King pointed out that no function of -the kind had ever taken place before--a statement which seems hardly -credible nowadays, thanks in a great measure to His Majesty’s own -unwearied exertions in the interests of our colonial empire. The King -also alluded to his Canadian tour, and took the opportunity of paying -a graceful compliment to his friend Sir John Macdonald, the Canadian -statesman, who was present. - -[Illustration: THE KING IN 1882 - -_From the Painting by H. J. Brooks, published by Henry Graves and Co._] - -Very shortly after this dinner the King attended as patron the first -meeting ever held in this country of the International Medical Congress. - -King Edward was deeply grieved at the death of Dean Stanley, with whom, -as we have seen, he had been on terms of close intimacy. At a meeting -held in the Chapter-House of Westminster Abbey, His Majesty paid a -touching and eloquent tribute to his dead friend’s rare qualities, both -of heart and intellect. - -Generally speaking, this period of the King’s life was not very -eventful. His children were still quite young, and his public -appearances, though tolerably frequent, did not usually possess -more than a local importance. There were, however, some conspicuous -exceptions, which broke the even current of his life. For example, -it would be difficult to overestimate the value of the work which -His Majesty did in promoting the International Fisheries Exhibition -in 1883, which was visited by nearly three million people, and may -be said to have been the first introduction into London of open-air -entertainment on a large scale. Moreover, it resulted in a clear profit -of £15,000, of which two-thirds was devoted to the relief of the orphan -families of fishermen. - -The success of the Fisheries suggested to the King the idea of another -exhibition concerned with health and hygiene, which was held in 1884, -and was nicknamed the “Healtheries.” Not long before it was opened the -King and Queen Alexandra suffered a great bereavement in the death -of the Duke of Albany, to whom their Majesties had always been very -much attached. He died quite suddenly in the south of France on 28th -March, and the King instantly started for the Riviera and brought his -brother’s remains back to Windsor. In the following July His Majesty, -presiding at the festival of the Railway Guards’ Friendly Society, took -the opportunity of his first appearance at a public dinner to express -in the name of Queen Victoria and the Royal Family their thanks for the -public sympathy shown on the death of the Duke of Albany. - -In August of this year was celebrated the jubilee of the abolition -of slavery throughout the British dominions. The King attended a -meeting at the Mansion-House and delivered a long and elaborate speech, -evidently the result of much painstaking study, in which he reviewed -the whole history of the anti-slavery movement. - -The news of the fall of Khartoum came as a terrible shock to the King, -who had long watched with increasing interest the career of General -Gordon. Indeed, General Gordon had always been one of His Majesty’s -great heroes, and it was chiefly owing to His Majesty’s initiative that -a fund was established for providing a national memorial to the hero -of Khartoum. At the first meeting of the committee the King made a -touching speech, in which he said of Gordon-- - -“His career as a soldier, as a philanthropist, and as a Christian is -a matter of history.… Many would wish for some fine statue, some fine -monument, but we who know what Gordon was feel convinced that were -he living nothing would be more distasteful personally than that any -memorial should be erected in the shape of a statue or of any great -monument. His tastes were so simple and we all know he was anxious that -his name should not be brought prominently before the public, though in -every act of his life that name was brought, I am inclined to think, -as prominently before the nation as that of any soldier or any great -Englishman whom we know of at the present time.” - -It is well known that it was His Majesty’s suggestion that a hospital -and sanatorium should be founded in Egypt open to persons of all -nationalities. Queen Alexandra was present at the special service held -in St. Paul’s on 13th March, the day of public mourning for the loss of -General Gordon. - -Three days later the King, accompanied by his eldest son, presided at a -meeting of the Royal Colonial Institute, and spoke of the personal as -well as of the political interest he took in everything that concerned -the colonies. On the next day Prince Albert Victor was initiated as a -Freemason in the presence of a large and most distinguished company, -his father receiving the Royal apprentice in his quality of Worshipful -Master of the Royal Alpha Lodge. On the following day the King, Prince -Albert Victor, and the Duke of Edinburgh went to Berlin to congratulate -the aged Emperor William on his eighty-eighth birthday. - -It had been decided, not without the most anxious consideration, that -the King and Queen, accompanied by their elder son, should pay a visit -to Ireland. The announcement was received with the greatest excitement -both in Ireland and in America. - -_United Ireland_, the chief organ of the Nationalist party, then edited -by Mr. William O’Brien, and said to be largely written by Mr. T. M. -Healy, brought out a special number devoted entirely to expressions of -opinion from eminent Irishmen of all kinds on the Royal visit. Every -Nationalist Member of Parliament, every prominent ecclesiastic, in a -word, every Irishman of conspicuous Nationalist views, was invited to -say what he thought of the forthcoming visit. The answers filled a -copious supplement, and their tenour was one of unanimous disapproval, -expressed in some cases strongly, and in others in terms of studied -moderation. Almost all the letters agreed in counselling an attitude -of absolute indifference to the visit, but abstention from any kind of -display of hostility to the King himself was insisted on; and it was -openly said that the part which he was playing in this pageant was a -more or less passive one. This, perhaps, showed more than anything else -that has occurred during His Majesty’s life the personal liking and -respect in which he is held. - -It may be added that when the King and Queen arrived early in April -1885, the Nationalist party made no sign, but, as there was naturally -a great display of rejoicing on the part of the Anti-nationalist -citizens, the Press, perhaps unfortunately, chose to regard this -reception as a proof that the Home Rulers were wholly discredited. The -Nationalist leaders therefore made up their minds that it was necessary -to make some protest against the Royal progress as an answer to these -taunts, and accordingly, from Mallow till the Royal party left Ireland, -they were the victims of some very unpleasing demonstrations, and at -Cork collisions occurred between the police and the mob, though no -serious injuries were reported on either side. - -Perhaps the most interesting event of the tour was when, after laying -the foundation-stone of the New Science and Art Museum and National -Library of Ireland in Dublin on 10th April, their Majesties attended -the Royal University of Ireland, and the degree of Doctor of Laws was -conferred on the King, and that of Doctor of Music on Queen Alexandra. -Her Majesty has always been passionately fond of music, and the -distinction gave her special gratification. - -The Colonial and Indian Exhibition, called for short the “Colinderies,” -may be said to have been the most successful of all those with which -the King was intimately associated. It was opened by Queen Victoria -on 4th May 1886, and Her Majesty was received by the King, and Queen -Alexandra, His Majesty conducting his mother to the daïs. In the Royal -Albert Hall, where the opening ceremony took place, everything was -done to make the scene as impressive and interesting as possible; and -at the special desire of the King, Lord Tennyson wrote an Ode for the -occasion, which was set to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and sung by -Madame Albani in the choir. This exhibition resulted in a net surplus -of £35,000. - -In September some correspondence between King Edward and the Lord -Mayor, suggesting the establishment of a Colonial and Indian Institute -to commemorate the Queen’s Jubilee, was published, and excited a -great deal of interest both at home and in the Colonies. A public -subscription was opened at the Mansion-House; and later in the same -month His Majesty, having been informed that a movement was on foot -to present him with a testimonial in recognition of his services in -connection with the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, wrote to request -that any fund subscribed might be devoted to the furtherance of the -Imperial Institute, and a great deal of his time that autumn was -dedicated to this scheme. - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA IN HER ROBES AS DOCTOR OF MUSIC - -_From a Photograph by Chancellor, Dublin_] - -The King in 1886 also gave his patronage to two great engineering -achievements, by opening the Mersey Tunnel and by laying the first -stone of the Tower Bridge. It is interesting to note in this connection -that His Majesty has long been an honorary member of the Institution of -Civil Engineers, and when he attended their annual dinner in the same -year, he made an amusing speech, in which he attempted to picture what -sort of a world ours would be without engineers. - -One of the busiest years ever spent by the King and Queen Alexandra -was 1887, when Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee was celebrated. To -His Majesty was left the responsibility of a great number of the -arrangements, and on him fell almost entirely the reception and -entertainment of the foreign Royal personages who attended the splendid -ceremony in the Abbey as Queen Victoria’s guests. In many cases the -King was obliged to welcome in person the Royal visitor to London, -and he was indefatigable in his efforts to make everything go off as -smoothly and successfully as possible, while it need hardly be said -that he took a very prominent part next to Queen Victoria in all the -Jubilee functions. - -It was in this year that His Majesty was appointed Honorary Admiral -of the Fleet, a distinction which gave him much gratification, for it -was his first definite official link with the sea service which he had -selected as the profession of his younger son, and in which his elder -son had received an early training--a link which was destined to be -still further strengthened after His Majesty’s accession, as will be -related hereafter. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -SILVER WEDDING OF KING EDWARD AND QUEEN ALEXANDRA--ENGAGEMENT AND -MARRIAGE OF PRINCESS LOUISE - - -Considerable preparations were made early in 1888 for the Silver -Wedding of King Edward and Queen Alexandra, but it was well known that -the Royal family were expecting daily to hear of the death of the old -German Emperor, William I., which actually occurred just before the -Silver Wedding Day, and everything in the way of public rejoicing -was countermanded. Still, the 10th of March was not allowed to pass -entirely unobserved. The whole of the Royal family then in England, -preceded by Queen Victoria, called at Marlborough House to offer their -congratulations in person, and for that one day the Court mourning -was abandoned. The King and Queen Alexandra with their family lunched -at Buckingham Palace with Queen Victoria, while in the evening the -Sovereign attended a family dinner-party at Marlborough House, this -being the first time she had ever been to dinner with her son and -daughter-in-law in London. Queen Victoria, after leaving Marlborough -House, drove through some of the principal West End streets in order to -see the illuminations. Her Majesty also gave a State ball at Buckingham -Palace in honour of the event, and the King and Queen of Denmark gave a -grand ball at the Amalienborg Palace at Copenhagen. - -Archbishop Magee (then Bishop of Peterborough) writes in a letter to -his intimate friend and biographer, Canon MacDonnell, the following -amusing account of his share in the rejoicings:-- - - “ATHENÆUM CLUB, _11th March 1888_. - - “Did you ever in your eminently respectable life dance on the - tight rope? And did you ever do so in the presence of Royalty? - No? Then I have beaten you. - - “For I have this day performed that exceedingly difficult feat, - and dead beat do I feel after it. I suppose you saw (for it - was announced in all the papers) that H.R.H. was to worship - at Whitehall with all his family, to keep his silver wedding, - and that the Bishop of Peterborough was to preach. Not an easy - thing to do, under any circumstances, to preach to Royalty in a - pew opposite you, and also to a large middle-class congregation - on a special occasion. But only think of having to add to this - a special allusion to the late Emperor of Germany’s death, - and the present Emperor’s condition, and all this within the - space of forty minutes, the utmost length that it is considered - good taste to inflict on H.R.H. Add to this that he specially - requested an offertory for the Gordon Boys’ Home, and of - course implied some reference in the sermon to this. So that - I had, within forty minutes, to preach a charity sermon, a - wedding sermon, and a funeral one. Match me that if you can for - difficulty.…” - -In the unavoidable absence of the Bishop of London, Dean of the -Chapels-Royal, the Archbishop of Canterbury was present, His Grace -finally receiving the alms and giving the benediction. On the desk in -the Royal Closet, in front of Queen Alexandra, was placed a beautiful -bouquet of lilies of the valley, the emblem of the See and Province of -Canterbury. Her Majesty quitted the chapel carrying the bouquet. - -An enormous number of presents testified to the wide affection and -respect in which the Royal couple were held. King Edward gave his -wife a cross of diamonds and rubies, her favourite jewels; and from -St. Petersburg, as a joint gift of the Emperor and Empress of Russia, -came a superb necklace of the same gems composed of carefully selected -stones. The five children of Queen Alexandra gave her a silver model -of “Viva,” her favourite mare. Her Majesty’s eight bridesmaids, who -were all alive and all married, gave the Royal bride of 1863 their -autographs bound up in a silver book enshrined in a silver casket of -Danish work. - -The Freemasons of Great Britain presented Queen Alexandra with a -very splendid diamond butterfly. The members of the Body-Guard were -represented by a silver statue of a member of the corps, arrayed in -the uniform originally designed by the Prince Consort. The Comte de -Paris sent a large agate punch-bowl, studded with precious stones. -Among the public gifts which afforded the King and Queen most pleasure -was the Colonial Silver Wedding gift--a silver candelabrum adapted for -electric light, and a fine twenty-one day movement clock to match. The -Colonies became very enthusiastic over this gift, and more than £2000 -was subscribed in small sums. - -The King and Queen of Denmark gave a silver-gilt tea and coffee -service; the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark, a valuable vase -of Danish china; the Empress Eugénie, a silver model of a two-masted -ship of the time of Henry VIII.; and the King of the Belgians, a -large silver tankard and a collection of the choicest exotics from -the gardens at Laeken. The Austrian Ambassador presented an autograph -letter from the Emperor Francis Joseph announcing that King Edward had -been appointed to the Honorary Colonelcy of the 12th Hussar Regiment in -the Austro-Hungarian Army. The French Ambassador was also received in -audience, and offered an expression of good wishes on the part of the -President of the French Republic and the French Government. - -The presents received by the King and Queen were arranged in the Indian -Room at Marlborough House. A prominent position was accorded to the -gift from Queen Victoria--a massive silver flagon of goodly height and -proportions, the counterpart of one in the Kremlin. One corner of the -Indian Room was filled with floral gifts, bouquets, wreaths, pyramids -of lilies of the valley, and rich and rare exotics, sent by all classes -of the community from all parts of the country and from the Continent. - -In strong contrast to these rejoicings was the deep shadow thrown -over King Edward and his family by the serious illness of the Emperor -Frederick. All the arrangements of their Majesties were naturally -dependent on the news received almost hourly from the sick-chamber at -Potsdam, but even in the midst of his terrible anxieties the King did -not disappoint the loyal citizens of Glasgow, whose Exhibition he had -promised to open, and who gave him a right Royal welcome. At length the -long-dreaded blow fell. On 14th June the Emperor Frederick breathed his -last after a reign of ninety-nine days. - -The following year was notable for the first break in the King’s own -family circle caused by marriage. But before the engagement of Princess -Louise to the Earl of Fife was publicly announced, Queen Victoria paid -one of her necessarily rare visits to Sandringham, spending altogether -four days there. While there Her Majesty witnessed a performance of -_The Bells_ and of _The Merchant of Venice_, given by Sir Henry Irving -and the members of the Lyceum Company. The King’s tenants presented an -address of welcome to his Royal mother, to which Queen Victoria gave -the following gracious reply:-- - -“It has given me great pleasure to receive your loyal address, and -I thank you sincerely for the terms in which you welcome me to -Sandringham, and for the kind expressions which you have used towards -the Prince and Princess of Wales. After the anxious time I spent here -seventeen years ago, when, by the blessing of God, my dear son was -spared to me and to the nation, it is indeed a pleasure to find myself -here again, among cheerful homes and cheerful faces, and to see the -kind feeling which exists between a good landlord and a good tenant; -and I trust that this mutual attachment and esteem may long continue -to make you happy and prosperous, and to strengthen, if possible, -the affection of the Prince and Princess of Wales for the tenants of -Sandringham.” - -Although Great Britain was not officially represented at the Paris -Centennial Exhibition of this year, the King once more showed -his friendship with France by going over with his Consort in -semi-_incognito_. Their Majesties carefully inspected the whole -Exhibition, paying special attention to the British section, and -finished by ascending the Eiffel Tower. - -[Illustration: THE DUCHESS OF FIFE, PRINCESS VICTORIA, AND PRINCESS -CHARLES OF DENMARK - -_From a Photograph by Lafayette_] - -Princess Louise’s engagement was made public in the spring, and though -it aroused almost as much surprise as satisfaction among the general -public, yet those who were really in a position to know regarded -it as the most natural thing in the world. Lord Fife had for years -been admitted to the close intimacy of the King’s family circle. -His was the only bachelor’s house at which Queen Alexandra had ever -been entertained, he had long been a frequent and welcome guest at -Sandringham, and when he took the oath and his seat in the House of -Lords, the King had paid him the rare honour of appearing as one of his -introducers. Although rumours of the betrothal of the King’s eldest -daughter to various foreign Princes had for some time been rife, His -Majesty had made no secret of the special importance which he attached -to her marriage, for at that time it appeared by no means impossible -that the Princess herself or her children might one day sit on the -British throne. In these circumstances a foreign marriage of the -particular kind which then seemed intrinsically probable would have -been frankly unpopular with the British people, who would have pictured -themselves as being perhaps one day reduced to bringing back their -Queen, now wholly Germanised, from some obscure Grand Duchy. - -King Edward on this occasion showed once more his intuitive sympathy -with the feelings of his future subjects, for the news of the Royal -engagement was received with an absolutely unforced outburst of popular -enthusiasm, the more so when it became known that it was entirely a -love match. - -The King and Queen Alexandra with their three daughters went to Windsor -on 27th June and visited Queen Victoria, who formally gave her consent -to the engagement. On the receipt of the news at Marlborough House the -fact was at once communicated to the Household, and the Marquis of -Salisbury, the Prime Minister, was also officially informed. The Earl -of Fife was received by Queen Victoria the same evening at Windsor -Castle. In the House of Commons a Message from the Queen formally -announced the intended marriage, and the First Lord of the Treasury -gave notice of a motion to grant a suitable provision for the Royal -bride, though owing to the great wealth of the bridegroom this was -perhaps less necessary than it had been on the occasion of other Royal -marriages. - -The Earl of Fife (Alexander William George Duff), Baron Skene of Skene, -Viscount Macduff, and Baron Braco of Kilbryde, County Cavan, was the -only son of James, fifth Earl of Fife, and of the Countess of Fife, -who was Lady Agnes Georgiana Elizabeth Hay, daughter of the Earl of -Erroll. He was born on 10th November 1849, and was educated at Eton. -He succeeded his father in the Scotch and Irish honours on 7th August -1879, and was created an Earl of the United Kingdom in 1885. He sat as -Viscount Macduff in the House of Commons from 1874 to 1879 as Liberal -member for Elgin and Nairn. Lord Fife, who is one of the largest landed -proprietors in Scotland, owning extensive estates in Elgin, Banff, -and Aberdeen, was created Duke of Fife and Marquis of Macduff in the -peerage of the United Kingdom, on his wedding day, 27th July, having -declined to take the title of Duke of Inverness. - -[Illustration: THE DUKE OF FIFE - -_From a Photograph by the London Stereoscopic Co._] - -The wedding was celebrated in the Chapel at Buckingham Palace, in the -presence of Queen Victoria, King Edward, and Queen Alexandra, with -their sons and two younger daughters, the King of the Hellenes, the -Crown Prince of Denmark, and the Grand Duke of Hesse. - -The King of the Hellenes has always been one of the favourite -brothers-in-law of the King, who, with Queen Alexandra, went to Athens -in the autumn to attend the wedding of the Duke of Sparta and Princess -Sophie of Germany. - -The following year was not very eventful. In March the King performed -the ceremonies of finishing and opening the Forth Bridge in the -presence of an illustrious assembly, including his son Prince George, -the Duke of Edinburgh, who had travelled from Russia on purpose, the -Duke of Fife, and the Earl of Rosebery, who entertained the Royal party -at Dalmeny. The last rivet, which the King fixed, is on the outside of -the railway, and holds together three plates. Around its gilded top -there runs a commemorative inscription. At the hour appointed for the -formal declaration of the opening of the bridge, the wind was blowing -so violently that it was impossible for His Majesty to make a speech. -He simply said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I now declare the Forth Bridge -open.” - -It was in March, also, that the King and Prince George attended a -Chapter of the Order of the Black Eagle in Berlin, at which Prince -George was invested with the insignia of the Order. Subsequently the -Royal visitors took part in the Ordensfest. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE BACCARAT CASE--BIRTH OF LADY ALEXANDRA DUFF--THE KING’S FIFTIETH -BIRTHDAY--ILLNESS OF PRINCE GEORGE - - -During the winter of 1890 various rumours had been rife as to a _cause -célèbre_ in which King Edward was to be called as a witness. These -reports proved to have had substantial foundation in the following -spring, when Sir William Gordon-Cumming, a cavalry officer of good -family, who had distinguished himself in the Egyptian campaign, and was -understood to enjoy the personal friendship of the King, brought an -action for slander against five defendants--Mrs. Arthur Wilson, Mrs. A. -S. Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Lycett Green, and Mr. Berkeley Levett--who had -accused him of cheating at baccarat at Tranby Croft, the Wilsons’ place -near Hull. - -The trial opened early in June before Lord Chief-Justice Coleridge, -and the King was accommodated with a seat on the bench. The Court -throughout wore the air of a theatre rather than of a Court of Justice, -the bench and both the galleries being filled with ladies, who used -their opera-glasses with freedom to discover the notable personages -in Court, and to watch Sir William Gordon-Cumming under examination. -The great counsel of the day were engaged. Sir Edward Clarke -(Solicitor-General), with Mr. C. F. Gill as his junior, conducted -the case for Sir William Gordon-Cumming; and Sir Charles Russell -(afterwards Lord Chief-Justice), with Mr. Asquith, appeared for the -defendants, the Attorney-General having withdrawn from the case. - -The Solicitor-General made a speech of singular power and skill on -behalf of his client. The point of the defence was that Sir William -Gordon-Cumming--who was accused of the trick known as _la poussette_, -by which a player at baccarat increases his stake after he sees that -the cards are in his favour or the _coup_ has been declared--had simply -been playing on a system. This theory Sir William supported in the -witness-box with great steadiness, and though his cross-examination -was most severe, he maintained that on no occasion had he wrongfully -increased the stake. When the cross-examiner came to a document which -the plaintiff had signed, practically admitting his guilt, and which -had been witnessed by the King, Sir William’s explanation was, in -effect, that he was hopeless of convincing those round him of his -innocence, and that he desired for his own sake and that of others to -avoid a scandal. - -King Edward entered the witness-box and was sworn in the ordinary -way on the second day. Sir Edward Clarke addressed him as “Sir” and -“Your Royal Highness,” and Sir Charles Russell did the same. His -Majesty gave his evidence with much frankness, but it was largely of -a formal character. He did, however, say that at the time when, as -banker, he questioned Sir William Gordon-Cumming on the largeness of -his winnings, he did not think he had been cheating; but he added, in -cross-examination by Sir Charles Russell, that in advising Sir William -Gordon-Cumming to sign the document, he considered he had been acting -most leniently. - -As the King was leaving the witness-box an amusing incident occurred. A -juryman rose from the back of the jury-box, and with _naïf_ frankness -put two important questions--whether the King had ever seen Sir William -Gordon-Cumming cheating, and whether he believed him to be guilty. In -reply to the first question the King answered that the banker would not -be in a position to see foul play, and that among friends it would not -be expected; and to the second he replied that, Sir William’s accusers -being so numerous, he could not but believe them. Having elicited these -very important facts, the little juryman sat down, and the King left -the box with a smile and a bow. - -The King’s evidence was followed by that of General Owen Williams, -who, with Lord Coventry, drew up the document signed by the plaintiff. -General Williams made two important statements--that he believed Sir -William guilty, and that the King had objected to his placing his hands -on the table in such a way that the counters could not properly be -seen. In the course of the evidence it came out that the stakes played -for on the two evenings were not large, but that Sir William won in all -£225, which was paid him by cheque and which he retained. - -The trial lasted seven days, and on 9th June the jury, after ten -minutes’ deliberation, returned a verdict for the defendants. - -The most extraordinary interest was taken in the case, both in this -country and on the Continent and in America, no doubt chiefly owing to -the Heir-Apparent’s connection with it. A Prince of Wales has rarely -been called as a witness in a case, although, of course, in the theory -of English law, all men are equal, and the privileges, if any, which -would attach to him would not attach to him in his capacity as Prince -of Wales or Heir-Apparent to the Throne, but simply in his capacity as -a peer of the United Kingdom. - -It was pointed out by many that the conduct attributed to Sir William -Gordon-Cumming was obviously not that of an officer and a gentleman, -and in the House of Commons a week after the trial the Secretary of -State for War expressed the regret of the King that he had not required -Sir William to submit his case to the Commander-in-Chief. - -The criticism which was directed against the King’s connection with -this lamentable business was largely based on ignorance of all the -circumstances. His Majesty’s own view is clearly stated in a private -letter which he wrote about two months afterwards to his old friend -Dr. Benson, who was then Archbishop of Canterbury, and which was -first published in that prelate’s life, some years later. King Edward -wrote:-- - - “R. YACHT ‘OSBORNE,’ COWES, _13th August 1891_. - - “MY DEAR ARCHBISHOP--Your kind letter of the 10th instant - has touched me very much, as I know the kind feelings which - prompted you to write to me on a subject which we have - discussed together, and which you are aware has caused me deep - pain and annoyance. - - “A recent trial, which no one deplores more than I do, and - which I was powerless to prevent, gave occasion for the Press - to make most bitter and unjust attacks on me, knowing that - I was defenceless, and I am not sure that politics were not - mixed up in it! The whole matter has now died out, and I think - therefore it would be inopportune for me in any public manner - to allude again to the painful subject which brought such a - torrent of abuse upon me not only by the Press but by the Low - Church, and especially the Nonconformists. - - “They have a perfect right, I am well aware, in a free country - like our own, to express their opinions, but I do not consider - that they have a just right to jump at conclusions regarding - myself without knowing the facts. - - “I have a horror of gambling, and should always do my utmost to - discourage others who have an inclination for it, as I consider - that gambling, like intemperance, is one of the greatest curses - which a country could be afflicted with. - - “Horse-racing may produce gambling or it may not, but I have - always looked upon it as a manly sport which is popular with - Englishmen of all classes, and there is no reason why it should - be looked upon as a gambling transaction. Alas! those who - gamble will gamble at anything. I have written quite openly - to you, my dear Archbishop, whom I have had the advantage of - knowing for so many years. - - “Thanking you again for your kind letter, and trusting that you - will benefit by your holiday, believe me, sincerely yours, - - “ALBERT EDWARD.” - -The King became a grandfather for the first time this spring, for on -17th May the Duchess of Fife gave birth to a daughter at East Sheen -Lodge. The question was immediately raised whether the infant should -take Royal rank as a Princess of the Blood. When Sir William Beechey -painted his portrait of Princess Victoria, the distance between the -Duke of Kent’s little daughter and the throne was as great as, or even -greater than, that of the little daughter of Princess Louise at her -birth. It was ultimately settled, in accordance with the wishes, it was -understood, of both King Edward and the Duke of Fife, that the infant -should simply take the rank and precedence of a Duke’s daughter, and be -called Lady Alexandra Duff. - -The child was christened on 29th June in the Chapel-Royal, St. -James’s. Queen Victoria came to London to act as sponsor to her -great-granddaughter, and King Edward and Queen Alexandra were -joint sponsors for their grandchild. The Archbishop of Canterbury -administered the rite of baptism. Queen Alexandra took the child from -the nurse and placed her in the arms of Queen Victoria, who gave the -names of Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise. - -This autumn the King celebrated his fiftieth birthday, and it was -computed that in his half-century of existence His Majesty must have -been prayed for aloud in Anglican churches alone at least a hundred -million times. On this occasion the theatrical managers of London -presented a magnificent gold cigar-box, weighing 100 ounces, to His -Majesty. - -The month of December has been one of peculiar ill-omen to the Royal -Family, and it seemed as if December 1891 was to prove no exception. -For Queen Alexandra and her daughters, who had been to Livadia on a -visit to the Tsar, were recalled by the illness of Prince George, and -the King and Queen went through some days of terrible anxiety. As soon -as Prince George was declared to be suffering from enteric fever he -was removed from Sandringham to London, and it was there that he was -nursed. The illness evoked a remarkable degree of public sympathy, -though perhaps the serious nature of the Prince’s condition was hardly -realised till all danger was practically over. