*u -W *<§ V C r * O. ^d* ***** *W^ *W " V W". ^ .** ;^K^ .V o ^ .0* V , ♦V#'" vW-.'' - * 0' ^ c • r* 'oV y ** v ■ * S-/ <* & o o "b V" x ^ ^o« .A y ^ o S V §y ** v "^ vfl ' 'J ' ^' ' ;• '*. EDWARD VII, KING OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND AND EMPEROR OF INDIA Ascended the throne January 22. 1901. THE LIFE OF King Edward VII WITH A SKETCH OF THE CAREER OF GEORGE, PRINCE OF WALES AND A HISTORY OF THE ROYAL TOUR OF THE EMPIRE IN 1901. *• *• By J. CASTELL HOPKINvS, P.vS.S. cAuthor of "Queen 'Victoria., Her Life and 'Reign ; ' ' "Life and Work of Mr. Gladstone , "The Story of the Thminion, " &c, &c. J* 'PUBLISHERS Jt THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, Two COPIEd Recsjved 1902 OnpyRWHT ENTUY Cl ASS ft^XXo. No. £ £> A If COP* 3> Entered according to Act of Congress in tKe year 1902 by W. E. SCULL, in the office of the Librarian of Con gress, at Washington, D. C. Entered a t Stationers' Hall, London, England. All Rights Reserved ^ PREFACE DURING a number of years' study of British institutions in their modern development and of British public life in its adjustment to new and changing conditions I have felt an ever-growing appreciation of the active influence exercised by the present Sovereign of the British Empire upon the social life and public interests of the United Kingdom and an ever-increasing admiration for his natural abilities and rare tactfulness of character. King Edward the Seventh, in a sixty years' tenure of the difficult position of Heir to the British Throne, has built into the history of his country and Empire a record of which he and his people have every reason to be proud. He had for many years the responsibilities of a Royal position without the actual power; the public functions of a great ruler without the resources usually available ; the knowledge, experience and statecraft of a wise Sovereign without the Regal environment. The Prince of Wales, however, rose above the apparent difficulties of his position and for more than a quarter of a century has emulated the wise example of his princely father — Albert the Good — and profited by the beautiful character and unquestioned statesmanship of his august mother. As with all those upon whose life beats the glare of ever-present pub- licity and upon whose actions the press of friendly and hostile nations alike have the privilege of ceaseless comment, the Heir to the British Throne has had to suffer from atrocious canards as well as from fulsome compliments. Unlike many others, however, he has lived down the falsehoods of an early vi PREFACE time ; has conquered by his clear, open life the occasional hostility of a later day ; and at the period of his accession to the Throne was, without and beyond question, the best liked Prince in Europe — the most universally popular man in the United Kingdom and its external Empire. Upon the verge of His Majesty's Coronation there has occurred that sudden and dramatic illness which proves so well the bravery and patience of the man, and has increased so greatly the popu- larity and prestige of the Monarch. In the United States, which King Edward has always regarded with an admiration which the enterprise and energy of its people well deserved, he has in turn won a degree of respect and regard which did not at one time seem propable. To him, ever since the visit to the Republic in i860, a closer and better relation between the two great countries has been an ideal toward which as statesman and Prince and Sovereign he has tried to labour. For years past my interest in this Royal career has led me to collect materials beari ig upon its evolution ; and if the bringing together of these facts in the following pages should help in even the most minute degree to promote public appre- ciation of one who, I believe, is destined to be a great Sovereign, as he was a wise Prince, I shall be more than satisfied. 'A^i/^LL/ Toronto, Canada, 1902. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I The Crown and the Empire PAG e The Harmonizing of Monarchy and Democracy in the British Em- pire — The Influence of Queen Victoria During the Past Cen- tury — The Elements of Imperial Influence in the Crown — The Crown the Pivot of Unity — The Great Position and Opportuni- ties of the New King — The Traditions and Principles of Monarchy in Great Britain — Its Growth from Feudalism to Constitutionalism — Its Expansion and Application to a World- Empire — The Cost of the Monarchy 17 CHAPTER II Early Years and Education of the Prince The Home Life of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort — Favour- able Surroundings of the Royal Family — Birth of the Prince — Christening Ceremonies and the Title of Prince of Wales — A Gay Court and a Happy Home — Additions to the Royal Family —Early Education and Training of the Children— The Parents' Sense of Responsibility— Religious and Other Instructors — Prince Albert's Watchful Care Over the Training of the Youth- ful Prince of Wales— Visits to Italy, Spain and Portugal. Colonel Bruce Appointed Governor — Studies at Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge— Death of the Prince Consort— Tour in the East Accompanied by Dean Stanley— Following the Foot- steps of Richard Coeur de Lion — In the Holy Land — At Con- stantinople, Athens and Malta 31 CHAPTER III. Royal Tour of British America and the United States Importance of this Royal Visit— First Check Administered to the Manchester School of Anti-Empire Theorists — The Canadian vii viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Invitation and Royal Answer — Preparations for the Tour and Arrival at Newfoundland — Reception at Halifax, St. John and Other Points in the Maritime Provinces — Arrival at Quebec and Welcome by the Governor- General and his Ministers — Knight- hoods Conferred and Addresses Answered — At Three Rivers, Montreal and Ottawa — Laying the Corner-stone of the Parlia- ment Buildings — Visit to Toronto and Other Points — The Orange Incident — At London, Stratford, Woodstock, Hamilton and Many Other Places — Enthusiastic Receptions, Loyal Ad- dresses and Interesting Replies — Visit to the United States as Lord Renfrew — Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Wash- ington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Other Places — Departure from Portland and Arrival at Home — In- fluence and Effects of the RoyaTTour CHAPTER IV The Royal Marriage The Early Years and Surroundings of the Princess Alexandra of Denmark — " The Most Beautiful Girl in Europe " and a Royal Romance — Story of the Engagement — The Enthusiastic Recep- tion of the Princess in England and Splendour of the Progress Through London — The Marriage in St. George's Chapel, Windsor — Description by Mr. Speaker Denison — Lady Water- ford and Canon Kingsley Describe the Beautiful Bride — The Home Life of the Royal Couple — Character and Tastes of the Princess of Wales — Royal Visit to Ireland and Wales :k J CHAPTER V Early Home Life and Public Duties Early Married Life of the Royal Couple — Elements Entering into the Development of the Prince's Character — The First Royal Func- tions Following the Marriage — Speeches Upon Different Occa- sions — A Succession of Ceremonial Events — Visit of the Khe- dive of Egypt — A Royal Tour of Ireland — Births of Prince Edward, Prince George and the Princesses Louise, Victoria and Maud — Visit to Manchester in 1869 — Patronage of Many Insti- tutions — Illness of the Princess of Wales — Life at Marlborough and Sandringham — The Prince as a Father, as a Landlord, as a Host — The Princess at Home and Abroad 79 TABLE OF CONTENTS ix CHAPTER VI Travels in the East PAGE The Prince of Wales a Much -Travel led Man — Preliminaries to the Eastern Tour of 1869 — Visit of the Princess and Himself to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin and Vienna — Arrival in Egypt — Their Suite and Friends — Entertained by the Khedive at Cairo — The Princess Visits the Khedive's Harem — Trip Up the Nile — Thebes, Luxor and Karnac — The Pyramids — Through the Suez Canal — In the Holy Land — At Jerusalem and Bethle- hem — Visit to Constantinople — In the Crimea — On the Battle- field of Balaclava — From the Bosphorus to Athens — Home Again — Importance of the Tour 99 CHAPTER VII Serious Illness of the Prince Character and Position of the Prince of Wales in 1871 — Origin of His Illness — Typhoid Contracted at the Same Time and Place Kills Lord Chesterfield and the Prince's Groom — Anxiety of the Nation — Progress of the Disease — The Queen and Royal Family at Sandringham — Crisis Prolonged for Many Days — • Intense Interest of the People — Final Recovery of the Prince — The Queen's Letter to the Nation — Thanksgiving Day and the National Celebration of the Event — Effect of the Illness on the Prince of Wales — Results in a Great Development of His Popu- larity and Influence 117 CHAPTER VIII The Prince of Wales in India Imperial Importance of the Royal Visit — Its Origin and Character — Mr. Disraeli and Parliament — Arrangements and Appointment of the Suite — Commencement of the Journey — At Athens, Port Said and Cairo — From Aden to Bombay — Arrival and Striking Reception of the Royal Guest — The Prince and the Chiefs of India — Sir Madhava Rao and Sir Salar Jung — Visits to Baroda and Hyderabad — From Madras to Calcutta — Banquets and Re- ceptions — Deer Stalking, Fishing and Shooting — Native Enter- x TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGB tainments and Customs — A Chapter of the Star of India — Visit to Cawnpore and Royal Entry into Delhi — At Lahore and Gwalior — Visit to Nepaul and Allahabad — Farewell to India and Short Tour of Spain and Portugal — Return of the Much- Travelled Prince to London — Extraordinary Character of the Whole Tour — Important Results Both in a Personal and Im- perial Sense i 3 ' CHAPTER IX Thirty Years of Public Work Royal Visit to Derby — At the Marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh in St. Petersburg — Ceremonies in Connection with Asylums, Agricultural Shows and Benevolent Institutions — Royal Visit to Birmingham in 1874 — Visit to Cambridge and to Dartmouth — The Prince Speaks on Education at Various Times and Places — Directs and Controls the Fisheries Exhibition — Housing of the Poor — The Prince as Chairman of the International Health Exhibition — Various Functions — Hospitals, Charities, Presen- tation of Colours, Unveiling of Statues — The Glasgow Exhi- bition of 1885 Opened by the Prince — At the Trinity House — A Succession of Onerous Duties Well Performed 162 CHAPTER X Special Functions and Interests Interest Taken by the Prince of Wales in Masonry — Becomes Grand Master of the English Order. Installed as Grand Master of the Mark Masons — The Freemasons and the Queen's Jubilee — Visit of the Prince and Princess to Ireland in 1885 — Addresses Received in Dublin and the Replies Made by His Royal High- ness — Enthusiasm of the Popular Reception — Visit to Mallow and Cork — Incidents of the Tour — The Prince's Love for Music — Heads a Movement to Promote National Training in Music — Founds the Royal College of Music and Delivers an Important Speech — The Prince and the Queen's Jubilee in 1887 — His Control of Arrangements at the Diamond Jubilee .... 1 8 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS xi CHAPTER XI The Prince and His Family Education and Training of the Royal Family — Domestic Life at Sandringham — The Princess of Wales a Model Mother — The Prince's Views of a Boy's Education — He Takes Prince Eddie and Prince George in Hand — Character of Their Training — On Board the Britannia — The Young Princes Sent on a Cruise to the West Indies, Egypt, India, Australia, Japan and South Africa — Tutors at the University — Education of the Daughters — Simple and Useful System — The Members of the Royal Family in Mature Years — Marriages of Princess Louise and Princess Maud — Engagement and Death of the Duke of Clar- ence and Avondale — The Favourite Son of the Princess of Wales — Grief of the Father and Mother — Marriage of the Duke of York to the Princess May — The Grand-children of the Prince and Princess of Wales — Prince Edward, the future Heir to the Throne CHAPTER XII The Prince as a Social Leader Importance of Social Functions — The Prince of Wales Leads the Social Life of His Country — His Influence Upon Current Taste and Current Custom — Visit to Country Houses — Royal Rules and Etiquette in the Acceptance of Invitations — Some of the Prince's Favourite Hosts — The Duke and Duchess of Devon- shire — Lord and Lady Cadogan — Lord and Lady Londonderry — Lord and Lady Warwick — At Sandringham and Marlborough House — The Derby-Day Dinners — Stories of the Prince — His Social Characteristics — His Personal Friends — The Duke of Fife and Lord Glenesk — "The Prince's Set" — Social Clever- ness and Dignity of the Prince of Wales — His Leadership of Society Greatly Aided by the Tact of the Princess CHAPTER XIII The Prince as a Sportsman Thoroughly English and Royal in His Love of Sport — Advantages of Good Sportsmanship in a Nation — A High Code of Honour Prevalent in England — The Prince of Wales Leads in This 191 203 xii TABLE OF CONTENTS FAGS Connection — His Patronage of the Turf a Great Benefit to Sport — At Ascot, Newmarket and Goodwood — Persimmon Wins the Derby — Popularity of the Victory — The Prince in Steeple- Chasing — His Horses and Stables — Perseverance and Fair Play the Royal Motto — His Love for Shooting — Said to be the Best Shot in the Kingdom — Deer Stalking in the North — Hunting With the German Emperor in the Forests of Central Europe — With Baron Hirsch in Hungary — Hunting in Egypt and India — The Prince as a Yachtsman — A True Leader of the Sport of the Realm 211 CHAPTER XIV Habits and Character of the Prince Incidents and Influences in the Formation of Character — The Royal Environment — Self-Control, Good Memory and Courage Char- acteristics of the Prince of Wales — Good Nature and Dignity Combined in His Manner — Stories of the Prince Which Illus- trate His Inherent Courtesy — His Fondness for Country Life — His Strict Observance of the Sabbath — The Prince and Princess at Church — His Patronage of the Theatre — Cricket, Hockey, Lawn-Tennis and Bowls — The Prince as a Dancer and Skater — Other Games Affected by the Prince — Cards and Card-playing — The Famous Baccarat Case — The Prince at the Table — Moder- ation His Motto — Anecdotes Illustrating His Character and Habits — A Life of Broad Toleration and Courteous Consider- ation for Others 218 CHAPTER XV The Prince as an Empire Statesman Inheritance of Imperial Ideas from the Prince Consort — Value to Himself and the United Kingdom of the Prince's Travels — Sending of His Sons to Visit the Colonies — Desire ot the Prince of Wales to visit Australia — He Inaugurates the Colonial and Indian Exhibition — Founds the Imperial Institute — His Deep Interest in the Royal Colonial Institute — The Colonies and the Royal College of Music — The Prince of Wales and the Colonial Conference of 1887 — The Prince and Colonial Statesmen in 1897 — His View of the Relationship of the Crown to the Colonies . 234 ALEXANDRA The Queen Consort of Edward VII. QUEEN VICTORIA, 1901 The Honored Mother of Edward VII. TABLE OF CONTENTS xiii CHAPTER XVI The Prince as Heir Apparent The Difference Between His Position and that of Previous Heirs to the Throne — The Difference in Character and Apparent Wisdom of the Course Pursued — Difficulties of the Prince of Wales — His * Financial Position Not a" Serious Trouble — Estates Very Care- fully Managed — In the Political and Diplomatic World — Abso- lute Impartiality in the One Case ; Unquestioned Influence in the Other — Association with Rulers, Statesmen and Public Leaders — The Prince and the People — His Combined Democracy and Dignity — His view of the Crown in Its Relation to the Sub- ject — Immense and Valued Philanthropic Interests of Himself and the Princess of Wales — An Estimate of the Sums Given Away by Them Over a Term of Years 2 aR CHAPTER XVII Accession to the Throne The Death of Queen Victoria — Confidence of the Empire in the New Sovereign — The King's First Privy Council — He Speaks to the Nation — An Address to the People of Canada and to Those of Australia — The Army and Navy and the King — Parliamentary Speeches on the Accession — Queen Victoria's Funeral — Opin- ions of the New King in Australia, Canada and Elsewhere — Colonial Addresses and Expressions of Loyalty — Foreign Senti- ment and References — The King and the Emperor William — Special Embassies to Foreign Countries — The Name and Title of the Sovereign 2 6S CHAPTER XVIII The First Year of the New Reign King Edward Opens His First Parliament — Brilliant Character of His Majesty's First Functions — Great Popularity of the King Shown during His Visit to London — The Accession Oath Controversy — Parliamentary Action Attempted — The Roman Catholic Prelates Take Action— Opinion in the Colonies — The Royal Titles Question — Discussion in the British and Canadian Press — Parliamentary Action Taken After Colonial Opinion xiv TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Has Been Obtained — Final Decision and Proclamation by the King-Emperor — The Death of the Empress Frederick — The King Attends the Funeral at Fredrickshof — Visit to the German Emperor — The New Prince of Wales Pays an Official Visit to Berlin — The King and Queen Alexandra hold their First Court — A Brilliant and Beautiful Event at Buckingham Palace 286 CHAPTER XIX Empire Tour of the New Heir to the Throne Comparison with Previous Royal Tours — Origin of the Project — Preparation and Appointment of the Suite — From Portsmouth to Melbourne by way of Gibraltar, Malta, Aden, Ceylon and Singapore — Brilliant Scenes and Enthusiastic Receptions — Opening of the Australian Parliament and Varied Functions — - At Ballarat, Brisbane and Sydney — A Triumphant Progress — Loyal New Zealand Gives a Royal Welcome — Visit to Rotorua and Reception by the Maoris — At Albany, Perth and Fremantle in Australia — Mauritius Visited on the Way to South Africa — Amid Scenes of Recent War and Present Welcome — Durban, Maritzburg, Simon's Bay and Cape Town — Arrival at Quebec — In Montreal and Ottawa — From the Atlantic to the Pacific and Back again — Over the Canadian Pacific Railway — Winnipeg and the West — Through the Rocky Mountains — Reception at Toronto — Halifax and St. John — Farewells to Australia and Canada — Myriad Addresses and Able Replies of His Royal Highness — Presents to the Duchess — Newfoundland Visited — Welcome Home to England — The Duke of Cornwall Becomes the Prince of Wales 305 CHAPTER XX The King and the South African War Interest of the Royal Family in the Struggle — Influence of Queen Victoria and Activities of the Prince of Wales — The New King's Keen Sympathy with Officers and Men — His Insight into the Imperial Importance of the Struggle — His Honours of the Army TABLE OF CONTENTS xv PAGE and its Commanders — The Negotiations for Peace and End of the War — The King's Messages and Speeches — Royal Honours to Roberts and Kitchener 35 1 CHAPTER XXI Preparations for the Coronation Importance of the Event and Intense Popular Interest in its Con- summation — Arrangements Throughout the Empire for its Celebration — Preparations Amongst Foreign Nations to Honour the British Sovereign — Colonial Leaders and Foreign Representa- tives Arrive in London — Indian and Colonial Troops at the Metropolis — The Great Naval Review Arranged — Executive Committee of Management and Final Programme of Events — The Coronation Conference — Rumoured Illness of the King . . 368 CHAPTER XXII Serious Illness of the King The Position of Affairs in London and Throughout the Empire — An Eventful Day and Dramatic Announcement — His Majesty's Dangerous Illness. Its Character and History — Postponement of the Coronation — Sympathy of British Peoples Everywhere — Dislocation in Social, National, Financial and Colonial Affairs — A World-wide Realm Disturbed in Business and Anxious in Spirit — Foreign Friendliness Displayed — Gradual Recovery of the King 380 CHAPTER XXIII The Coronation Preliminary Incidents and Events — The Coronation Honours — En- tertainment of the Colonial Premiers and Guests — The Troops from India and the External Empire — The King's Dinner to the Poor — Six Hundred Thousand Royal Guests — Functions, Ban- quets and Receptions — The Coronation on August 9th — The Procession to the Abbey — Splendour of the Scene and Cere- monial — Incidents of the Day — The Great Naval Review — Inau- guration of a New Era in British History 391 xvi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER XXIV Industrial and Commercial Development of Great Britain PACiH The Evolution of a Century — The Steam Engine — Vast Accumula- tion of Capital — The Factory System — England's Pre-eminence in Manufacture — Inventive Progress — Progress in Postal Facili- ties 421 CHAPTER XXV Victoria — England's Great Queen A CANADIAN TRIBUTE The Throne the Embodiment of Power — Great Influence of the Monarch — Intimate Relations Between the Countries of the Empire — The Great Queen's Tact and Sagacity — Her Succes- sor's Inheritance 432 CHAPTER I. The Crown and the Empire THE great development of a political nature in the British Empire of the nineteenth century was the complete harmony which gradually evolved between the Mon- archy and a world-wide democracy. This process was all- important because it eliminated an element of internal discord which has destroyed more than one nation in the past ; because it permitted the peaceful progress of scattered states to continue through the passing years without having questions of allegiance to seriously hamper their growth ; because it trained political thought along lines of stability and continuity and made loyalty and liberty consistent and almost synony- mous terms ; because it made the Crown the central symbol of the Empire's unity, the visible object of a world-wide alle- giance, the special token of a common aspiration and a common sentiment amongst many millions of English-speaking people — the subject of untutored reverence and unquestioned respect amongst hundreds of millions of other races. THE POSITION OF THE CROWN. The chief factor in this development was the late Queen Victoria, and to the inheritance of the fabric thus evolved has come a son who was educated amid the constitutional environ- ment in which she lived and was trained in the Imperial ideas which she so strongly held and so wisely impressed upon her statesmen, her family and her people. King Edward has now come into responsibilities which are greater in some respects than those ever before inherited by a reigning sovereign. He 2 17 1 8 THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE has not only the great example and life of his predecessor as a model and as a comparison ; not only the same vast and ever-changing and expanding Empire to rule over ; not only a similar myriad-eyed press and public to watch his every expres- sion and movement ; but he enters with his people upon a new century in which one of the first and most prominent features is a decay in popular respect for Parliament and a revival of the old-time love for stately display, for ceremonial and for the appropriate trappings of royalty. With this evident and growing influence of the Crown as a social and popular factor is the knowledge which all statesmen and constitutional students now possess of the personal influence in diplomacy and statecraft which was wielded by the late Queen Victoria and which the experience and tact of the present Monarch must assuredly enable him to also exercise. Side by side with these two elements in the situation is the conviction which has now become fixed throughout the Empire that the Crown is the pivot upon which its unity and future co-operation natur- ally and properly turns ; that the Sovereign is the one possible central figure of allegiance for all its scattered countries and world-wide races ; that without the Crown as the symbol of union and the King as the living object of allegiance and personal sentiment the British realms would soon be a series of separated units. These facts lend additional importance to the character and history of the Monarchy ; to the influences which have controlled the life and labours of King Edward ; to the abilities which have marked his career and the elements which have entered into the making of his character. He may not in the succeeding years of his reign declare war like an Edward I., or make secret diplomatic arrangements like a Charles II. He may not manipulate foreign combinations like a William III., or dismiss his Ministers at pleasure like a George III., or work one faction in his Kingdom against another like a THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE 19 Charles I. None of these things will be attempted, nor will he, it is safe to say, desire to undertake them. But none the less there lies in his hand a vast and growing power — the personal influence wielded by a popular and experienced Monarch over his Ministry, his Court, his Diplomatic Staff throughout the world, and his high officers in the Army and Navy. The prestige of his personal honours or personal wishes and the known Imperialism of his personal opinions must have great weight in controlling Colonial policy in London ; while his experience of European and Eastern statecraft through many years of close intercourse with foreign and home states- men must have its pronounced effect in the control of British policy abroad. To the external Empire, as constituted at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Crown is a many-sided factor. The personal and diplomatic influence of the Sovereign is obvious and was illustrated by Queen Victoria in such historic incidents as the personal relations with King Louis Philippe which probably averted a war with France in the early forties ; in the later friendship with Louis Napoleon which helped to make the Crimean War alliance possible ; in the refusal by the Queen to assent to a certain casus belli despatch during- the American War which saved Great Britain from being drawn into the struggle ; in her influence upon the Cabinet in connection with the Schleswig-Holstein question, which was exerted to such an extent (according to Lord Malmes- bury) as to have averted a possible conflict with Germany. The political power of the Crown and its wearer is proven to exist in the dismissal of Lord Palmerston for his rash recognition of the French coup d'etat ; in the occasional exer- cise of the right of excluding certain individuals from the Government — notably the case of Mr. Labouchere a decade ago ; in such direct exercise of influence as the Queen's inter- vention in the matter of the Irish Church Disestablishment 2o THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE Bill as related by the late Archbishop Tait. The Imperial influence of the Sovereign has been shown in more than mere- ly indirect ways. The Queen's refusal to approve the first draft of the Royal Proclamation for India in 1858 and her changes in the text were declared by Lord Canning to have averted another insurrection. Her personal determination to send the Prince of Wales to Canada in i860 and her own visit to Ireland in one of the last years of her reign were cases of actual initiative and active policy. South Africa owed to the late Oueen the several visits of the Duke of Edinburgh and the exhibition of her well-known sympathy with the views of Sir George Grey — who, had he been allowed a free hand, would have consolidated and united those regions many years ago and averted the recent disastrous struggle. Australia owed to her the compliment of various visits from members of the Royal family, the kindly personal treat- ment of its leaders and a frequently expressed desire for its unity in one great and growing nationality — British in allegi- ance and connection and power; Australian in local authority, patriotism and development. India was indebted to its Queen- Empress for continued sympathy and wise advice to its Gov- ernors-General ; for the phraseology in the Proclamation after the Mutiny, already referred to, which rendered the new con- ditions of allegiance comprehensible and satisfactory to the native mind ; for the important visit of the Prince of Wales to that country in 1877 ; and for the support given to Lord Bea- confield's Imperial policy of asserting England's place in the world, of purchasing the Suez Canal shares in order to help in keeping the route to the East and of paving the way for that acquisition of Egypt and the Soudan which has since made Cecil Rhodes' dream of a great British-African empire a real- izable probability. The Colonies, as a whole, owed to Queen Victoria a condition of government which made peaceful > > o "i o O *5J 3 H p DC p p] ~ t3 5' 50 p z 3 w 5' > S o r n T1 W « > r pi « ° Q g 2 .5 2 E 5 | I a THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE 21 constitutional development possible ; which extinguished discon- tent and the elements or embers of republicanism ; which gradually eliminated the separative tendencies of distance and slowly merged the Manchester school ideas of the past into the Imperialism of the present ; which made evolution rather than revolution the guiding principle of British countries in the nineteenth century. THE MONARCHY IN HISTORY. How has the Crown become such an important factor in the modern development of British peoples ? The answer is not found altogether in personal considerations nor even in those of loyalty to somewhat vague and undefined principles of government. These considerations have had great weight but so also has the traditional and actual power of the Mon- archy in moulding institutions and ideas during a thousand years of history. To a much greater extent than is generally understood in these democratic days has this latter influence been a factor. Through nearly all British history the Sover- eign has either represented the popular instincts of the time or else led in the direction of extended territory and power under the individual influence of royal valour or statecraft. The history of England has not,of course, been confined to the biography of its Kings or Queens, but it would be as absurd to trace those annals without extended study of the rulers and their characters as it would be to write the records without reference to the people and popular progress. And the Mon- archy has done much for the British Isles. Its influence has effected their whole national life in war and in peace, in religion and in morals, in literature and in art. The individual achievements and actions of some of these rulers constitute the very foundation stones in the structure of modern British power. Others again have helped to build the walls of the national edifice until the Sovereign at the beginning of the 22 THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE twentieth century has become the pivot upon which turns the constitutional unity of a great Empire and which forms the only possible centre for a common allegiance amongst its varied peoples. At first this monarchical principle was embodied in the form of military power, was based upon feudal loyalty, and was associated with the noble ideals, but somewhat reckless prac- tices, of mediaeval chivalry. The victories of Egbert and Alfred the Great transformed the Heptarchy into a substantial English Kingdom. The military skill of William the Con- queror gave an opportunity to blend the graces of Norman chivalry, and a somewhat higher form of civilization, with the rougher virtues of the Saxon character. Henry II. personally illustrated this combination, with his ruddy English face and strong physical powers, and impressed himself upon British history by the conquest of Ireland. Richard Cceur de Lion gave his country many famous pages of crusading in the East, and embodied in his life and character the adventurous and daring spirit of the age. Edward I. dominated events by his energy and ability, subdued Wales, and for a time conquered the Kingdom of Scotland. Edward III., in his long reign of fifty years, carried the British flag over the fields of France, and won immortality at the battles of Crecy and Poictiers. Henry V. gained the victory of Agincourt, and won and wore the title of King of France. Then came the Wars of the Roses and the turbulent termination to a period of six cen- turies during which the English Monarchs had represented the military spirit of their times, and had led in the rough process of struggle and conquest out of which was growing the United Kingdom of to-day. With the reign of Henry VIII. commenced the period of religious change — the struggles for religious liberty against ecclesiastical dominance. Limited as were the achievements of Henry and Elizabeth, in this respect, by prevailing bigotry THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE 23 and narrowness of view as well as by diverse personal charac- teristics, they none the less did great service to the country and the people. The rule of Cromwell — who, in the exercise of Royal power and the possession of regal personal ability, may properly be included in such a connection — gave that liberty of worship to a portion of the masses with which pre- vious Sovereigns had more especially endowed the classes. During the reign of the Stuarts religious dissensions and ecclesiastical controversies and intermittent persecutions, illus- trated the predominant passion. of the period; and forced the weak or indifferent monarch of the moment to be an uncon- scious factor in the progress towards that general toleration which the Revolution of 1688 and the crowning of William and Mary finally accomplished. But, whether it was Henry persecuting the monks, or Elizabeth the Roman Catholics, or Mary the Protestants, or Cromwell the Episcopalians, or Charles II. the Dissenters, each ruler was being- led, to a great degree, by the undercurrent of surrounding bigotry and was, in the main, representative of a strong, popular sentiment of the time. Henry voiced the national uprising against Rome, just as the second Charles embodied popular reaction against the Puritans, and as William of Orange was enabled to lead a successful opposition to the gloomy and personal bigotry of the last of the Royal Stuarts. The third period of British monarchical history in this connection was that marked by the growth toward constitu- tional government under the sway of the House of Hanover. Coupled with this was the equally important foundation of a great Colonial empire, and the loss of a large portion of it in the reign of George III. But the development of constitu- tional rule under the Georges should not be confounded with the growth of the popular and Imperial system which exists to-day. The latter is simply a progressive evolution out of the aristocratic* and oligarchical government of the Hanoverian 2 4 THE CRO WN AND THE EMPIRE period, just as that system had been a step from the kingly power of the Tudors and the Stuarts, which, in turn, had arisen upon the ruins of feudalism and military monarchical power. It is this gradual growth, this "gently broadening down from precedent to precedent," which makes the British constitution of to-day the more or less perfected result of centuries of ' experience and struggle. But that result has only been made possible by a peculiar series of national adjustments in which the power of the Monarchs has been modified from time to time to suit the will of the people, while the ability of individ- ual Sovereigns has been at the same time given full scope in which to exercise wise kingcraft or pronounced military skill. It has, in fact, been a most elastic system in its application and to that elasticity has been due its prolonged stability of form under a succession of dynastic or personal changes. THE CONSTITUTION AND THE MONARCHY. It is a common mistake to minimize the importance and value of the aristocratic rule by which the government of England was graded down from the high exercise of royal power under the Tudors and Stuarts to that beneficial exercise of royal influence which marks the opening of the present cen- tury period. To the aristocracy of those two centuries is mainly due the fact that the growth from paternal government and personal rule to direct popular administration was a grad- ual development, through only occasional scenes of storm and stress, instead of involving a succession of revolutions alter- nating with civil war. Somers and Godolphin, Walpole and Chatham, Pitt and Shelburne, Eldon and Canning, Grey and Liverpool, Wellington and Durham, Melbourne and Palmer- ston, were all of this aristocratic class, though of varying decrees in rank and title