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE DUKE OF CLARENCE AND AVONDALE - - -The year 1892 opened auspiciously both for the Royal family and the -nation, inasmuch as, immediately on the convalescence of Prince George, -the engagement of his elder brother, the Duke of Clarence and Avondale, -to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck was announced. The projected alliance -was received with every possible expression of popular approval. The -public career of the Duke of Clarence, short as it had been, had -already confirmed him in the public estimation as a worthy son of -his father, who was known to have actively superintended the whole -course of his education. A significant proof of the young Prince’s -amiability and unpretending modesty was to be found in the large number -of personal friends whom he attached to himself, both at Cambridge and -among his comrades of the 10th Hussars, by ties of sincere esteem. -Moreover, it was generally known that between the Duke of Clarence -and his mother there existed the strongest possible link of filial -and maternal love, and so the Prince came to share in a measure the -high place which Queen Alexandra has always held in the hearts of the -British people. - -The circumstances of the mournful event which threw a gloom over -the whole winter of 1892 are still fresh in the memory of the -nation. On 9th January the Duke of Clarence, who was spending the -Christmas holidays with his parents at Sandringham, was attacked with -influenza, having caught cold at the funeral of Prince Victor of -Hohenlohe-Langenburg. - -[Illustration: THE DUKE OF CLARENCE AND AVONDALE - -_From a Photograph by Chancellor, Dublin_] - -Two days later the late Duchess of Teck wrote to Lady Salisbury -a letter which pathetically reflects the anxiety prevailing at -Sandringham:-- - - “SANDRINGHAM, _January 11, 1892_. - - “… After Sir Francis Knollys’s letter and the anxious tidings - in this morning’s papers you will not be surprised to hear from - me that we feel we must ask you and dear Lord Salisbury to let - us postpone the so-looked-forward-to visit until we can really - enjoy it; for although I hope and believe dear Eddy is doing as - well as can be expected at this stage of this fearful illness, - I cannot conceal from you that we are very anxious, and must - continue so until the crisis is over and the inflammation has - begun to subside. His strength is very fairly maintained; the - night was a tolerable one; he has two admirable nurses, and - both Doctors Broadbent and Laking [now Sir William Broadbent - and Sir Francis Laking] are attending him; so that Eddy has - every care, and with youth on his side and God’s blessing, I - trust we may soon see him on the road to recovery, and who - knows?--perhaps even our visit to Hatfield may yet come off - before you move to London. As at present arranged we stay on - here until Wednesday or so; but, of course, everything depends - on the progress the dear patient (a _most exemplary one_, the - Doctors say) makes. May is wonderfully good and calm, but it is - terribly trying for her.…” - -Notwithstanding the most devoted care and the most skilful nursing, the -Prince passed away on the 14th, within a week of the day on which the -tidings of his illness had first gone forth. Then, if ever, King Edward -and Queen Alexandra must have realised the respect and affection with -which they are regarded by the British people. Their Majesties received -the most touching letters from all over the world. One of those they -most valued was from the Zulu chiefs at St. Helena. This was conveyed -to the Prince through Miss Colenso, and ran as follows:-- - -“We have heard of the death of Prince Edward, the son of the Prince of -Wales. We lament sincerely. Pray you present our lamentation to them -all--to his grandmother, to his father and his mother, and his brother.” - -Their Majesties showed how deeply they appreciated the sympathy so -spontaneously offered to them on every side by publishing the following -Message:-- - - “WINDSOR CASTLE, _20th January 1892_. - - “The Prince and Princess of Wales are anxious to express to - Her Majesty’s subjects, whether in the United Kingdom, in the - Colonies, or in India, the sense of their deep gratitude for - the universal feeling of sympathy manifested towards them at a - time when they are overwhelmed by the terrible calamity which - they have sustained in the loss of their beloved eldest son. If - sympathy at such a moment is of any avail, the remembrance that - their grief has been shared by all classes will be a lasting - consolation to their sorrowing hearts, and if possible will - make them more than ever attached to their dear country.” - -The Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Benson) was at Biskra when he heard -of the lamentable death of the Duke of Clarence. The Archbishop wished -to return home at once, and in sending a telegram of condolence to the -bereaved father he stated his intention of so doing, but King Edward, -with his usual kindly consideration, telegraphed to him that he was on -no account to curtail his holiday. The telegram was followed by this -letter, which is given in the Archbishop’s Life:-- - - “SANDRINGHAM, NORFOLK, _27th January 1892_. - - “MY DEAR ARCHBISHOP--Only a short time ago I received such - a kind letter from you, in which you agreed to perform the - marriage ceremony at St. George’s for our eldest son. Since - then I have received another letter from you containing such - kind and sympathetic words, in which you expressed a desire to - return home to take part in his Funeral Service. - - “It was like yourself, kind and thoughtful as you always are, - but I could not allow you to undertake that long journey - and return to our cold climate and to an atmosphere still - impregnated with that dire disease when your absence abroad in - a warmer climate is so essential for your health and strength. - - “It has pleased God to inflict a heavy, crushing blow upon - us--that we can hardly realise the terrible loss we have - sustained. We have had the good fortune of receiving you here - in our country home on more than one occasion, and you know - what a happy family party we have always been, so that the - wrenching away of our first-born son under such peculiarly sad - circumstances is a sorrow, the shadow of which can never leave - us during the rest of our lives. - - “He was just twenty-eight; on this day month he was to have - married a charming and gifted young lady, so that the prospect - of a life of happiness and usefulness lay before him. Alas! - that is all over. His bride has become his widow without ever - having been his wife. - - “The ways of the Almighty are inscrutable, and it is not for - us to murmur, as He does all for the best, and our beloved son - is happier now than if he were exposed to the miseries and - temptations of this world. We have also a consolation in the - sympathy not only of our kind friends but of all classes. - - “_God’s will be done!_ - - “Again thanking you, my dear and kind Archbishop, for your - soothing letter, which has been such a solace to us in our - grief, I remain, yours very sincerely, ALBERT EDWARD.” - -On the Sunday following the death of the Duke a private service -was held in Sandringham Church, attended by King Edward and Queen -Alexandra, their daughters, Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, and Prince -George. By the King’s special wish his elder son was given the simplest -of military funerals, and the coffin was removed from Sandringham to -Windsor on a gun-carriage, escorted by a number of the Prince’s old -comrades in arms. On the coffin lay the Prince’s busby and a silken -Union Jack, and even at Windsor, where among the impressive mass of -mourners every Royal House was represented, everything was severely -simple, and the pall-bearers were officers of the 10th Hussars. - -The career of the Prince, so suddenly cut off ere he had well -reached his prime, in addition to its historical interest, throws an -instructive light on the pains which King Edward has always expended on -the education and training of his children. On none of his children did -the King bestow more loving thought and care than on his eldest son, -who was destined, as it then seemed, one day to bear all the anxieties -and responsibilities of the British Crown. - -Prince Albert Victor was popularly, but quite erroneously, supposed -to be a weakly, delicate child. The two nurses who successively had -the principal charge of him--Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Blackburn--agreed -in repudiating this idea, and their testimony is certainly supported -by the photographs which were taken of the Prince in babyhood. His -early death is to be attributed, not to any original delicacy of -constitution, but to the weakness following a severe attack of typhoid, -which delayed by two months his joining the _Britannia_. - -Once out of the nursery, the brothers were committed to the charge -of a tutor selected for them by Queen Victoria--the Rev. John Neale -Dalton--an admirable choice as events proved. From childhood Prince -Albert Victor was devotedly attached to his younger brother, Prince -George, who warmly reciprocated his affection, and their father wisely -determined that the two boys should not be separated, but should -enter the Royal Navy together as cadets. This was done in June 1877, -Prince Albert Victor being then thirteen and a half and Prince George -being some seventeen months younger. From the very first King Edward -caused it to be understood that his sons were to enjoy no privileges -on account of their rank, but were to be treated exactly like their -fellow-cadets on board the _Britannia_, and made to learn their -profession just as if they had been the sons of an ordinary private -gentleman. The only exceptions were that Mr. Dalton attended the -Princes as governor, and that, by special request of the Admiralty, -their hammocks were slung behind a separate bulkhead in a space about -12 feet square. The young Princes spent two years in the _Britannia_, -and both obtained a first-class in seamanship, entitling them to three -months’ sea-time, and for general good conduct they obtained another -three months. - -The King thoroughly realised the benefit he had himself derived from -the travels which he had undertaken as a youth, and therefore he -arranged that his sons should spend three years in making a tour round -the world, that their minds might be equipped by experience of men and -cities, and that they might acquire an abiding impression of the extent -and resources of the British Empire. Accordingly, the young Princes -started in the _Bacchante_ cruiser, Captain Lord Charles Scott, being -again entrusted to the care of Mr. Dalton, who was afterwards made a -Canon of Windsor. Canon Dalton, it is interesting to note, attended -Prince George when, as Duke of Cornwall and York, and accompanied by -the Duchess of Cornwall and York, he visited Australia to inaugurate -the Federal Parliament, coming home by New Zealand and Canada. - -The Princes kept careful diaries, and on their return they published -a detailed account of their experiences. In the _Bacchante_, just as -in the _Britannia_, they were treated exactly like other officers of -their age and standing, except that they had a private cabin under the -poop. They joined the gun-room mess, the members of which were granted -a special allowance--an arrangement which had before been made when the -Duke of Edinburgh began his naval career. - -The _Bacchante_ cruised to Gibraltar, Messina, Gibraltar again, -Madeira, the West Indies, and home to Spithead on 3rd May. Then, on -19th July, the Princes rejoined the _Bacchante_ for another cruise, -first with the combined Channel and Reserve Squadrons to Bantry Bay -and Vigo, and afterwards to Monte Video. The ship arrived off the -Falkland Islands, but the Princes never landed, as had been arranged, -for the troubles in South Africa had come to a head and the squadron -was suddenly ordered to the Cape. The _Bacchante_ reached Simons Bay on -16th February, and not many days later came the news of Majuba Hill and -Laing’s Nek. - -Early in April the Princes left for Australia, a voyage which was -destined to be not without danger, for the _Bacchante_ broke a portion -of her steering-gear in a heavy gale. Temporary repairs were effected, -and the vessel’s course was altered for Albany, in Western Australia. -While the _Bacchante_ was refitting, their Royal Highnesses visited -the chief Australian ports in a passenger steamer called the _Cathay_, -being everywhere received with enthusiastic loyalty. At last, rejoining -the _Bacchante_, they said good-bye with regret to Australia, and on -the voyage home they visited Fiji, Japan (where they were received with -great ceremony by the Mikado), Shanghai, Hong-Kong, Singapore, and -Colombo. Thence they proceeded to Suez, where they had the pleasure of -meeting the great de Lesseps, and went in the Khedive’s yacht on a trip -up to the First Cataract, as their parents had done in 1869. - -A somewhat prolonged tour in the Holy Land followed, their Royal -Highnesses visiting those sacred scenes which their father had visited -before they were born. The Princes left Beirut for Athens on 7th May, -and there they had the pleasure of meeting their uncle, the King of -the Hellenes, and thence they went to Suda Bay to take part in a -naval regatta, in which the _Bacchante’s_ boats covered themselves -with glory. By way of Sicily and Sardinia, the Princes passed on to -Gibraltar, there renewing their old acquaintance with the famous Lord -Napier of Magdala. It is a pathetic circumstance that both Lord Napier -and, but two years afterwards, the Duke of Clarence and Avondale, were -borne to the grave on the same gun-carriage. - -At length the long voyage came to an end. Off Swanage the _Osborne_, -with King Edward, Queen Alexandra, and the three young Princesses, -met the _Bacchante_ early in August. A visit to Queen Victoria at -Osborne followed, and the two Princes were shortly afterwards confirmed -in Whippingham Church by Archbishop Tait, who said to them in his -address:-- - -“From this time forward your course of life, which has been hitherto -unusually alike, must, in many respects, diverge. You will have -different occupations and different training for an expected difference -of position.” - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA - -_From a Photograph by Gunn and Stuart_] - -The Archbishop was a true prophet. It was indeed necessary now to -separate the brothers. Prince George, as the younger son, might be left -to continue his career in the noble service to which he had become -devoted, but his elder brother, being in the immediate succession to -the Throne, must, it was felt, be associated, as his father had been -before him, with other walks of national life as well. First of all, -it was decided, must come some terms at Cambridge University, and -to prepare Prince Albert Victor in the particular kind of knowledge -required Mr. J. K. Stephen was associated with Mr. Dalton in the summer -of 1883. Mr. Stephen, the son of one of the greatest Judges who ever -adorned the English Bench--Sir James Fitz-James Stephen--was not merely -a most lovable man, possessed of extraordinary intellectual powers, -but his total personality was of so rare a kind as to be indescribable -to those who never came under its conquering influence. Probably from -no human being were all things mean and paltry so utterly alien. Large -in heart and mind as he was large in bodily frame, he left, when an -untimely death snatched him away, not only a bitter personal grief -among his friends, but a conviction that the nation’s loss was even -greater than theirs. - -Prince Albert Victor became warmly attached to Mr. Stephen, who gives -in some private letters, quoted in Mr. J. E. Vincent’s memoir of the -Duke of Clarence and Avondale, a characteristic picture of the life -led by the Royal pupil and his tutors in a little house in the park at -Sandringham. - -“He is a good-natured, unaffected youth,” writes Mr. Stephen, “and -disposed to exert himself to learn some history.… We are six in this -little house, a sort of adjunct to the big one in whose grounds it -stands, and we lead a quiet and happy reading-party sort of life with -all the ordinary rustic pursuits.” The other four members of the party -were Mr. Dalton, “a lively little Frenchman,” “a young aristocrat, -whose father is the Earl of Strathmore, and a naval lieutenant, kept -on shore by a bad knee, both of whom are very pleasant, and have more -brains than they take credit for.” - -In October 1883 the King accompanied Prince Albert Victor to Cambridge, -and saw him matriculated as an undergraduate member of Trinity -College, that ancient and splendid foundation to which he himself -belonged. Two sets of rooms, one for the Prince and one for Mr. Dalton, -were prepared on the top floor of a staircase in Nevile’s Court, the -quietest court in Trinity. - -It was at Cambridge that certain sterling qualities possessed by Prince -Albert Victor first became manifest to any considerable circle, and -through them to the public at large. His life at the University was -simple and well ordered. He had not--nor was it desirable that he -should have--the specialised intellect which wins University prizes -and scholarships, but he displayed in a marked degree that peculiarly -Royal quality of recognising intellect in others. Of those whom he -admitted to his friendship while at Cambridge nearly all have become, -or are becoming, distinguished in various walks of life. He was not -distinguished from his undergraduate contemporaries except by the silk -gown of the fellow-commoner--the Prince never wore the gold tassel to -which he was entitled--and by immunity from University examinations. - -It must not, however, be supposed that the Prince was idle at the -University. On the contrary, he read for six or seven hours a day -regularly--a good deal more than the average undergraduate can be -persuaded to do; and he was in another respect intellectually ahead of -most of his contemporaries, namely, in his familiar knowledge of modern -languages. He had read German at Heidelberg with Professor Ihne, and -he kept it up while at Cambridge with a German tutor. He spoke French -easily and well, and he had also a literary knowledge of that language, -having spent some time in Switzerland with a French tutor. His college -tutor was Mr. Joseph Prior. Mr. Stephen exercised a general supervision -over his reading, and he attended the late Professor Seeley’s History -Lectures and Mr. Gosse’s Lectures on English Literature. - -Prince Albert Victor strongly resembled his father in many respects, -notably in his habits of order and method, and in his complete freedom -from affectation or assumption. He was, indeed, if anything, almost -too modest and retiring, but those who knew him bore witness to his -real geniality and thoughtful consideration for others. At Cambridge he -attended his College chapel twice on Sundays, and once or twice during -the week. He generally dined in the College hall, when he would be -assigned a place at the Fellows’ table. He was fond, however, of giving -little dinner-parties of six or eight in his own rooms in College, -usually on Thursdays, his guests on these occasions often including -some of the senior members of the University. - -After dinner, the Royal host would generally arrange a rubber or two of -whist. He did not play cricket or football, but was fond of polo and -hockey, and he occasionally hunted. He might often have been met in -the neighbourhood of Cambridge riding in the company of a few of his -undergraduate friends, to whom he liked to offer a mount, especially in -cases where he knew it was needed. The Prince had an inherited love of -music, and he attended pretty regularly some weekly concerts of chamber -music given at the Cambridge Town Hall. He was also a member of the -Cambridge A.D.C., and patronised its performances, and he occasionally -attended the debates at the Union, though he did not speak himself. -He joined the University Volunteer Corps, and was photographed in his -uniform. - -One traditionally Royal quality the Prince possessed in an -extraordinary degree, namely, a perfectly marvellous memory for names -and faces. Indeed, his memory in general was singularly tenacious, and -in his historical studies he exhibited a wonderful power of quickly -mastering the most intricate genealogical tables. - -The Prince went for the Long Vacation on a reading party to Heidelberg, -and while there he received an amusing poem from Mr. H. F. Wilson, one -of his Cambridge friends, which is printed in Mr. Vincent’s memoir. The -following may be quoted as perhaps the most characteristic lines:-- - - Your kitten broadens to a cat, - And wonders what her master’s at; - Is she to wait your Highness’ will, - And stay with Mrs. Jiggins still? - Or shall we pack her in a box, - And send her off from London Docks? - Meanwhile she slays the casual mouse, - And dreams at night of Marlborough House. - … - And finally a word we send - To our Philosopher and Friend; - They say he’s coming in July-- - We hope ’tis true, for, verily, - We miss our mine of curious knowledge, - And, when we get him back in College, - We mean to drop a pinch of salt on - The tail of Mr. J. N. Dalton. - -The Prince came of age in 1885, and the house-party at Sandringham -given to celebrate the occasion was one of the largest gatherings ever -held there. The company included a considerable number of Prince Albert -Victor’s Cambridge friends. - -On the conclusion of Prince Albert Victor’s residence at Cambridge, -the honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him, and then his -father decided that it was time for him to enter the army. He was -gazetted a lieutenant in the 10th Hussars, of which the King is now -colonel-in-chief, and while he was quartered at Aldershot the father -and son saw a great deal of each other. In the army, as in the navy, -Prince Albert Victor was treated as far as possible exactly like his -brother officers; and indeed it is highly probable that, had he been -offered any exceptional privileges, he would have steadily refused to -take advantage of them. The Prince became a captain in the 9th Lancers -and in the 3rd King’s Royal Rifles and aide-de-camp to the Queen in -1887, and two years later attained the rank of major, returning to his -old regiment, the 10th Hussars. - -Prince Albert Victor’s training as a soldier was real and thorough. -He was not spared the drudgery of drill and the riding school through -which the ordinary subaltern has to pass, and yet at the same time -his work was frequently interrupted by the duty of attending various -ceremonial functions. This life was but sparingly varied with days -with the hounds and shooting, to which the Prince eagerly looked -forward. It is generally agreed by his contemporaries that he became -an excellent officer, and his private letters to his friends prove how -absorbed he was in his military career. - -King Edward had retained such pleasant recollections of his own visit -to India, that he determined that his elder son should at an early date -make a tour in the great Eastern dependency. The tour was arranged, -and proved extremely successful from every point of view, the Prince -particularly enjoying the excellent and varied sport shown him by his -keen Indian hosts. His Royal Highness was gazetted honorary colonel of -the 4th Bengal Infantry, the 1st Punjab Cavalry (Prince Albert Victor’s -Own), and the 4th Bombay Cavalry. - -Soon after his return from India, Prince Albert Victor was created Duke -of Clarence and Avondale, and Earl of Athlone, in the peerage of the -United Kingdom. He was formally introduced to the House of Lords by -his father on 23rd January 1890, the ceremony being watched by Queen -Alexandra from a gallery. This was an event unique in English history. -The Duke of Clarence was the only eldest son of a Prince of Wales who -attained his majority, to say nothing of taking his seat in the House -of Lords, while his father was still Heir-Apparent to the Crown. - -During the year which followed, the King gave up regularly a certain -portion of his time to initiating his elder son in all the varied, if -monotonous, duties which were likely to fall to his lot, a task which -was really in no wise irksome, for those who knew the Duke of Clarence -best were well aware that his father had ever been his best friend, and -that he himself was never so happy as when he was allowed to share in -any sense his father’s life and interests. - -After the death of the Duke of Clarence, the King and his family -naturally retired into the deepest privacy, and it was many months -before His Majesty had sufficiently recovered from the blow to be able -to take up again the thread of his public duties. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES--MARRIAGE OF PRINCE GEORGE--THE -DIAMOND JUBILEE--DEATH OF THE DUCHESS OF TECK - - -The year 1893 brought to the King a very fortunate distraction, -which prevented his mind from dwelling too much on his still recent -bereavement in a way that could not have been accomplished by the -customary round of ceremonial visits and functions. This distraction -was his appointment as a member of the Royal Commission on the Housing -of the Poor. The King was genuinely delighted with this opportunity. -He threw himself with the greatest zeal into the work, and not only -attended all the sittings, which took place in one of the House of -Lords’ Committee Rooms, but visited, _incognito_, some of the very -poorest quarters of London. It is well known that he was exceedingly -anxious to serve on the Labour Commission, but Ministers have always -been unwilling that the Heir-Apparent should take an active part in -matters connected, even indirectly, with politics, and he has had, -therefore, constantly to play the part of the Sovereign’s deputy -without the responsibilities and interests naturally attaching to the -position. - -It is no exaggeration to say that there are few men now living who -possess better general qualifications for the difficult work of serving -on Royal Commissions than the King. He is familiar with an almost -bewildering variety of subjects, and possesses a wonderful faculty for -almost instinctively grasping the important features and the really -essential points of any matter under discussion. He is a model chairman -of a committee, and, though he cannot ever display the slightest -trace of personal or party feeling, it is well known that he follows -with intense interest all the political and social movements of the -day, and it is no secret that he is thoroughly an Imperialist. - -[Illustration: KING EDWARD AND QUEEN ALEXANDRA, WITH THE DUCHESS OF -FIFE AND LADY ALEXANDRA DUFF - -_From a Photograph by Gunn and Stuart_] - -The King’s work on the Housing of the Poor Commission was particularly -congenial to him, for he has always shown an unaffected interest in the -working classes. He has long been an annual subscriber to the Working -Men’s Club and Institute Union, and is a generous donor to the Working -Men’s College. Still more recently, in his reply to the loyal address -of condolence presented to him by the London County Council on the -death of Queen Victoria, His Majesty made a significant allusion to his -interest in the problem of the housing of the working classes. In 1889, -some years before the King joined the Housing of the Poor Commission, -he took the trouble to go to Lambeth on business seemingly of nothing -but local interest--namely, to receive a deputation of working men on -the subject of providing a park for the district. His host was the late -Primate, Dr. Benson, who thus describes the scene in his diary:-- - -“Went up to receive Prince of Wales and twelve Representative Working -Men at Lambeth. The latter to read him an address on the purchase of -‘The Lawn,’ South Lambeth, for a Public Park, and its great importance -to them and their children. Their chairman read a natural, honest -speech; nothing could be better than the tone and line of the Prince’s -answer. They were delighted by his strong shake of the hand. ‘Not the -tips of his fingers,’ they said; ‘working men have feelings, and they -would not like that.’ And, ‘It isn’t everybody that education refines -as it has him,’ said a blacksmith. ‘When he’s king I shall be able -to say that I’ve shook hands with the Crown,’ said an engine-driver. -Octavia Hill, and James Knowles, and my wife were the only people -admitted besides his Equerry, and Donaldson, and Phillips. It will do -good, and he spoke so well.” - -This incident is only mentioned as one out of many that could be -cited in proof, if proof were needed, of His Majesty’s keen interest -in everything that concerns the welfare of the working classes. On -another occasion the King was accidentally informed that an exhibition, -promoted by the working men in South London, was somewhat languishing -for lack of sufficient notice, and unofficially His Majesty arranged to -visit the exhibition. He went through it carefully, buying and paying -for such articles as took his fancy, and the moment the fact became -known, the promoters had no reason to complain of neglect on the part -of the general public, who were eager to see what had interested so -good a judge of exhibitions as King Edward. - -Throughout the year 1893 the King was busily employed in other ways -also. In March he paid a formal visit to the Public Record Office to -inspect some of the priceless national manuscripts deposited there, and -in May he had the satisfaction of seeing that great enterprise which he -had himself originated, the Imperial Institute, inaugurated in State by -his Royal Mother. It was at the Institute that Mr. Gladstone was hissed -by some unmannerly persons, to the great annoyance of the King, who -never concealed the strong respect and esteem in which he held both Mr. -and Mrs. Gladstone. - -It is interesting also to record that in March of this year the Queen, -who was accompanied by her son, was received by the Pope in private -audience. The interview lasted about an hour. - -The official announcement was made, appropriately enough in May, of -the betrothal of the King’s son, then Duke of York, to Princess May of -Teck. It is recorded in the late Duchess of Teck’s _Life_ that Prince -George proposed to Princess May on 3rd May 1893, at Sheen Lodge, which -for some time had been occupied by the Duke and Duchess of Fife. Both -the bride and her mother agreed that the trousseau should be entirely -of home workmanship. “I am determined,” said the Duchess of Teck, “that -all the silk shall come from England, all the flannel from Wales, -all the tweeds from Scotland, and every yard of lace and poplin from -Ireland.” The wedding gown was woven at Spitalfields, and was of silver -and white brocade, the design being of roses, shamrock, and thistles. -The bridal veil--the same which had been worn by the bride’s mother on -her wedding day in 1866--was of the finest Honiton lace, designed in a -sequence of cornucopiæ filled with roses, thistles, and shamrock. - -[Illustration: QUEEN VICTORIA AND THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CORNWALL AND -YORK - -_From a Photograph by Hughes and Mullins, Ryde_] - -The time of the short engagement was filled with preparations of all -kinds, and from a letter written by Mrs. Dalrymple, and quoted in the -Duchess of Teck’s _Life_, we obtain a good idea of how the days passed -by at White Lodge:-- - -“I remember the happy afternoon I spent at White Lodge a few days -before the marriage. We were a large and merry party, including the -Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and some time was spent in -looking at the numerous presents. Tea was served on the lawn under the -copper beech, and the dear Princess sat at the head of the table making -tea for all; on one side of her was a pile of telegrams received, -while on the other, scattered about amongst the cups, were packets -of telegraph forms. Messages were constantly being delivered, and -the Princess and the Duke as quickly wrote out the replies; no word -of complaint was uttered at these incessant interruptions. Her Royal -Highness’s amiable readiness to accede to the many appeals for a place -from which to see the bridal procession was wonderful. Princess Mary -begged me to visit her the day after the marriage, and her eyes filled -with tears as she spoke of parting from ‘her precious child.’ Much, -however, as I wished to accept the suggestion, I did not do so, but -implored the Princess to take the rest that I knew she so urgently -needed.” - -The qualities both of head and of heart possessed by Prince George’s -bride were, at any rate partially, realised by the nation. An incident -that occurred at St. Moritz in 1894 is not so well known. The Duchess -of Teck and her daughter were on a visit there when a fire broke out -which entirely destroyed several shops and houses, and threatened -destruction to the lower village. Both the Princess and her mother took -active steps to rescue the goods from burning, carrying out the things -in their arms. They were the first to go among the sufferers by the -fire offering words of consolation, and started a subscription in their -aid. - -After a very short engagement, the marriage took place in the -Chapel-Royal, St. James’s, on 6th July, in the presence of all the -Royal family, as well as the present Emperor of Russia and the King -and Queen of Denmark. King Edward naturally took a prominent part -in supervising all the arrangements, and was much gratified by the -outburst of popular enthusiasm which greeted his son’s union with the -daughter of the universally-beloved Duchess of Teck. - -It is interesting to note how frequently, ever since the marriage, the -King has associated his heir with himself in the performance of his -public duties, while the constant companionship of father and son is a -striking testimony to their complete sympathy with one another. - -The following year was notable for two Royal marriages in the King’s -immediate circle, and for a bereavement which touched both His Majesty -and the Queen in their closest family affections. The King went to -Coburg in April to be present at the wedding of his niece, Princess -Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his nephew, the Grand -Duke of Hesse, the only son of the lamented Princess Alice. The -occasion brought together a remarkable number of prominent members of -Royal Houses, including Queen Victoria and the German Emperor, and was -rendered additionally memorable by the fact that the engagement of the -present Tsar of Russia to the bridegroom’s sister was then publicly -announced. - -The King, who was on this occasion accompanied by Queen Alexandra, went -to St. Petersburg in August for the wedding of the Grand Duchess Xenia, -which was celebrated with all the lavish magnificence of Russian Court -ceremonies. - -Although the Tsar was not then in his usual robust health, there was -nothing to indicate how soon the King and Queen were to be recalled -to Russia on a far different mission. To their lasting sorrow, the -summons to the Tsar’s death-bed at Livadia arrived too late for them to -be present at the last. Their Majesties left London on 31st October, -immediately on receipt of an urgent message from the Tsaritsa, and had -proceeded as far as Vienna when the news was broken to them that all -was over. They, however, continued their melancholy journey, which -was much delayed by bad weather, in order that they might be with the -widowed Empress and her son through the terrible strain of the return -to St. Petersburg, and the ordeal of the funeral ceremonies. - -The King’s fifty-third birthday was spent at Livadia, and for the first -time since his birth the anniversary celebrations in London and at -Sandringham did not take place. - -When the funeral _cortège_ reached St. Petersburg, Prince George joined -his parents, and together they attended the elaborate obsequies of the -Emperor, and the very quiet wedding of the young Tsar and Princess -Alix of Hesse, which followed a few days later. The King remained in -Russia for the Queen’s birthday, and left with his son the following -day, while Her Majesty stayed behind to support her sister, the Empress -Alexander. - -The relations between England and Russia after the King’s return became -noticeably more cordial, and there is no doubt that this was owing in -a large measure to His Majesty’s personal exertions, and the sympathy -which he and his son displayed with the Russian people in their great -sorrow. - -During this year of 1894 the King exhibited his usual complaisance -in attending various local ceremonies. Among these may be mentioned -the opening of the Tower Bridge by the King and Queen, on behalf of -Queen Victoria, in June; while in July their Majesties attended the -Welsh Eisteddfod at Carnarvon, where they were received with great -enthusiasm. A special session was held, at which the King was initiated -as “Iorweth Dywysog” (Edward the Prince), Queen Alexandra as “Hoffder -Prydain” (Britain’s Delight), and the Princess Victoria as “Buddug” -(the modern Welsh form of Boadicea). - -The King was always willing to emphasise his connection with the -Principality from which he then took his title, and when the -long-desired University of Wales became an accomplished fact, he -readily consented to be its first Chancellor. His Majesty was installed -in this office at Aberystwyth in June 1896, and his first act as -Chancellor was to confer an honorary degree on Queen Alexandra. At -the luncheon which followed, the King’s health was proposed by Mr. -Gladstone. - -In the following month, the marriage of Princess Maud to Prince -Charles of Denmark took place in the chapel of Buckingham Palace in the -presence of Queen Victoria and the Royal families of the two countries. - -Archbishop Benson officiated at the wedding, and he gives the following -charming description of the ceremony in his diary:-- - -“Married the Princess Maud to Prince Charles of Denmark. The brightest -of the Princesses, and almost as young as when I confirmed her. He is a -tall, gallant-looking sailor. Hope he will make her happy. The Chapel -and old conservatory ineffectually disguised by church furniture--all -well arranged, and the banquet also. The whole very royally done. The -group of great peers of the Queen’s Household afterwards was striking, -as were the greater peers also in Chapel, and Mr. Gladstone decidedly -ageing and paling, though they say he is well. The Queen was the -wonderful sight--so vigorous. In the Bow Room afterwards, where fifty -Royalties signed the book, she called me to her, and I knelt and kissed -her hand, and she talked very spiritedly a few minutes. As soon as it -was over an Indian servant wheeled in her chair to take her out; she -instantly waved it back. ‘Behind the door,’ she said, and walked all -across the room with her stick most gallantly.” - -The month of May was naturally a very busy one for the King and Queen. -On the 22nd their Majesties, representing Queen Victoria, opened the -new Blackwall tunnel in State, the East End of London giving them a -right Royal reception. On this occasion His Majesty was presented with -one of the heaviest gold medals ever struck in England, weighing 12 -ounces, and bearing on the reverse a representation of the tunnel in -perspective. On the 26th His Majesty opened the new Medical School of -Guy’s Hospital; on the 27th the King and Queen, with their son and two -of their daughters, opened the Royal Military Tournament; on the 28th, -at the request of Queen Victoria, the King and Queen, accompanied by -Princess Victoria, laid the first stone of the Royal London Ophthalmic -Hospital in the City Road; on the 29th the King and Queen, with their -son and two of their daughters, went down to Canterbury to open the -restored Chapter-house of the Cathedral, and in the evening the King -dined with the past and present officers of the Norfolk Artillery -Militia, of which he is honorary colonel. On the 31st the King held a -_levée_ at St. James’s Palace, and in the evening dined with the 1st -Guards Club. - -[Illustration: THE KING IN THE UNDRESS UNIFORM OF AN ADMIRAL OF THE -FLEET - -_From a Photograph taken in 1897 by Mullins, Ryde_] - -This is a short summary, which does not pretend to be by any means -exhaustive of His Majesty’s engagements for a very few days, but it -brings out perhaps more vividly than a detailed list could possibly do -the whole-hearted manner in which the King threw himself into the great -tide of national rejoicing which reached its flood in that memorable -June of 1897. - -King Edward, for a variety of reasons, took a much greater part in -the Diamond Jubilee festivities of 1897 than he did in those of ten -years before. All the arrangements were submitted for his approval as -well as Queen Victoria’s, and it was largely owing to his conspicuous -organising ability that everything went off with such triumphant -success. Both the King and Queen Alexandra associated themselves in a -special manner with the occasion, the former by his Hospital Fund for -London, and the latter by her thoughtful scheme of providing one good -dinner for the very poorest. The Hospital Fund greatly benefited by the -sale of a special stamp, the design of which was selected by the King -himself. - -King Edward, who had been made an honorary Admiral of the Fleet at -the Golden Jubilee of 1887, represented his mother at the magnificent -naval review at Spithead, which was generally agreed to be, in its way, -the finest spectacle of all that the Jubilee festivities afforded. -Many foreign warships were sent by other countries as tokens of -international courtesy. Towards the officers of these vessels the King -displayed all his wonted cordiality; and in the arrangements for their -entertainment his efforts were heartily seconded by Viscount Goschen, -then First Lord of the Admiralty, and the other naval authorities. -The spectacle of so vast a concourse of British vessels was rendered -doubly impressive by the knowledge that it had been assembled without -weakening in the slightest degree the squadrons on the numerous British -naval stations all over the world. There was much point in the remark -said to have been made by the United States Special Ambassador to the -First Lord: “I guess, sir, this makes for peace!” - -On the eventful morning of the 22nd June, when the Jubilee honours -were announced, it was found that Queen Victoria, while conferring -some mark of her favour on each of her sons, had created a new and -special dignity for the Heir-Apparent. The announcement was made in the -following terms:-- - -“The Queen has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of Her -Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, to appoint Field-Marshal His Royal Highness -the Prince of Wales, K.G., G.C.B., to be Great Master and Principal -Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath.” - -That this distinction was very gratifying to the King was significantly -shown in the following month, when he gave a great banquet at St. -James’s Palace to the Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in -celebration of his appointment. It was an absolutely unique gathering -of men who had rendered distinguished service to the State, in -statesmanship, in diplomacy, in the profession of arms, in the navy, -and in the departments of civil administration. - -Since his accession, His Majesty has appointed his brother, the Duke of -Connaught, to succeed him as Great Master of the Order of the Bath. - -By command of Queen Victoria, the King held a State reception and -investiture at St. James’s Palace on 21st July, when he received on -behalf of Her Majesty a large number of Diamond Jubilee addresses and -invested the newly-created Companions of the Orders of the Bath, the -Star of India, St. Michael and St. George, and the Indian Empire, -and on the same day His Majesty also opened the new Tate Gallery at -Millbank. - -It was in this month that His Majesty was elected to the fellowship -of the Royal College of Physicians of London at a comitia of the -College--an honour which he valued highly. As a non-medical fellow the -King had had only three predecessors, the Marquis of Dorchester in -1658, the Duke of Manchester in 1717, and the Duke of Richmond in 1729. -The Royal diploma was, it is understood, specially composed for the -occasion, and did not give the new fellow complete freedom to practise -in his new profession! Later on, His Majesty was destined to experience -in his own person the marvellous benefits which modern surgery has -placed at the service of suffering humanity. - -[Illustration: THE KING AS GRAND MASTER OF THE KNIGHTS-HOSPITALLERS OF -MALTA, AT THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE’S BALL - -_From a Photograph by Lafayette_] - -The rest of the Diamond Jubilee year was spent in comparative quietude -by the King and Queen Alexandra, although His Majesty took an active -part in the exceptionally brilliant season. He attended, among other -great functions, the Fancy Dress Ball given by the Duchess of -Devonshire, wearing on this occasion the splendid costume of the Grand -Master of the Knights-Hospitallers of Malta. - -King Edward and Queen Alexandra left Marlborough House on 10th August -for Bayreuth, and His Majesty arrived at Marienbad on the 18th, -travelling _incognito_ as Lord Renfrew. Her Majesty went to Bernstorff -to visit her parents, and was joined there early in September by the -King. His Majesty afterwards visited the Empress Frederick at Cronberg, -and returned to Marlborough House on 25th September, while Her Majesty -prolonged her stay in Denmark till October. - -On 16th October the King stood as sponsor at the christening of -the infant son and heir of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough--an -interesting occasion, for His Majesty had been godfather to the Duke -himself some twenty-five years before. - -This summer was also rendered memorable for the visit paid by the Duke -and Duchess of Cornwall and York to Ireland. Their Royal Highnesses -spent a fortnight there, stopping with the Lord-Lieutenant, Earl -Cadogan, in Dublin; afterwards visiting some of the great houses of the -Irish nobility, and seeing a great deal of the lovely scenery for which -Ireland is famous, including Killarney, from which the Duke takes the -title of Baron. - -In Dublin the Duke of Cornwall and York and the ever-popular Lord -Roberts were installed with great pomp and ceremony as Knights of the -Order of St. Patrick. The Duke wore the same sword which his father had -used when he was installed some three-and-twenty years before. - -[Illustration: THE DUKE OF CORNWALL AND YORK IN HIS ROBES AS A KNIGHT -OF ST. PATRICK - -_From a Photograph by Lafayette_] - -His Royal Highness on the termination of the visit wrote the following -letter to Lord Cadogan, the Lord-Lieutenant:-- - - “MOUNT STEWART, NEWTOWNARDS, CO. DOWN, _8th September 1897_. - - “DEAR LORD CADOGAN--I cannot leave Ireland without expressing - to you, on behalf of the Duchess of York and myself, our very - sincere appreciation of the warm and enthusiastic welcome which - has been accorded to us during our visit by all classes and in - all parts of the country. - - “Nothing could have exceeded the kindness and hospitality which - have been shown to us, and the agreeable impressions which we - have derived from our visit can never be effaced from our - memory. I regret that the limited time at our disposal rendered - it impossible for us to see many districts in a country which - contains so much that is beautiful and interesting. I hope, - however, that we may have further opportunities of improving - our acquaintance with the people of Ireland and with the - country of which they are so justly proud.--Believe me, very - sincerely yours, - - “GEORGE.” - -Their Royal Highnesses came home by way of Scotland, visiting Glasgow, -where they performed several ceremonial functions, and staying with -Lord Rosebery at Dalmeny for two nights. They then went to Ness Castle -and on to Guisachan for fishing and deer-stalking as the guests of Lord -and Lady Tweedmouth, and ultimately visited Queen Victoria at Balmoral. - -This Royal visit to Ireland exhibited in a striking manner the extent -to which party passions had been allayed in the distressful country. -The Duke and Duchess had everywhere a respectful and frequently an -enthusiastic reception; and in almost every address received by their -Royal Highnesses the desirability of establishing a Royal residence in -Ireland was pointedly referred to. The profound effect of the visit was -seen a month or two later, when, on the death of the lamented Duchess -of Teck, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Dublin telegraphed their -condolences, both officially and privately, not to the Duke of Teck, as -might have been expected, but to the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and -York. On this mournful occasion, also, the Corporation of “rebel” Cork -passed a resolution of sympathy. - -[Illustration: THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL AND YORK - -_From a Photograph by Chancellor, Dublin_] - -The death of the Duchess of Teck on 27th October was a terrible -blow to the King and Queen Alexandra. In the previous April the -Duchess had undergone a severe operation with the magnificent courage -characteristic of her, and as soon as she was able to receive visitors -the very first who came was King Edward. Her Royal Highness seemed -quite to have conquered her malady. She went up to London from White -Lodge in June, and bore her part in many of the Diamond Jubilee -rejoicings. No one who saw the Jubilee procession will ever forget the -people’s welcome to the Duchess of Teck--great in the West End, but -greatest of all in the poorer parts of London, and second only to the -reception accorded to Queen Victoria herself. The Duchess attended the -Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, and at the Duchess of Devonshire’s -ball she appeared as the Electress Sophia. Visits to Northumberland -and Westmoreland followed, but towards the end of October, when Her -Royal Highness had returned to White Lodge, the illness returned. The -surgeons again operated successfully, but the patient could not rally -from the shock. - -There had been practically no warning, so that the news came with -equal suddenness both to the Royal Family and the nation. King Edward -and Queen Alexandra immediately hurried up from Sandringham, and -afterwards, at the deeply impressive funeral in St. George’s Chapel, -Windsor, His Majesty represented his Royal mother. - -This bereavement was the more terrible from its utter unexpectedness, -and, as has been so singularly often the case in our Royal Family, -it happened in the autumn. Princess Mary, who stood in the relation -of second cousin to King Edward, was, although belonging technically -to the same generation as Queen Victoria, but a few years older than -His Majesty, and the most affectionate and close relations had always -existed between them, a fact shown on many occasions throughout their -joint lives, and nowhere more strikingly than in the great satisfaction -expressed by both the King and Queen Alexandra at the marriage of their -only surviving son to the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Teck. - -Earlier in the autumn an attempt was made to use the King’s great -personal prestige and popularity in order to bring to a close the -struggle between masters and men in the engineering trade. The writer -received the following reply:-- - - “MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, PALL MALL, S.W., _8th October 1897_. - - “DEAR SIR--I am directed by the Prince of Wales to acknowledge - the receipt of your letter of the 4th inst., and to inform - you, in reply, that, while he deeply deplores the disastrous - state of affairs in the engineering industry, he feels that it - would not be right or proper for him to attempt in any way to - interfere or to mix himself up in them. His Royal Highness - regrets that he is unable to act on your suggestion.--I am, - Sir, your obedient servant, - - “FRANCIS KNOLLYS.” - -Towards the end of November the King visited Durham, and in his reply -to the inevitable address gave some interesting reminiscences of the -late Bishop of the diocese. He said:-- - -“Dr. Lightfoot, who was transferred from his theological studies in -the University of Cambridge to undertake the administration of a large -and important diocese, evinced a powerful personality of character -through the brilliancy of his intellect, his profound learning, his -earnest piety, and a capacity for organisation so remarkable as almost -to appear intuitive.… I may mention that I myself was personally -acquainted with Bishop Lightfoot when I was an undergraduate at -Cambridge, and I wish to add my own testimony to the admiration and -regard with which he inspired all who, like myself, had the advantage -of knowing him.” - -On 21st December Queen Alexandra received a grateful address from the -chairmen of the sixty local committees who were entrusted with the -management of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee dinner fund for the poor of -London, and so ended this eventful year. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -LATER YEARS--A SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO THE KING--GRADUAL RECOVERY--THE -ATTEMPT ON THE KING’S LIFE - - -The year 1898, destined to bring His Majesty a serious accident and a -tedious convalescence, opened uneventfully. On New Year’s Day the King -accepted the post of Patron of the Fourth International Congress of -Zoology, which had arranged to meet at Cambridge in August. In January, -too, the Brixton branch of the Social Democratic Federation sent to the -King a proposal that the Government should organise a system of State -maintenance of the underfed London school children. In reply, Sir F. -Knollys wrote:-- - -“His Royal Highness directs me to assure you that he feels the greatest -sympathy for the large number of underfed and half-starved children -living in London, and although he is afraid he does not feel himself -at liberty to support your particular proposal, it will give him much -pleasure to send a donation to the London Schools Dinner Association, -which he understands is doing very good work in the required direction.” - -In March the King went to Cannes, and saw President Faure in Paris on -his way thither. On 10th March His Majesty laid the first stone of a -new jetty at Cannes in the midst of a brilliant assemblage. He said, -speaking to the Mayor:-- - -“You know what pleasure it gives me to spend a few weeks in your -beautiful country, where I always meet with a hospitable reception.