and with varied views of politics. They filled the chief places in the Government of the country during a period when the people were being slowly trained in THE CRO WN AND THE EMPIRE 25 the perception and practice of constitutional and religious lib- erty. At the best such processes are difficult and often prove bitter tests of national endurance ; and it was well for Great Britain that the two centuries under review produced a class of able and cultured men who — though naturally aristocratic at heart — were upon the whole honestly bent upon furthering the best interests of the masses. And this despite the mistakes of a Danby or a North. Yet, even towards the close of this period of preparation, popular government, as now practised, was neither understood by the immediate predecessors of Queen Victoria, nor by the nobles who presided over the changing administrations of the day. It was not clearly comprehended by Liberals like Russell and Grey ; it was feared by Wellington and the Tories as being republican and revolutionary ; it was dreaded by many who could hardly be called Tories and who, in the condition of things then prevalent, could scarcely even be termed Loyalists. Writing in 18 12, Charles Knight, the historian, described the fierce national struggle of the previous twenty years with Napoleon and expressed a longing wish for the prop of a sin- cere and spontaneous loyalty to the throne in the critical times that were to follow. But such a sentiment of loyalty was not then expressed, and could hardly have been publicly evoked by a ruler of the type of George IV., whether governing as Prince-Regent or as King. There is, however, no doubt of its having existed, and there seems to have been, even through those troubled years, an inborn spirit of loyalty to the Crown as being the symbol of the State and of public order. Its wearer might make mis- takes and be personally unpopular, but he represented the nation as a whole and must consequently be respected. This powerful feeling has often in English history made the bravest and strongest submit to slights from their Sovereign, and has won the most disinterested devotion and energetic action from 26 THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE men who have never even seen the Monarch in whose personal character there was sometimes little to evoke or deserve such faith and sacrifice. For ages this loyalty had been the preser- vative of society in England, and it is still indispensable to the tranquility and permanence of a state, whether given in its full degree to the Sovereign of Great Britain, or in a more divided sense to the elective and partisan head of a modern republic. In the time of the Georges, as well as in the middle ages and at the present moment, loyalty was and is a sincere and honest patriotism, refining the instincts and elevating the actions of those who were willing to waive self-interest on any given occasion in order to guard what they believed to be the true basis of national stability and order. Certainly, a Mon- archy which could survive the wars and European revolutions, the internal discontents and personal deficiencies, of the period which commenced with the reign of George I. and closed with that of William IV., must have possessed some inherent strength greater than may be gathered from many of the superficial works which pass for history. But, whatever that influence was, it does not appear to have been personal. With the close of the reign of Queen Anne the brilliant prestige of personal authority and power wielded by the Sovereign had passed quietly away and, up to the death of William IV. and the accession of Victoria, had not been replaced by the per- sonal influence of a constitutional ruler. PRESENT POSITION OF THE MONARCHY. Out of all these changing developments has come a mili- tary position in which the Sovereign no longer leads his forces in war but in which he commands a sentiment of loyalty as hearty, in the breasts of the Colonial soldiers ten thousand miles away from his home at Windsor, as ever did the personal presence of an Edward I., or a Richard the Lion-Hearted. Out of them has come a religious position in which the Sovereign is head of a particular Church and yet, as such, gives THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE 27 no serious offence to masses of his subjects who belong to other faiths and who receive through his Governments around the world absolute freedom of religious worship — almost as a matter of course. Out of the constitutional evolution has come the adaptation of the Monarchy to not only new condi- tions but to countries separated by oceans and continents from the mother-state, and the evolution of a system which com- bines 420,000,000 people under one Crown and one flag. In August, 1884, the Times spoke of a correspondent amongst the Khirgese of Central Asia who stated that the people of that region had not the remotest idea of where or what Eng- land was — but they had heard of Queen Victoria ; and a few years later Mr. Henry Labouchere, the inconsistent and bitter Radical, told the Forum of New York that " were a Parlia- mentary candidate to address an electoral meeting on the advantages of a republic he would be deemed a tilter at a windmill." Such is a summary of the history and position of the British Monarchy. A thousand years ago it combined the seven little Kingdoms of England into one ; to-day it com- bines the Kingdoms and Dominions and Commonwealths and Islands of a quarter of the earth's surface into one. The power of the Crown was once chiefly employed in making war and compelling peace by force of arms and military skill ; to-day it is largely utilized in promoting peace and controlling diplomacy. The position of the Monarch was once that of the head of a class, or the leader of some distinct manifesta- tion of public feeling, or the military chief of a great faction ; to-day it is that of embodying the power of a united people, giving dignified interpretation to the policy of a nation, and serving as the symbol of unity to the masses of population in an extended empire. One of the interesting features in the Crown's popularity and influence is the absence of serious criticism or controversy 28 THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE over the expense of its maintenance. Perhaps the only prac- tical expression of disapproval affecting the Monarchy heard during Queen Victoria's long reign was an occasional grumb- ling as to the paucity of Court functions, the absence of Royal splendour and expenditures from the City of London, the sombreness and quiet which characterized the ordinary, every- day life of the Sovereign. The total financial cost of the Monarchy has been placed at a million pounds sterling per annum, but this total includes various large sums which could just as properly be charged to the ordinary governing require- ments of the country without reference to the particular form of its institutions. Against this sum may also be placed the proceeds of the Crown Lands which were surrendered to Parliament upon the accession of William and Mary and which had before that been recognized as a personal estate of the Sovereign over which Parliament had no control. In addition to these Crown Land revenues other sums were voted as required. Upon their surrender to the nation (during the life of each Sovereign) it has become the custom, since 1868, to vote a permanent Civil List for the ensuing reign and out of this sum the ordinary Court and personal expenses are sup- posed to be met. In the case of Queen Victoria the amount was ,£385,000 a year, supplemented, however, by other votes and special allowances to herself and the Royal family from time to time. Upon her accession the Queen retained out of the old Crown Lands, or revenues, those of the Duchy of Lancaster and they have risen in value from ,£20,000 to ,£50,000 per annum. The Royal palaces are maintained apart from the Civil List and the building of Royal yachts and other similar expenses are considered as additional items. The revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall, which have always pertained to the Prince of Wales, and the incomes or special sums voted to the members of the Royal family, make up an amount nearly as D > O 2 a Z w, O ± w E ° s > > H Z W > b O W o < a x H *$ w -" J o > w « U 'E * S Q W THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE 29 large as the Civil List. But these apparently large sums have not in recent years created any feeling of dissatisfaction ; nor has any been expressed save by certain individuals of the Labouchere type, who possess little influence and less sin- cerity. Upon the whole the situation in this connection pos- sesses considerable interest to the student of history, or of popular sentiment, as showing how a practical, business-loving, money-making people can become devoted to an institution which must in the nature of things be expensive and which, in the ratio of its dignity and effectiveness as an embodiment of growing national power, must be increasingly so as the years roll on. The reason for this condition of feeling is the combination which the Monarchy has during the past century come to present to the minds of the public. Tradition and history reaching down into the hearts and lives of the people may be considered the basic influence ; a general belief in the superi- ority of British institutions over all others may be stated as a powerful conservative force ; while personality and character in the Sovereign may be described as the chief constructive element in this process of increasing loyalty to the Crown. Convenience, custom, love of ceremony, belief in stability and aversion to change, are lesser factors which may be mentioned. The result is that Mr. George W. Smalley, for so many years the American correspondent of the New York Tribune in Lon- don, could write recently in theCentury the belief of a foreigner and a republican that " England is a very democratic country, but there does not exist in England the vestige of a republican party." King Edward has, therefore, come to the throne of Great Britain and its Empire at a time when the influence of the Sovereign is growing in proportion as the influence and popu- larity of Parliament appears to be waning. Fifty years before his accesion it was a truism to assert that power in England 30 THE CROWN AND THE EMPIRE was being steadily concentrated in the House of Commons • to-day it may be said with equal truth that the position of the Crown is growing steadily in a power which is wielded by per- sonal influence and popularity and which, while it touches no privilege, nor right, nor liberty of Parliament, increases in pro- portion as the latter body is relegated to the back-ground by public opinion and popular interest. Vast responsibility, therefore, rests to-day in the hands of a British Sovereign and the results for good or ill, depend largely upon his character, his training, his previous career and his present sense of duty. Alarm has even been expressed upon this point by historic theorists such as Professor Beesly and Dr. Goldwin Smith. Certain it is, however, that in the hands of King Edward this growing power is safe, if prolonged experience and natural statecraft and intimate knowledge of his people can be con- sidered sufficient guarantees for its exercise. CHAPTER II. Early Years and Education of the Prince THE married life of Queen Victoria and the Prince Con- sort was one of the happiest recorded in history or known in the private annals of individual lives. It was a love-match from the first and it lasted to the end as one of those beautiful illustrations of harmony in the home which go far in a materialistic and selfish age to point to higher ideals and to conserve the best principles of a Christian people. His affection was shown in myriad ways of devoted care and help ; her feeling was well stated in a letter to Baron Stock- mar — ■" There cannot exist a purer, dearer, nobler being in the world than the Prince." From such a union was born Albert Edward, the future King and Emperor, on November 9th, 1841. The Queen's first child had been the Princess Royal, and there was naturally some hope that the next would be a male heir to the Throne. There was much public rejoicing over the event which was announced from Buckingham Palace at mid-day of the date mentioned ; the Privy Council met and ordered a thanksgiving service ; the national anthem was sung with enthusiasm in the theatres and public places ; telegrams of congratulation poured in from Princes abroad and peers and peasants at home ; and Punch perpetrated verses which well illustrated the public feeling : " Huzza ! we've a little Prince at last A roaring Royal boy ; And all day long the booming bells Have rung their peels of joy." 3 1 32 EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION On December 8th following, the little Prince was created by letters-patent Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester — the titles of Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Saxony, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Roth- esay, Earl of Carrick, Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince, or Great Steward of Scotland, being his already by virtue of his mother being the reigning Sovereign at the time of his birth. During six hundred years there had been from time to time a Prince of Wales. The first was the son of Edward I., but the title was never made hereditary, and there have been periods, totalling altogether 288 years, in which it lay dormant. The Black Prince was perhaps the best known of the line. The new Prince of Wales — destined to hold the designation for nearly sixty years and to make it one of the best known in the world — was solemnly baptized on January 25th, 1842, in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, by the simple names of Albert Edward. The first was after his father, the second in memory of the Queen's father, the Duke of Kent. The scene was one of splendour, and the uniforms and glitter- ing orders and gleaming gems and beautiful dresses harmonized well with the stately setting of the Chapel Royal. THE GORGEOUS CHRISTENING CEREMONY Besides the Royal party, which included Frederick William IV., King of Prussia, there were a throng of Ambassadors, Knights of the Garter, Members of the Privy Council, Peers and Peeresses, statesmen and heads of the Church. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of London, Winchester, Oxford and Norwich were in special attendance, and the sponsors for the young Prince were the King of Prussia, the Duchess of Kent (proxy for the Duchess of Saxe- Cobourg), the Duke of Cambridge (proxy for the Duchess of Saxe-Gotha), Princess Augusta of Cambridge (proxy for Princess Sophia) and Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Cobourg. The cost of EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION 33 this gorgeous christening ceremony and attendant functions was said to have been fully two million dollars. A part of this was, however, due to the entertainments accorded King Frederick William IV., who, as the chief Protestant monarch of the Continent, was given a particularly cordial and elaborate welcome. In connection with the christening of the future King it is interesting to note that an ecclesiastical newspaper, of Toronto, called The Church, referred to the event on March 19th, 1842, and declared that should the Prince live to be King he would be known as Edward VII. On February 3rd Queen Victoria opened Parliament in person with the fol- lowing as the preliminary words in the Speech from the Throne : " I cannot meet you in Parliament assembled without making a public acknowledgment of my gratitude to Almighty God on account of the birth of the Prince, my son ; an event which has completed the measure of my domestic happiness and has been hailed with every manifestation of affectionate attachment to my person and Government by my faithful and loyal people." CHILDHOOD OF THE PRINCE. The early events of the Prince's life were followed with much interest by the public and with a personal and individual feeling which grew in volume with the ever-increasing popu- larity of the young Queen. The Court in those years was a gay one and events such as the Queen's famous Plantagenet Ball of 1842 ; the state visit to King Louis Philippe of France in 1843; tne coming of Nicholas I., Czar of all the Russias, to the Court of St. James in 1844, followed a little later by William, Prince of Prussia — afterwards William I. of Ger- many, and by a return visit of the King and Queen of the French ; kept the social demands of the period up to a very high pitch. Yet the quiet, careful surroundings of an almost ideal home were given to the young Prince and to those who^ afterwards came to the family circle, by a mother who, in the 34 EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION midst of many national cares and private anxieties could write to her much-respected friend and uncle — Leopold of Belgium — that " my happiness at home, the love of my husband, his kindness, his advice, his support and his company make up for all and make me forget all." The Princess Victoria, afterwards for a brief year Empress • of Germany, had been born on November 21, 1840; the Prince of Wales was the next child ; the Princess Alice, who afterwards married the Grand Duke of Hesse, was born on April 25, 1843; Prince Alfred — Duke of Edinburgh and of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in later years — followed on August 6, 1844; the Princess Helena came next on May 25, 1846, and afterwards became the wife of Prince Christian of Schleswig- Holstein ; the Princess Louise, who married the Marquess of Lome and future Duke of Argyll, was born on March 18, 1848; Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, followed on May 1, 1850; Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, on April 7, 1853; Princess Beatrice, afterwards wife and widow of Prince Henry of Battenberg, was born on April 14, 1857, and com- pleted the Royal family for the time. The greatest care and attention was given to the youth- ful Prince. Writing to King Leopold soon after his birth— on December 7, 1841 — the Queen had said: " I wonder very much who my little boy will be like. You will understand how fervent are my prayers, and I am sure every one's must be, to see him resemble his father in every respect, both in body and mind." From the earliest period the child grew into his life of ceremony and state, but it was a process carefully graded to suit the development of natural faculties. Nothing appears to have been allowed to unduly burden his gradual growth in experience and knowledge and certainly a more pleasant domestic environment and life could hardly be imagined. At a later period his studies were so varied in character as to excite some slight apprehension in a part of the public mind. EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION 35 The first public appearance of the Prince was on February 4, 1842, when the Queen was inspecting some troops near Windsor and the babe was held up by his nurse from a window of the Castle so that the crowd could see him. He has been described in many prints and stories as being a very lively infant and child. Lady Lyttelton*, a sister to Mrs. Glad- stone, was in charge of the Royal nursery as a sort of trusted Governess during the first six years of his life and everything was conducted with regularity and care. The Queen per- sonally supervised the arrangements, whether for instruction, pleasure or exercise, though she often had to express in diary or letter her regret at not being able to be as much with her children as she desired. Simplicity was, perhaps, the guiding principle of this early training, though it was combined with a certain amount of familiarity in matters of ceremony and for- mality. In September, 1843, when the Queen and Prince Consort were in France the Royal children were at Brighton in charge of Lady Lyttelton and the people used to take great delight in waiting for the daily outing of the little Prince and his sister and the presentation of a loyal salute by the raising of hats and the waving of handkerchiefs. The child had been taught to raise his chubby fist to his forehead in reply and a journalist of the time veraciously declares that he did it with " evident enjoyment and infantile dignity." A little later, on December 20th, a party of nine Ojibbeway Indians were pre- sented to the Queen at Windsor Castle and the Chief gravely referred to the toddling Royal infant in his speech as " the very big little White Father whose eyes are like the sky that sees all things and who is fat with goodness like a winter bear." Another attractive event in these annals of childhood was a visit of Tom Thumb to Buckingham Palace on March 23, ♦Sarah, Lady Lyttelton, daughter of the second Earl Spencer and wife of the third Lord Lyttelton. Born 1787, Died 1870. 36 EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION 1844. Not long afterwards, on June 5th, the little Prince saw his first Review, on the occasion of the Emperor of Russia's visit, and clapped his hands and shouted at the splendid spec- tacle. On March 24, 1846, he was given that first and greatest pleasure of all children, a visit to the circus (Astley's). He applauded liberally and when the clown was brought to the Royal box at his request, the little Prince gravely shook hands with him and thanked him " for making me laugh so much." Similar stories might be multiplied in many pages. Every trifling incident of the Royal childhood seems, indeed, to have been treasured by some one. Late in 1846 a visit was made on the Victoria and Albert yacht to the coast of Cornwall and, after the landing, the Royal party went to Penrhyn where the little Prince, as Duke of Cornwall, was formally welcomed by Mayor and Corporation as their feudal lord. In August of the succeeding year he was taken by the Queen and Prince Consort on a tour around the west coast of Scotland and dur- ing a visit to Cluny Macpherson's Scottish home, he received one of the first of a multitude of interesting presents — a ring containing a miniature of Prince Charles Stuart. In August 1844, he accompanied his parents on a visit to Ireland, where he met with splendid acclamation from the people and was created Earl of Dublin by the Queen. It has been said that the reception was so enthusiastic as to have left a profound impression on the child's mind. On October 30, 1849, when nearly eight years old, the Prince of Wales performed his first public function. Accom- panied by the little Princess Royal and his father he pro- ceeded in state from Westminister in a Royal barge rowed by watermen. All London turned out to see the youthful royal- ties — " Puss and the boy" as the Queen called them in her Diary — and Lady Lyttelton in a letter to Mrs. Gladstone has left a charming picture of the pleasure expressed by the little Prince at his reception and at the various quaint customs EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION 37 revived for the occasion. It was at this time that Miss Louisa Alcott, author of Little Women, wrote home that the Prince was "a yellow-haired laddie, very like his mother. Fanny and I nodded and waived as he passed and he openly winked his boyish eye at us, for Fanny with her yellow curls waving looked rather rowdy and the poor little Prince wanted some fun." Two years later, on May 1st, the youthful Heir to the Throne assisted the Queen at the brilliant ceremonies attending the opening of the first and great Exhibition of that year. EARLY EDUCATION OF THE PRINCE. Meanwhile, the important matter of education had been occupying the attention of the Queen and her husband. After careful inquiry during nearly a year the Rev. Henry Mildred Birch was selected and on April 10, 1844, the Prince Consort wrote, in a private and family letter, that " Bertie will be given over in a few weeks into the hands of a tutor whom we have found in 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 special 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." This gentleman acted until 1852 when, upon the advice of Sir James Stephen, the appointment was given to Mr. Frederick W. Gibbs, who retained it for the succeeding six years. In special lines of study such as Art and Music there were various instructors for the young Prince as well as for the rest of the family — the Rev. Charles Tarver being his classical tutor, Sir Edwin Land- seer an instructor in the art of painting and Mr. E. H. Cor- bould his teacher in water-colours. The descriptions of the Prince of Wales in these child- hood days vary greatly ; probably in natural accordance with 3 8 EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION the variable temperament of his age. Lady Lyttelton who, perhaps, knew him best, described him to Mr. Greville in 1852 — though that interesting litterateur is not always reliable — as being "extremely shy and timid, with very good principles and, particularly, an exact observer of truth." The description is, however, so much in harmony with his bringing up that it may . well be accepted as accurate. These years, however, passed rapidly away in a commingling of instruction, ceremonial and innocent recreation. The Baroness Bunsen in her Memoirs gives a pleasant picture which illustrates the character of the amusements current in the Royal family at their different homes at Windsor, Osborne, or Balmoral. This particular incident was a Masque devised by the children, when Prince " Bertie" was twelve years old, in honour of the anniversary of their parents' marriage. The Prince who represented Win- ter and was clad in a coat covered with imitation icicles, recited some verses from Thomson's Seasons. Princess Alice was Spring ; the Princess Royal, Summer ; Prince Alfred, Autumn ; while Princess Helena, representing St. Helena, the traditional mother of Constantine and native of Britain, called down Heaven's benediction upon the Royal couple. About this time the Prince of Wales made his first appearance in the House of Lords, sitting beside the Queen as she received Addresses from Parliament concerning the impending war with Russia. He seems to have taken a keen interest in that conflict and, in March 1855, went with his parents to visit the wounded at Chatham Military Hospital. In August he accompanied the Queen and Prince Consort upon the first visit paid by an English Sovereign to Paris since the days of Henry II. and shared in the splendid reception given by the Emperor Napoleon and the French people. Even here, however, his tutor was with him and idleness or pleasure was not allowed to occupy the field entirely. With the Prin- cess Royal, he was present at a splendid ball given in EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION 39 Versailles — the first since the days of Louis XVI — and they sat down at supper with the Emperor and Empress. The young Prince enjoyed the visit so much and liked his Imperial hosts so well — a liking which he never forgot in later years of sorrow and suffering — that he begged the Empress to get leave for his sister and himself to stay a little longer. The Queen and his father, he explained, had six more children at home and they could, he thought, do without them for a while. Of course, this was not possible. The Prince Consort, however, was greatly pleased with the way in which the chil- dren had behaved and wrote to Baron Stockmar, shortly after, expressing his belief that the Prince had been a general favourite. To the Duchess of Kent he wrote that " the task was no easy one for them but they discharged it without embarassment and with natural simplicity." From this it is evident that the shyness spoken of by Lady Lyttelton had largely passed away from the manner of the Prince. During this year the latter — now fourteen years old — took an incog- nito walking tour through the west of England accompanied by Mr. Gibbs and Colonel Cavendish. The next two or three years were spent in a happy life of mixed pursuits in England and Scotland, or in travel abroad, alternating, according to the place and season, between fishing and shooting, ponies and picnics, deer-stalking and juvenile dances, studies, tours and occasional functions. Many pictures of the Royal family in these days of childhood and youth have been preserved from the brushes of Winterhalter, Richmond, Landseer, Saul and others. LATER EDUCATION OF THE PRINCE. Not the least important of the educative influences of this period were the tours undertaken by the young Prince. In the autumn of 1856, accompanied by those who could best instruct him in the matters witnessed, he visited the great 4 o EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION seats of industry in Provincial England including mills, iron- works, coal mines and engineering centres. In April 1857 he enjoyed a tour through the beautiful Lake region and espe- cially appreciated the hill-climbing in Cumberland. During June he accompanied the Queen on a state visit to Manchester and witnessed the first distribution of the Victoria Cross medals in Hyde Park, London. In July the Prince left England for Konigswinter with a short European tour in view for " purposes of study," as the Prince Consort put it in a private letter. With him were General Grey, Colonel (afterwards Sir Henry) Ponsonby, his tutors and Dr. Armstrong. During the tour several young men joined him as companions — the late Mr. W. H. Gladstone ; Mr. Charles Wood, now Lord Halifax ; Mr. Frederick Stanley, now Earl of Derby and Governor-General of Canada ; and the present Earl Cadogan, Viceroy of Ireland. The Prince on this occasion went up the Rhine and through Germany and Switzerland. Upon his return, in October, he attended lectures on science by Dr. Faraday while continuing his regular studies. Early in the succeeding year he attended the marriage of his sister, the Princess Royal, to the Prussian Prince who afterwards became the Emperor Frederick, and parted from the sister " Vicky," to whom he was much attached, with evident sorrow. On April 1, 1858, when nearly seventeen years of age, the Prince was confirmed in the Chapel Royal at Windsor. Writino- of this ceremony, the Prince Consort observed to Baron Stockmar that Lord Derby, Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell were amongst those who were present and that the event "went off with great solemnity and, I hope, with an abiding impression on his mind." At the examination before the Archbishop of Canterbury and his Royal parents the Prince was described as acquitting himself " extremely well." On the succeeding day he took the Sacrament. Shortly after- wards followed a two weeks walking tour in the south of Ireland EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION 41 in which the Prince was accompanied by Mr. Gibbs, Captain de Ros — afterwards Lieutenant-General Lord de Ros — and Dr. Minter. Succeeding- this came a short period of steady study and the formal establishment of the young Prince at White Lodge in Richmond Park, under the tuition of Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Tarver and with three companions care- fully selected by his father — Lord Valletort, the present (1902) Earl of Mount Edgecumbe, Major Teesdale V. C. and Major Lindsay V. C. Of the first named the Prince Consort wrote privately that he had been much on the Continent and was "a thoroughly good, moral and accomplished man," who had passed his youth in attendance on his invalid father. He also referred to the manner in which Major Teesdale had distin- guished himself at Kars and Major Lindsay at Alma and Inkerman and of the latter said : " He is studious in his habits, lives little with the other young officers, is fond of study and familiar with French and Italian."* These considerations are interesting as indicating with what care the companions of the young Prince were selected by his wise father from time to time. Here the Prince had, amongst his elements of instruc- tion, lectures on History from the Rev. Charles Kingsley, the well-known author of Westward Ho and, for ten years follow- ing, Professor of History at Cambridge. They were given by special desire of the Queen and must have proved deeply interesting. Canon Kingsley was, during the rest of his life, an object of special liking to the Prince and always an honoured guest at Sandringham and Marlborough. On November 9, 1859, the Prince of Wales completed his eighteenth year and attained his legal majority. The Queen wrote him a letter which Charles Greville, in his Diary, describes as "one of the most admirable ever penned." On the same day he was appointed a Colonel in the Army and * This officer afterwards became Major-General Sir C. C. Teesdale V. C, K. C. M. G., C. B. and was A. D. C. to the Queen in 1877-87. Major Lindsay was better known in later years as Colonel Sir Robert Lloyd-Lindsay K. C. B. In 1885 he was raised to the Peerage as Lord Wantage, 42 EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION given the Order of the Garter — that most distinguished of all orders of knighthood. At the same time Colonel the Hon. Robert Bruce, brother of the Lord Elgin who had proved so successful a Governor-General of Canada and India, was appointed Governor to the Prince and was described by the Prince Consort as possessing amiability with great mildness of expression and as being "full of ability." He had been Mili- tary Secretary to Lord Elgin in Canada and was at this time in command of a battalion in the Grenadier Guards.* A month later the Prince started on a Continental tour accom- panied by the Rev. Mr. Tarver as his chaplain and director of studies. He stayed some time in Rome, where he visited the Pope, on May 7 reached Gibraltar, and from thence visited the south of Spain and Lisbon. He reached home in the middle of June and took up a serious course of study at Edin- burgh, with the late Lord Playfairas hisinstructor in chemistry, and with other equally distinguished teachers in specific lines or subjects. The public was at this time taking much interest in these studies of the Heir Apparent and fear was expressed that he might, perhaps, be over-educated. Punch expressed this feeling- in the following lines : " 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 mediaeval on draught. Dipped in grey Oxford mixture (lest that be 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." After three months of Edinburgh training the Prince Consort went down and held a sort of conference with the *He afterwards became a Major-General in the Army and died in 1862 of fever caught while with the Prince of Wales during his Eastern tour. EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION 43 teachers. He wrote as to the result* that they all spoke highly of their pupil, who seemed 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 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 1 6th Hussars who are stationed in the city." It was of this period that Sir Wemyss Reid, in his biography of Lord Playfair, tells an amusing story. The Prince and Dr. Playfair were standing near a cauldron containing lead which was boil- ing at white heat. " Has Your Royal Highness any faith in science " said the Professor and the reply was, "Certainly." The latter then carefully washed the Prince's hand with ammonia and said: " Will you now place your hand in this boiling metal and ladle out a portion of it ?" " Do you tell me to do this?" asked the Prince. The answer was in the affirmative and the Prince instantly put his hand into the boiling mass and ladled out some of it without sustaining any injury. Following this period of study at Edinburgh University came the celebration of the Prince's nineteenth birthday and a hunting party in the Highlands. Thence the Prince went to Oxford for a time and was admitted a member of Christ Church College where he joined freely in the social life and sports of the institution. On January 16, 1 86 1, after his return from Canada, he became an under-orad- uate of Trinity College, Cambridge, and was allowed, by spec- ial favour, to live in a neighbouring village with his Governor — Colonel Bruce. Here lectures were again given to the Prince by Canon Kingsley and the young man was kept pretty close to his studies during the winter of that year. In the summer *Martin*s Life of the Prince Consort, 44 EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION he went on military duty in Ireland and the Queen thus recorded in her Diary a visit paid to him at Curragh on August 26th : "At a little before three we went to Bertie's hut which is, in fact, Sir George Brown's. It is very comfortable — a nice little bedroom, sittincr-room, drawing-room, and a good sized dining-room where we lunched, with our whole party. Col.