… In -laying the first stone of the new jetty, in accordance with your kind -wish, I desire to tell you especially how touched I was at your having -thought of giving it my name. I trust that the very wise and unanimous -impulse given by you to yachting at Cannes will not fail of its effect. -You can safely rely upon my support, for I am sincerely glad to see -this friendly competition between our two countries developed, and, -as you have so well said, I hope with you that this ceremony may be a -fresh pledge of cordial relations between France and Great Britain.” - -To M. Leroux, Prefect of the Alpes Maritimes, His Majesty said:-- - -“I am touched by the sentiments which, in the name of the Government of -the Republic, you have just expressed. I sincerely hope that France may -long enjoy the benefits of the Government which you represent, and that -the cordial relations between France and Great Britain may continue -for the good of humanity. I am, indeed, happy to be able to lend my -co-operation to this hospitable country, for which I wish the greatest -prosperity.” - -On 25th April His Majesty opened the Royal Photographic Society’s -International Exhibition at the Crystal Palace. The Society was -founded in 1853 under the auspices of Queen Victoria and the Prince -Consort. The King naturally took special interest in the exhibit of -his Hospital Fund for London, which included photographs of the “Roll -of Ministering Children.” This roll comprised so many portraits of the -King’s descendants that His Majesty drily observed that he seemed to be -surrounded by grandchildren. - -This spring His Majesty was much occupied with the preparations for the -Paris Exhibition of 1900. He was Chairman of both the executive and the -finance committee of the Royal Commission which was appointed to see -that Great Britain was adequately represented. - -On 18th May the King reviewed the Lancashire Hussars at Birkdale, it -being the jubilee of this yeomanry regiment, and also visited Southport -and Wigan. On 20th May he reviewed the Royal Bucks Hussars in Howe Park. - -The death of Mr. Gladstone caused much sorrow both to His Majesty and -to Queen Alexandra, who had frequently demonstrated the regard in which -they held the veteran statesman and his devoted wife. At the funeral -of Mr. Gladstone in the Abbey on 28th May 1898 the King was the chief -pall-bearer with his son, the Duke of Cornwall and York, and at the -close of the service, with the other pall-bearers, they kissed the hand -of Mrs. Gladstone. Queen Alexandra and the Duchess of Cornwall and York -were present at the service. - -Soon afterwards their Majesties lost another old friend, and curiously -enough a devoted follower of Mr. Gladstone, namely, the first Lord -Playfair, so long known as Sir Lyon Playfair, who had taught the King -science in His Majesty’s student days at Edinburgh. - -On 31st May the _London Gazette_ published the following, which was -naturally of much interest to the King:-- - -“The Queen has been pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal, -to declare that the children of the eldest son of any Prince of Wales -shall have, and at all times hold and enjoy, the style, title, and -attribute of ‘Royal Highness.’” - -On 8th June Queen Alexandra presented prizes in the Albert Hall to the -boys of the Royal Masonic Institution at Woodgreen. His Majesty, in -acknowledging a vote of thanks to her, said:-- - -“Though the Princess has set a good example, as the wife of a -Freemason, in not attempting to discover the secrets of our craft, I -think she has taken a philanthropic interest in all that concerns our -works.” - -Three days later the King opened the Reading University Extension -Hospital and inspected the Royal Berkshire Hospital, afterwards going -on a visit to his old friends Lord and Lady Wantage at Lockinge. On -18th June the King distributed the prizes at Wellington College, and on -21st June, accompanied by the Queen, he laid the foundation stone of -the new buildings of the North London or University College Hospital. - -A week later the King paid a visit to Lord and Lady Warwick, and much -enjoyed driving in motor cars, then a comparatively novel form of -conveyance. During the visit Lady Warwick drove the King to Barford to -call upon Mr. Joseph Arch, M.P., in his cottage. His Majesty had a high -opinion of Mr. Arch, who had risen by his own exertions from a very -humble origin, and at that time represented the electoral division of -Norfolk in which Sandringham is situated. - -[Illustration: THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT - -THE LATE DUKE OF SAXE-COBURG - -QUEEN VICTORIA - -THE GERMAN EMPEROR - -THE EMPRESS FREDERICK - -KING EDWARD VII. - -_From a Photograph by J. Russell and Sons_] - -On 7th July the King, with the Duke of Sparta, who was on a visit to -this country, attended the presentation of colours by Queen Victoria to -the 3rd Coldstream Guards at Aldershot. - -The King met with a serious accident on 18th July while at Waddesdon -Manor, Bucks, on a visit to Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. His -Majesty slipped in descending a staircase and sustained a fracture -of the knee-cap, but was able to travel to Marlborough House the -same afternoon. Not much progress was made, however, and on the 19th -Sir William MacCormac and Sir Francis Laking decided to call in the -famous surgeon, Sir Thomas Smith, who had undoubtedly prolonged the -Duchess of Teck’s life. It is interesting to note that the Röntgen -rays were employed to ascertain the extent of the injury, probably -the first occasion of their being used for a Royal patient. Rest was -compulsory, and though it must have been irksome in the extreme to one -of the King’s active habits, yet nothing could exceed the cheerfulness -displayed by the patient. - -On the 21st Lord Lister, the “father” of antiseptic surgery, was called -in, and with characteristic consideration, in view of the anxiety -exhibited by the whole Empire, the King authorised the publication of a -detailed statement regarding the accident. - -From this it appeared that he missed his footing while coming down the -spiral staircase at Waddesdon Manor, and in the sudden severe effort -made to save himself from falling sustained a fracture of the left -patella. “About one-fifth of the bone, somewhat crescentic in shape, -was torn away, along with the tendinous insertion of the quadriceps -extensor, and the gap between the fragments amounted to a little more -than two inches.” Sir W. MacCormac and Sir Francis Laking concluded -their statement by the remark that the illustrious patient “is bearing -the enforced restraint with exemplary patience and good temper.” Of -course what every one feared was some permanent lameness or weakness of -the limb, but this, as will be seen from what follows, was fortunately -averted. - -Queen Alexandra was unremitting in her attentions to the invalid, and -was with difficulty prevailed upon to leave his room for necessary air -and exercise. On the 23rd Mr. Alfred Fripp, Surgeon-in-ordinary, who -was away on his honeymoon at the time the accident occurred, joined the -other medical attendants, who in consultation decided that the patient -might attend the Cowes Regatta on board the Royal yacht _Osborne_. It -was hoped that the change of scene would facilitate recovery, and the -decision was also naturally gratifying to Queen Victoria, who was then -in residence at Osborne, and wished to be near her son. - -On Sunday, the 24th, the patient was connected by electrophone with -St. Michael’s, Chester Square, and heard his honorary chaplain, Canon -Fleming, refer to the accident and the national anxiety it had caused. -In the evening the invalid heard a sacred concert, also through the -electrophone. - -The Sultan was greatly concerned at the news of the accident, and even -offered to send the well-known Turkish surgeon, Djemal Pasha, to attend -on the patient. - -It was characteristic of the King’s kindly consideration that before -leaving London for Cowes he sent a gold scarf-pin, set with emeralds, -and a letter of thanks to Dr. Shaw, the local practitioner who had -attended him at Waddesdon immediately after the accident. - -On 30th July the King, accompanied by the Queen, Princess Victoria, -and Prince Nicholas and Princess Marie of Greece, left London for -Cowes. Sir F. Laking and Mr. Fripp were in medical attendance, and -the transport to Paddington, and thence by the Queen’s train to -Portsmouth Jetty, was accomplished with complete comfort and safety. -The patient was carried by bluejackets in his invalid’s chair on board -the _Osborne_, and it is needless to say that the “handy men” did -their work to perfection, with masculine strength allied to womanly -tenderness. On the 31st Queen Victoria visited the patient and found -him in excellent spirits and making good progress. - -The Queen of Denmark fell seriously ill at this time, and as King -Edward was going on so well, Queen Alexandra left on 3rd August for -Copenhagen, attended by Miss Knollys and Sir Francis Laking. Princess -Victoria remained with her father. - -On the 6th it was announced that no further bulletins would be -issued, as the King’s progress was so satisfactory. Queen Victoria -paid him frequent visits, and on the 12th Lord Rosebery was his -guest. The _Osborne_ often went for short cruises, sometimes as far -as the Needles, and the King was much gratified to have his son and -daughter-in-law with him, as well as his grandchildren, the little -Princes Edward and Albert. - -At length on the 23rd the _Osborne_ left for a longer cruise in the -Channel, the programme including visits to Plymouth and Torquay. -Mr. Fripp was in medical charge. This did the patient great good, -and at some of the places at which the yacht touched he was able to -obtain carriage exercise, four of the _Osborne’s_ bluejackets having -been drilled as a carrying party. His Majesty thoroughly realised -that complete recovery must not only be a matter of time, but must -also depend on strict obedience to the doctors’ orders, and, as the -event proved, he showed himself a model patient in every way. Queen -Victoria’s anxiety about her son abated, and she was able to leave -for Balmoral on 31st August. The patient particularly enjoyed the -opportunity of entertaining his friends on board the yacht, including -the Portuguese Minister and Mr. Christopher Sykes. He paid a long visit -to Mount Edgcumbe, landing and driving in the park. - -On 2nd September the _Osborne_ returned to Cowes, and on the following -day the patient was allowed to stand up for the first time and to walk -very carefully a distance of three feet. - -The health of the Queen of Denmark continued to give great anxiety -to His Majesty, and the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, with -little Prince Edward, left England for Copenhagen to be present at the -celebration of the aged Queen’s birthday, which seemed only too likely -to be the last that she would ever spend on earth. - -On the 8th the King was able to visit Osborne--of course in an invalid -chair. On the 12th it was announced that a considerable degree of -mobility had been obtained in the knee joint, and on the 14th the -patient, accompanied by Princess Victoria, left for Balmoral. - -At this time, in spite of the tiresome restraints imposed on him by -his accident, the King did another of those graceful little actions -which have helped so much to strengthen his hold over the affections -of his subjects all over the world. Some time before this His Majesty -had assisted Sir James Woodhead, then Mayor of Cape Town, to procure a -mace for the city, made of oak from the timbers of Nelson’s flagship, -the _Victory_. Unfortunately, the piece of wood sent out proved to be -so much decayed as to be practically useless. Another application was -made to the King, who again interested himself in the kindest manner -in the matter, with the result that a fairly sound piece of wood was -despatched, and the grateful council of Cape Town passed a unanimous -resolution of thanks to their Royal benefactor. It is not a very -important incident, but it illustrates His Majesty’s willingness not -only to take trouble, but to go on taking trouble. - -The King derived the greatest benefit from the splendid air of Deeside, -and about the middle of September Mr. Fripp, his Surgeon-in-ordinary, -was able to return to London. While His Majesty was in Scotland Lord -Crawford celebrated the quincentenary of his earldom, and the King sent -him the following kindly telegram:-- - -“Allow me to offer you my sincerest congratulations on the 500th -anniversary of the creating of your title.--ALBERT EDWARD.” - -On 23rd September the King left Balmoral to stay with the Duke and -Duchess of Fife at Mar Lodge, and on the 27th the recovery of His -Majesty was, so to speak, officially marked by the announcement in -the _London Gazette_ that Queen Victoria had appointed Sir William -MacCormac and Sir Francis Laking to be Knight-Commanders, and Mr. -Fripp and Fleet-Surgeon Delmege to be Members of the Royal Victorian -Order, “in recognition of their services in connection with the recent -accident met with by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.” - -All this time the condition of the venerable Queen of Denmark had been -fluctuating, now an improvement and now a relapse being reported. At -last the end came on 29th September, and the Balmoral _Court Circular_, -in recording the mournful event, announced:-- - -“The Queen’s beloved daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, was in -constant attendance on her mother, to whom she was devotedly attached.” - -The utmost sympathy was shown by all classes with King Edward and Queen -Alexandra in this terrible bereavement. The King was represented at -the funeral by his son, and the Duke of Cambridge represented Queen -Victoria. Queen Alexandra of course remained at Copenhagen for the last -sad rites. - -On 16th October the King returned to London, the only trace of his -accident being a very slight limp, which was soon got rid of, and on -the 28th His Majesty received Lord Kitchener, who had come home with -all the laurels of Omdurman. On 1st November Queen Alexandra and her -son returned from Copenhagen, and their Majesties soon afterwards paid -a short visit to Sandringham. Before the end of November the _Lancet_ -was able to assure the public that the King’s recovery was complete, -and His Majesty showed his gratitude to Sir William MacCormac by his -presence when, in the following February, the eminent surgeon delivered -the Hunterian Oration at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. - -On 6th February 1899 another sad bereavement befell the King in the -death of Prince Alfred, the only son of his brother, the Duke of -Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. - -The King soon returned to his active public life. On 2nd March His -Majesty presided at a meeting held at Marlborough House to establish -the League of Mercy, the purpose of which was to promote more -systematic contributions to his Hospital Fund for London. On 8th July -the King reviewed some 26,000 Metropolitan Volunteers on the Horse -Guards Parade. Queen Alexandra watched the review, and her son and the -Duke of Connaught marched past at the head of the corps of which they -are honorary colonels. On 20th July the King and Queen opened the new -buildings of the Alexandra Hospital for Children with Hip Disease in -Bloomsbury, and on the following day their Majesties entertained 1200 -hospital nurses at Marlborough House at a garden party in connection -with the Royal National Pension Fund for Nurses. On 22nd July the -King, who was accompanied by his son and daughter-in-law, was an -interested spectator of the International University Sports, when the -representatives of Oxford and Cambridge beat the champions of Harvard -and Yale by five events to four. In September His Majesty presented new -colours to the 1st Gordon Highlanders at Ballater. - -[Illustration: THE KING WITH THE LADIES DUFF - -_From a Photograph by Messrs. Downey_] - -The autumn of 1899 was signalised by the visit which was paid to this -country by the German Emperor and Empress, who were accompanied by two -of their sons, Prince Augustus William and Prince Oscar. Their Imperial -Majesties were royally entertained at Windsor by Queen Victoria, to -whom they had come to pay their respects, a great State banquet being -the chief among the festivities. King Edward naturally took a prominent -part in the reception of the German Emperor, who particularly enjoyed -some capital shooting on his uncle’s estate at Sandringham. At the time -of His Imperial Majesty’s visit, the British arms in South Africa were -not meeting with conspicuous success, and various political motives -were freely attributed to the Kaiser, but the mass of the British -people were content to take the event for what it seemed to be--namely, -a tribute of respect to the venerated British Sovereign on the part -of her grandson. Queen Victoria took the opportunity to appoint the -Kaiser an honorary G.C.V.O., and to confer various grades of the same -decoration on the members of His Imperial Majesty’s suite, which -included more than one eminent German statesman. - -The year 1900 was perhaps the most eventful in King Edward’s life, for -it saw the first attempt that had ever been made to kill him. Queen -Victoria’s memorable visit to Ireland began on the very same day on -which this dastardly attempt was perpetrated. Her Majesty landed at -Kingstown on the morning of Wednesday, 4th April, and made her State -entry into Dublin. Meanwhile King Edward and Queen Alexandra left -England for Copenhagen. As the train by which they were travelling -to Denmark was leaving the Nord Station at Brussels in the evening, -a youth named Sipido jumped on the footboard of the Royal carriage -and fired two shots from a revolver into the saloon. Fortunately they -completely missed the King, who behaved with the utmost coolness, and -as quickly as possible telegraphed a reassuring message to his Royal -mother. - -Sipido, who was of course instantly arrested, declared that he had -intended “to kill the Prince because His Royal Highness had caused -thousands of men to be slaughtered in South Africa.” There is no doubt -that the youth’s mind had become infuriated, partly by Anarchist -doctrines, partly by reading the abominable libels which for some -time had been circulated in the disreputable Continental journals -regarding the conduct of the war in South Africa. Unfortunately it -has to be recorded that not disreputable journals alone were guilty. -For instance, the issue of the _Kladderadatsch_, the German _Punch_, -published just before the attack on the King, contained a paragraph -of the grossest and most insulting character, completing a series of -abominably scurrilous attacks on His Majesty. - -Widespread indignation was aroused, not only in the British Empire, -but also throughout the Continent, and the King and Queen were -the recipients of many thousands of telegrams of sympathy and -congratulation on His Majesty’s happy escape. The King expressed a -wish to have the bullet, and after the trial it was sent to him. It -is significant of His Majesty’s kindly thought that he sent to M. -Crocius, the stationmaster who seized Sipido, a valuable scarf-pin as -an acknowledgment. M. Crocius also received the Royal Victorian Order -and a letter of thanks from Queen Victoria. - -The King and Queen returned to London from Denmark on 20th April, and -their arrival was made the occasion of a really remarkable popular -demonstration. A few days later the Press was requested to publish the -following graceful acknowledgment from His Majesty:-- - - “MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, PALL MALL, S.W. - - “I have been deeply touched by the numerous expressions of - sympathy and goodwill addressed to me on the occasion of the - providential escape of the Princess of Wales and myself from - the danger we have lately passed through. - - “From every quarter of the globe, from the Queen’s subjects - throughout the world, as well as from the representatives and - inhabitants of foreign countries, have these manifestations of - sympathy proceeded, and on my return to this country I received - a welcome so spontaneous and hearty that I felt I was the - recipient of a most gratifying tribute of genuine goodwill. - - “Such proofs of kind and generous feeling are naturally most - highly prized by me, and will for ever be cherished in my - memory. - - “ALBERT EDWARD.” - -The subsequent history of Sipido throws a curious light on Belgian -notions of justice. He was placed on trial before the Brabant Assize -Court on 2nd July, and admitted his guilt, acknowledging that the -attempt was not meant as a joke. Although the jury on the 5th brought -in a verdict of “guilty,” the Court acquitted the prisoner on the -ground that he was “irresponsible,” but ordered him to be placed at -the disposal of the Government till he attained the age of twenty-one. -The Belgian Government, however, did not prevent him from fleeing to -Paris, where he had relatives. Mr. Balfour stated in the House of -Commons that the British Government had informed the Belgian Government -that they considered the result of the proceedings to be a grave and -most unfortunate miscarriage of justice. In excuse for not detaining -Sipido, the Belgian Government pleaded that the youth could not be -arrested during the three days’ interval to which he was entitled for -deciding whether he should lodge an appeal. But this deceived no one, -for it was not an illegal arrest which was desired, but ordinary police -surveillance. - -Sipido did appeal against the sentence of the Assize Court, but the -Brussels Court of Cassation rejected the appeal towards the end of -September. The Belgian Government ultimately obtained the extradition -of the youth from the French Government, and he arrived in Brussels in -charge of the police on 27th October. - -The death of his brother, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Duke of -Edinburgh), in the summer of 1900, was a bitter grief to the King, who -was present with the German Emperor at the funeral. The succession to -the principality had been the subject of a family arrangement on the -death of the heir, Prince Alfred, in 1899. The King himself had of -course long ago renounced his rights, and the next heir, the Duke of -Connaught, on behalf of himself and his son, Prince Arthur, did the -same, with certain reservations. The duchy therefore passed to the -young Duke of Albany, only son of the late Prince Leopold, who was then -a boy in Mr. Benson’s house at Eton. - -On New Year’s Day 1901 the King was much gratified by the promotion -of his son and heir to be Rear-Admiral, the more so as the Duke had -fairly earned this advancement as judged by the ordinary standards -of promotion in the Navy. The position to which His Royal Highness -was raised by the death of his elder brother of course rendered it -impossible for him thenceforward to be so closely associated with the -sea service as, for example, his uncle, the Duke of Edinburgh, had -been, and the step in rank was no doubt conferred in anticipation of -the Duke’s approaching visit to Australia to inaugurate the Federal -Parliament. The promotion was followed, a day or two afterwards, by -the appointment of the Duke to be Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Marine -Forces. - -Dr. Creighton, Bishop of London, died on 14th January, and the King, -who was so soon to need the deepest sympathy himself, wrote a long and -touching letter of sympathy to the bereaved widow. - -[Illustration: SANDRINGHAM FROM THE GROUNDS - -_Photograph by Ralph, Dersingham_] - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE KING AS A COUNTRY SQUIRE - - -Sandringham is so closely associated in the public mind with King -Edward and Queen Alexandra, whose country home it was for so many -years, and is still to be from time to time, that no apology is needed -for devoting to it a special chapter. - -When King Edward was about to set up a separate establishment, -Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort instructed some of their most -trusted friends to look out for a suitable country estate for the -Heir-Apparent. At one moment it was proposed to buy Newstead Abbey, but -its Byronic associations caused it to be purchased as soon as it came -into the market. Eynsham, in Oxfordshire, an estate belonging to Lord -Macclesfield, also came under consideration, as well as Elveden, in -Suffolk, and Hatherop, in Gloucestershire. Lord Palmerston seems to -have suggested Sandringham, which at that time belonged to his stepson, -Mr. Spencer Cowper, and accordingly the Norfolk estate was bought for -£220,000. - -The estate consisted of eight thousand acres, the nominal rental -being about £7000 a year, but everything about Sandringham was at -that time in very bad order. The house was small and dilapidated, and -the shooting and outlying portions of the estate had been utterly -neglected. It is said that the whole rental has been expended on -the property during the last thirty-five or forty years, and a very -considerable sum has also been spent on the new house, the new gardens, -the park, and the home farms. Every kind of improvement has been -carried out, gradually but steadily, and now it may be considered a -model estate from every point of view. One of the first institutions -set up by the King was an admirable village club, entirely built at His -Majesty’s own expense. The regulations enforced are based on what is -called Dr. Arnold’s system, and give the _maximum_ of freedom to the -members. - -The old mansion, which was small and inconvenient, was pulled down, -and the present house was erected on a more suitable site, from the -designs of Mr. Humbert. The work was not completed till 1871. The new -mansion is a very pretty gabled building, and though commodious enough, -it will not compare in point of size with many of the “stately homes of -England.” On the inner wall of the vestibule, above the hall door, is -set a tablet bearing, in Old English characters, the inscription: “This -house was built by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Alexandra, his -wife, in the year of Our Lord, 1870.” - -The Royal host and hostess, as well as their family and their guests, -are wont to spend much of their time in the great hall, a really -beautiful apartment, with a lofty ceiling of open oak work. Many -family souvenirs are gathered here, including a fine painting of Queen -Alexandra’s birthplace, portraits of the King and Queen of Denmark, two -miniature cannon, which were given by Napoleon III. to the King and to -his sister, the Empress Frederick, and a number of family portraits -and photographs. Facing the main entrance is the head of a wild bull, -belonging to the famous Chillingham herd, which was shot by the King in -1872. Underneath are Sir Walter Scott’s lines:-- - - Fierce on the hunter’s quiver’d band - He rolls his eyes of swarthy glow, - Spurns with black hoof and horn the sand, - And tosses high his mane of snow. - -Though Sandringham can boast of no wild cattle, yet the King has been -for many years a breeder of shorthorns and Southdown sheep on a large -scale, and it is difficult to estimate the benefits which his example -in this respect has conferred on the great agricultural industry. His -Majesty has always been a very keen competitor at the various national -and local shows, and he took his duties as President of the Royal -Agricultural Society very seriously. All the Norfolk shows, from the -flower show to the poultry show, are patronised by their Majesties; -and in this, as in so many other matters, the Squire of Sandringham -sets an excellent example to those round him. The Allotments Act was -practically anticipated at Sandringham, and the tenants of His Majesty -know that he interprets very generously any Act telling in their favour. - -The Royal Agricultural Society held its annual meeting in Dublin in -1871, when the King, who was accompanied by the Duke of Connaught and -Princess Louise (Duchess of Argyll), and the Duke of Argyll, paid one -of his visits to Ireland. At the annual banquet of the Society His -Majesty spoke in terms which demonstrate in the clearest manner his -interest in agriculture and his sense of its importance in promoting -the prosperity of the nation at large. He said, in the course of an -unusually long speech:-- - -“The theme before me--prosperity to Ireland--is one that might -be enlarged upon greatly. No one wishes more sincerely than I do -prosperity to this country. No one in the large assemblage which -crowds this hall, and no one outside this hall, could more largely -wish for the prosperity of Ireland which is so dear to them.… I may -say that what will do more than anything else towards making a -country prosperous is the extension of its agriculture. It was with -great pleasure that I accepted the position of President of the Royal -Agricultural Society, and it afforded me great pleasure to be present -at the Show to-day. My brother has already alluded in his speech to the -fine animals we saw, and I may add that I feel sure that in no other -part of the United Kingdom could a more creditable Show be held than -that which was opened near Dublin this morning. During the last four -years there has been a great improvement in every respect in the shows -of the Royal Agricultural Societies.… - -[Illustration: THE NORWICH GATE AT SANDRINGHAM - -_Photograph by Ralph, Dersingham_] - -“I am assured that if the many gentlemen and landlords who very often -find some difficulty in leaving England, but who have large interests -and large estates in this country, could contrive to come over here -more frequently, it would do more good than anything else I could -imagine. I am certain that they are anxious to come over, and that -their relations with their tenantry and those around them should be -in every respect good. I may also here refer to the great improvement -made in the erection of farm buildings and cottages. Beyond doubt there -has been progress in the direction of improvement there; but still -I believe much yet remains to be done. Everything depends upon the -well-being of the people, and if they are properly lodged it tends to -cleanliness, and very possibly to moral advantage. - -[Illustration: THE EAST FRONT, SANDRINGHAM - -_Photograph by Ralph, Dersingham_] - -“Perhaps I may be allowed to speak of a slight personal experience in -that matter. I have a small estate in Norfolk, and observed myself -the great importance of providing suitable small cottages for those -resident there, and, having done so, now reap immense advantage.” - -In the following year (19th June 1872) the King and Queen visited -King’s Lynn to see the Annual Exhibition of the Norfolk Agricultural -Society. At the entrance to the Show His Majesty said, in reply to the -usual address presented on these occasions:-- - -“It has been a source of the greatest gratification to have had -it in my power to contribute in any degree to the success of your -Association, and to promote the interests of agriculture in Norfolk. -It is with these feelings that I have endeavoured to make myself -acquainted with some of the operations of farming, and to acquire -some knowledge of stock, and if I have not always been successful in -the path of competition, I have at least obtained prizes sufficient -to encourage me to persevere, and to indulge in the hope that I shall -obtain more.” - -This hope of His Majesty’s was certainly justified, for he not only -carried off six prizes at this Norfolk show, but he has ever since been -a pretty regular prize-winner at the shows of the Royal Agricultural -Society, the Bath and West of England, and other important exhibitions. - -In other speeches on the same occasion at King’s Lynn His Majesty said -that during the ten years in which he had lived in Norfolk he had -endeavoured not to lag behind those other county landlords who so ably -fulfilled their duties. It would always be his earnest endeavour to -promote the welfare of the county, in which he was much interested. -He had to thank them for the kind reception which the Princess of -Wales always experienced whenever she appeared in public. It was most -desirable that ladies should associate themselves in their husbands’ -pursuits, and when the Princess did not accompany him he always felt -that there was something wanting. His Majesty went on to express -his own great personal interest in the Society and in the cause of -agriculture generally. His late father, the Prince Consort, always felt -the greatest interest in agriculture, and used to take his children to -inspect his prize animals. - -The King also referred to the housing of the agricultural labourer, -and said that a landlord ought to feel a pride in having the working -classes properly housed on his estate. Those who worked from morning -to night should find on their return a comfortable dwelling, which -would promote their moral and social well-being. He had endeavoured -to improve the cottages on his own estate, and he felt pride and -satisfaction in having his workmen properly housed. - -Only about a fortnight later the King again demonstrated his interest -in the county in which he had become a squire by visiting Great -Yarmouth to inspect the Norfolk Artillery Militia. On that occasion he -said:-- - -“This is the first occasion since my return from abroad that I have -met with an official reception, and my pleasure is increased from the -fact that I regard myself as a Norfolk man. I have also to acknowledge -the very high honour conferred upon me last year in my having been -appointed Honorary Colonel of the Norfolk Militia Artillery.” - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA’S DAIRY AT SANDRINGHAM - -_Photograph by Ralph, Dersingham_] - -Of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution the King has always -been a generous friend and supporter, and the spread of agricultural -depression has naturally made his Majesty’s support of exceptional -value. The King spoke, for example, at the fifteenth anniversary -festival of the Institution, held on 5th June 1875:-- - -“I sincerely say that I do take a great interest in all that is -connected with agriculture. I may call myself a colleague of many -of you present as a farmer on a small scale, and I only hope that I -may never have occasion to be a pensioner of this institution. It -is impossible, I think, for any British gentleman to live at his -country place without taking an interest in agriculture, and in all -those things which concern the farmers of this great country. The -very backbone of the country, the best recruits of the Army and Navy, -come from the agricultural districts. We know that our commercial and -agricultural interests depend upon the valour and efficiency of our -land and sea forces.” - -On this occasion the King added a toast which had been most ungallantly -omitted from the list--that of “The Ladies,” and in proposing it he -said:-- - -“We have been honoured on this occasion by fair ladies, and I think it -would be very wrong if we were to separate without cordially drinking -their health. We see especially how much the comfort, well-being, -prosperity, and happiness of farmers and agriculturists depend upon a -kind wife to cheer them by the fireside at the end of their day’s work, -and to lighten by female influence the load of difficulties.” - -Though naturally His Majesty will now be unable to devote so much -time to the interests of agriculture as he did when Prince of Wales, -yet he has no intention of giving up the breeding of stock. It is -understood that Her late Majesty bequeathed to him the magnificent -herds of shorthorns, Jerseys, Devons, and Herefords established by the -late Prince Consort at Windsor on the Shaw and Flemish farms which he -started there. Prince Albert, indeed, revived the interest of the Royal -Family in agriculture, which had lapsed since the death of “Farmer -George.” Queen Victoria also had some very good stock on the home farm -at Osborne, while at Abergeldie Mains Her Majesty kept a magnificent -herd of pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus cattle. These, without doubt, her -successor will keep up. - -To those who study the King’s personal nature and character, no -apartment at Sandringham can be more interesting than the library, -or rather that section of the libraries, for there are three, which -is specially appropriated to His Majesty. The fittings are those of -the cabins used by the King on board the _Serapis_ during his voyage -to and from India. The blotting-books and the tables and chairs are -all covered in dark blue or green leather, and on each the Prince of -Wales’s feathers and monogram are stamped in gold. A glance at the -shelves shows what are the King’s literary tastes and preferences. He -is evidently intensely interested in the history of his own country, -especially what may be called the history of our own time. Several -shelves are entirely devoted to works dealing with the Indian Mutiny, -including the official reports, memoirs, histories, and even novels. -The King always buys every new work connected with the public or -private administration of his Eastern Empire. Special attention has -also evidently been paid to the Crimean War, and there is a rich -collection of Colonial histories and documents. But most of the -standard works of reference are to be found in the first library, -a fine apartment, often used as a writing-room and reading-room by -visitors. - -The second library is really the Equerries’ room. It is there the -Gentlemen of the Household are often to be found. Here are gathered -together French and English works of reference and classics, and -a splendid collection of county histories. Novels and memoirs are -not neglected, and no week passes, when the King and Queen are in -residence, without a large consignment of British and foreign books -finding its way to Sandringham. - -The King transacts much of the business connected with the Sandringham -estate in a pleasant morning-room. There he receives at stated times -the bailiffs and others concerned in the management of the estate, and, -as he farms himself over 1000 acres, he has much to do in the way of -supervision. - -Sandringham can boast of one of the finest private billiard-rooms in -England, and it is one of the very few country-houses where there -are bowling alleys. The King and his children are very fond of the -old-fashioned English game of bowls. - -In 1891 the entire roofing of the main building of Sandringham House, -together with all the rooms and their contents on the two upper -floors, was destroyed by fire. The bells of the various churches in -the district clashed out the alarm. Gangs of men and women speedily -set to work to clear the principal lower rooms of their furniture -and rare, valuable, and interesting contents. Queen Alexandra was -staying with the Empress of Russia, and the King was also away at the -time. The amount of damage done was about £15,000. That portion of the -house which was destroyed has been rebuilt in a thoroughly fire-proof -fashion, with iron and concrete floors and roofs; and the opportunity -was taken of making many additions to various portions of the house, -in fact about eighteen rooms were added. It is very characteristic of -the King that, by his orders, the general works were all carried out by -local tradesmen. - -One of the most interesting departments of Sandringham Hall is the -stables, which contain a great number of carriages. There are Russian -sledges, only used in the coldest weather; a Hungarian snow-carriage, -lined with rose colour; Norwegian carioles; a smart American buggy, -painted bright yellow; a truly beautiful gold inlaid jinricksha, sent -to the King from Japan, which is for show rather than for use; a -char-à-banc, presented by the late Duke of Sutherland; and, it need -hardly be said, every kind of ordinary two- and four-wheeled vehicle -now in general use, from the modest Norfolk cart to the stately -landau; while by the big coach is to be seen the charming miniature -four-in-hand presented by His Majesty to Queen Alexandra just before -his departure for India. - -Both the King and Queen are passionately fond of horses, and Her -Majesty pays a daily visit when at Sandringham to her pony-stable, -which was built in 1874 for her four French ponies, who were afterwards -succeeded by equally valuable animals of British extraction. Bina, -Merry-Antics, Bow, and Bell were the fortunate occupants of this model -pony-stable, which is considered the prettiest building of the kind in -the world, the walls being lined with white tiles, picked out in green -glazed bricks, finished at the top by a green-tiled frieze and an open -wooden roof. Above each manger was recorded in gold letters the name of -the pony occupying the stall. Queen Alexandra at one time was very fond -of driving tandem, and she has one of the best tandem teams in Great -Britain. She is very fond of bay horses, and possesses also a pair of -the famous greys bred in the Imperial stables at Leipzig. For many -years Her Majesty always rode Kinsky, a Hungarian horse; and she was -said to be one of the best horsewomen in Norfolk. - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA AT SANDRINGHAM - -_From a Photograph by Thomas Fall_] - -The saddle-room is not the least fascinating portion of the -stable-yard. Much of the harness is silver and gold-plated. Queen -Alexandra has always preferred brown harness to black, and all that -used by her is made in tan leather, with brass mounts. - -There are a number of interesting photographs and paintings, including -a picture in oils of a very beautiful chestnut mare, Victoria, long -ridden by the Queen, and given to her when she was a bride by Queen -Victoria. Below this portrait of a departed favourite is one of her -hoofs mounted in silver, with the name of the owner written across. -There are some valuable prints of celebrated trainers and jockeys, with -some of the latter’s whips, spurs, and caps. A “Vanity Fair” cartoon of -the King, surrounded by a number of his friends at Newmarket, is also -given a prominent place in the Sandringham saddle-room; and not the -least interesting memento now there is Mr. John Porter’s silver-wedding -gift to his Royal patrons. In a silver frame, surmounted by the Prince -of Wales’s feathers, is a white velvet tablet with the name “Ormonde” -woven from the famous race-horse’s hair. The border contains pieces -of the hair of thirty-three famous winners, the name of each being -in silver letters beneath. Close by is to be seen the racing-saddle -generally used by Fred Archer. - -Parallel with the stables runs the building known as the kennels. At -one time, in the paddock between the stables and the kennels, there -was a bear-pit, but the occupant thereof was sent to the Zoo after the -King’s valued head-keeper, Mr. Jackson, had been hunted by Bruin just -when he was about to feed him with some peculiarly bearish delicacy. -This corner of Sandringham is by no means confined to horses and dogs. -Here also were kept some of Queen Alexandra’s pet cats; a number of -doves descended from the single pair presented to Her Majesty during -her first visit to Ireland; her Australian pigeons, quite unlike the -more humble home variety; a Barbary dove belonging to the Duchess of -Cornwall and York; and some very fine water-fowl, to say nothing of -“Cockie,” the Princess of Wales’s cockatoo, who was said to be over a -hundred years old. - -The kennels are, in their way, quite as fine as the stables. They are -very cleverly arranged, all fitted with hot-water pipes, and admirably -ventilated. The dogs are exercised in the park, in three paddocks in -front of the kennels, or in a large yard paved with red, blue, and -brick tiles. All the food consumed in the kennels comes from special -kitchens attached to the building. There is also a dog hospital and a -nursery, always occupied by one or more litters. - -[Illustration: THE KENNELS, SANDRINGHAM - -_Photograph by T. Fall, Baker Street, W._] - -The King and Queen are both keen dog-fanciers, and they possess some of -the very finest animals in the world. They both exhibit at the leading -shows, and Her Majesty is the Patron of the Ladies’ Kennel Association. - -This chapter must not be concluded without reference to a curious -little book, published some years ago by one who must be regarded as -absolutely unique--namely, an aggrieved tenant at Sandringham. This -lady had differences with the agent of the estate, and to revenge -herself for her supposed grievances she wrote this obviously prejudiced -account of her late landlord at his country home. - -The following extracts from the book written by this hostile witness -are therefore significant indeed of the tenour of our King’s life in -Norfolk:-- - -“Whenever I went (to Sandringham) I never failed to spend a pleasant -evening, and received more courtesy from my illustrious host and -hostess than from any house I ever was in. The Prince is noted for -his powers of entertainment and exertion to make every one enjoy -themselves. When a ‘house-party’ is expected he superintends the -arrangements and remembers their particular tastes and pursuits. -A gouty squire who once grumbled at having to go, was completely -mollified at finding a room prepared for him on the ground floor, -the Prince thinking he would prefer it. The effect of a visit to -Sandringham upon a certain order of Radicals, who are treated with -the greatest deference, is perfectly astounding. It acts as a patent -conjuring machine--a Republican stuffed in at one end, a Courtier -squeezed out at the other. - -“The Sandringham festivities were so arranged that all classes could -share in them; and what with County, farmers’, and servants’ balls, -labourers’ dinners, visits to country houses, meets of the hounds, and -other sociabilities, everybody from far and near had the opportunity of -making acquaintance with their Royal Highnesses.” - -Of the servants’ parties at Sandringham she says:-- - -“The house party, equerries, ladies-in-waiting, and all invited from -the neighbourhood, were ordered to join in, no shirking or sitting out -allowed, and when the sides had been made up, the Prince and Princess -set off with their partners, round and round, down the middle and up -again, and so on to the end, the Prince the jolliest of the jolly and -the life of the party, as he is wherever he goes. I never saw such -amazing vitality. His own Master of the Ceremonies, signalling and -sending messages to the band, arranging every dance, and when to begin -and when to leave off, noticing the smallest mistake in the figures, -and putting the people in their places. In the ‘Triumph,’ which is -such an exhausting dance, he looked as if he could have gone on all -night and into the middle of next week without stopping, and I really -believe he could.… Almost before one dance was ended the Prince started -another, and suddenly the Scotch Pipers would screech out and the -Prince would fold his arms and fling himself into a Highland fling, and -so on fast and furious until far into the small hours of the morning.” - -[Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA WITH HER FAVOURITE DOGS - -_Photograph by T. Fall, Baker Street, W._] - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THE KING IN LONDON - - -Not long after the King’s accession, extensive alterations were -ordered to fit Buckingham Palace, which had been for a long time only -occupied occasionally, to be the town house of His Majesty and Queen -Alexandra. It is probable that their Majesties would have preferred -to remain at Marlborough House, which is endeared to them by the most -intimate associations, both of joy and of sorrow; but in this, as in -so many other instances, the King divined by quick intuition that his -loyal subjects would wish that their Sovereign and his Consort should -reside in the palace which is not less closely linked in the popular -imagination with the British monarchy than Windsor Castle itself. - -It is evident that in all that concerns State ceremonial and the -_décor_ of a magnificent Court, King Edward is resolved to abate not a -jot of his regal dignity. But so much of His Majesty’s life was passed -at Marlborough House, and the beautiful old Georgian mansion was for so -long the centre of his social, philanthropic, and official activities, -that no biographical sketch of the King would be complete without some -account of what went on there. - -There is scarcely an object in the house which does not remind the -King and Queen of some happy incident of their joint lives. The very -carpet in the drawing-room was presented to them on the occasion of -their wedding; and His Majesty’s great interest in everything that -concerns the history of the country and of the Empire is strikingly -shown in each of his homes, for the rooms of both Marlborough House -and Sandringham are lined with fine paintings and engravings recalling -great events of the Victorian era. - -Although Marlborough House is the official residence of the -Heir-Apparent, it is considered a private house for taxation purposes, -and is rated at over £1000 a year. - -[Illustration: MARLBOROUGH HOUSE FROM THE SOUTH-WEST - -_Photograph by Ralph, Dersingham_] - -The King’s study at Marlborough House, where none but his intimates -are admitted, looks like the room of a hard-working man of business. -He works at an old-fashioned pedestal desk-table, exactly resembling -the one used by his father. The desk portion of the table shuts with a -spring, and can only be opened with a golden key, which the King always -wears on his watch chain. - -When he was Prince of Wales the King only accomplished the immense -amount of work he did by the most methodical organisation. Almost -every hour of his day was mapped out for him. First came his private -correspondence, which was very considerable. Then from ten to -half-past ten was spent in talking over and dictating replies to the -letters already sorted by Sir Francis Knollys. Immediately after, the -Comptroller of the Household discussed with him the arrangements for -the day. Often before lunch he had to receive a deputation, or to act -as chairman of some committee, frequently held in Marlborough House. -Luncheon was served at 2.30, and the King and Queen often entertained -parties of their relations who were up in town for the day. Except when -he was travelling, the King rarely had a free afternoon, for even on -the rare occasions when he had not to visit some public institution, to -lay a foundation-stone, or to declare a building open, and so on, there -were endless social duties to which no one could attend but himself, -such as weddings, race meetings, reviews, and receptions. Certain -public functions were almost always attended by both the King and the -Queen--for example, the Horse Show at Islington, the Royal Military -Tournament, and the trooping of the colour. - -No one can realise how much his merely social duties cost the King -while he was Heir-Apparent. The invariable cheerfulness and courage -with which he went through what must have soon become a terribly -monotonous round, year after year, are the more admirable when it is -remembered that it was actually made the basis for the assertion that -he was excessively devoted to mere amusement. An American writer who -had brought the charge but, having discovered his error, had had the -honesty and manliness to admit it, was rewarded by receiving a letter -from the Prince’s Secretary in which occurred the following:-- - -“The Prince cannot help feeling that you are a little hard and unjust -upon him in your book; he says unjust because you evidently wrote -about him without knowing his real character. There are many things -which he is obliged to do which the outside world would call pleasures -and amusements; they are, however, often anything but a source of -amusement to him, though his position demands that he should every year -go through a certain round of social duties which bore him to death. -But, while duly regretting those social pleasures, you pass over very -lightly all the more serious occupations of his life.” - -[Illustration: MARLBOROUGH HOUSE: THE DRAWING-ROOM - -_Photograph by Ralph, Dersingham_] - -As Heir-Apparent, the King gave each season a certain number of dinners -which, though in no sense official functions, took the place of those -which would in other circumstances be given at Court. Thus he very -often entertained various members of the Opposition as well as of the -Government. He also occasionally gave what might be called a diplomatic -dinner, to which a number of the Foreign Ambassadors and Ministers were -invited. On many occasions dinner-parties in honour of a foreign guest -or Royal relation passing through town in semi-_incognito_ have given -members of London society an opportunity of making the acquaintance of -a great foreign personage. When the Shahzada was in England the Prince -and Princess of Wales gave a banquet in his honour, at which covers -were laid for forty. On this occasion the principal guest was not able -to take any dish in the _menu_ save _riz à l’Impératrice_. Fortunately, -however, he had brought with him his own provisions. - -The dining-room in which these important dinners were served at -Marlborough House is a very fine room containing a considerable number -of their Majesties’ wedding presents. It is a curious fact that in no -circumstances were two knives together given to any guest. A great many -reasons have been assigned for this rule, but apparently no one ever -adopted the simple plan of asking the Royal host or hostess. It has -been asserted that the King has the old-fashioned dislike to seeing -knives inadvertently crossed. - -Here is a lively description of a dinner at Marlborough House on 6th -May 1896, recorded by the late Archbishop Benson in his diary:-- - -“Dined with the Prince of Wales. The most splendid company. All the -Ambassadors but Russia, who is gone to the Coronation of the Czar. Duke -of Connaught, Lord Wolseley, near whom I sat, with the Lord Chancellor -between, two delightful, interesting talkers, and on my other side one -still better, de Courcel, French Ambassador. Lucklessly after dinner -the Turkish Ambassador asked to be presented, and he held me talking -innocently about the Greek Bishops whom I knew, but for his red-handed -tyrant’s sake he was the last person I wished for, and Harcourt came up -and said, ‘What a picture we have been enjoying--you and the Turk in -close alliance!’ Then Harcourt went on about our old Cambridge days, -and in heart he is the greatest Conservative. At the Prince of Wales’s -instigation I did my best to make Duke of Connaught see it was good -for Church and State that Bishop of Peterborough should go for us, and -perhaps I succeeded a little; he promised to do his best to make him -welcome there. Chamberlain, Morley, Balfour, two Directors of British -Museum, Asquith, very pleasant after his dangerous but not damaging -assault on the Education Bill, Rosebery, Herschell, Salisbury of -course, looking a very great man, among the Ambassadors.” - -The journey of the Bishop of Peterborough (Dr. Creighton, afterwards -Bishop of London), to which the Archbishop refers, was to Russia to -represent the Church of England at the Tsar’s Coronation. - -The King has never concealed his dislike of the immensely long, -fatiguing banquets which were in his youth the rule rather than the -exception; indeed, he may be said to have revolutionised the British -dinner-party. At Marlborough House dinner was never allowed to last -much over an hour. Occasionally during dinner soft music was played. -Every course served was prepared under the direct supervision of the -_chef_ (the famous Ménager). - -Some years ago the King was rarely seen, even at dinner at a private -house, without his favourite valet Macdonald, the son of the Prince -Consort’s _jager_; and later, whenever the King dined out, one of his -own servants invariably accompanied him and attended to him through -the dinner, whether it was a public banquet or a private dinner-party. -Indeed, the King very rarely enjoyed the luxury of being alone; even -when walking up St. James’s Street, or turning into the Marlborough -Club, he was almost invariably accompanied by one of his equerries; -and it need hardly be said that the most trustworthy detectives in the -London police force were charged with the task of watching over his -personal safety, for the appearance of no public personage was better -known to the man in the street than that of the Prince of Wales. - -The King has always been an enthusiastic admirer of the stage, and his -tastes are so catholic that they range from melodrama at the Adelphi -to grand opera at Covent Garden. When His Majesty had made up his mind -that he would like to go to the theatre, the Royal box was booked in -the ordinary way of business, and charged to the Marlborough House -account, the price not being increased from the ordinary library -tariff. The only difference made in honour of the Royal family is -that, if any other patron of the theatre has already engaged the Royal -box, he is requested to waive his right. The King, however, is always -reluctant that this should be done, and he generally requests his -secretary to send a special note of thanks in his name. - -[Illustration: GARDEN PARTY AT MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, JULY 1881 - -_From the “Illustrated London News”_] - -Both the King and the Queen always desired to be treated exactly as -if they belonged to the ordinary audience, and nothing annoyed them -more than that attention should be drawn to them by the playing of the -National Anthem or “God bless the Prince of Wales.” At one time the -managers used to keep the curtain down till the Royal party arrived. -The King heard of this, and was so greatly troubled at the thought of -the inconvenience thus caused to the public that he gave strict orders -that the curtain was never to be kept down beyond the advertised time -on his account. On the other hand, he always makes a point of waiting -till the final curtain has come down before rising to leave. The only -occasions on which he ever breaks this courteous rule is when he goes -to a theatre which has no private entrance. Then the King and Queen -always anticipate the final curtain by two or three minutes, so that -their departure may not disturb the carriage arrangements of the rest -of the audience. - -London managers have reason to be grateful to the King, for whenever he -has visited a theatre the booking sensibly increases, the more so that -when he likes a play he goes again and again, and recommends it to all -his friends. Even when he finds it impossible himself to attend the -benefit of some well-known actor or actress, he always puts his name -down for stalls or boxes to a substantial amount. - -At the opera the King occupied an “omnibus,” a double box on the -ground tier, the Royal box itself being on the tier above; while Queen -Alexandra had a box all to herself, where she was usually accompanied -by one of her daughters. The King is a great music-lover, and, unlike -many _habitués_, attends appreciatively throughout the performance. -He was often attended at the opera by his old friend, the late Earl -of Lathom, but he never had ladies in his box, although during the -_entr’actes_ he would often visit the Princess and his daughters in -their box. - -The King’s interest in the dramatic profession is unaffected and -sincere. Some years ago a very interesting theatrical dinner took place -at Marlborough House, Sir Henry Irving, Sir Squire Bancroft, Mr. Hare, -Mr. Kendal, Mr. Toole, Mr. Wyndham, Mr. Beerbohm Tree, Mr. Alexander, -Mr. David James, Mr. Arthur Cecil, and Mr. William Farren being asked -to meet the Duke of Fife, Sir Christopher Teesdale, Mr. Sala, Mr. -Burnand, and Mr. Pinero. - -His Majesty has always patronised the French plays when performed in -London, and he is as popular with the French theatrical world as he is -with the dramatic profession in London. - -[Illustration: MARLBOROUGH HOUSE: THE SALON - -_Photograph by Ralph, Dersingham_] - -A separate chapter might almost be written about the King as a -smoker. At Sandringham he has a large number of cigar-cases and -tobacco-boxes, presented to him at various times by relatives and -friends, and at Marlborough House he has an immense collection of -silver cigar-lighters. His Majesty is as generous in the matter of -cigars as he is in the more important affairs of life, and in this -connection a story is told which, if it is not true, certainly ought -to be. It is said that on one occasion, before his accession, when -attending a big fire, His Majesty asked a reporter for some details, -which were instantly given. At the conclusion of the conversation, -the King offered his informant a cigar, which the latter immediately -wrapped up in a page of his note-book and placed in his pocket. “Don’t -you smoke?” asked the King. “Oh yes,” said the reporter; “but I am not -likely ever to get another cigar from the Prince of Wales.” His Majesty -laughed, and once more producing his cigar-case said, “You had better -have another one, this time to smoke.” - -The King was at one time very fond of taking a hansom in the streets -of London, just like an ordinary person, and it is said that he always -paid the driver half a sovereign whether the distance was long or -short. His Majesty is patron of the Cabdrivers’ Benevolent Association, -and he takes a marked interest in these hard-worked and deserving -servants of the public, seldom missing the annual meeting, at which, -indeed, some of his best speeches have been delivered. - -It is hardly necessary to say that the King need never take a hansom -except for his own amusement. The stables of Marlborough House are, -from every point of view, models of what town stables ought to be. In -the coach-houses are some interesting carriages. The State Coach, which -was practically never used, is almost exactly like that which is kept -at Buckingham Palace. A Russian sociable, lined with dark-blue morocco, -was a gift from the late Tsar of Russia to Queen Alexandra, but it was -considered too showy for the London streets, and Her Majesty preferred -a light victoria, which was generally drawn by her two greys, Chelsea -and Brief. - -The greatest care had to be taken both by the King and by the Queen in -selecting the tradesmen upon whom to confer the undoubted advantage of -their custom. Sir Dighton Probyn, who was Comptroller of the Prince -of Wales’s Household, and has since been appointed Extra Equerry to -His Majesty, was entrusted with the duty of seeing that the Warrants -were only given to those who were worthy of them. A Royal Warrant is -naturally considered a great honour by the recipient, and any firm -aspiring to be a Warrant-Holder must supply the Household for one year -in a satisfactory manner before becoming eligible; and should the firm -become bankrupt, or even change its name, the Warrant must be returned -to the Comptroller of the Household. - -On the King’s birthday the Warrant-Holders were wont to dine together, -and on the _menu_ always figured some venison contributed both by Queen -Victoria and by King Edward, who each sent a fine buck. On all Royal -occasions of rejoicing the Warrant-Holders are considered to have a -special right to present a gift accompanied by their congratulations. - -Every monetary transaction was not only recorded, but indexed at -Marlborough House, and any tradesman who sent in an account twice over -was never again patronised. - -The King does not confine his custom to any one London tailor; on -the contrary, he is careful to distribute his patronage, and it is a -mistake to fancy that His Majesty pays very much more for his clothes -than do other people. His wardrobe is necessarily larger and more -varied than that of a private individual. It need hardly be said that -he dresses in perfect taste, and it is well known that he has no -sympathy with the revolutionists who would abolish the frock-coat. -He is, however, also understood to have a special fondness for the -old-fashioned “bowler” hat. It would be difficult to overestimate the -King’s influence as an arbiter of fashion, especially in America, -where every trifling change in his costume is faithfully reported -and imitated, and also on the Continent. On the whole, his influence -in matters of dress is strongly conservative. He has none of the -Continental love of displaying uniforms, and his dress is always the -acme of good taste, because it is always absolutely suitable to the -occasion on which it is worn. - -The King has an ever-increasing number of uniforms, military and other, -which are worth quite £15,000, and are, of course, fully insured. It -need hardly be said that the King has almost every Order in existence. -The mere enumeration of them fills up a large space in Debrett. - -The King’s own favourite among his Orders used to be that of Malta, the -Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of which the badge is the -well-known Maltese cross suspended from a black ribbon. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE KING AND STATE POLICY - - -The King has on several occasions, notably in his Message to his -People, published on his accession, expressed his resolve to follow -in the footsteps of his late deeply-lamented mother in fulfilling the -great and sacred responsibilities which at her death he was summoned to -undertake. The chief of these responsibilities is that which relates -to high State policy, and especially to the intricate and delicate -problems arising out of our relations with foreign Powers. - -Now, not the least service which Queen Victoria rendered to her people, -as Lord Salisbury said in the eloquent tribute which he paid to her -memory in the House of Lords, was her constant and rigorous supervision -over public affairs. The people saw only the result, the finished -policy, associated in their minds with the personality of some popular -Minister. What they did not know was how far that policy had been -modified, perhaps even completely recast, by the sagacious counsels of -their Sovereign, or what pitfalls had been avoided by her warnings, -frankly offered, yet never obstinately pressed upon the chosen -representatives of her beloved subjects. “Let us have the Queen’s -opinion,” said Lord Clarendon, one of the shrewdest of her Foreign -Ministers. “It is always worth hearing, even if you do not agree with -it.” And Lord Kimberley confessed that when he was at the Foreign -Office he had a difference of opinion with Queen Victoria in regard to -an important matter. After discussion Her Majesty, though unconvinced, -yielded to her Minister; but the event proved that she was right and -the Minister wrong. - -Such glimpses of the inner working of the great machine of Government -illustrate for us the path which King Edward has marked out for -himself. Our polity has been called a crowned Republic--a phrase -which, in spite of its exaggeration, expresses tersely the fact that -the constitutional Sovereign of this realm has constantly to reconcile -duties which seem far apart, and even sometimes inconsistent. King -Edward succeeds to a Monarchy possessing great theoretical powers, -which, however, have been by the slow growth of custom practically -restricted to the exercise of an indirect, advisory influence on State -affairs, though, as Mr. Balfour said in the House of Commons, this -influence shows a tendency to increase rather than to diminish. Queen -Victoria was once compared to a Permanent Under-Secretary of State, -who sees Ministers come and go, succeed and fail, but himself remains. -The comparison is not a bad one, except that the work of a permanent -Under-Secretary is confined to one department, whereas the Sovereign is -concerned, not only with every branch of the public service, but also -with many matters of importance which cannot pass through the hands of -any State department. - -It is easy to see the great responsibilities, as well as the great -opportunities, which are inseparable from the British Crown, and -perhaps it is not impertinent to point out how well King Edward VII. -is fitted to meet them. The extraordinary tact which characterises His -Majesty is most clearly illustrated when we consider his relations -towards the policy of the State. There was a time in the history -of England when the Prince of Wales allied himself with one of the -political parties in the country, and that not the one in which his -father had confidence. The tradition of constitutional monarchy -established by our late beloved Queen necessarily inaugurated a -different _régime_. No political party was ever able honestly to claim -the Prince of Wales as an adherent, or even as a platonic sympathiser. -On the other hand, not his severest critics ever accused him of apathy -to British interests. In that higher sphere of patriotism which rises -superior to the din of party politics he thoroughly earned the title of -the typical Englishman. - -All through the years which succeeded the death of the Prince Consort -the Prince of Wales discharged the duties of his position in such a way -as to win the confidence of every section of the nation. He included -among his friends the principal men of both the great political -parties, and with such delicacy of feeling was this done that no -one could justly say which he really preferred. Indeed, so nice was -his feeling that he was accustomed to distinguish--if he made any -distinction at all--those statesmen who happened to be in Opposition at -the moment, rather than those who were enjoying the sweets of office. - -The King did not escape the penalty of irresponsible gossip. He -undoubtedly displayed a great liking for Ireland, and for the Irish -people, but it would be absurd to call him on that account a Home -Ruler. Similarly, it is an interesting fact that both His Majesty and -Queen Alexandra distinguished Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone by some special -tokens of friendship, but it is not justifiable on that account to -assert that their Majesties are Liberals. The truth is that throughout -his career His Majesty has succeeded, while deeply interesting himself -in politics, in steering steadily clear of party politics. - -It would be wearisome to enumerate all the statesmen and politicians -on whom His Majesty has conferred various marks of his favour. Mention -may, however, be made of Mr. Cecil Rhodes, for whom he entertains a -strong admiration which he has never cared to conceal. Indeed, he -removed his own name from the Travellers’ Club when Mr. Rhodes was -blackballed--a course which he has never seen fit to take in any other -instance. - -The political emancipation of the Jews in England evidently had the -King’s warm sympathy. It now seems a long time ago since his presence -at the marriage of Mr. Leopold de Rothschild caused much satisfaction -and some sensation in Jewish circles, for no British prince had visited -a synagogue since 1809, when three of the Royal dukes were present -at a Jewish service. The Rothschild family have long been among His -Majesty’s personal friends, both in England and on the Continent, and -among his intimates was the late Baron Hirsch, with whom he stayed in -Austria, notwithstanding the intense anti-Semitic prejudices of the -Austrian Court. The King has thoroughly studied the question of the -Russian Jews, and has interested himself on their behalf in such a -way as should earn for him the gratitude of every Jew in Europe and -America. Nevertheless His Majesty’s liking for the Chosen People has -been sometimes misinterpreted, and ascribed to not very creditable -motives. People were at one time fond of saying that the King was up -to the neck in debt, but, when the question was directly asked, Sir -Francis Knollys replied that the King had no debts worth speaking of, -and that he could pay any moment every farthing he owed; also, that -there was not a word of truth in the oft-repeated tales of the mortgage -on Sandringham, and that the whole story was a fabrication and was on -a par with similar tales representing the King as being assisted by -financiers of more or less doubtful honesty. - -In the sphere of foreign relations His Majesty’s indirect influence has -undoubtedly been considerable, though, of course, the time has gone by -when dynastic considerations used to dictate the policy of empires. It -is well known that his nephew, the Tsar, entertains for him a strong -personal regard; while of the feelings which subsist between His -Majesty and the Kaiser, the son of his favourite sister, the country -has had the most significant illustrations. There can be no doubt, too, -about the feelings of esteem which are entertained for His Majesty by -the French nation as a whole. Furthermore, the King has always shown -his desire to become personally acquainted with the principal statesmen -of Europe; and it is probable that few of the men who now control -international relations have not at one time or another fallen under -the influence of His Majesty’s gracious and winning personality. The -sum of all this must count for a good deal in facilitating the conduct -of our foreign relations. - -For Americans the King has shown a strong liking, but it is absurd -to assert that his favour has been confined to those American men -and women whose social position has been entirely purchased by their -wealth. He has frequently gone out of his way to show special courtesy -to distinguished American visitors, whether rich or poor; and the -diplomatic representative of the United States in London has always -found a specially cordial welcome at Marlborough House. This was -particularly the case with James Russell Lowell and with T. F. Bayard. -Indeed, it will be remembered that on Mr. Bayard’s giving up the post -of American Ambassador, the King broke his rule and accepted Mr. -Bayard’s invitation to dinner, thereby paying a signal compliment to -the whole American people. The King’s telegram to the _New York World_, -during the war-scare which followed President Cleveland’s Venezuelan -Message, will be remembered as having done much to calm the public -anxiety in both countries. - -American women who have married Englishmen can rely on receiving -from the King and Queen Alexandra the most tactful consideration and -courtesy. This was conspicuously shown in the cases of Lady Harcourt, -the daughter of Motley, the great American historian; of Mrs. Joseph -Chamberlain; and of the young Duchess of Marlborough. - -It is no slight testimony to His Majesty’s political insight that at -a time when the Colonies were not fashionable, and when they were -actually regarded as a source of weakness rather than of strength to -the Mother Country, he did all that he could--so far as the traditional -restrictions of his position would allow--to foster a different view -of Britain’s relations with her daughter-States. Since those days he -exerted himself to promote the success of the Colonial and Indian -Exhibition; and his interest in the Empire was yet more strikingly -demonstrated in the foundation of the Imperial Institute. His Majesty’s -gracious Message to his People Beyond the Seas further illustrates -his interest in his Colonial dominions, but assuredly the crowning -testimony is his consent to part with his son and his daughter-in-law -for many months that they might inaugurate the Australian Federal -Parliament and visit the other important States of the Empire. - -His Majesty’s interest in India, too, is strong, and his knowledge of -Indian affairs is very wide. Every new book of any importance which -is published on any Indian subject is added to His Majesty’s library, -which is by this time extremely rich in works relating to the vast -Eastern territories over which he is now Emperor. His Majesty’s visit -to these great kingdoms and provinces, to which he made graceful -allusion in his Message “to the Princes and Peoples of India,” was -paid at the express wish of his mother, who saw with characteristic -foresight how valuable it would be in promoting peace and conciliation -among the various creeds and races of Hindustan. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -THE KING AND THE SERVICES - - -Only three days after the irreparable loss of his much-loved mother, -King Edward wrote Messages to the Navy and the Army, which demonstrated -how great is his pride in both the services, and how deeply he has -their interests at heart. The Message to the Navy, which was ordered by -the Lords of the Admiralty to be read on the quarter-deck of every ship -in commission, in the presence of the ship’s company, was as follows:-- - - “OSBORNE, _25th January 1901_. - - “I am desirous of expressing to the Navy my heartfelt thanks - for its distinguished and renowned services during the long and - glorious reign of my beloved mother the Queen, to whose Throne - I now succeed. - - “Her Majesty, ever proud of the great deeds of her Navy, the - protector of our shores and commerce, watched with the keenest - solicitude its vast progress during her reign, and made it the - profession of my late lamented brother, as I also chose it for - the early education of both my sons. - - “Watching over your interests and well-being, I confidently - rely upon that unfailing loyalty which is the proud inheritance - of your noble service. - - “EDWARD, R. ET I.” - -[Illustration: THE KING AS ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET - -_From a Photograph by Russell_] - -On the publication of the official March Navy List--there was no issue -for February 1901--it was seen that the words “The King” appeared at -the head of the Service. This had been done before in lists published -by private enterprise, but never before in the list published -“by authority.” The circumstance that, while in the Army List Queen -Victoria appeared as the head of the land forces, a similar course -was not taken in the Navy List had always been regarded as curious, -especially considering that the sea service is designated the “Royal” -Navy, while the Army is not so described. When an official Navy List -was first issued in January 1814 there was no indication in it of -the monarch’s existence. The Duke of Clarence appeared as the only -Admiral of the Fleet with a commission dated 27th December 1811, and he -continued to appear in each list as it was issued quarterly up to March -1830. In the next list, dated in June of the same year, by which time -he had succeeded as William IV., his name had disappeared, and for all -the lists tell us he might have entirely severed his connection from -the Navy. - -The introduction of the King’s name into the official Navy List did -not of course mean any diminution of the power and authority conferred -on the Lords Commissioners for executing the office of the Lord High -Admiral, but merely that His Majesty desired to associate himself -personally with the Navy, of which he had become the head. The change -simply emphasised the fact that the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines -are the loyal and devoted servants of the King, and it is another -instance of that gracious tact for which Edward VII. is renowned. - -Debarred by the tradition of his House from himself entering our -first line of defence, the King nevertheless--as indeed he says in -his gracious Message--chose the Navy for the early education of both -his sons. In other ways he has never failed to demonstrate in every -possible way his love of the sea, of which indeed he has had a pretty -wide experience. We have seen how often he took passage in various -warships on his travels, and it will be remembered that the _Hero_, -in which he returned from visiting Canada and the United States, was -driven by a storm out of her course and the Royal party were reduced to -salt fare. His Majesty thus early made acquaintance with the hardships -as well as with the pleasant side of a sailor’s life. - -King William IV. once said: “There is no place in the world for making -an English gentleman like the quarter-deck of an English man-of-war,” -and his great-nephew, King Edward, evidently took the same view. It was -in 1877 that an important step was taken in regard to the education -of the King’s two sons, which had long been the subject of anxious -thought and care to both their parents. It had not hitherto been the -custom to send Princes in the direct line of succession into the Navy, -that service being no doubt considered too hazardous. But the strong -affection subsisting between Prince Albert Victor and Prince George -made their father unwilling to separate them, and so in June 1877 -they entered the _Britannia_ together as naval cadets. The decision -significantly showed how highly His Majesty appreciated the naval -service as a mental and moral training school. - -It will be remembered that in that eventful year, 1887, His Majesty was -appointed an Honorary Admiral of the Fleet; and later on, the marriage -of his daughter, Princess Maud, to Prince Charles of Denmark, who was a -Lieutenant in the Danish Navy, gave His Majesty peculiar gratification. - -The King’s Message to the Army, contained in a special Army order, was -as follows:-- - - “OSBORNE, _25th January 1901_. - - “On my accession to the Throne of my ancestors I am desirous - of thanking the Army for the splendid services which it has - rendered to my beloved mother the Queen during her glorious - reign of upwards of sixty-three years. - - “Her Majesty invariably evinced the warmest interest in her - troops, especially when on active service, both as a Sovereign - and as the head of her Army, and she was proud of the fact of - being a soldier’s daughter. - - “To secure your best interests will be one of the dearest - objects of my heart, and I know I can count upon that loyal - devotion which you ever evinced towards your late Sovereign. - - “EDWARD R.I.” - -[Illustration: THE KING AS COLONEL OF THE 10TH HUSSARS - -_From a Photograph by F.G.O.S., published by Gregory_] - -A further honour was in store for the Army, for the _London Gazette_ -announced:-- - - “WAR OFFICE, PALL MALL, _26th February 1901_. - - “The King has been pleased to confer upon the undermentioned - Regiments the honour of becoming their Colonel-in-Chief on his - accession to the Throne:-- - - “10th (Prince of Wales’s Own Royal) Hussars, of which Regiment - he has been the Regimental Colonel since the year 1863. - - “Grenadier Guards. - - “Coldstream Guards. - - “Scots Guards. - - “Irish Guards.” - -This was felt by the whole Army to be a special honour, for the four -regiments of Foot Guards had previously had only Colonels commanding, -not Colonels-in-Chief. It will be remembered that the 10th Hussars was -the regiment in which the late Duke of Clarence and Avondale served. - -The connection of His Majesty with the Army has, in accordance with -precedent, been extremely close and long continued. Among the earliest -recollections of his childhood is the Crimean War, which undoubtedly -made a deep and lasting impression on his mind. On attaining the age -of eighteen His Majesty was gazetted a Colonel in the Army. Four years -later he was promoted to be a General; and in 1875 he was created a -Field-Marshal. The mere catalogue of his Colonelcies and Honorary -Colonelcies would be tedious; but it may be mentioned that he is -Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st and 2nd Life Guards, the Royal Horse -Guards, and the Gordon Highlanders. His Majesty is also Colonel of a -large number of distinguished foreign regiments. These latter, however, -are naturally formal distinctions, which, in these days, are not of -military so much as diplomatic significance. The interest which the -King takes in military matters is undoubtedly chiefly centred in the -British Army. - -The King’s military service at the Curragh has been described in an -earlier chapter. His mind was also undoubtedly influenced by the -companions whom his parents selected to be with him when he set up -a separate establishment. Of these, two were soldiers of conspicuous -bravery--Major Teesdale, afterwards Sir Christopher Teesdale, who -had greatly distinguished himself at Kars; and Major Lindsay, V.C., -afterwards Lord Wantage. King Edward’s keen interest in all that -concerns the art of war is well exemplified by his careful survey of -the battlefields of the Crimea, and by his visiting, during his tour in -India, the places rendered for ever memorable by the Mutiny. - -The deep interest which His Majesty took in the Boer War will be fresh -in the recollection of everybody. Accompanied by the Duke of Cambridge, -he said good-bye, on 14th October 1899, to Sir Redvers Buller, -departing to take up the command in South Africa. Later on, accompanied -by his brother, the Duke of Connaught, he saw Lord Roberts off on -that cold winter morning when the Commander-in-Chief, in the midst of -his own bitter private grief, left for South Africa, sped by the deep -sympathy and encouragement of His Majesty. It will be remembered, too, -how frequently the King inspected battalions ordered to the front, -encouraging them with his outspoken interest and admiration; and it -will be remembered not less vividly how his gracious Consort cared for -the wounded and invalided soldiers, whose sufferings are the inevitable -price of victory. The _Princess of Wales_ Hospital Ship will never be -forgotten by a grateful nation. - -The King and Queen Alexandra were among the earliest subscribers to -the Mansion-House funds for the relief of the Transvaal refugees and -of the sufferers from the war. The death of their nephew, Major Prince -Christian Victor, who was stricken down by disease in October 1900 -while on active service in South Africa, was a deep grief to their -Majesties. The beginning of the year 1901 was signalised by the return -of Lord Roberts and by Queen Alexandra’s special appeal on behalf of -the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families Association, which brought relief -to many a stricken family whose head had fallen at the front. - -[Illustration: THE KING AND THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT - -_From a Photograph by F.G.O.S., published by Gregory_] - -In the reception of Lord Roberts the King took a prominent part. -Accompanied by Queen Alexandra, and their son and daughter-in-law and -Princess Victoria, His Majesty, as representing his Royal Mother, -presided at the State luncheon at Buckingham Palace in honour of the -Commander-in-Chief, while only a few days before Queen Victoria’s -death the King took the chair at the great banquet at which the United -Service Club entertained Lord Roberts. - -The services of the Colonial contingents in South Africa made a -profound impression on the King’s mind. He showed this in the most -significant manner when, brushing aside all antiquated War Office -precedents, he not only inspected Strathcona’s Horse in the garden of -Buckingham Palace and gave them the South African Medal in advance -before its general issue, but actually presented the regiment with a -colour. That such honour should be conferred on a corps of irregulars -doubtless shocked military pedants, but it caused intense pride and -gratification to the gallant Canadians, who in their modesty refused to -believe that their services had been anything out of the common. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE KING AND FREEMASONRY - - _For the information contained in this chapter the author is - indebted to an authority on the subject._ - - -After the King’s accession His Majesty reluctantly decided that he -could not hope to find time to fulfil the duties of the high offices in -Masonry to which he had been called as Prince of Wales, namely Grand -Master of English Freemasons and Grand Master of the Mark Degree. At -the same time King Edward was unwilling to cut short his long official -connection with Masonry. Accordingly, His Majesty graciously intimated, -in a letter read at Grand Lodge on 15th February 1901, that, following -the precedent of King George IV., he would, on his retirement from -the office of Grand Master, take the title of “Protector of English -Freemasons.” Similarly, at a Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons held -four days later, it was announced that His Majesty would assume the -title of “Patron of Freemasons of the Mark Degree.” - -The King was succeeded in both his Grand Masterships by his brother, -the Duke of Connaught, whose consent to serve gave great satisfaction -to the brethren of the craft. - -Undoubtedly Freemasonry has been one of the most absorbing interests -of the King’s life. Yet very few foreign princes are Masons; and -though the Duke of Kent was one, the Prince Consort always refused -to associate himself with the craft. Of course it must be remembered -that British Freemasonry is a very different thing from what the term -is supposed to imply on the Continent, where it is associated in the -public mind with atheism and even anarchism. - -As far back as March 1870 the King presided at the anniversary festival -of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys. This was not very long -after his initiation, and in his speech he expressed his pride at -being so heartily received by the company as a brother Mason, and his -determination to follow in the footsteps of his grand-uncles, who were -so long connected with the craft. The King continued:-- - -“Much has been said against Freemasonry by those who do not know what -it is. People naturally say they do not approve of secret societies; -but I maintain that the craft is free from the reproach of being either -disloyal or irreligious.… I desire to remind you that when, about -seventy years ago, it became necessary for the Government of that day -to put down secret societies, my relative, the late Duke of Sussex, -urged in his place in Parliament that Freemasons’ lodges ought to be -exempt from such a law, and the force of his appeal was acknowledged. -From that time Freemasonry has been devoid of politics, its only object -being the pure and Christian one of charity.” - -In May of the following year the King presided at the annual festival -of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls, and announced that Queen -Alexandra had consented to become the Patroness of the institution. His -Majesty also expressed his thanks to the brethren for their sympathy -with him on the death of his infant son in the preceding month. - -It is interesting to record, in view of the King’s present title of -Patron of Freemasons of the Mark Degree, that His Majesty, who was -already Patron of the Order in Scotland, was installed as Patron of -Free and Accepted Masons in Ireland on the occasion of his visit to -that country in August 1871. The installation was attended with great -ceremony, and in the course of his reply to the address of welcome -presented to him the King said:-- - -“It was a source of considerable satisfaction to me when I was elected -a member of the craft, and I think I may, without presumption, point -to the different Masonic meetings which, since my initiation, I have -fraternally attended. As a proof of the interest I take in all that -relates to Freemasonry, I can assure you that it has afforded me great -gratification to become the Patron of the Most Ancient and Honourable -Society of Free and Accepted Masons in Ireland, and that an opportunity -has been given to me by my visit to Ireland of being installed here -to-day.” - -The Grand Master then clothed the King with the collar, apron, and -jewel as Patron. The brethren, according to ancient custom, saluted him -as Patron of the Order in Ireland, the Grand Master himself giving the -word, and His Majesty then said:-- - -“I have now to thank you heartily and cordially for your fraternal -reception, and for the honour you have done me, and I beg to assure -you of the pleasure I feel on having been invited to become the -Patron of the Order of Freemasons in Ireland. It is a source of -considerable satisfaction to me to know that my visit to this country -has afforded this opportunity of meeting you, brethren, in Lodge, and -so interchanging these frank and hearty greetings. It is true I have -not been a Mason very long. I was initiated, as you perhaps know, in -London, a few years ago, after which I visited the Grand Original Lodge -of Denmark, and a short time afterwards I had the signal satisfaction -of being elected a Past Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of -England. Last year I had the honour of being elected Patron of the -Order in Scotland; and, brethren, though last, not least, comes the -special honour you have conferred on me. I thank you for it from the -bottom of my heart. I may, I think, refer with some pride to the number -of Masonic meetings I have attended in England since my initiation as a -proof of my deep attachment to your Order. - -“I know--we all know--how good and holy a thing Freemasonry is, how -excellent are its principles, and how perfect the doctrine it sets -forth; but forgive me if I remind you that some of our friends outside -are not as well acquainted with its merits as we are ourselves, and -that a most mistaken idea prevails in some minds that, because we are -a secret society, we meet for political purposes, or have a political -bias in what we do. I am delighted, brethren, to have this opportunity -of proclaiming what I am satisfied you will agree with me in--that we -have, as Masons, no politics; that the great object of our Order is -to strengthen the bonds of fraternal affection, and to make us live -in pure and Christian love with all men; that though a secret, we are -not a political body; and that our Masonic principles and hopes are -essential parts of our attachment to the Constitution and loyalty to -the Crown.” - -No doubt the most impressive Masonic ceremony ever attended by the -King was his installation as Grand Master of English Freemasons in the -Royal Albert Hall on 28th April 1875, to which office he was elected -on the resignation of the Marquis of Ripon. The scene was striking in -the extreme. The platform usually occupied by the choir was transformed -into a daïs, on which the throne was placed, the space around being -large enough for four or five hundred Provincial Grand Masters, Past -Grand Officers, and visitors of distinction. The throne was the one -in which King George IV. was installed when he was Prince of Wales. -It was covered with rich purple velvet, and the floor was laid with a -magnificent Oriental carpet, a century old, lent for the occasion by -a member of the Westminster and Keystone Lodge. Behind the throne the -banner of Grand Lodge and other flags were placed; in front a wide -aisle was formed right across the area to the Royal entrance. This -was laid with a rich carpet of velvet pile, woven expressly for the -occasion. The ground was blue, enriched alternately with the arms of -Grand Lodge and Prince of Wales’s feathers. - -It is recorded that when the King entered the hall the enthusiasm of -the brethren was so great that the proper order of the ceremonial was -forgotten, and the Grand Master Elect was greeted with extraordinarily -vehement, but quite irregular plaudits. - -In returning thanks after his installation, His Majesty delivered an -appropriate speech, in the course of which he said:-- - -“It is difficult for me to find words adequate to express my deep -thanks for the honour which has already been bestowed upon me--an -honour which has, as history bears testimony, been bestowed upon -several members of my family, my predecessors; and, brethren, it will -always be my most sincere and ardent wish to walk in the footsteps of -good men who have preceded me, and, with God’s help, to fulfil the -duties which I have been called upon to occupy to-day. The various -duties which I have to perform will frequently, I am afraid, not -permit me to attend so much to the duties of the craft as I should -desire; but you may be assured that when I have the time I shall do -the utmost to maintain this high position, and do my duty by the craft -and by you on every possible occasion. Every Englishman knows that the -two great watchwords of the craft are Loyalty and Charity. These are -their watchwords, and as long as Freemasons do not, as Freemasons, mix -themselves up in politics, so long I am sure this high and noble Order -will flourish, and will maintain the integrity of our great Empire. I -thank you once more, brethren, for your cordial reception of me to-day, -and I thank you for having come such immense distances to welcome me on -this occasion. I assure you I shall never forget to-day--never!” - -The last sentence, obviously an impromptu, was uttered with much -emphasis and evidently deep feeling. - -At the banquet which followed in the evening the King, in proposing the -health of the King of Sweden and Norway, said:-- - -“It affords me especial pleasure to propose this toast, as seven years -ago I became a member of this craft, initiated by the late King, the -brother of the present one. Thereby I consider I have a more special -interest in Sweden.” - -As a matter of fact, in spite of his numerous other duties, the new -Grand Master did find time to attend a considerable number of Masonic -functions. Not the least interesting of these was his laying the -foundation stone of Truro Cathedral on 20th May 1880, of which the late -Archbishop Benson, then Bishop of Truro, wrote the following vivid -description, quoted in that prelate’s _Life_:-- - -“The ceremonial of the Freemasons, which some regarded with suspicion -and dislike, was satisfactory and refreshing from its simple exposition -of symbolism as an element in life, quite apart from ecclesiasticism. -I had, upon the first mooting of the question by the Prince, taken the -opinion of the Rural Deans as representative of the clergy, and their -unanimous opinion was that it was even desirable to use an old guild -in this way, provided that the Church Service and order were in no way -interfered with. And the Prince, both through Lord Mount Edgcumbe, -and at Marlborough House himself, said that nothing should be done -except in full accord with my own arrangements as Bishop and the usual -forms.