- 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 had done ; and yet Bertie likes him very much." DEATH OF THE PRINCE CONSORT. This was the last birthday of the Prince Consort and it was spent travelling to Killarney with the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the younger members of the Royal family. A few days there and then the young Prince returned to camp. In the autumn he visited the Rhine manoeuvres of the German army and met his future bride, the Princess Alexandra. He then returned to Cambridge and from thence journeyed in haste to Windsor on December 1 3th to be present at his father's death-bed on the following evening. No sadder event has occurred in the history of English royalty than this premature and much-mourned death of the good and really great Prince Consort. To the young Heir Apparent it meant the loss of a loving father, a careful guardian, a watchful and wise adviser. To the wife and widow it meant the ruin of a great happiness and a sorrow which no passing years could ever remove. Sir Theodore Martin's beautiful description of the scene at the death-bed, at which knelt the Queen, the Princess Alice, the Princess Helena and the Prince of Wales, may well be given here: " In the solemn hush of that mournful chamber there was such grief as has rarely hallowed any death-bed. A great light, which had blessed the world, and which the mourners EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION 45 had but yesterday hoped might long bless it, was waning fast away. A husband, a father, a friend, a master, endeared by every quality by which man in such relations can win the love of his fellow-man, was passing into the Silent Land, and his loving glance, his wise counsels, his firm, manly thought should be known among them no more. The Castle clock chimed the third quarter after ten. Calm and peaceful grew the beloved form ; the features settled into the beauty of a per- fectly serene repose ; two or three long, but gentle breaths were drawn ; and that great soul had fled to seek a nobler scope for its aspirations in the world within the veil, for which it had often yearned, where there is rest for the weary, and where 'the spirits of the just are made perfect.'' Not long before his death the Prince Consort had readily agreed to his son's wish for a visit to the Holy Land and had planned the preliminaries of the tour before he was stricken by the dis'ease which carried him off. After that sad event it was felt by the Queen that such a journey would now be doubly wise and proper and she made arrangements for General Bruce to accompany the Prince, together with Major Teesdale, Captain Keppel and a small suite. By special wish of the Prince Consort and at the urgent request of the Queen, the Rev. Dr. Arthur Penrhyn Stanley consented to accompany the Prince. He joined the Royal party at Alexandria on February 28, 1862, and they at once proceeded to Cairo and from thence visited the Pyramids. A little later Palestine was reached and, following in the historic steps of Richard Cceur de Lion and Edward I., another Heir to the British Throne finally reached Jerusalem. The closely-guarded Cave of Mac- phelah was opened to the Prince of Wales as well as the famous Mosque of Hebron which for nearly seven hundred years had been closed to even Royal visitors. Lake Tiberias, Bethany, Bethlehem, the Groves of Jericho, were visited and some time was spent in tents upon the journey to Damascus. 46 EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION From thence the party traveled to Beyrout, visited Tyre and Sidon, and proceeded to Tripoli. The journey was made by the Prince so as to include Patmos, Ephesus, Smyrna, Constan- tinople, Athens and Malta. From every place where it was possible the Prince collected flowers which he carefully sent to his sister, the Princess Royal. Of His Royal Highness during this interesting tour Dean Stanley put on record his opinion at the time : " It is impossible not to like him and to be con- stantly 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." CHAPTER III. Royal Tour of British America and the United States THE first important public event in the career of the young Prince was one which, during forty years, has held a marked place in Canadian memories and a prominent place in Canadian and American history. In some respects the tour of the Prince of Wales, in i860, through the scattered and disconnected Provinces of British America has wielded an influence far out of proportion to the contemporary judgment of the event ; beyond, perhaps, what the Queen and Prince Consort in their wise and patriotic policy of the time hoped to achieve. It was, in reality, the first break in the hitherto steady progress of the Manchester school theory regarding ultimate Empire disruption ; the first check given to the widely accepted doctrine that the Colonies were of no use except for trade and, in any case, were like the fruit which ripens only to fall from the parent stem. Mr. Bright, Lord John Russell, Sir George Cornewall Lewis, Mr. Cobden, Lord Ashburton, Lord Ellenborough, Lord Derby, and many others, were at this time touched with the blight of these theories and to them there was no sense, and nothing but expense, in trying to cultivate Colonial loyalty or promote Colonial co-operation. IMPERIAL CONDITIONS IN i860. To this school — and it was one embracing many able men and thinkers — trade was more important than any other con- sideration, and the greatest object of external policy was the 47 4 S ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA development of friendly relations with the United States. American extension of territory was not looked upon with alarm even when it took a slice of the Maine boundary and threatened trouble over that of Oregon. The Republic had not yet gone in seriously for high protection and did not, there- fore, vitally touch the pockets of patriots who could not fore- see, even in their keen regard for commerce and its develop- ment, that trade and territory were in the future to be most intimately related. The Queen and Prince Consort did, however, understand something of the future of the Empire — dimly it might be but still effectively. It had been announced during the progress of the Crimean War that a Royal tour of British America might be arranged within a few years, and the Canadian Legislature, on May 14th, 1859, took advantage of the coming completion of the great Victoria Bridge across the St. Law- rence, at Montreal, to tender a formal invitation to the Sovereign herself to be present at the opening ceremonies ; to receive a personal tribute of the unwavering attachment of her subjects ; and to more closely unite the bonds which attached the Province to the Empire. This unanimously-passed address was taken to London by Mr. Speaker Henry Smith, and the response elicited was most favourable to the indirect request of the Assembly and Legislative Council — the initiative in the matter being due to a motion by the Hon. P. M. M. S. Vankoughnet in the latter 'House. The Governor-General received a reply, dated January 30th, i860, and signed by the Duke of Newcastle, Colonial Secretary, which stated that Her Majesty greatly regretted that her duties at the Seat of the Empire would prevent so long an absence, but that it might be possible for H. R. H. the Prince of Wales to attend the ceremony at a later date. "The Queen trusts that nothing may interfere with this arrangement for it is Her Majesty's sincere desire that the young Prince, on whom the Crown of ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA 49 this Empire will devolve, may have the opportunity of visiting that portion of her dominions from which this Address has proceeded and may become acquainted with a people in whose progress towards greatness, Her Majesty, in common with her subjects in Great Britain, feels a lively and enduring sympathy.' THE PRINCE COMMENCES HIS TOUR. Preparations were at once commenced in the British Prov- inces to properly receive the Royal guest. By the 9th of July all arrangements in England had been made, including the acceptance of an invitation to visit the United States — as a private gentleman under the title of Lord Renfrew. On that date the Prince sailed from Plymouth in the ship Hero after replying to a farewell address, when he declared that he was pro- ceeding to " the great possessions of the Queen in North America with a lively anticipation of the pleasure which the sieht of a noble land, great works of nature and human skill and a generous and active people must produce." The Royal suite was composed of the Duke of Newcastle — practically guardian to the youthful Prince ; the Earl of St. Germans, Lord Chamberlain to the Queen ; General, the Hon. Robert Bruce ; Dr. Auckland and two Equerries — Major Teesdale, V. C., and Captain Grey. Newfoundland was first reached on July 23d. An enthu- siastic reception was given to the Royal visitor at St. John's by ringing bells, lusty cheers, waving flags and evening illumi- nations. The Prince was received by the Governor, Sir Alexander Bannerman, and then passed in procession through beautiful arches and decorations to Government House. A levee was held, many addresses received and a collective reply given, in which the Prince made the statement that " I shall carry back a lively recollection of the day's proceedings and your kindness to myself personally ; but, above all, of these hearty demonstrations of patriotism which prove your deep- 50 ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA rooted attachment to the great and free country of which we all glory to be called sons." A ride around the town followed, without ceremony, and in the evening a state dinner and ball were given. The attendance at the latter was very large and the Prince delighted everyone, and particularly the ladies, by dancing with evident zest and pleasure until three o'clock in the morning. During the day thus commenced he left the Island amid every evidence of popularity and loyalty — after accepting a handsome Newfoundland dog as a present from the people and presenting Lady Bannerman with a set of jewels in commemoration of his visit. ARRIVAL AT HALIFAX The Royal squadron arrived at Halifax on the morning of July 30th and, despite unpleasant weather, the entire city turned out to welcome the Queen's son. The streets were lined by the regular soldiers and volunteers and were beauti- fully decorated with arches, transparencies and evergreens. The arches numbered seventeen and included one which the Roman Catholic Archbishop Connolly had erected at his own expense. The Prince was received by His Excellency the Earl of Mulgrave — afterwards Marquess of Normanby — and Rear-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, Major-General Trollope and the members of the Provincial Government. Mayor Caldwell read an address expressing " devotion to the British throne and attachment to British institutions" and His Royal Highness in reply referred to the noble Harbour of Halifax in which all the navies of Great Britain could "ride in safety." There was much enthusiasm shown in the streets and at one point 4000 children sang an adaptation of the National Anthem as a sort of welcoming- ode. At Government House the Hon. William Young read an address from the Executive Council of the Province in which special reference was made to the Nova Scotians who had won laurels "beneath the kOYAL TOUR OF AMERICA 51 Imperial flag " in the recent Crimean campaign. It was signed by the Hon. Joseph Howe, the Hon. A. G. Archibald, the Hon. J. McCully, the Hon. William Annand and others and, in replying, the Prince made a significant allusion to the Con- federation policy of several years later when he expressed hopes for their happiness as a loyal and united people. On the following day a Royal review was held and in the evening a state dinner and ball were attended while illumina- tions turned the darkness of the outside night into brightness. At the ball the ladies selected as partners, according to a con- temporary historian, were " principally the wives and daugh- ters — much oftener the latter — of gentlemen connected with the staff or with the Government of the Province." The same writer* states that when the Prince adjourned to supper he begged that the ball might not proceed in his absence "as he would not be long away and his programme was full." The third day in Halifax included a Levee at Government House ; the reception of the addresses from the Church of England, King's College, Windsor, the Masons, the Methodist Confer- ence, the Free Church of Scotland, the Kirk of Scotland, the Roman Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church, and Acadia College. A visit followed to the one-time residence and grounds of H. R. H. the Duke of Kent and a Regatta was witnessed. A state dinner and reception at Government House, a torch-light procession of Firemen and a display of fireworks in the evening closed the events of the visit. Early in the morning of August 2nd, His Royal Highness left for St. John — stopping on the way at Windsor, which was beauti- fully decorated, to receive an address and partake of a ban- quet. An address was also accepted at Hautsport. On the followine morning: the Prince was welcomed at St. John by Mr. Manners-Sutton, the Lieutenant-Governor, the members of the Government, the Judges, etc. At one point * Robert Cellem in Visit of the Piittce of Wales to Toronto, Canada, 1861. 5 2 ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA during the procession to his temporary residence 5000 school children sang patriotic airs and threw flowers at their Royal guest. The usual addresses and evening illuminations fol- lowed — the latter eclipsing those of Halifax, or St. John's, Newfoundland. August 4th and the Sunday which followed were spent at Fredericton. The Anglican Cathedral was attended there and a sermon from Bishop Medley listened to. On the following day the Executive Council presented an address in which it stated that " if the necessity should ever arise all the available resources of New Brunswick will be freely offered for the defence of Imperial interests and the main- tenance of national honour." The address from the City referred to " the universal heart-throb of our Empire of per- petual sunlight" and another address was presented from the Anglican clergy. The Prince replied appropriately to each and afterwards held a Levee at Government House and attended a grand ball held in his honour. On Tuesday, August 7th, he started from Prince Edward Island, being enthusiastically welcomed on the way at Indiantown and Carleton in New Brunswick, and at Truro and Pictou in Nova Scotia. The Prince of Wales arrived at Charlottetown on the morning of August 9th and, despite pouring rain, was received by crowds in a tastefully decorated city. He was formally wel- comed by Lieutenant-Governor George Dundas, Chief Justice Hodoson, Premier, the Hon. Charles Palmer, and all the dignitaries and officials of the Island. As the procession passed to Government House 2000 children sang the National Anthem and the crowds cheered enthusiastically. A Levee was held on the following day, a review of the volunteers pro- ceeded with, and addresses received from the Provincial and Civic authorities. A ball at the Provincial Building concluded the festivities and the Prince danced until three in the morn- ing. The Royal visitor then departed for the Upper Provinces H. R. H. THE PRINCE OF WALES When visiting Canada in l.NliO ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA 53 and arrived in Gaspe Bay, on August 12th, after seeing much that was beautiful in the way of scenery. Here the Prince was formally welcomed to the Canada of that day by His Excellency Sir Edmund W. Head, Governor-General of all British America, and by the Canadian Ministry, which included the Hon. John A. Macdonald, George E. Cartier, A. T. Gait, John Ross, N. F. Belleau, J. C. Morrison, L. S. Morin and others of historic name. A visit to the gloomy and splendid scenes along the Saguenay followed and on August 17th, after passing further up the St. Lawrence, Quebec was reached by the Royal fleet. The succeeding day was marked by His Royal Highness' first public entry into Canada. THE ROYAL WELCOME AT QUEBEC. No more splendid natural setting for a national event can be found in the world than that afforded by the crowning heights, the broad sweep of river, the ancient and towering fortress of Quebec. Upon this occasion the old-fashioned French city, nestling upon the sides of the cliff, was vivid with flags and the narrow streets filled with arches, while crowds of interested people thronged every part of the place. The Heir to the Throne was formally received at the wharf by the Governor-General, who was accompanied by the Can- adian Ministry in their uniforms of blue and gold ; Lord Lyons, the British Minister at Washington ; Lieutenant-General Sir W. Fenwick Williams, Commander of the Forces ; Sir A. N. McNab, Sir E. P. Tache, Major H. L. Langevin and others prominent in the public life of the Provinces. In a special Pavilion which had been erected, the Prince was presented by Major Langevin — -better known to a subsequent generation as Sir Hector Langevin, M. P. — with an address describing the loyalty of the French population to British institutions and connection. In his reply the Royal guest spoke of the differ- ences of origin, language and religion as being " lost in one 54 ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA universal spirit of patriotism which had knit all classes to the Mother-land in common ties of equal liberty and free institu- tions." During the procession through the city which fol- lowed there was much cheering, and in the evening, despite the rain which had poured all day, the illuminations were exceedingly good. On the following day the Anglican Cathedral was attended by His Royal Highness with the Governor-General and their suites. The succeeding day was again stormy but a visit was paid to the Chaudiere Falls and on Tuesday a Levee was held at the old Parliament Buildings attended by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy of the Province of Quebec in a body, clad in purple robes, and followed in order by the Judges and members of the Legislative Council and Assembly of the United Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada — as Ontario and Quebec were then generally called. An address was presented on behalf of the Council by its Speaker, the Hon. N. F. Belleau and replied to by the Prince, after which he conferred the honour of knighthood upon Mr. Belleau. An address was then presented on behalf of the Assembly by its Speaker, the Hon. Henry Smith, who also received the distinction of being personally knighted by the Royal visitor. Other addresses were presented and later in the day a visit was paid to the beautiful Falls of Montmorenci — the route to which was ornamented with arches, flags and evergreens. I n the evening a grand ball was given and the Prince danced through almost the entire programme. On the following day a visit was paid to Laval University and an address received from the Roman Catholic Hierarchy at the hands of Bishop Horan of Kingston, as well as one -from the University. The former document stated that the Church was always careful to teach that Kings reign by God's will and that, therefore, " entire submission is due to the authority they have received from on high." They believed " traditional respect for the ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA 55 high moral principle of legitimate authority " to be the real strength of Canadian society. The Prince responded in fitting terms to both addresses. The Ursuline Convent was also visited and an address received. In the evening a display of fireworks was given and on the morning of August 23rd His Royal Highness departed for Three Rivers. THE PRINCE AT MONTREAL The trip up the River was a pleasant one and, after a brief stay at Three Rivers where the Mayor — Mr. J. E. Tur- cotte M. P. P. — presented an address, the journey was resumed to Montreal. Accompanying the steamer Kingston (which had been specially fitted up for this occasion) from Three Rivers was another containing the members of the Legislature. All along the shores of the St. Lawrence were little crowds of habitants striving for a glimpse of the Royal visitor and, when nearing Montreal, he was received by a fleet of vessels crowded with cheering people. The reception in the city commenced on the morning of August 25th and was marked by the gathering of numerous crowds and intense interest. An address was presented by Mr. Charles S. Rodier, the Mayor of Montreal, in a handsome Pavilion specially erected for the purpose, and surrounded by the entire military and volunteer force of the district and city. The Mayor in his scarlet robes, the Ministers in their new Windsor uniforms, the officers in their varied military dress and Bishop Fulford and the Anglican clergy in their gowns, made quite a brilliant spectacle on the dais. After the Prince had replied to the address the Royal procession passed through the city to the Crystal Palace, the streets being gay with flags, banners, ever- greens, transparencies and eight, more or less, handsome arches. At the new building, or Crystal Palace, an Exhibition was duly opened by the Prince, who then proceeded to the Victoria 56 ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA Bridge station where he was met by the Hon. John Ross, President of the Grand Trunk Railway, and other officials. An address was presented descriptive of the great structure across the St. Lawrence and, after his reply, the Prince was taken from the station to the Bridge in a carriage lined with crimson velvet and there proceeded to formally open it for. public use. An elaborate luncheon, attended by 600 persons and presided over by Sir Edmund Head, followed. After receiving an address from the workmen employed in the undertaking His Royal Highness returned to the city and in the evening witnessed illuminations which made Montreal a blaze of light. On Sunday, the 26th, the Prince attended Christ Church Cathedral and heard a sermon from Bishop Fulford. During the succeeding day he witnessed a lacrosse game by Indians, watched a procession of Temperance organ- izations, and held a Levee at the Court House where addresses were presented from the Church of England, McGill College, the inhabitants of Red River Colony — now the City of Win- nipeg — and others. In the evening one of the finest balls ever given on the Continent of America was attended by the Prince. The deco- rations were gorgeous and yet tasteful and the Royal guest is stated to have danced incessantly until half-past four in the morning. On Tuesday he visited Dickenson's Landing in a special car built by the Grand Trunk Railway and from thence went down the Rapids of the St. Lawrence in the steamer Kingston. The evening saw a Grand Musical Festival in his honour and on the following day a Royal review of 1600 troops took place. A visit followed to Sir George Simpson's residence at Isle Dorval, accompanied by a canoe excursion down the St. Lawrence under the auspices of the Hudson's Bay Company, of which Sir G. Simpson had so long been head. The evening witnessed a torch-light procession of Montreal Firemen. On August 30th the Royal visitor, the ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA 57 Governor-General and their suites, took a special train for St. Hyacinthe where the Prince was enthusiastically received and several addresses presented at the Roman Catholic College. At Sherbrooke, in the afternoon, flags were flying everywhere and arches had been erected on all the principal streets. An address was read by the Mayor, Mr. J. G. Robertson — after- wards for many years Treasurer of the Province. A visit was then paid to the residence of the Hon. A. T. Gait, Minister of Finance, and on the way thither His Royal Highness was almost smothered in bouquets of flowers thrown at him by young women along the route. A Levee was held here and hundreds of people presented. At Montreal in the evening, a great display of fireworks took place and on the following morning the Prince left the city finally. AT THE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED PROVINCES. At every village and town and tiny settlement on the way to Ottawa crowds turned out to welcome and cheer the pass- ing visitor ; while flags and arches and decorations indicated the pleasure of the people in more practical shape. Near the capital of the United Provinces of Upper and lower Canada- seven years hence to be the capital of the new Dominion — the Prince of Wales was received by a fleet of steamers and 1200 lumbermen and Indians in birch-bark canoes and was escorted into the city in a most picturesque style. Mayor Work- man presented an address and a procession through the capi- tal followed. On September 1st the corner stone of the splendid Parliament Buildings, which afterwards graced the hills of the Chaudiere, was laid by the Royal visitor amid scenes of considerable dignity and much enthusiasm. Amongst those present were H. E. Sir Edmund Head, Lord Mulgrave, Gen- eral Sir Fenwick Williams, Hon. John A. Macdonald and the other members of the Ministry. In the afternoon a state luncheon was given by the Government at which the Governor- 58 ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA General presided and the toasts proposed were presented respectively by His Excellency, Sir N. F. Belleau, Sir Henry Smith and the Prince himself. A visit to the Chaudiere Falls followed and the usual illuminations were given in the even- ing. On Sunday Christ Church Cathedral was attended and early in the succeeding day the journey was resumed— Arnprior, Almonte and Brockville being visited and addresses received. At this point in the tour occurred an unfortunate misun- derstanding with the Orangemen of Kingston and Toronto. While in Montreal the Duke of Newcastle — who was practi- cally in charge of the Prince's movements so far as they affected state and public interests — heard that the members of the Loyal Orange Order proposed to erect arches along the route of the Royal procession in Toronto and Kingston and to decorate them with Orange colours and regalia. The Duke at once wrote to Sir Edmund Head that this would not do. "It is obvious that a display of this nature on such an occasion is likely to lead to religious feud and breach of the peace ; and it is my duty to prevent, so far as I am able, the exposure of the Prince to supposed participation in a scene so much to be deprecated, and so alien to the spirit in which he visits Can- ada." He added that if the policy was persisted in he would advise the Prince not to visit the places in question. Sectarian feeling, it may be added, was very strong at this time in Upper Canada and the Catholics and Orangemen were drawn up in two distinctly hostile camps of religious and polit- ical thought. This was especially the case in Toronto and Kingston. The Governor-General at once wrote the Mayors of these two towns under date of August 31st and, in the course of his letter said: You will bear in mind, Sir, that His Royal Highness visits this Colony on the special invitation ol the whole people, as conveyed by both branches of the Legis- lature, without distinction of creed or party ; and it would be ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA 59 inconsistent with the spirit and object of such an invitation, and such a visit, to thrust on him the exhibition of banners or other badges of distinction which are known to be offensive to any of Her Majesty's subjects." Roman Catholics called meet- ings to protest at the intended action of the Orangemen ; the latter met in public and private and convinced themselves that the representatives of the former were being allowed to con- trol the Prince's movements. They pointed to their own well- known loyalty to the Crown and British institutions and to the fact that Roman Catholics had been permitted every privilege in welcoming the Prince in Lower Canada. Eventually, although the Duke of- Newcastle made every effort to smooth matters over, the City Council of Kingston and the Orange- men of that place refused to give way and the steamer Kings- ton, after sixteen hours had been given for consideration, passed in her course to Belleville without the Prince landing in the gaily decorated and historic town. Writing from the steamer on September 5th, before leav- ing for the next destination in the Royal tour, the Duke wrote to the Mayor a long letter in which the following sentence occurs : " What is the sacrifice I asked the Orangemen to make ? Merely to abstain from displaying in the presence of a young Prince of 19 years of age — the heir to a sceptre which rules over millions of every form of Christianity — symbols of religious and political organization which are notoriously offensive to the members of another creed!" He expressed regret that the City Council had not accepted the suggestion to present their address on board the steamer as had been done by the Church of Scotland Synod. The reply of the Mayor, Mr. O. S. Strange, disclaimed sympathy with the Orangemen while defending a refusal to approve the advice given to the Prince of Wales. It also pointed out that the garbs and flags of the Orange Order were no more compro- mising to the Royal visitor than were the robes and insignia 60 ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA of the Catholic Hierarchy of Quebec during the reception in that Province. ROYAL RECEPTION AT TORONTO. Belleville was reached on September 5th, but no landing was effected on account of Orange troubles of the same kind as at Kingston. The disappointment of the people was extreme, as the preparations had been elaborate and the decorations costly. Visits followed to Cobourg, where a ball was given ; to Rice Lake, where an address was received from the Mississaga Indians; to Peterborough, Whitby and Port Hope, which were most lavishly decorated. Toronto was reached on September 7th and the greatest reception of the tour given to the Royal visitor. As the centre of Orange sentiment in Upper Canada some difficulty was feared, and as a matter of fact there was a misunderstanding between the Duke of Newcastle and Mayor Wilson — afterwards Sir Adam Wilson, Chief Justice of Ontario — regarding the Orange arch; but this was ultimately smoothed over. The city was gay with flaes and decorations ; nine arches had been erected in the principal streets ; a large amphitheatre was built for the purposes of the formal reception ; and the city was crowded with people. At the amphitheatre an address was received from the city and replied to by the Prince in a speech in which he referred to the generous loyalty of his welcome as the Queen's representative — " a loyalty tempered and yet strength- ened by the intelligent independence of the Canadian charac- ter." A welcome was sung by 5000 school children and a procession through Toronto followed. Brilliant illuminations in the evening made the town bright and in the ensuing morn- ine the Prince held a Levee at which one thousand gentlemen were presented. Addresses were presented during this function from the Upper Canada Bible Society, the Church of England Synod, DEAN STANLEY The King's early teachei. ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA 61 Trinity University, the Presbyterian Synod, the St. George's Society, the Temperance organizations, the County Council of York, and Knox College, and were duly replied to. In the afternoon His Royal Highness attended a reception given by the Law Society and in the evening a dance under the same auspices at Osgoode Hall. On the next day, Sunday, the Prince attended service at St. James Cathedral and listened to a sermon from Bishop Strachan. On Monday, an excursion was made to Collingvvood, on the Georgian Bay, and the Prince was accompanied by the Governor-General, Sir Fen- wick Williams and the Hon. Messrs. A. T. Gait, P. M. Van- koughnet, W. B. Robinson, J. Hillyard Cameron and others, as well as by his suite. At Newmarket, Aurora, Bradford and Barrie addresses were received and at every point along the Northern Railway there were decorations and crowds of people. At Collinewood there was luncheon and an enthusiastic reception and the Prince then returned to Toronto, where he watched the games of the Canadian Highland Society for a time. September iith was a very wet day, but the Royal visitor attended a Regatta held under the auspices of the .Royal Canadian Yacht Club, opened Queen's Park, and laid a pedestal for a statue to the Queen. He also reviewed the Toronto Volunteer Corps, and visited the University of Toronto where he received an address as well as one from Upper Canada College. A visit to the Educational Depart- ment of the Province and Knox College followed and a busy day was concluded by a great ball in the evening, at which the Prince danced until four in the morning. THE PRINCE IN THE WEST. On September 12th His Royal Highness left Toronto for a trip through the western portion of Upper Canada (Ontario) and was welcomed at every station by decorations and cheering 62 ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA crowds. Arches were everywhere and salutes were fired with frequency. A short stop was made at Guelph and Strat- ford and an address was received at the German settlement of Peterburg, to which the Prince replied in the same language. In the afternoon London was reached and an enthusiastic reception given which included a torchlight procession and evening illuminations. Sarnia was visited on the following day and, besides the usual addresses, one was presented from the Indians of Upper Canada. At London, in the evening, a ball was given and the young Prince danced with the anima- tion which he had displayed at all the entertainments of this character given in his honour. On September 14th he pro- ceeded to visit Niagara Falls in a new and beautiful car specially constructed by the Great Western Railway Company. Woodstock, Paris, Brantford, Dunnville and Port Col- borne were visited en route, and at the Falls in the evening most exquisite illuminations were exhibited for the pleasure of the visitor — -lines of fire running along the cliffs while other kinds of light intensified the natural splendour of the scene. During his'several days at this point, the Prince saw Blondin cross the chasm on a rope ; attended service at the little church in the Canadian village ; paid a brief visit to the American fort on the other side of Niagara River ; saw the Welland Canal and visited Queenston Heights and the tomb of Sir Isaac Brock. At the latter place he received an address from one hundred and sixty survivors of the War of 181 2 at the hands of Chief Justice Sir J. Beverley Robinson and, on Sep- tember 1 8th, laid the corner-stone of an obelisk in honour of the chief Canadian hero of that contest. A visit to Port Dal- housie and Hamilton followed, and at the latter place the reception was marked by splendid decorations and much enthusiasm. In his reply to the address the Royal visitor was more than usually impressive — no doubt realizing that the end of ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA 63 this visit to a great country of the future was close at hand. "I can never forget," he said, "the scenes I have witnessed during the short time in which I have enjoyed the privilege of associating myself with the Canadian people, which must ever he a bright epoch in my life. I shall bear away with me a grateful remembrance of kindness and affection which, as yet, f have been unable to do anything to merit ; and it shall be the constant effort of my future years to prove myself not unworthy of the love and confidence of a generous people." Fire-works, a state concert, a visit to the Central School, a luncheon at the Royal Hotel, a visit to the waterworks and a grand ball in the evening were amongst the events of the stay in Hamilton. On September 20th the last address received and answered by His Royal Highness in Canada was presented by the Agricultural Society of Upper Canada. To its loyal phrases the King and Emperor of a distant future made this final response : " My duties as representative of the Queen, deputed by her to visit British North America, 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 English- man feels a common interest. Before I quit British soil let me once more address through you the inhabitants of United Canada and bid them an affectionate farewell. May God pour down his choicest blessings upon this great and loyal people." THE PRINCE OF WALES IN THE UNITED STATES. Windsor was reached in the evening and after words of loyal greeting had been received from its people, the Prince of Wales left Canadian soil and, accompanied by the Governor of Michigan and the Mayor of Detroit, crossed the river to United States territory and was welcomed there as Lord Ren- frew — one of his many minor titles. This part of the Royal tour had been arranged as a result of an invitation received by the 64 ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA Queen from President Buchanan dated June 4th, i860, and expressing the hope that His Royal Highness' visit would be extended to the Republic. This had been agreed to by the Queen who intimated in reply that, while in the United States, the Prince would drop all Royal state and travel under the name of Lord Renfrew as he was accustomed to do on the. Continent of Europe. It may be said, in passing, that this incognito was very slightly observed and that the Royal visitor was welcomed everywhere as the heir to the British throne and the son of a much-respected and friendly Sovereign. At Detroit the Prince parted from the Governor-General of Canada and the members of the Canadian Government who had hitherto accompanied him and, after a drive around the city and a brilliant illumination in the evening, departed on the morning of September 2 1st for Chicago. A special car was provided by the Michigan Central Railway. At Chi- cago there was no formal welcome or function ; no particular enthusiasm or crowds. The Prince was driven around the great new city of the West and enjoyed his first experience of the panorama of American development which that centre even then presented. He did not stay long and on the 22nd departed for Dwight, in the same State, where four days were spent in shooting. On September 27th he arrived at St. Louis, then a place of about seventeen thousand people, and here His Royal Highness visited the State Fair. There were estimated to have been twenty-eight thousand persons in the amphithe- atre of the Fair and a curious incident of the visit is recorded by a writer, already quoted, who states that a vain search of the city had been made for a Union Jack to place beside the American flag on the central building. From St. Louis the Prince proceeded to Cincinnati, in Ohio, and on the evening of September 29th attended a ball given by an enterprising citizen who had just erected a hand- some new theatre. On Sunday, St. John's Church was visited ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA 65 and a sermon preached by Bishop Mcllvaine. Pittsburg was reached on October 1st and an enthusiastic but informal recep- tion accorded. Harrisburg was the next place visited and it was noted that, as the Prince and his suite went further east and south, the curious crowds gave place to increasingly enthus- iastic crowds. At Baltimore immense throngs of people had gathered and thence on October 3rd the Royal party proceeded to Washington which they reached in the afternoon. The Prince, who had been accompanied through American terri- tory by Lord Lyons, the British Minister, was welcomed to the capital by General Cass and then driven to the White House where, in the evening, a state reception was given in his honour. On the following day the President held a Levee, accom- panied by " Lord Renfrew," and a great number of people attended. Afterwards a visit was paid to the handsome public buildings of the city. On October 5th, President Buchanan, his niece, Miss Harriet Lane, the Prince of Wales and many members of the American Cabinet and Diplomatic Corps, as well as the Duke of Newcastle and Lord Lyons, visited Mount Vernon. There, for a few moments, the descendant of George III. stood with uncovered head before the tomb of George Washington. In the evening a state dinner was given by Lord Lyons and on the following day the Prince left Wash- ington for Richmond. Here his most enjoyable experience is said to have been, not the historical explanations and hospi- table companionship of Governor Letcher, but the first taste of a mint julep mixed by a negro of much local fame in the pre- paration of this cooling drink. Baltimore was visited on October 8th and Philadelphia on the 10th. At some of these centres of population the Prince was able to spend apart of the day, incognito, amongst the people who, in perfect ignorance of his presence, no doubt taught the future King of Great Britain much that he would never otherwise have known as to 66 ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA public opinion in a country where the courses of freedom were uncontrolled by custom and unshackled by precedent or tradition. A feature of the visit to Philadelphia was a splen- did concert given in the Opera House, at which Patti and others sang to a brilliant audience amidst striking decorations. To the verses of " God Save the Queen " were added the fol- lowing lines : " Long may the Prince abide, England's hope, joy and pride, L,ong live the Prince ; May England's future King, Victoria's virtues bring, To grace his reign. G®d save the Prince." On October nth the Prince of Wales arrived in New York and was welcomed on his steamer by General Winfield Scott and a reception committee. At the landing place Mayor Fernando Wood received him with the simple words : "As Chief Magistrate of this city, I welcome you here and believe that I represent the entire population without excep- tion." The guest's reply was equally brief and then, clad in a Colonel's uniform, the Prince was driven through crowded streets to the City Hall, where six thousand soldiers were reviewed, and thence to the Fifth Avenue Hotel. The only unpleasant incident of the visit was the refusal of an Irish recqment to turn out upon this occasion with the other troops. During the following clay His Royal Highness visited the Uni- versity of New York, the Astor Library and the Cooper Institute. At the first-named institution he listened to an address on the electric telegraph from Professor Morse. In the evening a splendid ball was given at the Academy of Music where brilliant decorations vied with the beautiful costumes. On the following day the Prince, with his suite, visited Brady's photograph gallery and Barnum's Museum and, in RO YAL TO UR OF AMERICA . . ; the evening, witnessed a torch-light procession of five thou- sand Firemen. At the first-named place he inspected and asked for portraits of the eminent men of the United States and especially inquired for one of Secretary W. L. Marcy. Trinity Church was attended on Sunday and a sermon heard from the Rev. Dr. Francis Vinton — assisted in the service by a number of other clergymen. The church was crowded and ten thousand people waited outside to see the Royal visitor. New York was left on the followina- morning and West Point and Albany visited. In the afternoon of October 17th the Prince and his suite arrived at Boston and were formally wel- comed by the Governor of Massachusetts as representing a country with which the American people were, he declared, united by "many ties of language, law and liberty." At lun- cheon the Hon. Edward Everett was one of the quests as the Hon. W. H. Seward had been at a dinner in Albany. In the afternoon a children's concert was given at the Music Hall in honour of the Prince and an Ode written by Dr. Oliver Wen- dell Holmes was sung with enthusiasm to the air of the British National anthem. It commenced with the following verse : " God bless our fathers' I,and, Keep her in heart and hand, One with our own. From all her foes defend, Be her brave people's friend, On all her realms descend Protect her throne !" A ball was given in the evening at the Boston Theatre and, on the following morning, a flying visit paid to Cam- bridge and to Harvard University. Incidentally, it may be added, the Prince met Longfellow, Emerson, Holmes and others during his stay in Boston. On October 20th he reached Portland and, amid roaring cannon, ringing bells and crowds 68 ROYAL TOUR OF AMERICA of cheering people passed from the shores of America to his ship in the ranks of a British squadron and thence home to the British Isles. On November 15th, His Royal Highness arrived at Plymouth and shortly afterwards the Duke of New- castle received the Order of the Garter from the Queen as a token of her appreciation of his conduct during the Royal tour. Under date of December 8th Her Majesty communi- cated to the American President, through Lord Lyons, her great satisfaction at "the feeling of confidence and affection" which had been shown upon this occasion by the people of the United States towards herself and her country. Speaking on the same date at Nottingham, England, the Duke of Newcastle stated that during his recent visit to Brit- ish North America he had "witnessed such devotion to the Sovereign and these realms as no one who had not witnessed it himself would be willing to believe. It was a demonstra- tion of the attachment of the entire people to the throne of England and of their veneration for the lady who at present occupied it. It was a loyalty not of creed, nor of party, nor of race." As to the United States the influence of the Queen's personality had been even more striking. The reception of the Prince there had been an extraordinary one. "With one solitary exception they met with nothing but enthusiasm and, in fact, he did believe that the visit of the Prince of Wales to America had done more to cement the eood feeline between the two countries than could possiblv have been affected by a quarter of a century of diplomacy." CHAPTER IV. The Royal Marriage THREE years after the birth of the Heir to the British Throne, in one of the historic palaces of his family and country, there was born on December ist, 1844, m a comparatively humble home at Copenhagen, the Princess Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louisa Julia of Denmark. The house was called a palace, her father was Heir to the Throne of Denmark, and became King Christian IX. on No- vember 15th, 1863, but the mansion was, none the less, a quiet and unostentatious place, and the Prince a personage with hardly more resources or a larger revenue than many an Eng- lish country gentleman. Simplicity and domesticity were the guiding principles of the Princess Alexandra's education and training. Her mother, the late Queen Louise of Denmark, was beautiful, graceful and clever, and seems to have possessed that love of home which is more rare than even the striking combination of qual- ities just mentioned. She was passionately fond of music, while Prince Christian was fond of drawing, and these subjects, together with languages and needle-work and all the essentials of the most simple home work and management, were taught to the girls who were respectively to become Empress of Rrus- sia, Queen of Great Britain, and Duchess of Cumberland in after years. As the years passed on the Princess Alexandra became probably the most beautiful girl in the Courts of Europe, and one of the least known outside a limited family circle. When hardly seventeen, and at a period in which the marriage of the 69 70 THE ROYAL MARRIAGE young Prince of Wales was being seriously thought of by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, he chanced to see a portrait of the Princess. There seems to be no doubt that it was purely by accident — unless the wise and far-seeing Prince Con- sort indirectly controlled the incident — and that the picture of the lovely young girl, smiling from out of simple surroundings and a simple costume, had an immediate effect. He kept the photograph, and a little later saw a miniature of the Princess at the home of a friend. In a surprisingly short time the Prince had heard that the original of the picture was " the most beautiful girl in Europe," and was on his way to Prussia to attend the military manoeuvres of the season. The Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark happened to be travelling in the vicinity at the time. THE PRINCE MEETS PRINCESS ALEXANDRA. On September 24th, 1861, the Prince of Wales and his party met the Danish Royal party in the Cathedral of Worms, and the former had a first glance at his future wife. Then followed a few days at the Castle of Heidelberg, where they were all guests together, and about which a note in Prince Albert's Diaiy of September 30th says that " the young people seem to have taken a warm liking- for each other.'' Less than three months after this entry the writer had passed away, but the sad event only made the widowed Queen more anxious for her son's marriage. Further meetings occurred at the Princess Frederick's — the English Crown Princess — and else- where, and on September 9th, 1862, the betrothal took place ; although it was not publicly announced until November 8th. The Prince was then just twenty-one and the Princess not yet eighteen, and it was understood that some months would elapse before the marriage. Meanwhile, in August, Queen Victoria had first met and been charmed by her future daugh- • ter-in-law at the Laacken Palace of the King of the Belgians. THE ROYAL MARRIAGE 7, The Danish people were naturally delighted at the news, and, poor as they were in a national sense, they at once subscribed a total sum of ,£8,000 to constitute what was called the Peo- ple's Dowry. This the Princess accepted with cordial thanks to the nation, but asked that a substantial portion of it be allotted to provide a dowry for six poor girls whose weddings should take place on the same day as her own. THE COMING OF THE PRINCESS. Meantime the English people were expressing their pleasure at the news in various ways. The House of Com- mons voted the Prince of Wales a yearly income of ,£40,000 and his bride-to-be ;£ 10,000 for herself. Including the ,£40,000 from the Duchy of Cornwall this made a reasonable sum, while Sandringham and Marlborough House were allotted as Royal residences — requiring, however, much remodelling and improvement. Preparations of the most elaborate and splendid sort were made to welcome the lovely Danish Princess and into these arrangements the whole people seemed to throw themselves with mingled excitement and pleasure. In the little Copenhagen palace this turmoil was hardly known ; the preparations certainly were not comprehended ; and the quiet family were preparing in the most simple way for the great occasion— not the least excitement of the moment being the fact of their all going to England together. The wedding day was fixed for the 10th of March, and a few days before this the Princess left Denmark for her new home ; passing over carpets of flowers strewn in her way by pressing and cheering crowds of affectionate people ; receiving ad- dresses everywhere, and smiles and tears and good wishes from simple peasants, who had decorated even their hedgerows and who made the departure look like a triumphal procession. Then King Frederick VII., presented her with a necklace of 72 THE ROYAL MARRIAGE diamonds and a facsimile of the Dagmar Cross — that prec- ious relic of early days and of the first Christian Queen of Denmark. The Princess arrived in the Thames on board the Victoria and Albert — which had been escorted from Flushing by a squadron of war-ships — on the morning of March ist, and was welcomed at Gravesend by an outburst of enthusiasm which literally astounded her. A stately and formal reception she had, of course, anticipated but the splendour of what actually appeared, the elaborate character of the preparations, the sur- prising interest shewn by the people, were indeed revelations of the changed conditions into which the bride of the Heir Apparent had come. At Gravesend the dense crowds which lined the shores, or at least some portion of them, saw a sight which has been well described as pretty — "A timid girlish figure, dressed entirely in white, who appeared on the deck at her mother's side and then retiring to the cabin, was seen first at one window then at another, the bewildering face framed in a little white bonnet ; the work of her own hands." HER RECEPTION IN ENGLAND When the Prince's yacht approached and he was seen to rush across the gangway, catch his bride in his arms and kiss her, the delight of the onlookers was unconstrained. As the Royal couple landed, girls strewed flowers under their feet. Then followed the glittering procession from Gavesend to London and thence to Windsor through long: lines of decor- ated houses, garlanded and festooned roadways, flashing sabres and gorgeous uniformed soldiers. In London the streets were packed with people ; triumphal arches, banners and devices were everywhere. In the poorer streets, in the homes of the artisan and the factory girl, there was the same effort to show pleasure in the happiness of the Princess and appreciation of her grace and beauty as there was in the great THE ROYAL MARRIAGE 73 residential squares. At Eton there was a triumphal arch and a loyal gathering of enthusiastic boys ; at Windsor the Queen received the Princess and conducted her to the suite of rooms which had been lately occupied by the Princess Alice. The first part, the popular reception, was over and it had proved how accurately the Poet Laureate had grasped the situation when he wrote of " the sea-king's daughter from over the sea" and gave that lordly command to the nation : ' ' Welcome her ; thunders of fort and of fleet ! Welcome her ; thundering cheer of the street ! Welcome her ; all things youthful and sweet ! Scatter the blossoms under her feet." CELEBRATION OF THE MARRIAGE. The marriage was celebrated in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on March ioth, the ceremony being performed by Dr. Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishops of London, Winchester and Chester and by Dean Wellesley of Windsor. The Queen, owing to the Prince Consort's recent death, took no part officially but looked on from the Royal closet. The historic Chapel was a blaze of colour and jewels and the wedding guests numbered nine hundred of the highest rank and station and reputation in the land. Mr. Speaker Denison, afterwards Lord Ossington, in his Diary gives a description of the scene. " It was a very magnificent sight — rich, gorgeous and imposing. Beautiful women were arrayed in the richest attire, in bright colours, blue, purple, red, and were covered with diamonds and jewels. Grandmothers looked beautiful: Lady Abercorn, Lady West- minster, Lady Shaftsbury. Among the young, Lady Spencer, Lady Castlereagh, Lady Carmarthen, were bright and brilliant. The Knights of the Garter in their robes looked each of them a fine picture. As each of the Royal persons, with their attendants, walked up the Chapel, at a certain point each 74 THE ROYAL MARRIAGE stopped and made an obeisance to the Queen — the Princess Mary, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess of Prussia, the Princess Alice of Hesse, the Princess Helena, the Princess Christian, etc, each in turn formed a complete scene. The Princess Alexandra, with her bridesmaids, made the best and most beautiful scene. The Princess looked beautiful and very graceful in her manner and demeanour." The bridesmaids were eight in number — 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 represented many of the noblest houses in England and wore dresses described as being of "white tulle over white glace silk" and trimmed with roses, shamrocks and white heather. Each of them also wore a locket presented by the Prince of Wales and composed of coral and diamonds so as to represent the red and white national colours of Denmark. It is interesting to note that, in 1898, all these ladies were still living. During the ceremony, the Prince of Wales was supported by his uncle, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg, and his brother-in-law, the Crown Prince of Prussia. He 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. Princess Alexandra was given away by her father and wore a white satin skirt trimmed with garlands of orange blossoms 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 orange blossoms and puffings of tulle. She wore also the diamond and pearl neck- lace, earings and brooch, given her by the bridegroom and the riviere of diamonds presented by the Corporation of London, as well as three bracelets given, respectively, by the Queen, the ladies of Leeds and the ladies of Manchester. Her beauti- ful hair was very simply dressed and on it lay a wreath of THE ROYAL MARRIAGE 75 orange blossoms covered by a veil of Honiton lace. The bridal bouquet was composed of orange blossoms, white rose- buds, orchids and sprigs of myrtle. The actual ceremony was a very short one, the Prince giving his responses clearly, though the Princess was at times almost inaudible. The whole func- tion had been a brilliant one — the first marriaee celebrated in this Chapel since that of Henry I. in 11 22 — and no touch of mourning was allowed to mar the pageantry of the scene and the bright colours of uniforms and dresses. The wedding breakfast was held in the State dining-room and in St. George's Hall and, while it was proceeding, the King of Denmark was lavishly entertaining both rich and poor in the home country of the Royal bride. Throughout Great Britain that night bon-fires blazed, bells rang, houses were illuminated, balls and festivities were held, school children treated and banquets spread. Edinburgh excelled itself and some one has said that a pen of fire dipped in rainbow hues would have been needed to describe its pyrotechnic display. Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales had taken their departure for Osborne, which had been lent them by the Queen, and there the brief honeymoon was spent. At Read- ing, on the way thither, thirty thousand people met the train and presented the Princess with a bouquet. Writing of this most popular of historic weddings Canon Kingsley said in a private letter, dated March 12th, that "one real thing I did see, and felt too, the serious grace and reverent dignity of my dear young Master, whose manner was perfect. And one other real thing — the Queen's sad face. I cannot tell you how aus- picious I consider this event or how happy it has made the little knot of us (the Prince's Household in which he had recently become a Chaplain) who love him because we know him. I hear nothing but golden reports of the Princess from those who have known her long." A few days later, on March 25th, Lady Waterford wrote to a friend that she had just seen at a 7 6 THE ROYAL MARRIAGE reception " the graceful, charming young Princess of Wales " and that she had been in no way disappointed as to the beauty of which all England was talking. " There was something charming in that very young pair walking up the room together. Her graceful bows and carriage you will delight in and she has — with lovely youth and well-formed features— a look of great intelligence beyond that of a mere girl. She wore the coronet of diamonds and a very long train of cloth of silver trimmed with lace, pearl and diamond necklace, bracelet and a stomacher and two love-locks of rich brown hair floated on her shoulders." EARLY HOME LIFE OF THE ROYAL COUPLE. The Royal pair did not stay very long on the Isle of Wight and, after a visit to Buckingham Palace and Windsor, entered their new home at Sandringham on March 28th. Here the beautiful personality and character of the Princess soon impressed themselves upon the life of the house and its more public environment. She proved to be a model house- wife, later on a model mother, and always and everywhere a model of tactful action and conversation. Pliability and adaptability were useful and important qualities which she found more than serviceable in these early years of her transi- tion from a comparatively humble home to one of continuous splendour and almost constant state. Difficulties there natur- ally were of many minor sorts and formidable they no doubt were in the sum total. New customs to comprehend and adopt ; new intricacies of a not entirely familiar language to become acquainted with ; new and varied responsibilities in both domestic and public life to understand and put in prac- tice ; qualities of natural diffidence and reserve to overcome. But these and other obstacles were conquered with an apparent ease which concealed any real trouble in the struggle, and the Princess threw herself into the life and woik of her husband THE ROYAL MARRIAGE 77 and the spirit of the English people in a way which has ever since ensured to her the lasting love of those in her immediate circle and the deep-seated affection of the many-sided British public. During the three or four immediately following years the public appearances of the Prince and Princess of Wales were not numerous. Philanthropic interests were taken up and maintained, but domestic and home interests seemed to hold the first place. In August, 1864, a visit was paid to the High- lands and some weeks spent at Abergeldie. Here, Dr. Norman Macleod was amongst their guests and here they saw much of the Earl and Countess of Fife, parents of their future son-in- law, the present Duke of Fife. An autumn visit to Denmark followed and the Prince for the first time saw his wife's early home. A good deal of shooting was indulged in at and around BernsdorfT and from Elsinore, after a few weeks, the Royal couple went in their, yacht to Stockholm on a visit to the King and Queen of Sweden. The infant, Prince Albert Victor, had been with them up to this time but he was now sent home in charge of the Countess de Grey and the Prince and Princess returned by way of Germany and Belgium. A short stay was made with the Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse at Darmstadt and another at Brussels. Sandringham was reached in time to celebrate the twentieth birthday of the Princess. An incident of this year was the personal subscription of ^10,000 by the Prince of Wales toward the erection of the Frogmore Mausoleum in honour of his father and, it may be added, a very marked and significant feature of all his speeches during these years was deep respect and admiration for the Prince Consort's life and memory. In 1865 the Prince made his first State visit to Ireland and on May 9th opened the International Exhibition at Dublin. The weather was beautiful, the loyal demonstrations in the streets were most enthusiastic, the great hall where the ceremony took place was 78 THE ROYAL MARRIAGE decorated with the fla^s of the nations and filled with the most distinguished gathering which Ireland could produce. The Duke of Leinster, the Earl of Rosse, and all the leading noble- men of the country were there, as well as the Lord Mayor and Corporation of Dublin in their civic robes, the Mayors of Cork and Waterford and Londonderry, the Lord Mayors o£ London and York and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh. When His Royal Highness took his place in the Chair of State an orchestra of one thousand voices performed the National Anthem and ten thousand other voices joined in song. After the ceremony, during which the Prince made two brief speeches, he attended in the evening a ball at the Mansion House given by the Lord Mayor. Meanwhile the city was brilliantly illuminated. In the morning he reviewed a number of troops in Phoenix Park and was received with much enthusi- asm by the enormous crowds gathered around the scene. A little later, on May 19th, the Prince attended the open- ing of an International Reformatory' Exhibition at Islington and received and answered an address from its President, Lord Shaftesbury. Three days afterwards he opened the Sailors' Home in the East End of London and was greeted by great crowds of cheering people. On June 5th, he marked his lik- ing for the Drama by inaugurating the Royal Dramatic Col- lege at Woking and six days later received a banquet at the hands of the Fishmongers' Company in London. On July 3rd he was distributing prizes at Wellington College attended by the Bishop of Oxford, the Earl of Derby, Earl Stanhope, Lord Eversley and others. CHAPTER V. Early Home Life and Varied Duties DURING the years immediately succeeding his marriage the career of the Prince of Wales was one of initia- tion into the responsibilities of home life and the duties of public life. It was a period of moulding influences and a round of functions — some perfunctory, some pleasant. It was a time of trial for a very young man placed in a very high position, and with temptations which might easily have led him into temporary and even permanent forgetfulness of the responsibilities of the future. Several causes, apart from his own natural strength of character, combined to avert such a result. The sympathetic and gracious character of his wife and the perfection of management and detail which she intro- duced into the home life of Sandringham and the more public and social life of Marlborough House, were factors of impor- tance. The recollection of his father's teachings and high ideals and the knowledge of his Royal mother's character and devotion to principle were important influences. The growth of family ties had its effect, and, finally, the shock of a sick- ness in 1 87 1, which brought him to the verge of death and showed him the loving affection of the nation, completed the process of education in that difficult and dangerous road which the youthful Heir to a great Throne must always travel. Of the Princess of Wales in these years it is hard to speak too highly. Fond of domestic life, retiring by disposition and character, caring more for husband and family than for all the glitter and glory of the world's greatest functions or positions, 79 8o EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES she yet lived in the blaze of a continuous publicity without possible or actual criticism and with a ceaseless and ready charm of manner, a never-failing courtesy to high and low, an ever- increasing popularity, Amid all the innumerable duties and difficulties of her position there has never been a visible mis- take committed. The right people have been cultivated and encouraged ; the wrong people treated in a way which could not be resented nor misunderstood. The right thing has been said so often that ir has come to appear the natural thing. An atmosphere of ideal refinement has always surrounded her, and its subtle influence has pervaded many a brilliant home and circle where other influences might easily have prevailed. In a time when calumny would attack an Archangel, and when its bitter barbs have been known to reach even the humanly perfect life of Queen Victoria, no shadow has ever crossed the curtain of her character. Of her tact — a quality which she possesses in common with the Prince of Wales — stories are innumerable, and of her quiet, unostentatious, continuous charity and natural kindliness of heart there are as many more. A BUSY MARRIED LIFE The married life of the Prince and Princess was a busy one. Sandrineham had to be remodelled and various public duties attended to by the Heir-Apparent. One of the first visitors at their country home was the Rev. Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, who had been so intimately associated with the edu- cation and early life of the Prince, and who was destined to always possess the privilege of a personal friend. Of this Easter Sunday, following the wedding, Dean Stanley wrote in his Diary that " the Princess came to me in a corner of the drawing-room with Prayer Book in hand and I went through the common service with her, explaining the peculiarities and the likenesses and differences from the Danish service. She was most simple and fascinating. My visit to Sandringham EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES 81 gave me intense pleasure. I was there for three days. I read the whole service, preached, then gave the first English Sacra- ment to this ' angel in the Palace.' I saw a great deal of her, and can truly say she is as charming and beautiful a creature as ever passed through a fairy tale." THE PRINCE IN PUBLIC LIFE. One of the first public appearances of the Prince of Wales after his marriage was attendance at the Royal Academy Ban- quet on May 2nd, 1863. Sir Charles Eastlake, the President, proposed the usual loyal toast, and in responding the young Prince is said to have spoken in a particularly clear and pleas- ing manner. Of the important personal event to which refer- ence had been made he declared that neither the Princess nor himself could " ever forget the manner in which our union has been celebrated throughout the nation." Amongst the other speakers were Lord Palmerston, Mr. W. M. Thackeray and Sir Roderick Murchison. The first really important public event in the Prince's life at this period was the presentation of the freedom of the City of London on June 8th. Invitations had been issued to a couple of thousand of the most eminent persons in the public, social and diplomatic life of the country and exceedingly costly preparations were made for the recep- tion, and for the ball and banquet which followed. The Prince and Princess of Wales were accompanied by Prince Alfred, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and Princess Mary of Cambridge and other Royal personages. The Princess was clad in white, with a coronet and brooch of diamonds and a necklace of brilliants — the one her husband's wedding present and the other that of the City of London. The reply to the address and presentation was very brief but appropriate and the events which followed were remarkable for their splendour and air of general joyousness. 