… The dignity and the simplicity and naturalness with which the -Prince poured the corn and wine and oil over the stone added much to -the ceremony, and the force and clearness with which he delivered the -impressive little sermon, ending with an excellent passage of Ezra, -chosen by Lord Mount Edgcumbe, rang out of a really serious spirit.… -The colours of the Masons, which look quaint on the individual, looked -very soft in the mass. - -“The most striking moment was when the procession of military and -naval authorities and deputy lieutenants came sweeping in with a -great curve, leading the Princess and her boys. She was received by -our tall Mayor in his stately new furred gown and me, and taken up to -her throne. At the end she was led to the newly-laid stone and seated -by it, while a long train of girls brought their purses and laid -them before her, after the little Princes had each presented £250 in -behalf of Miss Goldsworthy Gurney, who wished thus to memorialise her -father’s invention of the steam jet. The Prince of Wales was timidly -asked whether he would approve of this, and said, ‘Oh, why not? The -boys would stand on their heads if she wished!’ The younger of the boys -is a bright-coloured, cheery lad, but the elder, on whom so much may -depend, is pale, long-faced, and I can’t help thinking, _for a child_, -like Charles the First--it is a very feeling face. At night when they -were sent to bed between 12 and 1, having been allowed to sit up as a -special privilege to the ball, the Princess said to me as they pleaded -for a little longer, ‘I do wish to keep them children as long as I can, -and they do want so to be men all at once.’ May she prevail!” - -The mallet which was used by His Majesty on this occasion was the one -with which King Charles II. laid the foundation-stone of St. Paul’s -Cathedral. It was presented to the old lodge of St. Paul by Sir -Christopher Wren, who was a member. - -The King, who was of course then Duke of Cornwall, was also present -at the consecration of Truro Cathedral on 3rd November 1887, and -Archbishop Benson records an instance of His Majesty’s religious -feeling:-- - -“There was a nice incident in the consecration. Just as the Bishop was -signing the sentence of consecration, Bishop of Salisbury whispered -to me, ‘Shouldn’t the Prince of Wales be asked to sign it?’ I sent -him to Bishop of Truro to suggest it, who sent him on to the Prince’s -daïs. The Prince assented, but instead of waiting for the parchment -to be brought up, instantly came down from his place and went up the -altar steps and signed it there on the little table set in front of the -altar--a real little bit of reverence.” - -Another interesting ceremony was His Majesty’s consecration, in his -official capacity as Grand Master of England, of the Chancery Bar -Lodge of Freemasons in Lincoln’s Inn Hall. The King sat in the Grand -Master’s chair, wearing the full regalia of his office; at his left sat -the Earl of Lathom, Pro-Grand Master, and at his right, the Earl of -Mount-Edgcumbe, Deputy Grand Master. - -Many curious incidents have occurred in connection with the King’s -interest in Freemasonry. At one dinner at which the King of Sweden was -present, the list of subscriptions announced amounted to the enormous -sum of £51,000, probably the largest amount ever raised at a festival -dinner in the history of the world. - -On two occasions the King has presided as Grand Master of English -Freemasons over remarkable assemblies in the Royal Albert Hall. The -first was in celebration of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, -when the tickets for admission produced £6000, a sum which was divided -among the three great Masonic charities. Very similar was the Diamond -Jubilee assembly of Freemasons, at which eight thousand members -were present. The King spoke admirably, the Duke of Connaught moved -the adoption of the address to Queen Victoria, while Earl Amherst -aroused unbounded enthusiasm when he alluded to Her Majesty as “the -daughter of a Freemason, the mother of Freemasons, and the patron and -benefactress of our Order.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -THE KING AS A PHILANTHROPIST - - -One of the first occasions on which King Edward and Queen Alexandra -appeared in support of a charitable institution was on 24th June 1863, -when their Majesties opened the new buildings of the British Orphan -Asylum at Slough. From that day forward both the King and Queen have -unceasingly demonstrated their keen personal interest in every genuine -form of charitable endeavour. It would be impossible to estimate the -total sum of human misery and suffering which has been relieved as the -direct result, not only of their Majesties’ own exertions, but also -of the powerful example which they have consistently set before the -wealthy and leisured classes. The mere catalogue of the charitable -meetings and dinners at which the King has presided would occupy many -pages of this book. - -But His Majesty has never contented himself, as he might so easily have -done, with allowing his own subscription and the fact of his patronage -to open the purse-strings of the charitable public. The word “genuine” -has been used above advisedly. The King has no sort of admiration for -careless, slovenly charity, which often does more harm than good. Long -ago he realised that to give money is not enough, but that it is a -sacred duty to see that the money is expended to the best advantage -and really reaches the persons for whom it is intended. Hence it is -not surprising to find that His Majesty was from the first a strong -supporter of the old Mendicity Society, and has continued to give his -countenance to the Charity Organisation Society, which, in return, has -been of the greatest service to him. - -It will readily be understood that it is not so much the actual sums -subscribed by His Majesty and his gracious Consort to a particular -charity which are valued--though the aggregate amount which they have -given away since their marriage represents a very large sum--but it -is the guarantee afforded by the mere fact that their Majesties have -subscribed at all. Great precautions are taken to prevent a Royal -subscription from being given to a fraudulent or unworthy object, and -that is no doubt why a comparatively small sum, perhaps only £50 or -£100 from the King or Queen Alexandra, stimulates the generosity of the -public to the extent of many thousands. - -Charitable work, however, as those who have engaged in it know only -too well, is only a palliative. By his active interest in the problem -of the housing of the poor, which has been described in a previous -chapter, the King has endeavoured to strike at one of the chief causes -of vice and crime. We have seen that on various occasions His Majesty -has made pointed observations regarding the provision of decent -cottages for agricultural labourers, and there can be no doubt that the -example he has set on his Sandringham estate has been of the greatest -value. The King took the earliest opportunity after his accession, in -his reply to the address presented by the London County Council, of -emphasising his interest in the housing of urban populations also. It -must not be forgotten that the question is, at any rate in some of its -aspects, a political one, and the King has therefore been obliged to -exercise all his well-known tact and discretion in dealing with it. - -With regard to medical charities, the precise value of which is -fortunately not a subject of political difference, the King has enjoyed -practically a free hand. Twice in his life His Majesty has realised -in his own person the incalculable benefits of skilled medical and -surgical treatment and trained nursing, being indeed on the first -occasion literally snatched from the jaws of death. Though the King’s -active support of hospitals dates from an earlier time in his life, -these experiences doubtless strengthened his keen desire to render the -benefits which he had himself enjoyed available for the poorest classes -of the community. Perhaps His Majesty’s interest in medical science -dates from a visit which he paid when quite a boy to the great school, -mainly for doctors’ sons, at Epsom. At any rate there can be no doubt -about the steady development of that interest, which may be said to -have culminated in “The Prince of Wales’s Hospital Fund for London,” -established as a memorial of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. - -Probably only those who are concerned in the practical working of this -fund have an adequate idea of the good which it has already done and -will do in the future. It is not merely, as was erroneously supposed -at first, a machine for collecting money which might as well be sent -direct to individual hospitals. No one who appreciates the practical -bent of the King’s mind could ever have believed that he would give his -name to such a scheme as that. - -The fundamental idea of the fund is the giving of personal service, -the money collected being used as a means of raising the standard of -work done in the various hospitals. Before the fund existed there -was no regular systematic inspection of the London hospitals, which -in consequence presented very varying degrees of efficiency, some -institutions being admirably conducted, while in others the funds -were to a greater or less extent frittered away owing to the lack of -good business management. It never occurred to the great majority -of business men to associate themselves in the practical work of -hospital administration, though they subscribed most generously to the -hospital funds. The King’s plan was to enlist the personal service of -the most competent and representative business men, who should form, -in conjunction with certain eminent physicians and surgeons, and a -number of peers and members of Parliament of tried ability, a visiting -committee to inspect thoroughly every London hospital. On the reports -of this committee, grants from the fund were to be made immediately, -or promised subject to conditions, or in extreme cases altogether -withheld. - -The moral effect of this ingenious scheme has been extraordinary. Not -only have weak hospitals been brought into line, but the better-managed -institutions have been improved, while as regards individuals the -effect has been to encourage every competent hospital official and to -minimise as far as possible the harm done by the incompetent. At first -it was thought that the investigations of the visiting committee, which -are necessarily extremely thorough, might be resented as inquisitorial -and un-English, but the visiting committee found that the authorities -of almost every institution were eager to afford all possible -information. The income of the fund and the amount annually distributed -show a steady increase, which has been greatly fostered by the Order of -the League of Mercy instituted by the King in 1899. This decoration is -bestowed only as a reward for special personal service in the cause of -the hospitals. The hospital stamp, too, which brought in so much money -to the fund, was, if not actually designed, at any rate suggested by -His Majesty, the central figure being Sir Joshua Reynolds’s “Charity,” -which is to be seen in the famous Reynolds window at New College, -Oxford. - -Perhaps the most often quoted observation ever uttered by the King is -his famous saying about preventible diseases--“If preventible, why -not prevented?” His Majesty is an eager supporter of every properly -authorised medical discovery which promises to be of value to humanity -in the alleviation of disease. For example, both the King and Queen -Alexandra have taken the greatest interest in the “light treatment” -for lupus introduced by Dr. Finsen, a Danish _savant_, which Her -Majesty had installed at the London Hospital, and as we have seen His -Majesty experienced in his own person the value of the Röntgen rays for -purposes of diagnosis. - -The King has long been deeply impressed with the ravages of consumption -and other forms of tuberculosis, and when, comparatively recently, -an association for the prevention of this terrible scourge was -established, he not only became its president, but took an active -part in its deliberations. Moreover, not long before the death of -Queen Victoria he consented to preside at a great National Congress -on Tuberculosis to be held in London in the course of 1901, and to be -attended by delegates from all parts of the British Empire. - -As far back as 1863 the King became a patron of the Brompton Hospital -for Consumption, and in 1879 he laid the foundation-stone of the new -wing by which its accommodation was largely increased. A few years -afterwards he showed his continued interest in the same subject by -presiding at a festival dinner in aid of the Royal Hospital for -Diseases of the Chest, in the City Road, which brought in nearly £5000 -to the funds of the hospital. Until comparatively lately, consumption -was regarded as practically incurable, and it says much for the King’s -clearheadedness and insight that he unhesitatingly placed himself -at the head of the crusade against the disease. The historian of -the future will reckon this as not the least of the services he has -rendered to his people. - -As may be imagined from the diversity of his interests, the King’s -correspondence of late years rivalled that of Queen Victoria, and His -Majesty is always eager to acknowledge the debt he owes to his private -secretary, Sir Francis Knollys. The correspondence is reduced by the -private secretary to three distinct sections--the private letters, -the business letters, and the miscellaneous letters. Among the latter -are those written by lunatics, begging-letter writers, and so on. The -private letters are sent up to the King unopened, the others are all -read through by Sir Francis and again subdivided, the larger section to -be replied to in a formal and official way, the others to be submitted -to the King before they are dealt with. - -Some of His Majesty’s correspondents evidently have a touching belief -in his power of righting wrong. They implore him to take up their cause -when they are injured, and it may be stated that no _bona fida_ epistle -was ever sent to the King without being answered, often with marvellous -celerity, and ever with the greatest courtesy and kindness. - -At Sandringham there is a post office inside the house for the use of -the Royal Household, but at Marlborough House the huge letter-bags are -sent over to the St. James’s Street post office at regular intervals -throughout the day. - -The King has long been a subscriber to the National Telephone Company, -and he is said to spend over £1000 a year in telegrams alone, for the -popular idea that Royalty’s letters are franked, and that parcels sent -by them are forwarded free of cost, is a delusion. - -[Illustration: SIR FRANCIS KNOLLYS - -_From a Photograph by Russell_] - -Sir Francis Knollys’s duties as secretary are not confined to what -are generally called secretarial duties. He has to act as his Royal -master’s supplementary memory. He keeps the list of all the King’s -engagements, and, what is a more arduous task, arranges every item of -the Royal journeys. Princess Charles of Denmark is said to have once -observed that she felt sure that if Sir Francis were suddenly awakened -in the middle of the night and asked what were the King’s engagements -eight days forward, he would immediately begin to recite the entire -list. - -Be that as it may, the position of Sir Francis Knollys is a very -responsible one, and even his most intimate friends marvel how he can -get through the enormous amount of work he has to do. Occasionally -his labours are enormously increased, especially at times of -public calamity or Royal mourning. During the Tranby Croft case -well-intentioned folk all over the British Empire sent books and -pamphlets pointing out the evils of gambling, and in most cases these -were courteously and kindly acknowledged. - -Sir Francis writes every important letter with his own hand, for -typewriters have, so far, never been used in Royal correspondence. He -has two assistant secretaries, who attend to the routine work, but even -then many of the letters written by them are signed by him, and in all -cases he looks them over and sees that they are as he would wish them -to be. There is also a staff of clerks. - -In 1865 His Majesty attended his first public dinner in his capacity as -president of the Royal Literary Fund, and ever since he has taken the -greatest interest in the unobtrusive work done by this institution in -relieving distressing cases among those men and women of letters who -have fallen on evil days. - -The King is a warm friend of the coffee palace movement; in this -connection it is interesting to recall the Alexandra Trust, founded -by Sir Thomas Lipton at the instance of Queen Alexandra, for the -purpose of supplying well-cooked and nourishing food to the populace -at an inclusive charge of 4½d. It will be remembered that the King and -Queen paid a surprise visit to the Alexandra Trust Restaurant in St. -Luke’s, in the East End of London, on which occasion the various London -papers circulated the most amusingly inconsistent stories of what -their Majesties really ate. As a matter of fact they were satisfied -with the ordinary poor man’s dinner, and were not entertained--as -was alleged--by Sir Thomas Lipton with “chicken and champagne.” It -was their Majesties’ great desire to be treated exactly as ordinary -diners. But the Queen did break one rule--that which ordains that the -metal check, received on payment of the 4½d., should be given up on -leaving. The Queen insisted on keeping the disc, as she said to Sir -Thomas Lipton, “as a memento of a delightful visit and a most enjoyable -lunch.” Their Majesties remained for nearly two hours; they spoke to -large numbers of working men and girls, and carefully inspected all the -cooking arrangements, and it is recorded that the King chatted with the -men’s bootblack in the basement. Sir Thomas Lipton’s comment was: “It -was deeply touching to see the men’s devotion to the Princess; they -almost worshipped her.” - -The public are aware that, like his father, the late Prince Consort, -the King takes a keen personal interest in exhibitions of all kinds, -but it is not generally known that he himself suggested the Fisheries -Exhibition, which was visited by 2,750,000 people, and which brought in -£10,000 for the families of drowned or disabled fishermen. Altogether -16,000,000 people visited the four exhibitions over which His Majesty -presided--the Fisheries, the Healtheries, the Inventories, and the -Colinderies. - -His Majesty has always been a great ally of the London cabby. Although -the stables at Marlborough House are magnificently appointed, he -frequently takes a hansom for his own amusement, always over-paying -the driver. For years he has been patron of the Cabdrivers’ Benevolent -Association, the funds of which he has done much to increase. - -The King’s exertions in the cause of public philanthropy are so great -and widespread that it might be supposed that he would have no time -for private acts of benevolence. But this is by no means the case, and -an example which is not generally known may be given here. An officer -of the Grenadier Guards, a regiment in which the King is particularly -interested, fell into serious money troubles and had to leave the -service, ultimately becoming almost destitute. The Prince, as he then -was, heard of the case, and soon the poor ex-officer received a letter -from a firm of solicitors asking him to call on them. He did so, and -was given, to his amazement, a considerable sum of money, together -with the offer of a good appointment abroad. The Prince’s name was not -disclosed, by His Royal Highness’s express command, but a plausible -story was told of an old comrade who wished thus anonymously to -recompense former acts of kindness. - -Better known, perhaps, is the story of a large silver inkstand which -Queen Alexandra particularly values, though it does not belong to -her, but to the King. It bears the inscription: “To the Prince of -Wales. From one who saw him conduct a blind beggar across the street. -In memory of a kind and Christian action.” The incident occurred in -Pall Mall at a busy time of the day, and the beggar, with his dog, -was vainly trying to cross in safety when the King, who chanced to -be passing at the moment, took the poor fellow by the arm and guided -him to the other side. A few days afterwards the inkstand arrived at -Marlborough House, with no card or letter or other clue to the donor’s -identity, which, indeed, has never been revealed to this day. - -In conclusion it may be mentioned that His Majesty’s large-hearted -philanthropy includes even those often unfortunate people who are -expiating in prison the crimes they have committed against society. -On one occasion His Majesty visited Portland, spent a long time in -inspecting the infirmary, and tasted the food supplied to the convicts. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -THE KING AS A SPORTSMAN - - _The author is indebted to an authority on sport for kindly - revising this chapter._ - - -[Illustration: MR. JOHN PORTER AND MR. RICHARD MARSH, THE KING’S PAST -AND PRESENT TRAINERS, AND JOHN WATTS, HIS JOCKEY - -_From Photographs by Elliott and Fry, and Clarence Hailey_] - -An account of the King as a sportsman begins, appropriately enough, -with the sport of kings, though this is by no means the only pastime -with which His Majesty has identified himself. Still, at any rate -during his later years as Prince of Wales, he was chiefly associated -in the public mind with racing, and his colours--purple, gold band, -scarlet sleeves, and black velvet cap with gold fringe--were familiar -at all the principal meetings. After his accession His Majesty leased -his horses to the Duke of Devonshire for the season of 1901, but it was -understood that, following the example of several of his predecessors, -the King intended to resume his active connection with the Turf later -on. Although His Majesty has been a member of the Jockey Club for over -thirty years, his personal interest in racing is a matter of later -growth, for it was not till July 1877 that Queen Alexandra honoured -Newmarket with her presence to see her husband’s colours carried for -the first time. On that occasion the King had no luck, his horse -Alep, a pure-bred Arab, which started favourite, being beaten by Lord -Strathnairn’s Arab Avowal by twenty or thirty lengths. Five years later -the King won the Household Brigade Cup at Sandown with Fairplay. - -[Illustration: THE EGERTON HOUSE TRAINING STABLES, NEWMARKET - -_From a Photograph by Clarence Hailey_] - -The King is generally agreed to be a very good judge of a horse. When -at Newmarket he makes it a point to watch the early morning gallops, -and at one time he was very fond of attending sales. His Majesty has -also given a great impetus to horse-breeding in the United Kingdom. -Many years ago he started a thorough-bred stud, a half-bred stud, and -a shire-horse stud--works of real public utility, which can only be -undertaken, be it remembered, by those who have wealth and leisure, -combined with intelligence and a real desire to forward the interests -of the British farmer. - -The King’s great successes on the Turf during recent years, including -two famous Derbys, have been due to the introduction to the Sandringham -stables of Perdita II., bought by Mr. John Porter for £900. The union -of this mare with St. Simon produced Florizel II., and from that time -the King’s fame as an owner and breeder increased until it became -second to none. - -It was in 1890 that His Majesty put his racers under John Porter, but -his total winnings were only £624. The next year, however, the King -won £4148; in 1892, £190; in 1893, £372; in 1894, £3499; and in 1895, -£8281; and in the last-named year His Majesty’s name stood tenth in -the list of winning owners. This satisfactory result was undoubtedly -greatly owing to Lord Marcus Beresford, who was entrusted with the -management of the King’s racing stable in 1890. The King’s horses were -removed from Kingsclere to Egerton House, Newmarket, in 1892, and since -then they have been under Marsh’s care. Persimmon was sent there as a -yearling from Sandringham in 1894. - -The King’s most memorable triumph was his first Derby in 1896, when -Persimmon won. This fine horse is a bay by St. Simon, and own brother -to Florizel II., who was, by the way, the first really good horse -that ever carried the Royal colours, and is the sire of several very -promising animals. Persimmon was never beaten by any horse except -his own half-brother, St. Frusquin, who twice defeated him, and -Omladina, who finished in front of him in the Middle Park Plate. He -was bred by the King and trained by Marsh at Newmarket. He made his -first appearance in the Coventry Stakes at Ascot as a two-year-old, -and, starting favourite, won the race. On the occasion of his next -appearance, in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, he was again favourite, -and again won by a length. In the Middle Park Plate, though favourite, -he was beaten by St. Frusquin, but in the Derby of 1896 he beat his -half-brother by a neck. At the Newmarket First July Meeting he gave 3 -lb. to St. Frusquin, and was beaten in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes. -He won the St. Leger by a length and a half; and in the Jockey Club -Stakes at Newmarket on the 1st October he won by two lengths from Sir -Visto, the Derby winner of 1897. - -[Illustration: THE KING’S DERBY, 1896 - -_Reproduced by permission from the copyright Painting by G. D. Giles_] - -Persimmon was ridden to victory in the Derby of 1896 by John Watts. -The race was witnessed by an extraordinarily large concourse of all -classes, including a considerable number of distinguished foreigners. -Never was there a more popular victory, and the enthusiasm all over the -country was almost as great as at Epsom. It was the fourth time in the -history of the Turf that the race had been won by a Royal owner. In -1788, eight years after its foundation, the Prince Regent won with Sir -Thomas; and the Duke of York won with Prince Leopold in 1816, and with -Moses in 1822. - -Altogether, in 1896, nearly £27,000 in stake money was won by horses -from the Royal stables at Newmarket. Among the King’s notable successes -in that year may be mentioned the One Thousand Guineas, won by Thais, -by St. Serf out of Poetry, which also ran second to Canterbury Pilgrim -in the Oaks. - -The King won the Derby again in 1900 with Diamond Jubilee, which, like -Persimmon, is by St. Simon--Perdita II. It is an extraordinary thing -for a mare to produce two Derby winners, but that they should be by -the same sire is believed to be a record in the annals of the Turf. -Perdita II. died soon after her very promising filly Nadejda--also by -St. Simon--was foaled. - -The Derby-Day dinner is certainly one of the most important functions -held at Marlborough House during the year, and it is now difficult -to believe that it was only inaugurated comparatively few years ago. -Something like fifty invitations are sent out, and the guests, who -are all men, are expected to wear evening dress, not uniform. The -great silver dinner-service ordered by the King on his marriage, which -cost some £20,000, is always used on this occasion, and on the side -buffet are to be seen His Majesty’s racing cups, hunting trophies, and -gold and silver salvers, for everything in the strong rooms which is -associated with sport is brought out. - -In addition to the Derby, Diamond Jubilee also won in 1900 the Two -Thousand Guineas, the Newmarket Stakes, the Eclipse Stakes, and the -St. Leger, and was second in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes. Giving -12 lb. to Disguise II., Diamond Jubilee was unplaced in the Jockey -Club Stakes. In his five great victories Diamond Jubilee won £27,985 -in stakes, and so placed the King at the head of the list of winning -owners. - -In 1900 also the King won the Grand National with Ambush II., and so -carried off the biggest flat-race and the biggest steeplechase--double -honours which no other owner had ever before gained, much less in the -same year. - -From the sport of kings we pass by a natural transition to the Royal -and ancient game of golf. It is well known that golf was the favourite -pastime of some of the Stuart kings of Scotland, and Mary Queen of -Scots, her son, James I. of England, Charles I., and James II. all -played. But from the death of James II. to the accession of Edward VII. -none of our sovereigns were themselves golfers, though William IV. and -the lamented Queen Victoria gave their patronage to the game. - -The King learnt to play on the Musselburgh Links years ago when he -was pursuing his scientific studies at Edinburgh, and Tom Brown, who -had the honour of being His Majesty’s caddie, still lives in hale old -age. In 1863 the King became Patron and then Captain of the Royal and -Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, and in 1882 he accepted the office -of President of the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club, to which the late Queen -had granted the title “Royal.” His Majesty has played several times at -Cannes and on the private links of the Grand Duke Michael, and his love -of the game is notably shared by the Duke of Cornwall and York, the -Duchess of Fife, and the Duke of Connaught. - -The King has lived to see the