6 82 EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES A week later the Royal couple attended the Commemora- tion at Oxford and the Prince of Wales was presented with the degree of D. C. L. in the presence of a brilliant assemblage of Professors and visitors, and an enthusiastic throng of stu- dents. The latter gave the Princess a reception which made her flush with mingled nervousness and pleasure though it could not affect her natural dignity of bearing. She had not yet become accustomed to the overwhelming character which British enthusiasm sometimes assumes and, indeed, is said to have never absolutely overcome a personal shrinking from the publicity which was inseparable from her position and popu- larity. However that may be, the feeling was never shown to the people and, if a fact, can only be considered as enhanc- ing the graciousness of manner which has been so marked a characteristic of her life in England. During this brief visit to Oxford Their Royal Highnesses distributed prizes to the Rifle Volunteers, opened a bazaar in aid of the Radcliffe Infirmary, inspected the exhibits at the Horticultural Show, and went over the Prince's one-time college residence at Frewen Hall. A hasty visit to the North of England in August was made to include the opening ceremony for a new Town Hall at Halifax and here the Royal couple received a most hearty welcome. Another function was the opening of the British Orphan Asylum on June 24th by the Prince, who became its Patron and promoted large subscriptions to its work — one of which from Mr. Edward Mackensie totalled $60,000. Though this was a very quiet year in comparison with those of the future, His Royal Highness extended his patronage, usually accompanied by liberal subscriptions, to eight public charities, eight hospitals and asylums, five agricultural societies and eleven learned and scientific societies — including the Society of Arts of which he became President. His first work in this latter connection was to promote and obtain a fund for sending EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES 83 a number of British workmen to the Paris Exhibition with a view to improving their mechanical and technical knowledge. He also associated himself with the Mendicity Society by means of which all the innumerable appeals for aid which came to him from time to time were investigated, sifted, and reported upon before action was taken. On May 18, 1864 the Prince presided for the first time at the Royal Literary Fund banquet and thus commenced a long period of active patronage toward an institution which has served a most use- ful purpose in England — the quick and secret dispensing of aid to literary men who from some cause or other might be destitute, or in need. Its objects were not local but inter- national and in his speech on this occasion His Royal Hio-h- ness pointed how well and quietly the work had been done. THE PRINCESS AND HER FAMILY. Early in the year the first-born child of the Royal couple arrived on the scene. The event had been expected for March 1864 but the infant was born at Frogmore on January 9th and was christened on March 10th as Albert Victor Chris- tian Edward. From infancy the Prince was somewhat delicate and, no doubt for that reason, was always supposed to be his mother's favourite child. The Princess of Wales was, at this time, not yet twenty but was devoted to her domestic duties and especially to the new arrival in their home. She would rather visit the nursery at any time than attend a State func- tion or ball. Other children came in the following years. Prince George Frederick Ernest Albert, afterwards Prince of Wales, was born on June 3, 1865; Princess Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar, afterwards Duchess of Fife, on February 20, 1867; Princess Victoria Alexandra Olga Mary on July 6, 1868; and Princess Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria, some- time to be Princess Charles of Denmark, on November 26, 84 EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES 1869. In 1 87 1 Prince Alexander John Charles Albeit was born, but only lived for one brief day. As these children came one by one they found a most happy home circle and a devoted mother. In all their little amusements and games the Princess took part ; in their train- ing and education she took a watchful share ; in their lives as a whole simplicity was made the guiding principle, as it had been in the Royal family of the past generation. From all accounts which are open to us she delighted much more in the nursery than in society. Dr. William Jenner saw the Royal children whenever necessary but the "coddling" so often seen in modern homes was unknown at Sandringham. The Prince believed as much in simplicity of bringing up as did his wife and, by special order, the Household and servants never used the prefix of "Royal Highness" to the children but addressed them as Prince Eddy, or Princess Louise, or whatever the name might be. The little girls, as their father always called them, had their tea with the nurses and were given few toys and never allowed to accept presents. No fuss was made over the little accidents inevitable to childhood and in every way life was kept devoid of state formality, or anything that would breed a sense of childish self-importance. When the Prince and Princess were away from home, as they frequently had to be, letters were daily exchanged with the head nurse. The result of this general system and of the later plan of making the young Princesses more and more companions of their mother and the boys, as far as circumstances would per- mit, of their father, created and maintained at Sandringham one of the most pleasant home circles in all England. An illustration of the spirit in which domestic anniversaries and incidents were approached may be found in lines composed by the Princess, on one occasion, for Prince George when the family were commencing to celebrate the birthday of the- THE RIGHT HON. SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD, P.C, G.C.B. Premier of the Canadas in 1860 and first Premier of the Dominion. w X u D °Z W Q 2« ^ > OO S « « w ft - q™ 2 OT < J J >> a < o a Q W X H EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES 85 husband and father. The thought was admirable even if the poetry was not quite perfect : " Day of pleasure, brightly dawning, Take the gift of this sweet morning, Our best hopes and wishes blending Must yield joy that's never ending." During these years the Prince of Wales was gradually assuming many of the duties and public tasks which would have devolved upon the Queen, or in earlier days have been performed with such fidelity and care by the Prince Consort. At this time the Queen was living in strict retirement and for a long period still to follow she maintained the same sorrow- ing seclusion in a more or less modified form. Toward the close of 1865 the death of Lord Palmerston removed a states- man in whom the Prince had found a personal friend and whom he had consulted and greatly trusted in private matters. In February, 1866, the Queen made one of her rare public ap- pearances and opened Parliament, in person, accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales. A little later came the cholera epidemic which killed one hundred thousand people in Austria and caused a number of deaths in England. To the Mansion House Relief Fund, which ultimately reached the total of $350,000 and to another Fund, the Prince contributed $17,500. In August the Royal couple visited Studley Royal, the seat of the Earl de Grey and Ripon — better known after- wards as the Marquess of Ripon — and were given a great reception in the City of York. An incident of the latter occa- sion was a sudden downpour of rain during which the Prince stood up in his carriage, bareheaded, so that the people should not be disappointed. VARIOUS PUBLIC FUNCTIONS AND EVENTS. A little before this, on May 9th, the President and Coun- cil of the Institution of Civil Engineers entertained the Heir 86 EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES Apparent at a banquet in London and amongst the other guests were the veteran Field Marshal Sir John Burgoyne, the Dukes of Sutherland and Buccleuch, Earl Grey, Lord Salisbury, Sir John Pakington, Sir Edwin Landseer, Sir Richard Owen and many other eminent scientists and leaders of the time. During his speech the Prince paid a tribute to the work of Brunei and Stephenson and, in the latter connec- tion, referred to the great bridge across the St. Lawrence, in Canada, which he had inaugurated in i860 and to which he gave the credit for an opportunity to visit British America and the United States. On June 11th His Royal Highness had also laid the foundation of the new building of the British and Foreign Bible Society in London. He was received formally by the President, the Earl of Shaftsbury, the Lord Mayor, the Archbishop of York and others and, in the course of his speech, pointed out that the Society had already spent $30,- 000,000 in the promotion of its objects and in the translation of the Bible into two hundred and eighty different languages and dialects. After referring to the efforts in this cause by his grandfather, the Duke of Kent, the Prince went on to say that " it is my hope and trust that, under Divine guidance, the wider diffusion and deeper study of the Scriptures will, in this as in every age, be at once the surest guarantee of the progress and liberty of the mind and the means of multiplying in the present time the consolations of our holy religion." The next function shared in was the anniversary gather- ing of the Clergy Corporation, attended by the Archbishops of Canterbury, York and Armagh, the Marquess of Salisbury and other dignitaries. In his speech the Prince pointed out that there were ten thousand clergymen in the United Kingdom whose benefices were of less value than $750 a year and urged the usefulness of an institution which distributed $20,000 per annum to orphans and unmarried daughters of clergymen as well as temporary aid to necessitous clergymen themselves, EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES 87 The result of his appeal was a subscription of $6,000 to which he contributed $525 personally. On June 18th he inaugurated a Warehousemen and Clerks' School at Croydon at a gathering presided over by Earl Russell and ten days later visited the Merchant Seamen's Orphan Asylum in the suburbs of London. In August the Prince and Princess of Wales made one of their first public appearances in the County where: they had made their country home and where the Prince ^o well embodied the hearty, healthy life, of the English gentle- man. Duriug the month, therefore, they paid a visit to Nor- wich as the principal town of Norfolk and, accompanied by the Queen of Denmark and the Duke of Edinburgh, attended one of Sir Michael Costa's oratorios, opened a Drill-hall, planted memorial trees and in other ways helped to make the occasion memorable to the people of the ancient town. A visit followed in the autumn to the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, at their splendid Castle of Dunrobin, in the north of Scotland. In driving twenty-five miles from the station to the Castle a most enthusiastic welcome was received along the entire route. In reviewing the Sutherland Volun- teers during his stay the Prince expressed a wish that the Corps would wear the kilt as their uniform and this was, of course, done with the greatest pleasure. Shortly after the re- turn from Scotland the Queen of Denmark came again to England and stayed for some time at Sandringham with her daughter. Late in the year (November) the Prince of Wales went to St. Petersburg to attend in 'an official capacity the marriage of the Princess Dagmar of Denmark — sister of his wife — to the Czarewitch who afterwards became Alexander III. The cold was deemed a sufficiently strong reason for the Prin- cess not to accompany him. In his suite were Lord Frederick Paulet, the Marquess of Blandford, Viscount Hamilton, and Major Teesdale. He was welcomed at the station by the Emperor, the Czarewitch and others of the Imperial family and 88 EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES given splendid quarters at the Hermitage Palace. After the marriage he visited Moscow, accompanied by the Crown Prince of Denmark, went over the historic Kremlin and called on the Metropolitan, the highest dignitary in the. Russian Church, who received his Royal visitor in a cell and gave him his bless- ing after a brief conversation. The year 1867 was marked by a painful illness of the Princess through acute rheumatism and inflammation of a knee-joint. During the serious period of the illness the Prince devoted himself to the invalid, never leaving her side unless compelled to do so and having his desk brought into the sick- room so that he might carry on his correspondence in her presence. It was not until July that the Princess was able to drive out and during the rest of the year the Royal couple lived very quietly and made as few public appearances as pos- sible. It was in the beginning of this year that Princess Louise, afterwards Duchess of Fife, was born. Some func- tions had to be performed, however, and they included the presiding at a meeting of the National Lifeboat Institution and at the one hundred and fifty-second anniversary festival of the Welsh Society of Ancient Britons, on March 1st ; a visit to the International Exhibition at Paris in May; and the presence of the Prince at the laying of the foundation stone of the Albert Hall, in London, later in the same month. On July 10th His Royal Highness inaugurated the London Inter- national College, which had been organized by Mr. Cobden and M. Michel Chevalier, as a branch of an international insti- tution. At the luncheon were the Due d'Aumale, the Prince de Joinville and the Comte de Paris as well as Professor Hux- ley and Dr. Leonard Schmitz, the head of the institution. In his speech the Prince pointed out the usefulness of a College which would more or less devote itself to the teaching of modern languages at a time when the interests of varied nationalities were becoming so intermingled. EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES 89 An interesting event occurred in July when Ismail Pasha, Khedive of Egypt, visited England, as his father had done twenty-one years before. At a banquet in the Mansion Home, on July 1 ith, a distinguished gathering met to do him honour and amongst them were the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar and many men eminent in politics and diplomacy. In his speech the Prince spoke of his personal indebtedness to the late Khe- dive for kindness received during his own visit to Egypt in 1862 and, also, of the national importance of the facilities given by that country to England in the transit of troops to India. He then referred to the illness of the Princess and to the words in that connection used by the Lord Mayor. " I know I only express her feelings when I say that she has been deeply touched by that universal good feeling and sympathy which has been shown to her during her long and painful ill- ness. Thank God, she has now nearly recovered and I trust that in a month's time she will be able to leave London and enjoy the benefits of fresh air." ROYAL VISIT TO IRELAND. The Prince of Wales early in his public life showed his sympathy with the people of Ireland. He had already visited Dublin in 1865 and, on March 17, 1868, while planning a State visit to that country, attended a brilliant celebration of the anniversary of St. Patrick's birth, in Willis's Rooms, Lon- don. Amongst those present were the Archbishop of Armagh, the Bishop of Derry, the Earl of Longford, the Earl of Mayo and Lord Kimberley. The Prince, in his speech, expressed the belief that despite disagreeable occurrences of the past few years the people of Ireland generally were "thoroughly true and loyal." On April 15th the Prince and Princess of Wales landed at Kingstown and were received with tremen- dous acclaim. With his usual tact the Prince asked that no 9 o EARLY HOME LIEE AND VARIED DUTIES troops should be present in the streets. The Princess, who was dressed in Irish poplin, was presented with a white dove, emblematic of peace, and fairly captured the hearts of the populace. The visit lasted ten days and included amongst its functions a gorgeous installation of the Prince as a Knight of St. Patrick, when he used the sword worn by George IV. on a similar occasion ; his presence at the Punchestown races— where the Royal couple appeared in open carriages and received an enthusiastic welcome ; attendance at the Royal Hibernian Academy's rooms and at the Royal Dublin Society's Conversazione ; a visit to the Catholic University and the receipt of an LL.D. — together with the Duke of Cambridge and Lord Abercorn, the Lord Lieutenant — from Trinity Col- lege ; a visit to the Cattle Show and a Royal review of troops ; attendance at Sunday service in historic Christ Church ; per- sonal visits to Lord Powerscourt's beautiful place in Wicklow and to the Duke of Leinster at Carton ; a formal visit to Maynooth College and the unveiling in Dublin of a statue of Edmund Burke. The London Times described the crowded life of those ten days in rather interesting language : " There were presen- tations and receptions, and receiving and answering addresses, processions, walking, riding and driving, in morning and even- ing, in military, academic and mediaeval attire. The Prince had to breakfast, lunch, dine and sup with more or less public- ity 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, every- where 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. EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES 9 r He had to listen to many speeches sufficiently to know when and what to answer. He had to examine with respect- ful 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 disad- vantage as to the novelty or dullness of the matter and the scene." On April 25th the Royal visitors returned to Holyhead and on their way home stopped at Carnarvon, the birthplace of the first Prince of Wales, where a banquet was received and a brief speech made by the living successor of a great King's son. Among the incidents connected with this visit was the fact that while the Prince was freely passing through and amongst the people of the Irish capital his brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, was shot at Clontarf, Australia, by an Irishman named O'Farrell, while he was accepting the hospitality of a local Sailors' Home. Another was the tact and judgment dis- played by the Heir Apparent in forwarding a cheque to the Dublin Hospital Sunday Fund after his return home. This institution had then and has since exercised a most beneficial effect upon Irish hospital affairs ; but the marvel was that the Prince should have found time amid his multifarious duties and functions to look into its management and influence. May the 5th, saw the Prince attending the sixty-second anniversary of the " Society of Friends of Foreigners in Distress" and pointing out in a preliminary speech that the Queen had taken deep interest in this charity ever since her accession in 1837. In proposing the health of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Sir Travers Twiss, the Advocate-General, said that though it was not generally known, he would take the liberty of stating that during His Royal Highness' Eastern travels he had passed through no great city without visiting and helping any institu- tions which might exist in aid of suffering humanity. 92 EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES Eight days later the Prince presided at the annual ban- quet of the Governors of St. Bartholomew's Hospital — after visiting and inspecting the wards. During the same day His Royal Highness attended a great state function in the laying of the foundation of St. Thomas' Hospital by the Queen in person. The last important matter in which the Prince took part before leaving for his second Eastern tour was the laying of the foundation stone of new buildings for Glasgow Univer- sity on October 8th. They cost over two millions of dollars and in the stately proceedings accompanying this event, the Princess of Wales was able to participate. From November 1868 to May 1869 the Royal couple were in the distant East, but, on the Queen's birthday in the latter year, the Prince of Wales was able to be present at the anniversary banquet of the Royal Geographical Society and to receive congratulations on having been instrumental in effecting the appointment of his late travelling companion, Sir Samuel Baker, to the govern- ment of the Soudan region in Africa, under the control of the Egyptian Government and with the object of suppressing the slave trade. His Royal Highness warmly eulogized Sir S. Baker — who had also just received the Society's medal for the year — and the events of the evening were considered to have made the occasion memorable. Prince Hassan of Egypt was present and amongst the speakers were Sir Roderick Murchi- son, Admiral Sir George Back, Professor Owen, the Duke of Sutherland, Dr. W. H. Russell, Sir Francis Grant P. R. A., and Sir Henry Rawlinson. The next two or three years saw the Prince participating in many public and more or less important events. Accom- panied by the Princess of Wales he laid the foundation of new buildings in connection with the Earlswood Asylum, in Surrey, on June 28, 1869. An incident of this event was not only the usual gift of a hundred guineas by the Prince but a procession of ladies who passed up to the dais in single file and deposited THE HON. SIR CHARLES TUPPER, BART., G.C.M.G., C.B. A Canadian guest at the coronation EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES 93 upwards of four hundred purses, which they had collected for the Charity, under the influence of Royal patronage and encouragement. On July 7th Their Royal Highnesses visited Lynn, inaugurated the new Alexandra Dock, and took part in several local events. A state visit to Manchester followed, on July 29th, and the Prince opened the annual exhibition of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, of which he was Presi- dent, and was given a warm welcome in and around the city. On the succeeding day he inaugurated a new dock at Hull. Meanwhile, on July 23rd, the Prince had visited London in order to unveil a statue of George Peabody, the distin- guished American philanthropist. At the ceremony Sir Ben- jamin Phillips, Chairman of the Committee, addressed the Prince formally and thus concluded : " Let us hope that this statue, erected by the sons of free England to the honour of one of Columbia's truest and noblest citizens, may be symbol- ical of the peace and good will that exist between the two countries." In replying His Royal Highness spoke of Mr. Peabody as a great American citizen and of his gift of over a quarter of a million pounds sterling to the charities of a country not his own, as being unexampled, and concluded as follows : " Be assured that the feelings which I personally entertain toward America are the same as they ever were. I can never forget the reception which I had there nine years ago and my earnest wish and hope is that England and America may go hand in hand in peace and prosperity." Following the example of King William IV., when Duke of Clarence, and of the late Dukes of Kent, Sussex and Cambridge, the Prince of Wales presided on November 30th at the anniversary banquet of the Scottish Corporation — or as it was popularly called the Scot- tish Hospital — in order to mark his approval of an institution which had done much to assist, by means of pensions, poor and aged natives of Scotland living in London ; to afford temporary relief to Scotchmen in distress ; or to educate poor Scottish 94 EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES children. On this occasion there was a larofe eatherintr which included Prince Christian and the Duke of Roxburghe and, after a speech from the Prince describing the objects and work of the institution, it was announced that $12,500 had been specially subscribed to the purposes of the Hospital — including $500 from the Prince of Wales himself. Exhibitions, in the years between his coming of age and his accession to the Throne, were always favourite objects of atten- tion and support at the hands of Heir Apparent. He had already studied closely his father's conduct of the first great International Exhibition, and had himself opened one of the same kind atDublin, and been present at an International Refor- matory gathering and at the Paris Exhibition. On April 4th, 1870, he presided at a meeting of the Society of Arts called to promote an International Educational Exhibition for the suc- ceeding year. Resolutions were passed to this end, and after an explanatory speech from His Royal Highness and, it may be added here, the Exhibition was duly opened on May 1st, 1 87 1, by the Prince of Wales, with imposing pageantry and with details worked out by his assistant in various future undertakings — Sir Philip Cunliffe-Owen. On May 16, 1870, the Prince presided at the annual banquet of the Royal General Theatrical Fund, established as far back as 1839, f° r tne relief and assistance of members, and of widows and orphans of mem- bers, of the dramatic profession. During the evening, after a speech from the Royal chairman, Mr. Buckstone, the well-known , actor, spoke in warm words of the kindness of the Prince in attending their function : "The duties he has to perform are so numerous and fatiguing that we only wonder how he gets through them all. Even within these few days he has held a Levee ; on Saturday last he patronized a performance at Drury Lane in aid of the Dramatic College; then had to run away to Freemasons' Hall to be present at the installation of the Grand Master; and now we find him in the chair this EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES 95 evening ; so what with conversaziones, laying foundation stones, opening schools, and other calls upon his little leisure, I think he may be looked upon as one of the hardest working men in Her Majesty's dominions." This was a fact or condition not recognized very generally in those days ; in afteryears it became a truism in popular opinion. St. George's Hospital received the combined patronage of the Prince and Princess on May 26th. The former occu- pied the chair and made an earnest appeal for aid to this most deserving institution. The Earl of Cadogan, who was one of the Treasurers, announced a little later in the evening that the Prince of Wales had handed him a check for two hundred guineas, the Princess one for fifty guineas, and the Marquess of Westminster — afterwards the first Duke of that name — one for two hundred guineas. Amongst the other speakers on this occasion were Earl Granville, the Earl of Derby, the Earl of Carnarvon and Mr. W. H. Smith, M.P. On June 21st, His Royal Highness opened a new building in connection with Dulwich College in Surrey ; nine days later he and the Princess opened new schools for the children of seamen nearthe London Docks; on July 1st they visited in state the ancient town of Reading and laid the foundation stone of a new Grammar School. A week later the Prince had the congenial task of giving the Albert gold medal of the Society of Arts to M. de Lesseps. As President of the Society he addressed the father of the Suez Canal, in French, and congratulated him upon the completion of his great undertaking, not only in a public capac- ity, but "as a personal friend." In his reply, M. de Lesseps said that he had received much private encouragement from the late Prince Consort in the early stages of his enterprise, and that he could never forget that fact. It may be added here that the presentation of this Medal was always a peculiar plea- sure to the Prince of Wales, and that amongst those in after 96 EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES years who received it at his hands were Sir Henry Bessemer, M. Chevalier and Sir Henry Doulton. On July 13th His Royal Highness, on behalf of the Queen, and accompanied by the Princess Louise and the grand officers of the Household, opened with elaborate ceremony the new Thames Embankment. Three days later he opened the Workmen's International Exhibition at Islington in the name of the Queen. During this year the war between France and Germany caused the Prince and his family keen interest and many natural anxieties. He arranged for a special telegraph service so that news might reach him at once and took an active part in associations and subscription lists for aid to the wounded on both sides. The Royal family had such close relations with that of Prussia through the Princess Royal and with that of France through long personal friendship with the Emperor and Empress that the position of individual members, like the Heir Apparent, and his wife could be easily under- stood. The Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences was opened with stately and imposing ceremony by the Queen on March 29th, 187 1. When Her Majesty, accompanied by the Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal family, had taken her place on the dais of a Hall containing eight thousand people and an orchestra of twelve hundred persons, under Sir Michael Costa, the Prince of Wales advanced and, as President of the Provisional Committee, detailed the origin and history of the project. He then, after receiving a formal reply, declared the Hall open in the name of the Queen. On May 7th, following, the Prince presided at a dinner in aid of the Artists' Orphan Fund and, after explaining its useful objects, expressed the wish that further contributions would be offered for the pur- pose in view. At the close of the affair the Treasurer an- nounced subscriptions to the amount of $60,000, of which a check for $525 was from the Royal chairman. The Earlswood EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES 97 Asylum for Idiots was again visited by the Prince on May 17th, when he presided at the anniversary dinner of the institution in London and explained its continued progress. Subscriptions of $21,000 were announced, of which $525 were given by the Prince. The same result followed his chairman- ship of a dinner in aid of the Farningham Homes for Little Boys on June 2nd. He pointed out that the institution was still in need despite a recent anonymous contribution of $5000. Before the close of the evening some $17,000 had been sub- scribed, including $750 from His Royal Highness. Such incidents, often repeated, indicate better than many words the value attached to the Prince's presence and support of deserving charities, and they also afford some proof of the generous expenditure of his private means for public benefit. On June 28th, the Prince acted as Chairman of the anniver- sary festival of the Royal Caledonian Asylum in London. There were three hundred and fifty guests present, mostly in Highland costume, and amongst them were Prince Arthur and the Duke of Cambridge, the Dukes of Buccleuch and Rich- mond, the Marquess of Lome and Marquess of Huntly, the Earls of Fife, Mar, and March. On July 31st His Royal Highness again paid a visit to Dublin. He was accompanied by the Princess Louise, the Marquess of Lome, and the young Prince Arthur — better known in later years as the Duke of Connaught. An address was presented at Kingstown by the Lord Mayor and Cor- poration and, on the following day, the Royal visitors witnessed a cricket match, lunched with the officers of the Grenadier Guards and inspected the cattle, horses, and sheep of the Royal Agricultural Society's annual show. In the evening the Prince of Wales presided at a great banquet of four hundred and fifty guests, with galleries thronged with ladies. He made several brief speeches and a particularly happy one in pro- posing the health of Earl Spencer, the Lord-Lieutenant of 7 9 S EARLY HOME LIFE AND VARIED DUTIES Ireland. A series of engagements and entertainments followed, amongst which were a brilliant military review in Phoenix Park and the installation of the Prince as Grand Patron of the Masonic Institution in Ireland. This was the last important , event taken part in by His Royal Highness before the serious illness which, a little later, so greatly stirred the nation and affected himself. \ CHAPTER VI. Travels in the East BEFORE he came to the Throne the Prince of Wales had long been the most travelled man in Europe. He had visited every Court and capital and centre upon that Continent ; he had toured the North American Continent from the capital of Canada to the capital of the United States and from the historic heights of Ouebec to the great western centre at Chicago ; he had visited the most noted lands of the distant East. FROM EUROPE TO AFRICA. In 1862, his first visit to Egypt and the Holy Land had taken place, and now, six years later, he was to make a more imposing and important tour of those and other countries in the company of his wife. On November 17th, 1868, the Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied by their three eldest children and by Lady Carmarthen, General Sir W. Knollys, Lieut.-Col. Keppel and Dr. Minter, left for the Continent and reached Compiegne on the morning of the 20th inst., in order to pay a visit to the Emperor and Empress of the French. An incident of the hunt which took place that after- noon was the rush of a stag at the Prince who, with his horse, was completely knocked over. Amongst the shooting party were Marshal Bazaine, the Baron Von Moltke, the Marquess of Lansdowne and other well-known men of the day. After a stay of a few days here and at Paris the Royal party proceeded on their journey and reached Copenhagen on November 29th. The birthday of the Princess was celebrated two days later in her old home. 99 ioo TRA VELS IN THE EAST Stockholm was reached on December 16th, and a visit of some days' duration paid to the King of Sweden. On De- cember 28th the Prince and Princess were back again with the Royal family of Denmark and attended a State Ball at the Christianborg Palace. In the middle of January they em- barked in the yacht Freya, and at Hamburg the Royal children were sent home in charge of Lady Carmarthen, Sir William Knollys and Colonel Keppel. At Berlin, on January 17th, they were welcomed by the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia — the Princess Royal of England — and by Lord Augustus Loftus, the British Ambassador. On the following day His Royal Highness was invested with the famous order of the Black Eagle by the King of Prussia. Amongst the limited number of Knights Grand Cross who were present at the Chapter were the Baron Von Moltke, General Von Roon, Count Von Waldersee, and Count Von Wrangel. From Berlin, where the Prince and Princess were joined by those who were to accompany them on their further journey and including Col- onel Teesdale, V. C, Captain Ellis, Lord Carington, Mr. Oliver Montague, Dr. Minter and the Hon. Mrs. William Grey, the Royal party went to Vienna which was reached on January 2 1 st. At the station they were received by the Emperor Francis Joseph and various members of the Austrian Royal family together with Prince Von Hohenlohe and Lord Bloom- field, the British Ambassador. State visits, dinners, the theatre, skating and a private visit to the King and Queen of Hanover in their retirement at Hietsing, constituted the pro- gramme of the next few days. Vienna was left on January 27th, and from Trieste, on the following day, sail was made on board H. M. S. Ariadne and Alexandria reached on Febru- ary 3rd. TRIP UP THE NILE. After their formal reception at Alexandria by Mehemet Tewfik Pasha, Shereef Pasha, Mourad Pasha, Sir Samuel TRAVELS IN THE EAS1 101 Baker and others, the Prince and Princess proceeded to Cairo where they were warmly welcomed by the Khedive, and met by the Duke of Sutherland and his son, Lord Stafford, Pro- fessor Owen, Colonel Marshall and the special correspondent, Dr. W. H. Russell. The latter gentlemen joined the Royal party and were to proceed with them on the journey up the Nile together with Prince Louis of Battenberg and Lord Albert Gower. Before starting on this voyage, however, the Prince and Princess were privileged in witnessing the curious Procession of the Holy Carpet and the departure of a portion of the annual stream of pilgrims for Mecca. The Princess and Mrs. Grey were also invited, on February 5th, to dine at the Harem with the Khedive's mother and the ceremonies, as described by Mrs. Grey in her Diary of the tour, were exceed- ingly interesting. A multitude of smartly dressed female slaves in coloured satin and gold ; services of silver and gold ; dishes of the most peculiar and varied composition and taste ; music by bands of girls and dances by other bands of women — some of whose motions were described by Mrs. Grey as grace- ful and others as "simply frightful;" drinks of curious char- acter and pipes and cigarettes with holders ornamented by masses of precious gems ; costumes which partook of both the Eastern and Western character ; jewels and gold in every direction and upon every possible kind of object — such were some of the things seen during the visit. In the evening of the same day the Royal couple and suite went to the theatre, and afterwards the Prince had supper with the Khedive at the Palace of Gizerek, accompanied with elaborate ceremonies and a succession of dancing spectacles. Meanwhile, every care had been exercised by the Khedive in preparing comforts for the Royal guests up the Nile. The chief barge was occupied by the Prince and Princess and the Hon. Mrs. Grey, who was in attendance upon the latter ; a second was occupied by the Suite; a third by the Duke of io2 TRA VELS IN THE EAST Sutherland's party ; a fourth was used as a store-boat and con- tained 3,000 bottles of champagne, 20,000 bottles of soda- water, 4,000 bottles of claret and plenty of ale, liquors and light wines. Sir Samuel Baker, who was at this time Gover- nor of the Soudan region, accompanied the Prince and had with him an abundance of guns and nets for capturing crocodiles, etc. During the slow progress up the river there was plenty of sport, and His Royal Highness won fine specimens of spoonbills, flamingoes, herons, cranes, cormorants, doves, etc. THEY VISIT SITES OF ANCIENT CITIES. During the early part of the trip there was not much that was interesting ; apart from the shooting expeditions which were undertaken from time to time. The sio-ht of frightened children, timid women, labouring slaves, mosques and villages of huts and occasional ruins of more or less interest were all that was visible along the low banks of the river as they passed. The caves, or grottoes, of Beni Hassan were visited on February 10, and the life of ancient peoples seen in a pano- rama of carved monuments. Then came a more beautiful, cultivated and populous part of the region watered by the Nile. Thebes, Luxor, Karnak, however, were names and places which made up for much. For two days, ending Feb- ruary 19th, the heir to a thousand years of English sov- ereignty wandered amidst these tombs and monuments of the rulers of an African empire which had wielded vast power and created works of wonderful skill and genius three, and five thousand years before. The great hall and collonades and pillars of Karnac, the obelisk of Luxor, the famous tombs of the Kings, the Temples of Rameses, the colossal statues of Egyptian rulers, were visited by daylight, and, in some cases, the wondrous effect of Oriental moonlight upon these massive shapes and memorials of a mighty past was also witnessed. TRAVELS IN THE EAST io3 Philae with its interesting ruins, Assouan with its modern history, Korosko, Dere, the early capital of Nubia, the great Temple at Aboo Simbel, were seen, and, finally, after the Prince had killed his first crocodile, on February 28th, and the party had made an uncomfortable trip across a hot waste of desert, Wady Halfah was reached on March 2nd, and the journey back was commenced. On their return a special trip was made by the Prince and Princess to the Pyramids of Ghizeh, accompanied by Mehemet Tewfik, the Khedive's son, with an escort from Cairo. The Prince ascended the biggest of the Pyramids and the party was royally entertained afterwards in a pavilion specially erected for the purpose. INTERESTING RUINS ARE VISITED. The Prince and Princess also visited the Royal chambers in the great Pyramid. A delightful drive to Cairo followed, and the party soon found themselves comfortably installed in the Esbekiah Palace. On the following day a visit was paid to the great Mosque where lie the revered bones of Mehemet Ali, under an embroidered velvet catafalque. One of the graceful minarets was ascended and a splendid panorama of the city seen. On March 18 the Tombs of the Caliphs, with their picturesque but ruined mosques, were visited, and in the evening the theatre was attended, in company with His Highness, the Khedive. A visit to the Baulak Museum fol- lowed and was rendered thoroughly interesting by the presence of the learned Orientalist, Marriette Bey, who showed the Prince and Princess a bust of the Pharaoh "who would not let the children of Israel go," and one of the other Phar- aohs, who was a friend of Moses. Sir W. H. Russell is authority for the statement that the slightly incredulous smile of the Princess brought out a most concise, learned and con- vincing explanation of history and hieroglyphics in this con- nection, io 4 TRA VELS IN THE EAST On the evening of March 19th the Khedive gave a State Dinner in honour of his Royal guests at the Garden Kiosk of the new Palace of Gizeh. The grounds were brilliantly illu- minated, those present included all that was eminent in the life of Egypt, the viands were served upon the richest plate, the native fireworks sent up afterwards were most attractive. The Hon. Mrs. Grey, in her Diary, says that "standing in the outer marble court, with its beautiful Moorish arches and its pillars of rich brown colour, their bases and capitals profusely and brilliantly decorated, and looking on every side at the tastefully illuminated gardens, the effect produced was indeed most splendid and carried one at once back in imagination to one of the scenes you read of in the Arabian Nights. It is quite impossible to describe it, but I shall never forget this beautiful sight." The writer then goes on to describe the splendid architecture and tasteful furniture of the building and rooms. Most of the latter were decorated in white and gold, with myriads of mirrors, rich silk curtains and furniture with all the soft and brilliant colourings of the old Arabesque style. There were fountains everywhere, and the floors were inlaid marble, porphery and alabaster. Following this function came a visit to the British Mission School, where the Princess greatly charmed the chil- dren ; a state visit to the races in a carriage drawn by six horses, and with coachmen and postilions wearing most gorge- ous liveries of scarlet and gold. The Suite were also splen- didly equipped in regard to carriages and outriders, and the streets were lined with troops. The races were well conducted and the general ceremonies of the occasion worthy of Ismail, the Khedive. This was to have been the last function prior to departure for the Suez Canal, but it was now decided to accept the pressing invitation of His Highness and stay three days longer. Following upon this decision came a series of visits paid by the Princess of Wales to the wives, or harems, of TRA VELS IN THE EAST io5 certain distinguished Egyptian gentlemen, and, finally, to the harem of the Khedive. Amongst the places visited were the homes of Murad Pasha, Abd-el-Kader Bey and Achmet Bey. On March 23d the Princess, with a couple of attendant ladies, visited the Khedive's mother — the real ruler of his harem. It was a sort of Eastern drawing-room function, with slaves in brightly- coloured dresses everywhere about, and a number of Princesses, or daughters and relations of the Khedive, present, together with many other ladies of Egyptian rank and position. Mrs. Grey described them as mostly pretty — which was not, in her experience, the case as a rule — and as looking cheerful and happy. In the evening the Princess attended a State Dinner given by the four wives of the Khedive at the Palace of Gizerek. The presence of innumerable slaves, coffee and pipes, music and cherry jam served on a large gold tray with a gold service inlaid with diamonds and rubies, were the initial features of the entertainment. At dinner the guests sat on chairs instead of on the floor, as at a previous affair of the kind, but still had to pull the meat from the turkey with their fingers, while the odour of garlic and onions in many of the dishes was very unpleasant. There was some singing during the meal, with music and Oriental dancing after it. Meanwhile the bazars had been visited privately by the Princess ; the people having no idea who the inquiring and interested Euro- pean lady was. THE PRINCE ATTENDS THE KHEDIVE'S RECEPTION. On the same day the Prince of Wales attended in state at a formal reception held by the Khedive, and thus conferred a somewhat marked compliment upon one who was not actu- ally an independent Sovereign He was accompanied by the Marquess of Huntly and the Earl of Gosford, who had just arrived from India on their way home, and proceeded through io6 TRA VELS IN THE EAST the streets in all the pomp of scarlet and gold outriders, troops in brilliant uniforms and a general environment of state which compelled unusual respect from the impassive Oriental onlookers. Royal honours were given to the Prince on his arrival, and he was met by some 5,000 troops and the strains of the British national anthem, while the Court itself was brilliant in blue and gold uniforms and rich in the luxuriance of gold and gems upon every possible article of service or personal use. In the evening the Prince dined with his Vice-regal host on a yacht in the river, and the Minister of Finance gave a brilliant banquet, at which were present the great officers of state, such as Shereef Pasha, Zulfikar Pasha, Abdallah Pasha and others, together with British visi- tors or members of the Royal suite, such as Lord Carington, Lord Huntly, Lord Gosford, Prince Louis of Battenberg, Sir Samuel Baker and Colonel Teesdale, V. C. This event closed the visit to Cairo and, after formal farewells on the following morning, the train was taken for Suez, where the Royal visitors were received by the Governor and M. de Lesseps. In the morning they left for Ismaila amidst all possible honours, and accompanied by the great canal promoter. There a triumphal arch had been erected and a crowd of people and troops were found lining the route through the city. They were driven out to the Khedive's chalet on Lake Timsah, where dinner was served and the night spent, and thence back to Ismaila, and, in a steamer, down the Suez Canal to Port Said. The great enterprise was not then completed, and, in fact, the opening of the canal did not take place for many months, but the Royal tour- ists were fortunate in seeing the pioneer activities of creation in full operation and of being able to understand something of the immense initial difficulties which had been overcome by the genius and energy of De Lesseps. Alexandria was reached on March 27th, and visits were TRA VELS IN THE EAST 107 paid to Ras-el-Teen, the old palace of Mehemet Ali, to Cleo- patra's Needle and Pompey's Pillar. Then the Ariadne was boarded once more and a farewell dinner given to Mourad Pasha, the representative of the Egyptian Government, who had done so much for the comfort of the Royal guests ; the health of the Khedive was drunk and the last word said to the ancient land of the Nile and the Pyramids. The impressions left by this visit to Egypt were pleasant to the Prince of Wales and useful to his country. Ismail, the Khedive, was at this time a most enterprising ruler but the predominant influence in the country was French and there can be no doubt that the stately reception given the Heir to the British Crown proved a substantial service to the present and future residents of his nationality in that part of the world. The Prince, himself, must have benefited greatly by the insight into Oriental methods of government which he obtained and by the curious efforts at an adaptation of western ideas which were going on all around him ; while the picture left upon his mind of an- cient traditions and the history of a mighty past could not but have been impressive and interesting. On boarding the Ariadne, off Alexandria, and starting for Constantinople the Royal party lost Sir Samuel Baker, Lord Gosford, Sir Henry Pelly and Lord Huntly, who were leaving for other points of destination. During the next few days the vessel passed through the "Isles of Greece" and by various famous or historic spots. Patmos and Chios were seen for a time in the distance and, on March 31st, the Dardanelles were reached and salutes fired from shore to shore — from Europe to Asia — as the Royal yacht steamed between the Turkish forts. Upon anchoring, the British Ambassador, the Hon. Henry Elliot, came on board, together with Raouf Pasha, who at- tended to offer the earliest compliments of his Imperial master the Sultan. At the next landing, off Chanak, the Prince was formally welcomed by Eyoub Pasha, Military Governor of the 108 TRA VELS IN THE EAST Dardanelles, and his staff and guard of honour. Salutes from the Forts followed and the Prince returned to his vessel which steamed up to Gallipoli, where another stop was made and a visit paid to the French and British cemeteries of the Cri- mean War. Early on the morning of April ist the towers and minarets of Constantinople were sighted and various tugs and boats containing British residents and others surrounded the Royal vessel and joined in singing " God Save the Queen" as the Prince and Princess appeared on deck. Their stepping into a barge to row ashore was the signal for a general salute from the Turkish iron-clads and, amidst flying colours, fully- manned yards and swarming caiques and steam-boats the journey to the shore was made — with some private specula- tion as to what would happen to the Life Guardsmen of the Prince's suite if they should be upset in the water with all their cumbrous "toggery" on. When abreast of the Palace of Saleh Bazar the Royal barge was met by the state caique of the Sultan, followed by other gorgeously decorated and equipped vessels, containing the Grand Vizier, Aali Pasha, and other officials dressed in blue and gold and wearing numerous ribands, stars and crosses of knightly orders. Amidst cheers from crowded tugs and boats and ships the Royal visitors were transferred to the caique and thence to the landing place of the Palace where a guard of honour, a crowd of officers and a gorgeous staff sur- rounded the Sultan who, like the Prince of Wales, was in full uniform. His Majesty, after various gracious greetings, which were translated by the Grand Vizier, led his guests up the staircase of the Palace and then retired. Shortly afterwards the Prince and his suite were driven to the Dolmabakshi Palace where they were received by the Sultan with much state and, after a brief visit, returned to Saleh Bazar. Lunch- eon followed and the Prince and Princess called at the British Embassy. On their way back in the Sultan's carriages the TRA VELS IN THE EAST ioq streets were lined with impassive people who saluted in silent respect. At the Palace an admirable dinner was served on gold and silver plate. During the entire stay of the Royal visitors here they were supplied with every luxury and require- ment — guards of honour, carriages, saddle-horses, caiques, a band of eighty-four splendid musicians and an immense staff always on duty and clad in gorgeous uniforms of green and gold. Every morning there were presents from the Sultan of most exquisite flowers and the finest fruit. Mr. W. H. Rus- sell thus described the surroundings in one of his letters to the London Times : "The valetaille, in liveries of green and gold, with white cuffs and collars, throng the passages and corri- dors, and black-coated Chibouquejees are ready at a clap of the hands to bring in pipes with amber mouth-pieces of fabu- lous value, crested with hundreds of diamonds and rubies, and coffee in tiny cups which fit into stands blazing with similar jewels. The cuisine cannot be surpassed and the wines are of the most celebrated vintage. All the persons attached to the Palace speak French or English. There are Turkish baths inside ready at a moment's notice. Equerries, aides-de-camp, officers of the Body-Guard, radiant in gold lace and scarlet, in blue and in silver lace, flit about the saloons and corridors. Human nature can scarce sustain the load of obligations imposed on it by such attention. If the Prince is seen on the water guards are turned out along all the batteries and the strains of music are borne on every breeze that blows. Yards are manned and crews turned out on the slightest provoca- tion. The least wish is an order." On April 2nd the Sultan went in state to the Mosque in honour of his Royal guests, The streets were lined with five thousand troops and the Prince and Princess, with their suite, were driven to the Palace of Beshik Jool, from a beautiful room in which they could see the Imperial procession pass by* 1 10 TRA VELS IN THE EAST The sloping ground on the opposite side of the road was filled by groups of women clad in varied colours and looking from a distance like animated flowers. The Sultan came, pre- sently, preceded by brilliantly garbed Circassian troops, announced by the blast of a trumpet and the acclaim of the Turkish populace and riding a magnificent horse, which an English spectator described as a " marvel of beauty." He wore a splendid military uniform and his jewelled orders and sabre-hilt shone brightly in the rays of the sun, while immedi- ately before and behind him were the officers of state. After the pageant had passed, little Prince Izzedin — the eldest son of the Sultan and a delicate, intelligent-looking child — came over to visit the Prince and Princess. The troops then filed past the Palace windows. Later in the day a deputation of British residents was received by the Prince and in the even- ing a special performance at the Theatre was attended and witnessed from the Sultan's box. Early in the morning of April 3rd, the various foreign Ambassadors and Ministers called on the Prince of Wales and were presented by Mr. Elliot. Amongst them was General Ignatieff, of Russia. A visit to Seraglio Point followed, and from its heights was seen that most exquisite view which embraces the Sweet Waters, the Bosphorus, the Sea of Mar- mora and its islands, the shores of Scutari, the minarets of the city and a general mingling of sea and shore, of light and shade, of softness and Eastern charm which is hardly equalled in the world. The great mosque of St. Sophia was then visited. In the evening a state dinner was given by the Sultan at Dolmabakshi Palace — the first ever given by His Ottoman Majesty to Christian guests. The Prince and Princess were received in the grand drawing-room by the Sultan and all his Ministers. The Princess was taken in by His Majesty and Madame Ignatieff by the Prince. The dinner-room was already renowned for its exquisite candelabra TRA VELS IN THE EAST 1 1 1 and lustres in rock-crystal; and its other decorations, combined with plate and flowers of the most beautiful kind, made up a scene well worth rememberingr Aside from this, however, it was not very interesting, as none of the Sultan's Ministers — except the Grand Vizier — had ever sat in his presence before and were apparently too much astonished and afraid to speak a word to each other or to any of the twenty-four guests who made up the banquet. After dinner the Princess and Mrs. Grey visited the Harem, or rather the Sultan's wife and mother. Mrs. Grey, in her Diary, declares the dullness and stiffness of the occasion to have been indescribable. There were innumer- able slaves, but they were all "hideous," though loaded down with jewels, while other incidents and surroundings were not very unlike a similar reception at a European Court. The whole affair broke up at 10.30. A VARIETY OF INCIDENTS On the following day the Royal party attended service in the church of the British Embassy, driving through silent and crowded streets. In the afternoon they inspected the Ceme- tary at Scutari. On the following day the Prince and Princess, attended by Mrs. Grey, and all garbed in the humblest Eng- lish clothes they could find, visited the Bazaar. " Mr. and Mrs. Williams " seemed to enjoy themselves greatly, the former smoking a long pipe ; the latter buying quantities of curios and, as the merchants soon found out, driving an occasional bargain with earnestness. They took in all the entertain- ments, sipped sherbets and the various unnamable drinks which are sold in such places, and revelled in a few hours of freedom. Later in the day the Prince paid some formal visits and in the evening they again attended the theatre. Mean- while Sir Andrew Buchanan, British Ambassador at St Peters- burg, had arrived with his wife, on their way home to England, and were welcomed at the Palace. The following day a visit ii2 TRA VELS IN THE EAST was paid to Belyar Beg, some distance up the Bosphorus, which has been described as "the most beautiful place in the most beautiful situation in the world." Guards of honour were seen in all directions as the Royal party passed in caiques up the river. The luxury and elegance of the furniture at the Palace and the beauty of both buildings and surroundings evoked expressions of admiration from the Prince and Princess and, perhaps, they even regretted their refusal to stay here in pre- ference for the other and more accessible residence. Tcham- lidja, not faraway, the summer residence of Mustapha Fazil Pasha, brother of the Viceroy of Egypt, was then visited and a "luncheon" served which proved to be almost wanton in its luxury — the choicest fruits that Paris could produce and the finest wines of the east or the west being served in profusion. Afterwards, the Princess and Mrs. Grey visited the Harem, while the men smoked exquisite cigars and drank the finest obtainable coffee. The following day included a trip across the Bosphorus in the Sultan's yacht and a state ball at the British Embassy in the evening, which was, for a short time, attended by the Padishah himself. The Royal party did not retire from the gathering until daylight. During the next three days one function continued to follow another. A visit to the British Memorial Church ; attendance with the Sultan at a great special performance in the Theatre through densely-crowded streets ; a visit to a cricket match in the suburbs ; attendance at a state banquet given by the British Ambassador ; inspec- tion by the Prince of a Turkish ironclad — Hobart Pasha's flagship ; a dinner at the country home of the Grand Vizier. The day of departure fixed upon was April ioth, and, after a stately breakfast with the Sultan at Dolmabakshi, and fare- wells exchanged amidst all possible pomp and Oriental pageantry, the Ariadne was boarded and slowly steamed away from the Moslem capital to the sound of cheers and thundering TRA VELS IN THE EAST 113 guns from fleet and fort. They were soon in the gloomy waters of the Black Sea on the way to the Czar's dominions. Arrangements had been under discussion for some time in connection with this visit to the Crimea and Sir Andrew Buchanan's opportune arrival had, no doubt, a good deal to do with the matter. On April 12th Sebastopol was sighted, crowned with its ruined bastions and replete to the Royal tourists with memories of the Redan, the Malakoff, and the Mamelon. Neither flags nor men were visible, however, upon the ramparts as the yacht came to its moorings although else- where Russian soldiers could be occasionally seen. Presently, General de Kotzebue, Governor of New Russia and Bes- sarabia, came on board with his suite — a decorated and ener- getic survivor of the great siege at which he had been Chief of Staff to Prince Gortschakoff. After the four days programme for the Crimea had been settled the Prince and Princess landed and went first to inspect the Memorial Chapel and then to visit the great cemetery. A drive to some of the scenes of battle during the Crimean conflict followed, with an escort of Tartars and with carriage horses which at times seemed to fly over the ground. General de Kotzebue knew every foot of the soil and was, of course, a splendid host on such an occasion. On this first day the field of the desperate Alma fight was gone over carefully and on the succeeding morning the ruined ram- parts and redoubts of the once great Fortress of Sebastopol — not as yet restored — were visited and studied. The Cemetery of Cathcart's Hill was visited and here there were few in the party who did not find the names of friends or relatives in this city of silent streets while the Princess found very many around which associations of some kind were twined. In a small farmhouse, close to the windmill which was almost a cen- tre of battle on the day of Inkerman, the Royal party took lunch. Afterwards the Prince and some of the gentlemen rode over the ridge around which the famous fight occurred and H4 TRAVELS IN THE EAST General de Kotzebue explained the technical character of the struggle. The Malakoff was next seen as well as the colossal statue of Lazareff — the father of the Black Sea fleet and of that conception of Russian power which was shattered for a time by the success of the Allies. On the 14th the French Cemetery was visited and thence they went across country to the famous British Headquarters — the home for so long of' Lord Raglan, General Simpson and Sir W. Codrington. The house was in perfect order and the Prince was shown with care one of the rooms on the wall of which was a tablet with the simple words : " Lord Raglan died." Balaclava was next visited and the scene of the famous charge carefully studied by the Prince. A drive followed through a country of varied and striking beauty to the Imperial Palace of Livadia where the Czar's Master of Ceremonies, Count Jules Stenbock, was waiting to receive the Royal visitors. A ceremonious en- tertainment was given here in the highest style of refinement and with the somewhat unexpected accompaniments of cham- berlains in green and gold and a mass of servants from St. Petersburg, together with every sort of luxury. Here the Czar Nicholas had stayed in 1855 when he went to reconnoitre the position of the Allies. A visit followed to Alupka, the palace of Prince Woronzow and thence, after an exchange of tele grams with the Czar, they went on board the Ariadne once more. April the 16th saw the Royal party once more in the Bos- phorus with blue lights burning along the shores and bands playing a courteous welcome. On the following day the Prince, attended by Colonel Teesdale and Captain Ellis, paid a last formal visit to the Sultan and this was promptly returned by His Majesty amidst much ceremony. Meanwhile, the Princess had taken a last fond "incognito" look at the Bazaars attended by Mrs. Grey and Mr. Moore of the Embassy. The Ambassador came to the yacht to luncheon and soon after- wards Sir Andrew and Lady Buchanan bade farewell. Then, TRA VELS IN THE EAST 115 in the evening, came the second departure from Constanti- nople, the Ariadne passing through the lately increased Turk- ish fleet, under Hobart Pasha, amidst a brilliant display of rockets, coloured lanterns and blue lights. A VISIT TO HISTORIC ATHENS The Port of Athens was reached on April the 20th and here Sir A. Buchanan once more rejoined the party, followed very soon by various Russian, French and Italian officers and diplomatists. Next came the King of Greece — George I., brother of the Princess of Wales — accompanied by a suite and with sounds of distant cheering and the roar of guns echoing around the vessel. After luncheon Athens was visited and found to be gaily decorated and thence the Royal party passed by train to the King's Palace in the country, a beautiful place surrounded by beautiful scenery. In the distance were to be seen the green fields and olive forests of the Attic plain, the Pirseus and the Bay of Salamis, the groves of Academus, the ancient Acropolis and Ilissus, and the modern City of Athens. On the following day the Acropolis was visited and the glor- ies of that scene of historic greatness revived in the memories of the Royal travellers. A state banquet followed in the evening and on the next day a number of memorable sights and scenes were visited while the evening was the occasion for a coloured and very striking illumination of the mighty ruins of the Acropolis. Athens was left behind on the 23rd of April and the Royal party, including the King and Queen of Greece, proceeded to Corfu, which was reached on the following day and a more kindly greeting accorded to the visitors. The stay here was a very quiet one enlivened, so far as the Prince of Wales was concerned, by a hunting party on the somewhat wild coast of Albania. May 1st saw a formal leave-taking from the King and Queen of the Hellenes and a departure from this pleasant old-world Island. 1 1 6 TRA VELS IN THE EAST On the following day Brindisi was reached, and Turin on the 3rd. Accompanied by Sir Augustus Paget, the Minister at Rome, the Royal party crossed the mountains by the Mont Cenis Railway and reached Paris two days afterwards. Here, until May the 11th, they remained in a succession of visits, dinners, reviews and entertainments provided by the Emperor and Empress, and on the following day arrived at Marlbor- ough House after a six months' absence from England. It had been a round of arduous duty mixed with every form of honour and compliment, and including much of genuine pleasure and useful experience, together with the acquisition of practical and valuable knowledge. To the Heir Apparent it was one more step in the training and education necessary for any Prince who is destined to reign over the destinies of an in- finitely varied and scattered people. ^B^^v ^B»^ x? > ' : ^f J V ^4 H fWr MjMk BI CHAPTER VII. Serious Illness of the Prince FOLLOWING his return from foreign travel and the fulfilment of a brief round of public functions and duties came the now historic and really eventful illness of the Prince of Wales. It was a critical period in his career. Boyhood, youth and the first flush of manhood were gone ; his marriage had taken place and his family been born into a position of present and future importance ; his own train- ing in public duties and experience in foreign travel and observation had been completed up to a very high point of efficiency. The one element which seemed to be a little lacking was that of a full appreciation of his own responsibility to the nation and the Empire. The brilliant light which blazed around the Throne could find no fault in the actual perform- ance of any duty ; but the critical eye and caustic pen had been prone for some years to allege an overfondness for plea- sure and amusement and the pursuits of social life. Whether true or false in its not very serious origin this impression had been studiously cultivated in certain quarters at home which had an interest in the theoretical flash-lights of republicanism ; and extensively propagated abroad by cabled falsehoods and magnified incidents until actual harm had been done to the reputation and character of the young Prince amongst those who did not know him and could never act- ually expect to know him except through the journalistic food upon which they were fed. On the other hand, the English people had hardly learned to appreciate the important place filled by the Prince of Wales in the community, in the daily life of the nation, in the hopes n8 SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE of his future subjects, and deep down in the hearts of the masses. Something was apparently needed to develop those two lines of feeling — one personal and the other national — and this came in the illness which struck down the Prince in the closing months of 1871. During the Autumn he had paid a visit to Lord Londesborough at Scarborough, and, although not feeling well, nothing was supposed to be seriously wrong. From there the Prince had gone to stay with Lord Carington at Gayhurst and thence returned to Sandringham where he became decidedly ill. The Times of November 22nd was com- pelled to state that His Royal Highness was suffering from "a chill resulting in a febrile attack " which had confined him to his room. On the following day a bulletin signed by Doc- tors Jenner, Clayton, Gull and Lowe stated that the Prince was suffering from typhoid. ORIGIN OF THE ILLNESS. Amid the anxiety caused by this announcement every one wondered where the disease had been contracted, and ere long it was known that all the guests of Lord Londesborough at the time of the Royal visit had become more or less indisposed ; that the hostess herself was seriously ill ; that the Earl of Ches- terfield, one of the recent guests, was down with typhoid and, finally that Blegg, the Prince's groom, had caught the same disease. Ultimately both peer and peasant died, and the ser- iousness of their illness as it developed in the public eye added to the gradually growing excitement over the condition of the Heir-Apparent. The growth of popular feeling in the matter was evidently deep and serious. Bulletins stating that the symptoms of the fever were severe but regular continued for a time amid ever- increasing manifestations of interest and, as the weeks passed slowly by and the Queen had gone to the bedside of her son and something of the devotion of his wife to the sick Prince SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE 119 became known, this feeling grew in volume. Meanwhile the Princess Alice had also come to lend her brother the sympa- thetic touch and knowledge of nursing for which she was so well known. For a brief moment on December 1st, the patient roused from his delirium sufficiently to remark that it was the birthday of the Princess, and for a week thereafter the news of improvement in his condition was good. Then came a crisis when the fever had spent itself while the patient had also become worn out. It was impossible to say whether he could live another day. The Royal family were summoned to Sandringham on December 9th, and on the following day (Sunday) prayers were offered up in all the churches of the land and in many other countries, by request of the Arch- bishop of Canterbury. In the morning, the Vicar at Sandring- ham Church received a note from the Princess of Wales : " 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 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 CRISIS AND THE RECOVERY. On December 11th the Times stated that "the Prince still lives, and we may, therefore, still hope." During the fol- lowing days crowds in every town surrounded the bulletins and waited in the streets for the latest newspaper reports ; and the Government found it necessary to forward medical state- ments to every telegraph office in the United Kingdom as they were issued. On the 14th of the month a favourable change seemed apparent, and on the 16th the Prince had a quiet and refreshing sleep. On the following day the Royal family went to church, where, by special request, the Royal patient and his dying groom — Blegg — were prayed for together. The latter died within a few hours, but not before the Princess had i2o SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE found time to visit him and comfort his relations. Slowly, but steadily, from that time on the Prince began to make head- way towards recovery, though it was not until Christmas Day that the danger was thought to be past and his Royal mother could express her feeling to the nation in a letter which was made public on December 26th : " 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 these 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." CELEBRATION OF HIS RECOVERY. The recovery of the Prince took the usual course of the disease and was protracted in character; but on January 14th the last bulletin was issued. The Princess of Wales and the Princess Alice had been his nurses throughout this trying time, and they had never seemed to weary in their devoted care. Nine days after the issue of the last bulletin Dr. William Jenner was gazetted a K. C. B. and Dr. William W. Gull a baronet. There were rumors at this time that the patient had been at one stage actually in extremis, but had been saved by one of those sudden inspirations which some- times constitute so important a part of medical practice, and which consisted in a vigorous and continuous application of old champagne brandy over the body until returning anima- tion had rewarded the doctor's efforts. The 14th of Decem- ber, the anniversary of the Prince Consort's death and the day upon which the actual turning point in the disease took. SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE 121 place, was commemorated by a brass lectern in the Parish Church of Sandringham, which bears the following inscription : To the Glory of God. A Thank-Offering for His Mercies. 