extraordinary development of cricket, -and its promotion to the rank of the typically national game which -Englishmen take with them to the ends of the earth. We may be sure that -the indirect political influence of the great contests between England -and Australia, for example, and of the tours of Indian, South African, -and West Indian teams, did not escape his quick intelligence. Certainly -His Majesty has always supported cricket, though he never became so -keen a player as the late Prince Christian Victor, for instance. - -The King played at Oxford, and occasionally for I. Zingari. In 1866, at -the Park House, Sandringham, His Majesty played against the Gentlemen -of Norfolk for the Sandringham Household. He has frequently visited -Lord’s to see the Eton and Harrow matches, and in 1899 he went there -with the Duke of Cornwall and York when the M.C.C., of which club -His Majesty is patron, played the Australians. He has also seen the -Australians play at Sheffield Park. Kennington Oval being on the London -estate of the Duchy of Cornwall, the King, when he was Prince of Wales, -was ground landlord, and allowed the Surrey Club the use of the ground -at a nominal rental. The Surrey Club has benefited greatly through the -King’s generosity in this matter, and recently the Duchy of Cornwall -granted the club a thirty years’ lease at a very low rent, considering -the value of the property. - -The King was for many years patron of both the Rugby Union and the -Football Association, and after his Accession he was approached by -both bodies with a view to his graciously continuing to grant them his -patronage. The game under neither code was played much until the King -had reached middle life, but he showed his interest in the popular -winter pastime by visiting the Oval in March 1886 on the first occasion -of a charity festival organised by the Rugby Union and Football -Association. - -There can be no doubt that the King owes his remarkable bodily vigour -and healthy appearance to his love of all outdoor sports, for he was -never so content as when enjoying a long day’s tramp over the stubble -at Sandringham, or when deer-stalking in a soft Highland mist. His -Majesty’s life as a sportsman began early. When he was quite a child -he used to accompany Prince Albert on deer-stalking expeditions round -Balmoral; somewhat later he hunted with the harriers, and when he was -fifteen he could claim to be the best shot in his family. - -Although the King has been a plucky and fearless rider from early -childhood, he has not been so fond of hunting as of some other sports, -and during the last few years he has seldom been seen following the -hounds. When an undergraduate at Christ Church, he constantly hunted -with Lord Macclesfield’s pack, and was then considered a very hard -rider; and it need scarcely be said that the meets which take place at -Sandringham are the most popular in Norfolk, and give both the King and -Queen many opportunities of showing gracious and kindly hospitality, -both to their wealthy and to their humble neighbours. The King is a -firm friend to the hunting of the fox, and it is understood that a pack -of fox-hounds is to be established in place of the Royal Buckhounds. -In 1888 the members of the West Norfolk Hunt presented to the King and -Queen Alexandra a beautiful silver model of a fox in full gallop as a -memorial of their Majesties’ silver wedding, and in returning thanks -the King said:-- - -“I can assure you that no present which has been offered for our -acceptance has been received by us with more pleasure than the one -which you have given us to-day--a model of the wily animal that we are -all so fond of following. Norfolk has always been considered to be a -shooting county; that may be so to a great extent, but I feel convinced -that the hunting is quite as popular, and I sincerely hope that it will -long remain so. There may be difficulties in preserving foxes, but I -feel sure that where there’s a will there’s a way. For twenty-five -years we have enjoyed hunting with the West Norfolk Hunt, both the -Princess and myself; and our children have been brought up to follow -that Hunt. I sincerely hope that for many long years we may be able to -continue to do so.” - -Before the King had been at Sandringham six months he made it quite -clear that his country home should be in every sense a good sporting -estate, and it has been one of his chief pleasures to entertain parties -of keen sportsmen each autumn in Norfolk. Perhaps the best shooting -season Sandringham has ever seen was that of 1885-86. The total bag -was 16,131 head, including 7252 pheasants. The best day of that season -was the last day of the year 1885, when ten guns killed 2835 head, -including 1275 pheasants. The rabbit-shooting at Sandringham is also -first-rate, and it need hardly be said that the foxes are watched over -with the most tender anxiety. - -[Illustration: THE KING AS A SPORTSMAN IN 1876 - -_From an Engraving published by Henry Graves and Co._] - -Over ten thousand pheasants are annually reared at Sandringham, partly -by incubators and partly by the assistance of a thousand ordinary -hens. The lake near Sandringham affords wild duck, teal, and widgeon -shooting. The King has the largest game-room in the United Kingdom. -It holds between six and seven thousand head, and was built not very -long after the King bought the estate. After each day’s sport the game -is spread for inspection, and a careful record is made of the numbers -that have fallen to each gun. It is in the game-room that the game is -packed after a big _battue_ to be sent off in hampers to hospitals and -to friends. It need hardly be said that none of the King’s game is ever -sold. A good deal is kept for the use of the house, and a share is also -given to the tenants, to the _employés_ on the estate, and to London -tradesmen connected with the Royal Household. - -The King’s shooting-parties rarely number more than ten guns, each of -whom is assigned his place in the shoot by his Royal host himself. All -the beaters at Sandringham wear a very becoming uniform composed of a -Royal blue blouse, low crowned hat, and long brown gaiters. Each bears -on his left arm a number by which he may readily be identified, and -after each day’s shooting every one of the beaters is allowed to take -home a hare and a pheasant. - -The King is not often seen going north for the opening weeks of the -grouse-shooting season. Still, in the early years of his married life, -he and Queen Alexandra often entertained shooting-parties at Birkhall. -The King generally puts in a certain number of days pheasant-shooting -in Windsor Great Park. The preserves swarm with ground game. His -Majesty is also fond of shooting with the Duke of Devonshire at -Chatsworth, and at Wynyard, Lord Londonderry’s seat in Durham. The King -has, however, shot more or less all over England. He was frequently the -guest of Lord James of Hereford when the latter had Shoreham Place, -where one valley on the farther side of the park is locally known as -“The Valley of the Shadow of Death,” from the tremendous slaughter of -game that annually takes place there. - -Like his father, the late Prince Consort, the King has always been a -keen deer-stalker, and when he is staying at Balmoral most of his time -is entirely devoted to this sport--in fact, deer-stalking is what first -brought him into close connection with his present son-in-law, then -the Earl of Fife, who possesses Mar, which is one of the two largest -forests in Great Britain, being over 80,000 acres of cleared ground. -Balmoral is situated in the heart of the deer country, being within -reach of a good number of forests adjoining each other, and extending -without a break into five counties. The King is well known to prefer -“stalking” to driving, but of late years he has taken an active part in -the drives organised at Mar. His marksmanship is universally agreed to -be excellent. At one time he was owner of Birkhall, in Glenmuick, but -it was purchased for him by Prince Albert, and he had no voice in its -selection. Still the King kept it till 1885, when he sold the property, -which was very extensive, to Queen Victoria. - -[Illustration: THE “BRITANNIA” - -_From a Photograph by Adamson, Rothesay_] - -King Edward has been extremely fortunate as a yachtsman, and probably -one of the events to which he most looks forward each year is the -Regatta at Cowes. The King first won the Queen’s Cup, annually -presented to the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes, in 1877, with his -schooner _Hildegarde_ of 198 tons. He won the Cup again in 1880 with -the _Formosa_, cutter, of 103 tons, and again in 1895 and 1897 with the -famous cutter _Britannia_ of 151 tons. - -[Illustration: THE KING AS A YACHTSMAN - -_Photograph by Debenham, Cowes_] - -The Royal Yacht Squadron, as is well known, was founded as “The Yacht -Club” so far back as 1815. It early enjoyed the patronage of Royalty, -among the past and present members being numbered the Prince Regent -(afterwards George IV.), the Duke of Clarence (afterwards William IV.), -Queen Victoria, the Prince Consort, the Tsar Nicholas I., Napoleon -III., the German Emperor, and Prince Henry of Prussia. The King became -Commodore in 1882 on the death of Lord Wilton, and he is Commodore of -nine other Royal yacht clubs, as well as President of the Yacht Racing -Association. - -The King generally takes the chair at the annual dinner of the Squadron -held at the old castle at West Cowes, built as a fort by Henry VIII., -which became the headquarters of the club in 1858. This festivity is -the great event of the year for all well-known yachtsmen. There is an -interesting display of plate, including the Queen’s Cup, the Nelson -Vase, and the beautiful model of the _Speranza_, which once belonged -to Lord Conyngham. His Majesty presented a few years ago twenty-one -cannon to the club-house at Cowes. They were taken by him from the -_Royal Adelaide_, the toy warship placed by William IV. to guard the -artificial ocean of Virginia Water. Now they are used for firing -salutes. - -It need hardly be said that the King is the owner of many splendid -prizes won at Cowes and elsewhere. Both His Majesty and Queen Alexandra -are extremely fond of the sea, and he early made himself acquainted -with the less technical side of navigation. The King is very fond of -spending a certain number of days each year at Cannes, and when he -is there in April he generally takes an active part in the Battle of -Flowers, and he entertains large parties of his English and foreign -friends on board the _Britannia_. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -DEATH OF QUEEN VICTORIA--THE KING’S ACCESSION - - -On 19th January 1901 it was officially announced that Queen Victoria -had not been lately in her usual health, and on the same day King -Edward and Queen Alexandra arrived at Osborne. His Majesty returned to -London with his son to meet the German Emperor, whose instant departure -in the midst of the bi-centenary celebrations of the Prussian monarchy -to the sick-bed of his venerated grandmother deeply touched the -feelings of the British people. - -The mournful story of the days which followed is well known. Queen -Victoria passed peacefully away, at half-past six in the evening of -22nd January, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. - -Then every one turned in their grief to His Majesty King Edward VII. -Hardly for a moment could he be simply the devoted son weeping by the -death-bed of his beloved and venerated mother. He was now the ruler -of a great Empire, and bravely did His Majesty meet what must have -seemed the almost impertinent intrusion of State business and State -ceremonial. Yet it had to be done, and it may even be that, as has -been the experience of humbler mortals, the anguish of the King’s -great personal bereavement was to some extent mitigated by the urgent -necessities of action that were laid upon him. On the following day the -King held his first Council at St. James’s Palace, when His Majesty -made a declaration which is thus described in the quaint official -language of the _London Gazette_:-- - - “AT THE COURT AT SAINT JAMES’S, - THE 23RD DAY OF JANUARY 1901 - - _Present_ - - “The King’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council. - - “His Majesty being this day present in Council was pleased to - make the following Declaration:-- - - “‘Your Royal Highnesses, My Lords, and Gentlemen, This is the - most painful occasion on which I shall ever be called upon to - address you. - - “‘My first and melancholy duty is to announce to you the death - of My beloved Mother the Queen, and I know how deeply you, the - whole Nation, and I think I may say the whole world, sympathise - with Me in the irreparable loss we have all sustained. - - “‘I need hardly say that My constant endeavour will be always - to walk in Her footsteps. In undertaking the heavy load - which now devolves upon Me, I am fully determined to be a - Constitutional Sovereign in the strictest sense of the word, - and as long as there is breath in My body to work for the good - and amelioration of My people. - - “‘I have resolved to be known by the name of Edward, which - has been borne by six of My ancestors. In doing so I do not - undervalue the name of Albert, which I inherit from My ever to - be lamented, great and wise Father, who by universal consent is - I think deservedly known by the name of Albert the Good, and I - desire that his name should stand alone. - - “‘In conclusion, I trust to Parliament and the Nation to - support Me in the arduous duties which now devolve upon Me by - inheritance, and to which I am determined to devote My whole - strength during the remainder of My life.’ - - “Whereupon the Lords of the Council made it their humble - request to His Majesty that His Majesty’s Most Gracious - Declaration to their Lordships might be made public, which His - Majesty was pleased to Order accordingly. - - “A. W. FITZROY.” - -His Majesty’s selection of King Edward VII. as his “style and title” -proved extremely popular, for it is an essentially English name, and -is bound up with so many historical associations, especially with the -glorious memory of King Edward I. At the same time the King’s tribute -of filial piety to his much-loved father deeply touched the hearts of -his subjects. All over the British Empire King Edward was proclaimed -amid rejoicings which were tempered only by a vivid sense of the -common bereavement under which His Majesty and his subjects were alike -suffering. - -The marvellous and unprecedented outburst of sorrow for her late -Majesty, which showed that not only the British Empire but the whole of -the civilised world shared in King Edward’s grief, undoubtedly brought -His Majesty some consolation, which was increased by the decision of -the German Emperor, who had been joined by his eldest son, the Crown -Prince, to remain for the funeral. - -This magnificent ceremonial, in which was exemplified the lamentation -of an Empire, lasted from Friday, 1st February, to Monday, 4th -February. It was both naval and military in character, as befitted -the funeral of the Sovereign who set so much store by her position as -head of the services. The Royal Yacht _Alberta_, bearing her precious -burden, passed from Cowes to Portsmouth along a line of warships which, -reinforced as they were by foreign vessels sent by friendly Powers, -seemed typical of the firm yet peaceful policy of the great ruler who -was being borne to her last resting-place. The pageant through London, -distinguished as it was by the presence of four reigning Sovereigns, -the German Emperor, the King of the Belgians, the King of the Hellenes, -and the King of Portugal, as well as numerous other representatives -of foreign States, will never be forgotten by the vast crowds who -saw it pass along its appointed way. It is perhaps worthy of mention -that the Countess of Ranfurly represented New Zealand, her husband -being Governor of that Colony, and thus the funeral of the great woman -Sovereign is believed to have been the first public occasion on which -a State of the Empire has been represented by a woman. - -The stately and yet simple dignity of the whole ceremonial was -marred by only one mishap, which is recorded here because a number -of incorrect versions of what happened were current at the time. The -funeral _cortège_ did not arrive at the Great Western Railway Station -at Windsor till some time after it was expected, the result being that -the artillery horses, which were in waiting to draw the gun-carriage -bearing the coffin to St. George’s Chapel, became chilled. Just as the -procession was about to start one of the horses on the off-side--that -is, one of those that had no rider--reared and plunged, and eventually -stood up on its hind legs. This started the next pair, and they also -began to kick, and the situation became both dangerous and painful. -So restive, in fact, were the horses that an officer on the Staff -approached the King and received permission to remove them from the -gun-carriage. It was at this juncture that Prince Louis of Battenberg -respectfully called the attention of His Majesty to the naval guard of -honour drawn up close by, and suggested that the seamen should draw -the coffin to the chapel. The King at once ordered that this should be -done, and Prince Louis, sending for Lieutenant Boyle, who commanded the -guard of honour, gave instructions to that effect. The traces, made of -chain covered with leather with a hook at each end, were taken from -the horses and were easily connected up by the seamen into two long -drag ropes. There was a brake on the gun-carriage, but in descending -the hill this was found to be insufficient for the weight--upwards of -two tons--and a party of selected petty officers manned the wheels and -eased the carriage down the declivity spoke by spoke. - -His Majesty was afterwards pleased to express his gracious approbation -of the conduct of the naval guard of honour and their promptitude in -executing his orders. Later on the King conferred the Victorian Order -on the officers, and the Victorian medal on the men. The incident -seized the imagination of the British people, who were quick to recall -other occasions on which the sea service had similarly risen to a -great emergency. - -Few besides the members of the Royal Family were present at the actual -depositing of the remains of Queen Victoria in the sarcophagus at -Frogmore, there to sleep by the side of her tenderly-loved husband, -to whom she had addressed the infinitely touching inscription, “Vale -desideratissime! Hic tecum requiescam, tecum demum in Christo resurgam!” - -It was on that most solemn day that King Edward wrote those admirable -Messages to his People, to the Colonies, and to India, which revealed -to all his subjects how completely he possesses his lamented mother’s -marvellous gift of human sympathy, combined with a full realisation -of his kingly dignity. The Messages, which are all dated from Windsor -Castle, 4th February 1901, are as follows:-- - - “TO MY PEOPLE - - “Now that the last Scene has closed in the noble and ever - glorious life of My beloved Mother, The Queen, I am anxious - to endeavour to convey to the whole Empire the extent of the - deep gratitude I feel for the heart-stirring and affectionate - tributes which are everywhere borne to Her Memory. I wish also - to express My warm recognition of those universal expressions - of what I know to be genuine and loyal sympathy with Me - and with the Royal Family in our overwhelming sorrow. Such - expressions have reached Me from all parts of My vast Empire, - while at home the sorrowful, reverent, and sincere enthusiasm - manifested in the magnificent display by sea and land has - deeply touched Me. - - “The consciousness of this generous spirit of devotion and - loyalty among the millions of My Subjects, and of the feeling - that we are all sharing a common sorrow, has inspired Me with - courage and hope during the past most trying and momentous days. - - “Encouraged by the confidence of that love and trust which the - nation ever reposed in its late and fondly mourned Sovereign, - I shall earnestly strive to walk in Her Footsteps, devoting - Myself to the utmost of My powers to maintaining and promoting - the highest interests of My People, and to the diligent and - zealous fulfilment of the great and sacred responsibilities - which, through the Will of God, I am now called to undertake. - - “EDWARD, R.I.” - - “TO MY PEOPLE BEYOND THE SEAS - - “The countless messages of loyal sympathy which I have received - from every part of My Dominions over the Seas testify to the - universal grief in which the whole Empire now mourns the loss - of My Beloved Mother. - - “In the welfare and prosperity of Her subjects throughout - Greater Britain the Queen ever evinced a heartfelt interest. - - “She saw with thankfulness the steady progress which, under a - wide extension of Self-Government, they had made during Her - Reign. She warmly appreciated their unfailing loyalty to Her - Throne and Person, and was proud to think of those who had so - nobly fought and died for the Empire’s cause in South Africa. - - “I have already declared that it will be My constant endeavour - to follow the great example which has been bequeathed to Me. - - “In these endeavours I shall have a confident trust in the - devotion and sympathy of the People and of their several - Representative Assemblies throughout My vast Colonial Dominions. - - “With such loyal support I will, with God’s blessing, solemnly - work for the promotion of the common welfare and security of - the great Empire over which I have now been called to reign. - - “EDWARD, R.I.” - - “TO THE PRINCES AND PEOPLE OF INDIA - - “Through the lamented death of My beloved and dearly mourned - Mother, I have inherited the Throne, which has descended to Me - through a long and ancient lineage. - - “I now desire to send My greeting to the Ruling Chiefs of the - Native States, and to the Inhabitants of My Indian Dominions, - to assure them of My sincere goodwill and affection, and of My - heartfelt wishes for their welfare. - - “My illustrious and lamented Predecessor was the first - Sovereign of this Country who took upon Herself the direct - Administration of the Affairs of India, and assumed the - title of Empress in token of Her closer association with the - Government of that vast country. - - “In all matters connected with India, the Queen Empress - displayed an unvarying deep personal interest, and I am well - aware of the feeling of loyalty and affection evinced by the - millions of its people towards Her Throne and Person. This - feeling was conspicuously shown during the last year of Her - long and glorious reign by the noble and patriotic assistance - offered by the Ruling Princes in the South African War, and by - the gallant services rendered by the Native Army beyond the - limits of their own Country. - - “It was by Her wish and with Her sanction that I visited India - and made Myself personally acquainted with the Ruling Chiefs, - the people, and the cities of that ancient and famous Empire. - - “I shall never forget the deep impressions which I then - received, and I shall endeavour to follow the great example - of the first Queen Empress to work for the general well-being - of my Indian subjects of all ranks, and to merit, as She did, - their unfailing loyalty and affection. - - “EDWARD, R. ET I.” - -The King’s anxieties during the trying period which followed the death -of his beloved mother were much increased by the state of health of his -only surviving son. The Duke of Cornwall and York fell ill with German -measles, and, to his lasting regret, it was absolutely impossible for -him to attend the funeral of his venerated grandmother. His Royal -Highness, however, thanks to the devoted nursing of his wife, made -steady progress towards convalescence. - -In the midst of his own bitter grief the King displayed all his -customary consideration and desire to gratify others. Even before the -funeral His Majesty found time to bestow the Victorian Order on some -officers of the late Queen’s Guard at Osborne. To the Imperial and -Royal personages who attended the late Queen’s funeral His Majesty -showed significant marks of his gratitude. Queen Victoria had intended -some time before her death to invest the German Crown Prince with -the Order of the Garter with her own hands, and King Edward hastened -to carry out his beloved mother’s design. The ceremony took place at -Osborne, and after the investiture the King addressed his great-nephew -in the following terms:-- - - “SIR--In conferring on your Imperial and Royal Highness the - ancient and Most Noble Order of the Garter, which was founded - by my ancestor many centuries ago, I invest you with the order - of knighthood, not only as the heir to the Throne of a mighty - empire, but also as a near relation. It was the wish of my - beloved mother the Queen to bestow it upon you as a mark of - her favour, and I am only carrying out her wishes, and am glad - to do so to the son of my illustrious relation, the German - Emperor, to whom I wish to express my sincere thanks for - having come at a moment’s notice to this country and assisted - in tending and watching over the Queen, and remaining with - her until her last moments. I desire to express a hope that - my action in conferring upon you this ancient Order may yet - further cement and strengthen the good feeling which exists - between the two great countries, and that we may go forward - hand in hand with the high object of ensuring peace and - promoting the advance of the civilisation of the world.” - -The King also paid a high compliment to his nephew, Prince Henry of -Prussia, which was thus announced in the _London Gazette_:-- - - “ADMIRALTY, _5th February 1901_. - - “His Royal Highness Prince Albert William Henry of Prussia, - K.G., G.C.B., Vice-Admiral in the Imperial German Navy, has - been appointed Honorary Vice-Admiral in His Majesty’s Fleet.” - -For the German Emperor himself, who was already a Knight of the Garter, -the King had reserved a special sign of his affection, which the -_London Gazette_ announced in the following terms:-- - - “WAR OFFICE, PALL MALL, _27th January 1901_. - - “The King has been pleased to appoint His Majesty William - II., German Emperor, King of Prussia, K.G., G.C.V.O., - Colonel-in-Chief 1st (Royal) Dragoons, Honorary Admiral of the - Fleet, to be a Field-Marshal in the Army, on the occasion of - the Anniversary of His Majesty’s Birthday. - - “The Commission dated 27th January 1901.” - -In telegrams to Lord Salisbury and Lord Roberts, announcing that this -honour had been conferred on him, His Imperial Majesty demonstrated -the great gratification which it afforded him. Not long afterwards the -German Emperor conferred on Lord Roberts the Order of the Black Eagle, -the highest decoration in his power to bestow. - -The honour bestowed on the King of Portugal is particularly -interesting, as it is believed to be the first instance in which a -foreign Royal personage has been appointed Colonel-in-Chief of a line -regiment. It was thus officially announced:-- - - “WAR OFFICE, PALL MALL, _19th February 1901_. - - “The Oxfordshire Light Infantry. - - “His Majesty Charles I., King of Portugal and Algarves, K.G., - to be Colonel-in-Chief. Dated 20th February 1901.” - -Of the other Royal personages who attended the funeral of Queen -Victoria, the Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovitch of Russia, the Archduke -Franz Ferdinand of Austria, and the Crown Prince of Sweden and Norway -were appointed Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, -and Prince Charles of Denmark was made an Honorary Knight Grand Cross -of the Royal Victorian Order and an Honorary Lieutenant in the British -Navy. Prince Christian, the Duke of Teck, Prince Louis of Battenberg, -the Duke of Argyll, and the Duke of Fife became Knights Grand Cross, -and the youthful Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, better known as the -Duke of Albany, became an Honorary Knight Grand Cross, of the Royal -Victorian Order. - -On his accession the King became _ipso facto_ head and Sovereign of all -the great orders of Knighthood, and the position of Great Master of the -Order of the Bath, to which His Majesty had been appointed in 1897, was -therefore vacated. The King was unwilling that this interesting office, -which had been specially created by his lamented mother, should lapse, -and so he appointed his brother, the Duke of Connaught, to succeed him -in it. His Majesty also appointed Rear-Admiral the Duke of Cornwall and -York and Captain Prince Louis of Battenberg to be his personal Naval -Aides-de-Camp. - -But unquestionably the most interesting of all the appointments made by -the King was his creation of Queen Alexandra a Lady of the Garter. The -announcement was made by the _London Gazette_ in the following form:-- - - “MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, _12th February 1901_. - - “The King, as Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, - has been graciously pleased to command that a Special Statute - under the Seal of the Order shall be issued for conferring upon - Her Majesty The Queen the title and dignity of a Lady of that - Most Noble Order, and fully authorising Her Majesty to wear the - Insignia thereof.” - -The wording of this intimation shows how exceptional was the honour -conferred on the gracious Queen who has long possessed the hearts of -the British people. As a matter of fact, the distinction was without -precedent for 400 years. Queen Victoria, even, was never a Lady of the -Garter; she was Sovereign of the Order in her capacity as Queen regnant. - -The State opening of Parliament by their Majesties followed on 14th -February, the national mourning being partially laid aside for that -day. The reception of the King and Queen by the loyal crowds which -lined the route to St. Stephen’s was enthusiastic in the extreme. In -the House of Lords His Majesty delivered the Speech from the Throne in -a firm, clear voice, which only faltered a little when he came to the -passage referring to the Duke of Cornwall and York’s Colonial tour. -It was undoubtedly hard for the King to part from his much-loved son, -the only son now left to him, for so many months, but it is not by any -means the first occasion in which His Majesty has put aside his private -feelings in order to gratify and benefit his loyal subjects. - -[Illustration] - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of His Most Gracious Majesty King Edward -VII, by Marie Belloc Lowndes - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY *** - -***** This file should be named 52237-0.txt or 52237-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/2/3/52237/ - -Produced by Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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