14th December, 1871. Alexandra. "When I was in trouble I called upon the Lord, and He heard me." The good news from Sandringham was received through- out the country with expressions of the most unbounded popular satisfaction ; and the announcement that an opportu- nity would be afforded of returning public thanks to the Almighty for his mercy was universally approved. The day for the National Thanksgiving was finally settled for Febru- ary 27th, and St. Paul's Cathedral as the place ; but before that time came Dr. Stanley — who had now become Dean of Westminster — suggested a private visit to the Abbey and a personal expression of his feelings by the Prince, This was done in absolute privacy, with only the Princess and a few members of the Royal family present. A sermon was preached by the Dean in which, as he told an intimate friend, he was able for once to say what he wished to say. THE NATION UNITED IN A COMMON SYMPATHY. Many of the papers of the country commented upon the event with much the same freedom as the Dean was able to use on this occasion, and it seemed to be felt that the unbounded solicitude and affection so evidently and pro- foundly shown for the Prince had given a certain right of counsel to the nation. It was generally admitted that the illness had disclosed to the people as a whole something like an adequate knowledge of their own convictions in connection with the monarchy and concerning its maintenance as a per- manent and powerful institution of the realm. Whatever i2 2 SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE might be the abstract ideas held by individuals in times when Mr. Bradlaugh and Sir Charles Dilke were preaching republi- canism and Mr. Chamberlain was suspected of harbouring the same opinions, it had become apparent that the subjects of the Queen in Great Britain were practically a unit in their prefer- ence for a constitutional monarchy and in their personal devo- tion to the Crown and the Royal family. In addition to the event having awakened the nation to the strength of its own sentiment in this regard, it was also believed that an important influence would be found to have been exerted upon the Prince of Wales — a steadying sense of responsibility resulting from holding such a place as he did in the hearts of his coun- trymen. THE PUBLIC THANKSGIVING OF THE NATION. The Illustrated London News well embodied this thought in the following comment : " Doubtless what has occurred during the last few weeks has also a meaning for the Heir Apparent to the Throne. No man of the slightest sensibility can witness the emotional effusion of a great nation towards himself without being deeply impressed with the responsibil- ities of his position. The Prince comes back to the British people from the brink of the tomb, and they who most pathet- ically lamented his danger hail his return to health with devout thanksgivings and acclamations of joy. Can there be a more powerful incentive to that course of future action which will commend him to their approbation and their love ? That he will recognize and respond to it, we cannot allow ourselves to doubt." One of the interesting incidents of the illness was the fact that when the announcement was made that His Royal Highness might only survive a few hours his obituary was, of course, prepared and put in type in all the leading newspaper offices in the land to an extent varying from the pages of a metropolitan daily down to the half dozen columns of the Provincial press. Proofs of the obituaries were, it is SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE "3 understood, afterwards collected and sent to the Prince, who had them pasted into an immense scrap-book at Marlborough House. The Thanksgiving Day celebration commenced on Feb- ruary 27th at 12 o'clock, when Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princess Beatrice and Prince Albert Victor of Wales, drove through the gates of Buckingham Palace. There were nine Royal carriages in the procession, containing a number of ladies and gentlemen of the Court, and the Duke of Edin- burgh, Prince Arthur, Prince Leopold and Prince George of Wales. With the latter was the Marquess of Aylesbury, Master of the Horse; Mr. Brand, Speaker of the House of Commons ; Lord Hatherley, the Lord Chancellor. H. R. H. the Duke of Cambridge, Commander-in-Chief, headed the procession as it passed slowly through Pall Mall, Charing Cross, the Strand, Fleet Street and Ludgate Hill to St. Paul's Cathedral. The streets were lined with dense masses of people, while every shop-window, doorstep, portico and avail- able roof were black with cheering throngs. Decorations there were of every sort and range — squalid or simple or splendid — but all representing pleasure and loyalty. Along Fleet Street and the Strand they took the form of an actual canopy of banners, standards, streamers and strings of flowers. Venetian masts, flying pennons, countless trophies and minia- ture shields, with varied mottoes and many kinds of loyal wishes, were seen all along the route. A band of school children numbering 30,000 sang the National Anthem in Green Park, while soldiers lined the roadway from the Palace to the Cathedral. Hearty and enthusiastic cheers greeted the Royal party, and the Queen and Princess were described as looking bright and happy, and the Prince as being pale, but not thin. The Queen wore a black velvet dress trimmed with white ermine, the Princess of Wales was in blue silk covered i2 4 SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE with black lace, and the Prince was in the uniform of a British General and wearing the orders of the Garter and the Bath At Temple Bar the Queen was formally received by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of London, and the city sword handed to Her Majesty and returned in the usual way. At one o'clock the Royal party arrived at the Cathedral and passed, up a covered way of crimson cloth to the steps, where they were received by the Bishop of London, the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's and the officers of Her Majesty's Household. The vast interior of the building had been arranged to accommodate 13,000 persons, and was crowded to the doors. Space under the dome was reserved for the Queen, the Royal family, the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the Corps Diplomatique and the distinguished foreigners, the Judges and the dignitaries of the law, the Lords Lieutenant and Sheriffs of Counties, the representatives of universities and other learned bodies. The choir was reserved for the Clergy, and the place assigned to Her Majesty and their Royal Highnesses was slightly raised, made into a kind of pew and covered with crimson cloth. The Royal procession as it moved up the aisle included, besides the members of the Royal family, such well known officials and members of the Court as Major-General Lord Alfred Paget, Lieutenant-General Sir John Cowell, Colonel H .F. Ponsonby, Major-General Sir T. M. Biddulph, General Sir William Knollys, Rear-Admiral Lord Frederick Kerr, the (late) Lord Methuen, General Lord Strathnairn, the Marquess of Aylesbury, the Viscount Sydney, the Countess of Gainsborough, the Lady Churchill, Lady Caroline Barrington, the Hon. Mrs. Grey, the Countess of Morton and Lord Harris. Most of the great names and great personages of England were present at this function. There were 200 Peers and Peeresses ; the Archbishops .of Canterbury and York and fourteen Bishops ; nearly every member of the r si 8 = c »•» 5 g I? p a K » P) * r 3 W O. (/) 5' H ' O 2 S r >> O 5* 50 3' O orq_ „ Is S K 5 50 » O <• ^ 2.o 3 > EDWARD VII, AND HIS EUROPEAN CONTEMPORARIES SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE 125 House of Commons. Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone were there as were Mr. Disraeli and Viscountess Beaconsfield. Lord North- brook, Mr. W. E. Forster, Mr. Cardwell, Mr. Chichester For- tescue, Mr. Goschen, and Lord Granville were visible. Throngs of ladies, brilliant in blue and mauve and crimson satin and gems were present, and, as the sun suddenly shone through what had been sullen clouds, the spectacle within those parts of the Cathedral touched by the stream of light was beautiful indeed. It shone upon the bright blue of many dresses — the Royal colour of the day — mixed up in a confusion of effective shadings with the dark blue and burnished gold of the uniforms, the scarlet and white plumes of the officers, the gorgeous robes of the Peers, the white lawn of the Bishops. After walking up the aisle on the arm of the Prince of Wales, with the Princess on the other side, Her Majesty took her place in the special pew with the chief members of the Royal family on either side. After a brief special service of thanks- giving the Archbishop of Canterbury preached the sermon for the occasion in words of tact and eloquence from which one quotation may be made : "Just as in one of our own homes when death threatens, the whole history of the loved object we fear to lose comes back in the hours of waiting, so England was stirred by a hundred touching memories when danger threatened the Royal house. And God doubtless thus touched our hearts to deepen our loyalty and make us better prize the thousand good things secured in a well-ordered State by love to the head of the State." At the conclusion of the sermon a Thanksgiving Hymn was sung and the benediction given. The following was the concluding verse : " Bless, Father, him thou gavest Back to the loyal land, O Saviour, him Thou savest, Still cover with Thine Hand : 126 SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE O Spirit, the Defender, Be his to guard and guide, Now in life's midday splendou - On to the eventide." * The Royal party then proceeded in due state to their carriages and the procession returned through the streets of the city to Buckingham Palace over the Holborn Viaduct, along Holborn and Oxford street to the Marble Arch, via Hyde Park to Piccadilly, and thence down Constitution Hill. Enthusiastic cheering was heard all along the route and deco- rations were seen everywhere in the greatest abundance. In the evening London was brilliant with light. The dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, the Mansion House, and the two large triumphal arches were particularly bright and beautiful in their varied colours and illuminations. The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress entertained the Lord Mayor of Dublin and the Provincial Mayors to a banquet at the Mansion House and, all over the United Kingdom, celebrations of a popular or religious character, holiday gatherings, crowded meetings and illuminations, marked the day and the pleasure of the people. Addresses poured in by hundreds and rejoicings were not con- fined to the Island portion of the Empire. An incident of this celebration was the collection of a Thanksgiving Fund for the completion of St. Paul's Cathedral. To it the Queen gave ;£iooo and the Prince of Wales ^500. Another feature of the event was the splendid behaviour of the millions of people who lined the seven-mile route of the procession and paid loyal f tribute to their Queen and to the son who was heir to all the traditions of his race and the greatness of the Royal name. On February 29th Her Majesty wrote to Mr. Gladstone a mes- sage intended for the nation : " The Queen is anxious, as on a previous occasion, to express pub- licly her own personal very deep sense of the reception she and her dear children met with on Tuesday, February the 27th, from millions of her SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE 127 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 her- self, from the highest down to the lowest, on 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." Perhaps the most beautiful and effective presentations of popular feeling and hopes in connection with this now historic sickness of the Heir Apparent were the sermons preached by Dean Stanley. No one has ever been closer in friendship and in personal knowledge to the Prince of Wales than had this eloquent and saintly ecclesiastic. No one has been more admired and respected in the Church of England in modern days than he ; nor has any of its clergy possessed a wider view or more generous heart. Speaking in Westminster Abbey on December 10th, 1871, when the nation was awaiting in deep anxiety the issue of a struggle which seemed to be almost fatally and surely decided, he embodied the popular feeling in beautiful and appropriate words : " On a day like this when there is one topic in every household, one question on every lip, it is impossible to stand in this place and not endeavour to give some expression to that of which every heart is full. We all press, as it were, round one darkened chamber, we all feel that with the mourning family, mother, wife, brothers, sisters, who are there assembled, we are indeed one. The thrill of their fears or hopes passes through and through the differences of rank and station ; we feel that, while they represent the whole people they also represent and are that which each family and each member of each family, is separately. In the fierce battle between life and death, for the issues, of which we are all looking with such eager expectation, we see the likeness of what will befall every individual soul amongst us ; and the 128 SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE reflection which this struggle, with all its manifold uncertainties suggests, concerns us all alike." The sermon which followed was a skillful presentation of thoughts suggested by the text, " To live is Christ and to die is gain." It concluded with an earnest hope that the Royal life which might so greatly influence the national destinies might still be preserved — "a life which, if duly appreciated and fitly used, contains within it special opportunities for good such as no other existence in this great community possesses ; a life which may, if worthily employed, stimulate all that is noble and beneficent and discourage all that is low and base and frivolous." In these and other words he concluded a sermon which could not but have had its influence in after days upon the life and character of the Prince who so greatly respected and regarded the preacher. A week later the cloud had lifted from Sandringham and the life which had been so much prayed for in so many lands was slowly passing into the region of safety and strength. It gave the opportunity to Dean Stanley to speak again at the historic Abbey in a strain of instruction and to draw a national moral from the events of the past few months. He referred to the spontaneous out- burst of every class and every party which had, to his mind, proved the permanent supremacy of the British Crown in a Christian State. " There are nations and there have been times in which the devotion to the reigning family has been a thing separate and apart from the love of country. There have been times and places when the love of country has existed with no loyal feeling to the reigning family. Let us thank God that in England it is not so. Loyalty with us is the personal, romantic side of patriotism. Patriotism with us is the Christian, philosophic side of loyalty. Long may the two flourish together, each supporting and sustaining the other." On the Sunday following the Thanksgiving Service at St. SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE 129 Paul's — March 3rd — the Dean preached for the last time upon this subject in Westminster Abbey. After stirring references to the wonderful scene of national enthusiasm lately witnessed and to the gathering in St. Paul's Cathedral of representatives of every creed and religious division in Great Britain (except those of one exclusive body) to offer thanksgivings in "the venerable forms of the National Church " he expressed his belief that the demonstration as a whole was "the response in every English heart to the sense of union — too subtle for analysis yet true and simple as the primitive instincts of our race — which binds the people of England to their Monarchy and the Monarchy to the people." He dealt with the functions and character of that institution in most striking words. " No other existing throne in Europe reaches back to the same antiquity, none other combines with such an undi- vided charm the associations of the past with the interests of the present. It is the one name and place which, being beyond the reach of personal ambition, beyond the need of private gain, has the inestimable chance of guiding, moulding, elevating the tastes, the customs, the morals of the whole community. It is the one name and place which, being raised high above all party struggles, all local jealousies, over all classes, ecclesiastical as well as civil, is the supreme controlling spring which binds together in their widest meaning all the forces of the State and all the forces of the Church. It is the one institution which by very nature of its existence unites the abstract idea of country and of duty with the personal endear- ments of family life, of domestic love, of individual character." It was the greatness of this national possession — one which had steadied national progress and promoted peace in the midst of tumults and freedom in the midst of disorder — which had, Dean Stanley thought, helped to make the people pray that its destined heir should be worthy of his noble inheritance. And then the speaker pointedly and clearly 9 i 3 o SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE pictured the increased and increasing responsibilities of the Prince of Wales upon whom, henceforth, "as by a new conse- cration and confirmation, devolves the glorious task of devot- ing to his country's service that life which is in a special sense no longer his but ours, for which his country's prayers, his country's thanksgivings, have been so earnestly offered.'' The. sermon concluded with a description of these great responsi- bilities ; an appeal to the Prince to begin life afresh and to take the lead in all that was true and holy, just and good ; a warning that " of him to whom much has been given, much shall be required;" a picture of a Christian England fighting evil in every form and in every place and growing greater in all the elements of higher national and individual life. i CHAPTER VIII. The Prince of Wales in India TO make a Royal tour of the vast British possessions in Hindostan was an inspiring idea. To constitute the Crown a tangible evidence of Imperial power and a living object and centre of Eastern loyalty and respect was a policy worthy of Mr. Disraeli and of the statecraft in which he had once declared imagination to be an essential ingredient. To precede this action by the purchase of the Suez Canal shares in order to safe-guard the pathway to the Indian Empire and to succeed it with such an impressive appeal to Oriental individualism and personal loyalty as the proclamation of Queen Victoria as Empress of India were strokes of statesman- ship such as no other Englishman of that time was capable of initiating. INCEPTION OF THE PROJECT. In Bombay, when the project was finally in full fruition, the Prince of Wales told a distinguished audience that "it had long been the dream of his life to visit India," and there seems no room to doubt that it was a part of the original plan mapped out by the keen perceptions of the Prince Consort for the education of his eldest son. It was unquestionably sug- gested to the former by Lord Canning, when Governor-General of India in the wild days of the Mutiny, but the idea necessarily slumbered until the young Prince was old enough to under- take the heavy duties involved. By that time his father had passed away ; the old-time rule of the East India Company was gone; a new and greater India had expanded in territory and population ; while the 1 32 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA loyalty of its native Princes had become a constant marvel to other peoples. Yet there were causes of discontent and grounds for trouble. The myriad masses of Hindostan did not yet fully understand who was ruling over them, nor had they ever fully comprehended how the rule of the Company passed away. The word " Queen " had to them an Eastern significance which did not exactly compel respect, and that personal side of Government which means so much to the Oriental mind had never been brought home to them. The assassination of Lord Mayo proved the possibilities of greater trouble, and there was always the danger of Russian aggres- sion and the existence of border warfare. In the winter of 1874, therefore, the question of a Royal tour was seriously considered, and some correspondence passed between the authorities concerned. To send the Heir to the Throne on such a visit was a unique project, and there were various diffi- culties to overcome. India was accustomed to visitors of the type of Alexander the Great, of Timour, Baber, Mahmoud of Ghuznee and Nadir Shah ; but a peaceful progress of the foreign Heir to its Throne was another matter. Brief and hasty visits to some of its Princes had been made in recent times by Prince Adalbert of Prussia, the King of the Belgians and the Duke of Edinburgh, but there had never been a state tour of the country with all its accompaniments of splendour and costliness, the danger from fanatics and the trying changes of climatic conditions. ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TOUR. It was not an easy matter to arrange, and the probabili- ties are, that if the Prince of Wales had not himself insisted that it was his duty to go, the project might ultimately have been abandoned. He had by this time come to fill so important a place in the public eye and in the external func- tions of Sovereignty that his absence for six months, or more THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 133 was a serious consideration. The preliminary obstacles, how^ ever, were overcome, and on the 16th of March, 1875, the Marquess of Salisbury, Secretary of State for India, announced that the visit would take place, and a little later the Times stated that Sir Bartle Frere would accompany His Royal Highness. The former was widely known in India through administrative duties admirably performed in Bombay and the North-West Provinces. The Duke of Sutherland, a much respected nobleman, was selected as one of the suite, together with Lord Suffield, head of the Prince's Household ; Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Ellis, Equerry to the Prince, and who had served in India; Major-General (Sir) D. M. Probyn, V.C., who arranged the details regarding horses, transport and sporting ; Mr. Knollys, who has since been so well known as Sir Francis Knollys, the Prince's Private Secretary ; Lord Alfred Paget, an old man and most attached friend to the Prince ; the Rev. Canon Duckworth, who went as Chaplain ; and Dr. Fayrer, who attended in the capacity of guardian to the Prince's health, and afterwards became a well known phy- sician and Sir Joseph Fayrer, Bart., F.R.S., etc. The Earl of Aylesford, Lord Carington and Colonel Owen Williams were invited, as personal friends of the Prince of Wales, to join the party, while Lieutenant the Lord Charles Beresford, M.P., who had accompanied the Duke of Edin- burgh on his preceding hasty visit, also lent his experience and unflagging gayety to the suite, and was aided by Lieutenant Augustus Fitz-George of the Rifle Brigade. Mr. Sydney Hall was the official artist of the tour ; Mr. Albert Grey (after- wards Earl Grey) was Private Secretary to Sir Bartle Frere ; and the present Sir William Howard Russell was a special cor- respondent with the nominal duties of Honorary Private Sec- retary to the Prince. When Parliament met various questions were asked as to whether the. expenses of the tour were to be charged to the British or Indian Governments; whether the i 3 4 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA Prince would represent the Queen ; whether he would super- sede the Governor-General for the time being, etc. On July 8th Mr. Disraeli made a full statement for the first time in connection with the subject. He alluded to the previous travels of the Prince of Wales and expressed the opinion that they were the best form of education for a Royal personage. But the rules and regulations and etiquette which sufficed for the Prince in Canada and other countries would not do in India. One important difference was the probably costly character of the ceremonial presents which would have to be exchanged between the visitor and his hosts amongst the native Princes. Money would have to be granted for this, and the sum of ,£30,000 had been casually estimated for the pur- pose. The estimate of the Admiralty for the expenses of the voyage and corresponding movements of the fleet was £"52,000. He would ask for a vote of £60,000. The Prince would go as the Heir Apparent to the Crown and be the formal guest of the Viceroy from the time of setting foot upon Indian soil. The expenses of the tour were to be charged to the Indian Budget. This statement created some criticism, while the very small amount proposed for expenditure caused still more comment. As a matter of fact, the Prince did not exceed, in the end, the comparatively small amount voted. THE JOURNEY COMMENCED. On Sunday, October 10th, a farewell sermon was preached at Westminster Abbey by Dean Stanley, who ex- pressed the hope that the visit might leave behind it "on one side the remembrance of graceful acts, kind words, English nobleness, Christian principles, and on the other awaken in all concerned the sense of graver duties, wider sympathies, loftier purposes." On the following day the Prince left London amid marked popular demonstrations of respect and regard, ■ and with every evidence of a deep public interest shown by THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 135 the press of the country. At Dover thousands of people cheered the Prince farewell. He took the boat for Calais, accompanied by the Princess, who, however, did not land, but returned home next morning. At Paris he was accidentally met by President MacMahon, who was leaving on the train for another place, and welcomed to France ; officially he was received by Lord Lyons, the British Ambassador. On the following day His Royal Highness lunched with Marshal MacMahon at the Elysee. This visit and the ensuing journey through Turin, Bologna and Ancona to Brindisi was carried out in a private and non-official capacity. Nevertheless, at every station there were officials, guards of honour and crowds of people to see the special go through and to do honour to the traveller. The bulk of the Royal suite followed the Prince a little later, and on October 16th the whole party met at Brindisi and the voyage proper commenced. WELCOMED BY THE KING OF THE GREEKS. Later in the Same day H. M. S. Serapis, under the com- mand of Captain the Hon. H. Carr-Glyn, accompanied by the Royal yacht Osbo7'?ie, left Brindisi, and two days later the Prince was being welcomed in Athens by the King of the Hellenes — Otto I — and by a picturesque Court clad in the attractive costumes of the nation. Visits to the Acropolis and to the country house of the King were followed by a State banquet at the Palace, which gathered together all that was eminent in modern Grecian life, glittering with laces, orders and decorations, and including some young men who have since become famous — Tricoupi, Delyannis, Commoundourus and Zaimes. Illumi- nations of the city ensued, and in the morning, after a Royal reception, the Prince left Athens through crowds of people, who seemed a little more demonstrative than had been the case at first. On October 20th the Piraeus was left behind 1 36 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA after a farewell visit from the King and at dawn the next day Crete was in sight. The ship steered steadily ahead and three days later was welcomed at Port Said by Egyptian frigates on sea and Egyptian infantry on shore. There was no cheering from the people but much curiosity. A formal welcome was offered for the Khedive by Princes Tewfik, Hussein and Hassan, who were accompanied on their visit to the Serapis by the well-known statesman Nubar Pasha, and other officers of the Court. The Prince then transferred himself to a smaller vessel — the Osborne — and with a Royal Standard floating over the ship for the first time since the Empress Eugenie had opened the Suez Canal, he traversed that famous waterway. At Ismaila, the Prince and his suite landed and took a special train to Cairo, where His Royal Highness was welcomed by the Khedive in person, with the towerinof form of the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia standing behind, and a brilliantly uniformed Court around him. To the Prince of Wales the Gezireh Palace was given as his tempo- rary residence. The succeeding day was occupied with cere- monials of various kinds, a banquet being given by the Khe- dive at the Abdeen Palace in the evening, when the Prince passed to and fro in a lane of light made by myriad many- coloured lamps. On October 25th, the Prince of Wales invested Prince Tewfik — afterwards Khedive of Egypt — with the Order of the Star of India amidst all possible state. In a letter he told His Highness that the honour was conferred to mark British appreciation of the Khedive's friendship to England, and his good work in promoting the safety of British communication with India. The next day saw the Royal departure from Cairo after a formal visit from the Khedive, the Princes his sons, and his Ministers, who were again at the station to see him off a little later. Suez was reached in the evening and, amid elaborate preparations from the Pasha of that place, THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA ] 37 crowds of people and illuminated men-of-war in the roadstead, the Prince and his party boarded the Serapis and, accompanied by the Osborne, proceeded on the voyage to Aden. Perim, which has been described as "a gigantic blistered clinker," was reached and passed on October 31st, and from the ship the Prince got his first view of Her Majesty's Indian troops. It is to be hoped that the cheering Bombay Infantry drawn up on that vitrified surface, got a fair view of the Prince in return. On the following day the volcanic-like Island of Aden was reached, and its fortifications gazed upon with interest. As the flag flew from the mast-head of the Serapis to announce its arrival the ships and crags rang with the roar of cannon. The Prince landed, clad in uniform of a somewhat mixed char- acter, with Field Marshal's insignia, and accompanied by his suite. Upon, or around, the platform and triumphal arch erected at the landing-place, was every variety of picturesque oriental costume with a background of mountain and blistered rock and white, painted houses. Chiefs from the mainland in gorgeous array, the King's Own Borderer's Regiment, all the ladies of the island in European or Asiatic costume, fierce- looking Arabs, meek-looking Hindoos, sleek Parsees, people from all the regions between the Persian Gulf, Zanzibar and Arabia, were there to welcome him. THE PRINCE RECEIVES AN ADDRESS A formal address was presented to His Royal Highness by the Resident — a Parsee — and then followed a drive through decorated streets with numerous arches and curious mottoes to the Residency. A Levee was held here and later in the day the ship was again boarded and steamed away from the Indian Gibraltar as it lay bathed in lines of light along all its town and batteries. Bombay was reached on November 8th, after a voyage which was upon the whole pleasant — certainly as far as 138 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA surroundings and comforts could make it. For a few hours official visitors streamed on board, and then in the afternoon Lord Northbrook, Viceroy of India, appeared on the scene and was received with the honours due to his station. There had been some idea abroad that difficulties mi^ht arise as to the respective positions of the Heir Apparent and the Viceroy in State ceremonial, but from the day of this first formal meet- ing there does not seem to have been the slightest trouble upon the point. Each knew perfectly what pertained to th^ position and rank of the other. Then came the Governor of Bombay, Sir Philip Wodehouse, and with him the Commander- in-Chief of the Presidency, Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Staveley, and the members of the Council. Meanwhile the harbour was filled with ships and boats of all kinds, flags were streaming everywhere, in the distance was a vast triumphal arch spanning the waterway between two piers, and, as the Royal and Vice-regal party stepped into the barge and started for the landing-place, the cannon roared, bands played, guards saluted and crews cheered. As the Prince of Wales landed the scene was one of the most splendid conceivable. Long lines of seats draped in scarlet cloth stood out under the sides of the gigantic archway and upon them stood a multitude of native notabilities — Chiefs, Sirdars and gentlemen, Parsees, Hindoos, Mahrattas and Mohammedans — a crowd glittering in gems and bright in all the brilliant hues of Oriental garb. Amongst them also were the officers of the Government and Municipality, leading citizens and dignitaries, and all the ladies who could be found within a radius of a hundred miles. Flowers and shrubs and banners and flags were everywhere. An address expressive of loyalty and pride in the British Throne was presented from the Muni- cipality and duly answered, and then the Prince, with Lord Northbrook at his side, walked along a carpeted avenue, speaking to various Princes and Chiefs as they were presented THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 139 — the first being Sir Salar Jung, the Prime Minister and representative and famous statesman of Hyderabad. At the end of the avenue, where carriages were taken for the proces- sion of seven miles through the teeming streets of the city, a band of Parsee girls in white were waiting to strew garlands and flowers in the Prince's carriage and on the roadway. There was no music in this wonderful night procession and its surroundings are difficult to describe. Mr. W. H. Russell, the diarist of the Royal tour, speaks of the spectacle as being absolutely baffling to the eye. " There was something almost supernatural in these long vistas winding down banks of varie- gated light, crowded with gigantic creatures waving their arms aloft and indulging in extravagant gesture, which the eye — baffled by rivers of fire, blinded with the glare of lamps and blazing magnesium wire and pots of burning matter — sought in vain to penetrate." The piled-up masses of human beino-s along these miles of streets ; the Parsee women in brilliant costumes, which vied with the colours of the surroundino- fires and lights ; crowds of Mohammedans ; Hindoo temples with roofs covered by Brahmins and their votaries; a Jew bazaar, an American store, a European warehouse, or a Japan temple in close proximity to each other and all bearing a burden of people in varied dress ; flashed a picturesque and never-endino- variety of sight and colour and character to the gaze of the quiet, dignified man who drove through it all as the central figure of a spectacle whose like may never be seen ao-ain. A banquet followed in the great hall of Government House, and a state reception closed the varied proceedings of this first busy day in historic Hindostan. Meanwhile, camp-fires blazed for miles around the city, the fiery furnace of the streets settled into as much of silence as an Oriental centre under such conditions could attain and all over India, in every mart and village and town where a gun could be found, volleys had announced the arrival of the i 4 o THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA heir to its Imperial throne. In the morning a Royal recep- tion was held at Government House and, amid splendid sur- roundings and every form of dignity and severe etiquette necessary to impress the visiting Prit.ces and Chiefs and Rajahs of the great Presidency of Bombay, His Royal High- ness stood or sat for hours in the intense heat, clad in a stiff uniform, laden with lace and buttoned up to the throat. With him were the Duke of Sutherland, Major-General Lord Alfred Paget, Sir Bartle Frere, Lord Suffield, Lord Charles Beres- ford and the rest of his suite. The Oriental dignitaries, each in great state, came with attendants and ceremonies and gifts in accordance with his rank. Each Prince was treated along graded lines of cordiality, courtesy or civility, as was sup- posed to become his position. The little Rajah of Kolapore ; the Maharajah of Mysore ; the Maharana of Oodeypore ; the Rao of Cutch — who left a sick bed and returned home to die ; the little Gaekwar of Baroda, who was described as looking like a crystallized rainbow and was accompanied by the fam- ous statesman, Sir Madhava Rao ; Sir Salar Jung of Hydera- bad ; and the Maharajah of Edur ; were received one after the other and then a succession of less important rulers with tre- mendous names, fierce-looking guards and more or less gorge- ous costumes. At the end of what was a Durbar in all but name the Prince was only beginning his functions for the day. The Viceroy had to be received and many matters discussed ; a visit was paid to the Serapis where the men were celebrating the Prince's birthday, as were many millions throughout India; telegrams were exchanged with the Princess at Sandringham ; every step was marked by pomp and splendour ; a state ban- quet was held in the evening and another, but less formal, reception afterwards. Meantime, the city, the shipping and the harbour were a blaze of light and general illumination — the great bay looking as if it were filled with rows of fiery THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 14 r pyramids and the streets as if all India were trying to pass through them. On November the 10th the Viceroy bade fare- well to the Prince, who did not see him again until near the end of his tour. He went on a journey himself to parts of India which His Royal Highness was unable to visit. Another formal reception of lesser Rajahs and Nawabs took place in the morning. In the afternoon the Prince drove into Bombay, accompanied by Sir Philip Wodehouse and held a Levee in the Government Buildings. Then followed a visit to the har- bour where, in an open space, seven thousand children of all castes, classes, colours and creeds, dressed in brilliant hues and laden with flowers, sang patriotic songs. They almost smothered the Royal guest in flowers as he ascended to his place. State visits were then made to a number of the native Princes who had been already received and, in the evening, a grand European ball, given by the Byculla Club, was attended. Other Chiefs were visited next day by the Prince — those who had not residences or were not of sufficient importance being assigned reception rooms at the Secretariat, or Government Buildings. THE PRINCE'S POPULARITY AT BOMBAY After this wearisome and almost unbearably hot business was over the Prince attended a dinner given by the people of Bombay to the sailors of the fleet and the vigorous cheering of these two thousand seamen as His Royal Highness entered the hall must have been a relief after the heavy and sustained etiquette of the past few days. Following this was the laying of the foundation stone of the Elphinstone Docks with Masonic ritual and ceremonies. Then came a visit to the Hyderabad Prime Minister and deputation and to others and a busy day closed with the usual state dinner and reception. On the evening of November 12th the famous Caves of Ele- phanta were visited and a banquet received by the Prince of 142 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA Wales amongst these wonderful and massive efforts of distant ages to embody what seemed to them the divine attributes. Returning to the city the Royal barge passed between two rows of ships, discharging volleys, while the hulls and riggings were brightly illuminated, coloured fires were everywhere and earth and sky seemed merged in a tremendous display of fire- works and rockets. A visit to Poonah followed and this included an inspection of the Temple of Parbuttee, from one of the windows of which the last of the Peishwas had seen his forces routed on the plains of Kirkee below ; a review of native troops ; a reception in the city characterized by the usual fireworks, triumphal arches, crowded streets and revel of colour. On the 1 6th, His Royal Highness was back at Bombay considering plans which had been disarranged by the preva- lence of cholera in Southern India. Finally, it was decided to visit Baroda, the capital of a State where the Gaekwar had recently been deposed for his crimes. It was felt that danger might exist, as even the most evil of Eastern rulers has fanati- cal followers, but the former Resident, Sir R. Meade, expressed the belief that it could be done safely and would be of great service and the authorities and Prince, after much discussion, approved the change of programme. This last day in Bom- bay saw the presentation of colours to a battalion of Native Infantry amidst an immense concourse of people, and a ball given by the citizens at which natives, Chiefs and gentlemen could see Europeans dancing and amusing themselves. The presents received during this part of the tour numbered over four hundred and included specimens of every variety of Indian workmanship — tissues, brocade, cloths, arms, jewellery, gold, silver and metal. The Rajah of Kolapore, in addition to the gift of an ancient jewelled sword and dagger, had assigned ,£20,000, or $100,000, to the founding of a Hospital to be called after the Royal visitor. THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 143 The journey to Baroda was commenced on November 1 8th and finished early on the following morning". At the station the Prince of Wales was received by the Gaekwar, Sir Madhava Rao, the British agent and other officers, and out- side were triumphal arches and a rolling sea of dark, silent faces, topped by turbans of every colour in the rainbow. Out- side also was an enormous elephant, with a golden howdah on his back, and into this the Prince and the Gaekwar presently entered. Everything was cloth of gold and velvet. The pro- cession started after a time with a long line of gorgeously- caparisoned elephants following, a way was cleared for them by an advance guard of the 3rd Hussars, while in the rear were some of the Gaekwar's artillery and cavalry and a great crowd of Sirdars and lesser chiefs. The three miles to the Residency was lined by cavalry, and the spectacle must have been a superb one to see for the first time. The whole of the route was bordered by a light trellis work of bamboos, hung with lamps and festooned with flowers, while at certain points were special arches and clusters of flags. On his arrival the Prince held a sort of Durbar, paid a return visit to the Gaek : war and went to the Aesfa, or arena for wild-beast combats, where he saw Eastern wrestlers, an elephant fight, a buffalo tight, a struggle of fighting rams, and a show of wild or curious animals. The night was brilliant with illuminations, and the Prince accepted an invitation to dine with the 9th Native Infantry — an honour of which they were very proud. The next day was devoted to sport, and in the evening dinner was taken with another Native regiment. On the evening of the 21st the Prince visited the Gaekwar at the ancient Palace of the Mohtee Bagh, and on the way crossed a bridge spanned by triumphal arches, with men holding blazing torches placed along the parapets. Lamps and lights were everywhere. A great banquet was held, in the course of which Sir Madhava Rao expressed the thanks of the Gaekwar, and 144 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA said that " it was now their felicity to see that Prince who was heir to a sceptre whose beneficent power and influence were felt in every quarter of the globe ; which dispelled darkness, diffused light, paralyzed the tyrant's hand, shivered the man- acles of the slave, extended the bounds of freedom, accelerated the happiness and elevated the dignity of the human race. He had come to inspect an Empire founded by the heroism and sustained by the statesmanship of England ; to witness the spectacle of indigenous principalities relying more securely on British justice than could mighty nations on their embattled hosts." THE PRINCE TAKES PART IN A HUNTING EXPEDITION After dinner, various Eastern performances in dancing and juggling were given, and then they departed for the shoot- ing grounds farther south, where " pig-sticking " and other sports were enjoyed. His Royal Highness succeeded in killing one wild boar. On November the 24th the Royal visitor arrived again at Bombay and went on board the Ser pis. On the following day he landed to take leave of the Governor, and suddenly, to the dismay of the local authorities who had lined his announced route with troops, intimated his intention to attend the wedding festivities of the son of Sir Munguldass Nuthoob- hoy, a great native merchant. The visit proved well worth the trouble, and the undisguised delight of the host and those pre- sent was a privilege to see. A farewell incident was the knighting of the energetic Chief of Police, Sir F. H. Soutar. At 6 p.m. the Ser apis was on its way to Goa. The visit to this ancient Portuguese dependency was not prolonged and the incidents of importance were few. But much that was curious was seen and many historical memories revived. On November 28th the little foreign strip of terri- tory was left behind and Beypore was sighted on the following day. It was found, however, that cholera existed along all the THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 145 routes which the Prince proposed to take in this part of the country and the medical men would not take the responsibility of advising a continuance of the tour in this direction. The Prince bore his disappointment philosophically, though he had expected much pleasure from the splendid shooting places of the Mysore country. What can be said, however, of the dis- appointed people and authorities ? The Mysore Government had spent thousands of pounds in preparation ; Ootacamund, Bangalore, Travancore and other places had laid out much money and the population for hundreds of miles was stirred with expectancy. A visit was paid to the shore and a brief glance taken at the old-time land of Tippoo Sahib, and then the voyage was resumed to Ceylon. On December 1st the lights of Colombo were sighted, and soon the familiar spectacle of British men-of-war dressed to welcome royalty was seen. The sight at the landing-place was a pretty one, and the long avenue of gaily-decorated and flower-garlanded boats through which the Royal barge first passed was equally so. The Prince was received in a beautiful pavilion under a striking archway and everywhere in sight were arches and flags and palm-leaves, and massed displays of fruits and flowers, and tier on tier of spectators. All the dignitaries of Ceylon were there and the usual addresses and replies were given. Thence the Prince passed to the Govern- ment Buildings and took a drive round the town, meeting everywhere an enthusiastic and sincerely generous reception and a wealth of decoration in fruits and flowers and ferns. His Royal Highness gave a state banquet on the Serapis in the evening, while Colombo was illuminated and the ships were a blaze of light. Never were the Cinghelese more happy than on that day and night, and spectators found it hard to describe the revel of light, fantastic, Eastern pleasure. On the following day the railway train was taken for Kandy amid 1 46 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA genuine British cheers from throngs of men clad in petticoats and wearing combs in front of their chignons. At this splendidly situated town — the ancient stronghold of Chiefs and the seat of more than one rebellion against earlier British rule — the Prince was received by a great number of queerly-clad but distinguished personages and Buddhist priests. The Governor, Mr. W. H. Gregory, who accompanied the Royal traveller, was unusually popular and this, perhaps, helped in the success of the reception. Addresses were received and in the evening the Governor held a state dinner attended by all the notabilities of Ceylon and accompanied outside by the beating of native drums, the blowing of myriad horns, the clang of mighty gongs and sounds of distant cheering. After- wards the Prince witnessed a grotesque and extraordinary pro- cession of elephants, dancers and priests of the Temple. On the following day he visited the Royal Botanical Gardens and in the evening held an investiture of the Order of St. Michael and St. George at which the Governor was knighted and some lesser honours given. The Chiefs and their stately and digni- fied wives were then formally presented. From the audience hall he afterwards passed to the Temple and was shown the famous "Sacred Tooth of Gotama Buddha"- — an object of veneration to many millions of the human race and of visible fear to the priests who stood around the Prince or took it from its precious and numerous cases. On December the 4th the Prince went on a visit to the interior of this wonderfully beau- tiful country and enjoyed the excitement of an elephant hunt and of killing some of those colossal creatures of the jungle. Colombo was reached again, three days later, and another state banquet attended in the evening. On the following day the new Breakwater was inaugurated by the Prince and in the evening a farewell banquet received and the city left amid scenes of brilliant illumination and fantastic Eastern beauty. The Prince of Wales and his suite landed in Tuticorin on THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 147 the coast of India, again, on December 9th, and proceeded inland by train without any particular or formal reception. The Tamils were found to be a handsome, mild-natured, respect- ful people and the land cultivated and apparently prosperous. " At Mainachy, a deputation of six thousand native Christians and one thousand boys and girls, headed by the Rev. Dr. Cald- well and the Rev. Dr. Sargent, presented an address and a handsomely-bound Bible and Prayer-book in the Tamil lan- guage, to His Royal Highness. A native "lyric" was then sung by the children including words of which the following is a translation : " Crossing seas and crossing mountains, thou hast visited this southern-most region and granted to those who live under the shadow of thy Royal umbrella a sight of thy benign countenance." Madura was reached a few hours later and found to be profusely decorated, one of the arches being made of native work in perforated paper, covered with talc plates and silver plaques in front of a screen of red. The name of the town signified " sweetness " and it turned out to be a place of great charm, imposing buildings and unusual cleanliness. The Rajah of Pudducottah was duly received and during his visit he showed the Prince a book consistino- of original letters, dispatches etc., which had passed between Clive and his own ancestor during the times of French and English struggle for supremacy in Southern India. The Prince visited some of the ancient buildings of the place, including the Temple of Minakshee, where Nautch girls scattered flowers before him and garlands were placed over his shoulders, and the Tank of the Golden Lotus and received a number of inter- esting presents from the Rajah and from the Ranee of Shiva- gunga. He left on December nth for Trichinoply, where he arrived in a few hours. Here, His Royal Highness, after his progress through flowers, arches, crowds, officials and decorations of unusual richness and taste, visited the famous Temple of Seringham i 4 S THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA which has been described as " a vast bewildering mass of gate, towers, enclosures, courts, terraces and halls." In one of the last-named there were one thousand columns of granite each consisting of one block and carved with elaborate images of deities. The next place seen was the ancient Palace of the Nawabs of the Carnatic and here presentation of the notabili- ties of the city took place and an address was received by the future European Emperor of India in the very home of the olden Eastern power. The scene from this place in the evening was very striking— immense multitudes below, a great tank full of boats and blazing with coloured fires and lights, Clive's historic home on the opposite side and, above and over all, the vast pyramidical pile, the Rock of Trichinoply, with its Temple of Ganesa crowning the famous precipice and towering above the city. PRINCE WELCOMED IN MADRAS On December the 12th, the Royal visitor was again travel- ling and on the following day reached Madras, where he was formally welcomed by Lieutenant-Governor the Duke of Buck- ingham, the Rajah of Cochin, the Maharajah of Travancore, the Prince of Arcot, the Rajah of Vizianagram and others. The procession then passed from the station to Government House through the narrow streets of the native town and the wide thoroughfares of the European quarters. A golden umbrella was held over the Prince's head and thus the massed populace — more fortunate than that of Bombay — was able to be certain of his identity. At the Wallahjah Bridge some thousands of students and boys and girls were ranged on both sides, each school with its distinctive banners and badges. The audiences given afterwards at Government House to Native Chiefs, and the return visits, were conducted in the same manner and style as those at Bombay. In the afternoon a crowded Levee was held and in the evening a state banquet - w 3 " > n >-• r w 3 W « s = w 3- > ™ E cj 55 2. CD £ c SL fl * < H & 3 2 = ^ £ O s-2 n > 2- 2 a DO »" 50 s r to > ~ 2 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 149 given to which the Governor invited all the chief personages in the City and Presidency. A brief reception followed and then His Royal Highness drove out to the Duke's country resi- dence where he spent the following day in seclusion as being the anniversary of his father's death. The events of the succeeding day included fashionable and interesting races at Guindy Park which all the Madras world attended under the patronage of the Prince ; and in the afternoon a Royal reception of the Chancellor and officers and Fellows of the University ; of the Grand Officers of the local Freemasonry ; of Commissions or deputations from Mysore and Coorg- and Coimbatore. Each of the latter bore shifts and all presented addresses. Formal calls were made upon the principal Chiefs and a memorial foundation stone of the new Harbour works laid. The latter was an impressive scene and on his way home the Prince, despite pouring rain, visited the historic Fort of St. George with its many reminders of past struggle and conquest. Another state banquet and reception followed. On the following day the Prince enjoyed a spectacle of Indian jugglery and saw feats performed which in a western land would be deemed miraculous. December the 1 7th saw His Royal Highness lunching at the Madras Club where he tested Indian curries in their highest state of development and in the afternoon he was welcomed at the Park by thousands of children. A little later he reviewed a body of troops accom- panied by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Paul Haines. With the latter he dined in the evening and at ten o'clock drove to the Pier to see the great event of the visit. This was an illumination of the sea. Mr. W. H. Russell in his Diary says : " Man will never see any spectacle more strange — nay awful. Neither pen nor pencil can give any idea of it. It was exciting, grand, wierd and beautiful." Fireworks from the ships looked like volcanoes bursting from the deep, while multiplied i 5 o THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA fireboats had an effect upon the stony ink-blackness of the surf, like rolling flames pouring in upon the shores. At midnight the Prince passed from this scene to a special Native enter- tainment in his honour. The great railway station had been converted into a decorated theatre crowded with many thous- and natives. Upon the elevated platform the Prince received an address and an exquisite gold casket and then watched a prooramme of eastern dancing. At six in the morning the Prince was up and away to attend a meet of the Madras pack and enjoy a few hours' sport — and in the afternoon the Serapis was again his home and Madras was left behind. After a pleasant voyage up the Bay of Bengal the Prince of Wales arrived at Fort William, passed through a great fleet of vessels and prepared to enter Calcutta, the capital of the oreat Eastern Empire. Meantime, many eminent Indian officials and unofficial personages called to pay their respects and finally, the Earl of Northbrook, Viceroy and Governor- General. Amidst the thunder of artillery from fleet and forts His Royal Highness then landed and was welcomed by a great multitude of people, luxuriously seated in tiers of seats ranged beside two pavilions draped in scarlet, the canopies of which were upheld by gold pillars wreathed with flowers. Beyond was a massive arch of triumph and the platform and landing stage was carpeted' with red cloth. In the surrounding crowd was the whole central machinery of government amongst three hundred millions of people and Rajahs, Chiefs and authorities innumer- able. The procession through the "City of Palaces" was marked by the same splendour, the same crowds, the same curious contrasts as had impressed the observer at Bombay. But the absence of the night effect and its wierd illumination and the presence of certain indefinable elements made it more dignified ; while the greater number of English people gave a certain leaven of western enthusiasm which had been wanting elsewhere. In the evening a magnificent banquet was given THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 151 by the Viceroy and the city was a blaze of light and the scene of general festivity. The day before Christmas saw a state reception more remarkable than any yet held. The first native prince to be received was the Maharajah of Puttiala— a melancholy-faced man who died soon afterwards. Then followed the Maharajah Holkar of Indore wbo was said to have ,£5,000,000 in gold stored away; the Maharajah of Jodhpore, who wore an inde- scribable glittering mass of gems; the Maharajahs of Jeypore, Cashmere, Gwalior ; the Sultana Jehan, Begum of Bhopal, of whom little more than a shawl and a silk hood could be seen ; and the Maharajah of Rewah, a dignified personage who was said by some writers to be suffering from leprosy. A Levee was then held and the Prince, for two hours, with the Duke of Sutherland on one side of him and Lieutenant-Governor Sir Richard Temple on the other, stood in full uniform bowing to a steady stream of people. Another state banquet in the evening, and then attendance at an entertainment some miles out of town gotten up by Native gentlemen, brought this Christ- mas Eve to a close. On the following day the Prince attended service at the Cathedral accompanied by Lord Northbrook and listened to a powerful sermon from Bishop Milman — who died of a fever caught on his Episcopal tour a few weeks later. He then drove to the harbour and went on board the Serapis, which was decked out in imitation of winter, and here had a sort of Christmas dinner. The rest of the day was spent at Barrackpoor, the Viceroy's country residence, but better known as the place where the terrible first signs of the Mutiny were detected. After church on the 26th (Sunday) the Prince made an excursion to the little French territory of Chander- nagore — one of the remnants of historic empire. On the following day His Royal Highness held another reception for Chiefs attended by envoys from the King of Burmah, the Maharajah of Punnah in person, an embassy from 152 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA Nepaul, the noble-looking Rajah of Jheend, the Maharajahs of Benares, Nahun, and Johore. This was the last of the Chiefs, for the moment, and the Prince and his wearied suite could rest from a succession of sights and ceremonies in which dark-featured magnates with diamonds, emeralds, rubies and pearls and an infinite variety of Sirdar escorts, must have come to be a mere picturesque and confused medley. Many splendid presents were received and on the two following days return visits were paid in state. On December 21st the Prince wit- nessed a tent-pegging exhibition by the 10th Bengal Cavalry, made a round of the hospitals and asylums, and wound up with a garden party at Belvidere and a dinner and grand ball at Government House. On New Year's Day the Prince of Wales held a Chapter of the Order of the Star of India in place of the Durbar which could only be held by the direct representative of the Sovereign. Opposite the entrance to Government House a canopied dais was erected, carpeted with cloth of gold, covered with light- blue satin and supported upon silver pillars. Two chairs with silver arms were placed upon the dais and around it were the marines and sailors of the Scrapis while on the left were infantry of the line. At nine o'clock came the processions, each presaged by a flourish of trumpets. First came the Com- panions of the Order, Native and European, presenting a stream of picturesque uniforms and costumes. Then the Knights Grand Cross entered the Pavilion followed in the case of each Indian dignitary by a small procession of Sirdars in rich and varied dress — the Begum of Bhopal, Sir Salar Jung, the Maharajah of Puttiala, Lord Napier of Magdala, the Maharajah of Travancore, Sir Bartle Frere, the Maharajahs of Rewah, Jeypoor, Indore, Cashmere, and Gwalior. Then came the Prince of Wales wearing a white helmet and plume, and a Field Marshal's uniform almost concealed by his sky- blue mantle. Following him was the Viceroy and the two THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 153 took the chairs placed on the dais. His Excellency, as Grand Master of the Order, then went through the ceremonial of opening the Chapter and then, from out the tented field of, literally, cloth of gold which surrounded the Royal pavilion, came one by one the Knights to be. Each in turn left his tent with stately accompaniments, approached, bowed and knelt at the footstool of His Royal Highness who spoke certain prescribed words and placed the Collar of the Order around his neck. As he rose the number of guns to which he was entitled thundered forth their salute. The Maharajahs of Jodhpoor and Jheend were thus invested with the Grand Cross and a number of others were made Knights Commander or Companions of the Order. The proceedings closed with a procession to Government House which lacked no element of Oriental splendour and displayed untold wealth in jewels and unique characteristics in costume. In the afternoon the Prince unveiled an equestrian statue of the late Lord Mayo and afterwards attended a polo match. In the evening he drove to see the illumination of the fleet and then attended in state a theatrical performance with Charles Matthews as the central figure. On January 2nd, church was attended at Fort William and the arsenal inspected ; the Botanical Gardens and Bishop's College visited ; and an amateur concert of sacred music listened to at Government House in the evening. The next day's programme included the spectacle of tent-pegging and polo-playing between rival regiments ; the reception of an LL. D. degree from the University of Calcutta; a visit to a Hindoo Zenana under arrangements made by Miss Baring, Lady Temple and others ; and a farwell reception at Government House. The Royal special train arrived at Bankipoor station, near Patna, on the morning of January 4th and the Prince was duly welcomed by Sir Richard Temple, Lieutenant-Governor of Ben- gal, his officers and a great concourse of people. He was [ 54 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA driven through an avenue of four hundred elephants, all gaily caparisoned, to the Durbar tent, where, under a canopy and in front of a sort of throne, H is Royal H ighness held a Levee and marked in every way possible his approval of the splendid work lately done by Sir R. Temple and his officials in stamping out famine. Luncheon followed, and then the train was taken for Benares. Here he arrived at dark and found the magnificent ghauts or terraces alive with lights. The procession drove over the bridge of boats across the Ganges and through crowded streets out to the camp of the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir John Strachey, where a special and beautiful structure had been prepared for the Prince. On the following day an address was presented by the Municipality of Benares and answered, a Lev^e held, the foundation-stone of a Hospital laid, the Rajah of Vizianagram visited, the famous Temples inspected. At sunset the Prince embarked in a galley and went four miles up the Ganges to the old Fort of Ramnagar, where he was received at a carpeted and decorated landing-place by the Maharajah of Benares and witnessed a beautiful spectacle of illuminated river and battlements. Preceded by spearsmen and banners, carried in gold and silver chairs, passing between lines of cavalry, accompanied by elephants and the constant strains of wild music, the host and his Royal guest then went to the Castle. From the roof was seen another charming sight — the Ganges and its banks and terraces so lit up as to look like a myriad of tiny stars passing between banks of flaming gold. More presents were received and the drive back to the camp commenced. THE PRINCE VISITS LUCKNOW Next day, the journey was resumed to Lucknow, on the Oudh and Rohilcund Railway. At that much-modernized city the Prince of Wales arrived on January 6th and stayed at what was once Outram's head-quarters. Here, next morning, THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 155 he held two Levees — a Native and a European one — and then drove to see the historic spots of the famous city. In the afternoon he laid the foundation-stone of a Memorial to the Natives who fell in defence of the Residency and the Empire during the Mutiny. Lord Northbrook had succeeded in getting together many of the survivors from all over India and they stood around His Royal Highness in their old war-worn uniforms. A touching scene followed the Prince's impromptu intimation that these veterans might be presented to him, and to each he said a word of kindness. In the afternoon a Native entertainment was given in his honour at the ancient Palace of the Kings of Oudh and a crown set in jewels was presented with the formal address. A reception, banquet, and fireworks, followed, and on the next day the Prince enjoyed a little hard riding and " pig-sticking" sport, during which Lord Carington had his collar-bone broken. Sunday was spent quietly in visiting various interesting places, after church, and on the succeeding day the Prince presented colours to a Native regiment and watched a march- past of troops. In the afternoon Cawnpore was visited, and then the train taken for Delhi, which was reached on the morning of January nth. The entry into the Imperial City was surrounded with all possible pomp and circumstance. Lines of soldiery kept the streets from the station to the Royal camp, where rows of tents, avenues of shrubs and flowers, marquees and beautiful enclosures, formed a temporary home for the visitor and his suite. The first function was the reception of an address from the Municipality of a city which for one thousand years had been the seat of dynasties and native rule. A Levee followed and then dinner with Lord Napier of Magdala in his own mess-tent. On the following day a grand review was held and for an hour and a half a stream of horse, foot and guns flowed past. Then came a great banquet given by the Prince to the generals and officers 156 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA and a ball at Selinghur in those " marble halls of dazzling light " which have been so often described. During the next few days a great sham fight was held ; a visit paid to the Kootab, where the Prince mounted the summit of the famous pillar and viewed the wide-spread scene of ruin ; the beautiful Mausoleum of Houmayoun was seen ; and the illumination of the ancient city witnessed. A REMARKABLE SPECTACLE AT LAHORE On January 17th the beautiful city of tents disappeared and the Prince of Wales was on his way to Lahore. There, he was received with the usual state and drove four miles to Government House under the shade of a golden umbrella and in the gaze of a vast multitude of people. A remarkable spec- tacle was presented on the way by the encampment of the Rajahs of the Punjaub. In front of them stood a long line of elephants, caparisoned in gold and silver and gems, with armed retainers and a salute for the Royal visitor, which included all that the roll of drums, blare of trumpets and clang and roar of many strange instruments could produce. Amidst the ele- phants flashed lance and sword and cuirass and other things reminiscent of the days of western chivalry. At Government House an address was presented by the members of the City Council, wearing turbans of £old tissue, brocaded robes and coils of gems around their necks. A European Levee fol- lowed and then came the Native Chiefs. Afterwards the Prince visited the citadel and watched the sun set over the plains from a window once used by the Lion of Lahore in his days of power. The next day saw a return visit to the Chiefs in their pic- turesque, costly and oriental encampments ; the opening of a Soldiers' Industrial Exhibition at Mean Meer ; and a beauti- ful illumination of the exquisite Shalimar Gardens in the evening. On January 20th the Prince left for Jummoo to HAWARDEN CASTLE The ?eat of Mr. Gladstone; visited by the Prince .if Wale HATFIELD HOUSE The seat of the Marquess of Salisbury ; visited by the Prince of Wales. THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 157 visit the Maharajah of Cashmere. Later in the day he was welcomed by this ruler, some seven miles from his capital and, mounted on an elephant preceeded and followed by a stately cortege, the Royal visitor passed through two miles of winding streets, brilliantly lighted and lined by Native troops, while piled-up masses of people showed many types of the Cash- meres, Lamas, Sikhs, Afghans, etc. On the summit of a great rido-e was a specially constructed building created at enormous cost for the visitor's accomodation. The usual reception fol- lowed together with a great banquet. Sport was the occupa- tion of the next day and in the evening a procession took place through the illuminated city to dine at the Palace with the Maharajah. A feature of the latter's entertainment was an extraordinary sacred dancing drama by Lamas from Thibet. The departure on the following morning occurred amid all the state that Cashmere could present — and that was not little. At Wazirabad, on the way back to Lahore, a brief visit was paid, a great bridge inaugurated and a banquet accepted. Government House was reached in the evening and, with Lieutenant-Governor Sir H. Davies, His Royal Highness then attended a Native entertainment at the College and witnessed fireworks lighting up all the forts and battlements and a sea of heads in the distant darkness. After a quiet Sunday at Lahore, the departure was made for Ao-ra. On the way Umritzur was visited and the route to the Fort was lined and arched with artificial cypress-trees, gilded branches and garlands. An address was presented from the Municipality in which Sikh, Mohammedan and Hindoo united in expressions of fervent loyalty. Here the Golden Temple was visited. At Rajpoorah a stop was made to accept a banquet from the Maharajah of Puttiala in a beautiful palace of canvas. Early on January 25th Agra was reached and the usual Oriental reception and procession followed. At the camp on the following day a Levee was held and a large i 5 8 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA number of Native Chiefs presented. In the afternoon the troops of the latter passed in review before the Prince — a mixture of thousands of men and elephants, camels, horses and bullocks, and knights in armour. * The principal event of the ensuing day was a visit to the famous and exquisite Taj Mahul — " too pure, too holy, to be the work of human hands." During the next few days some time was spent in shooting with the Maharajah of Bhurtpore ; a grand ball was given at the Fort ; a long interview granted Sir Dinkur Rao, the Native statesman ; local convents and schools visited ; the tomb of Akbar the Great — described as the grandest in the world — seen at Sekundra ; a visit paid to the loyal Maharajah of Gwalior at Dholepoor. The next point visited was the famous old fortress of Bhurtpore and then the beautiful city of Jeypoor. Here the Prince went tiger shooting with the Rajpoot Chiefs and shot his tiger and, in the evening of February 5th, saw illuminations in which every Indian device appeared to have been exhausted. From the hospitalities of the Maharajah the Prince, however, soon turned away with his face towards the Himalayas and his heart in the prospective period of sport and liberty. The land of Kumaoun was the scene and with him was a camp which included twenty-five hundred persons without counting a perambulating army of provision carriers. Bears, elephants, tigers, wild boars and varied birds and game were amongst the trophies of his gun during a period of splendid sport which lasted until March 6th. 1 On that day the Prince resumed his tour and his Royal state and proceeded to Allahabad where he was met by Lord Northbrood and held a reception and an investiture of the Star of India at which Major-General Sir Samuel Browne, V. C, Major-General Sir D. M. Probyn and Surgeon-General Sir J. Fayrer received the ensignias of knighthood. The route was then continued to Indore and, on the way, the Prince THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 159 stopped long enough at Jubalpoor to see seven Thugs who had been in jail for thirty-five years for having committed an immense number of murders — one of them boasted sixty-five. At Indore, His Royal Highness was received by the Mahara- jah Holkar with due state and went through the usual pro- gramme of reception, visits and banquets — important in this case as being the last. Bombay was reached on March nth and two days later all farewells were made and the future Emperor of India had left the shores of that mysterious, tragic and historical land, after having travelled in seventeen weeks seven thousand six hundred miles by land and two thousand three hundred miles by sea ; met more Chiefs and notabilities than all the Indian Viceroys of the past put together ; and seen more of the country and its surface life and varied customs than any living man. HE MEETS LORD LYTTON AT SU-EZ Before leaving the Prince addressed a letter to the Vice- roy expressing appreciation of the reception given to him and of the loyalty shown by the people. On the way home news came that Lord Lytton, the first representative of the Queen as Empress of India, was on the way out. As a personal friend of the Prince of Wales it was fitting that they should meet at Suez, where the new Viceroy came on board. At Cairo, the Prince was welcomed by the Khedive and his suite and a new round of gaiety commenced, including visits to the Pyramids and a little quiet shooting. At Alexandria, on April 2nd the Prince entertained the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia at dinner on the Serapis. The next point touched was Malta, where the thunder of the saluting fleet and fortress made the heavens ring. Here, seven addresses were presented and much enthusiasm shown by the populace. A great ban- quet was given by Sir W. and Lady Straubenzee and on 160 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA April 7th new colours were presented by His Royal Highness to the 98th Regiment. Other functions followed. On April 15th the Prince was joined by his brother, the Duke of Con- naught. The Island was enftte, and one of the events of the visit was the reception of a deputation from the Sultan of Mor- rocco. The festive proceedings of the time were wound up with a great ball. WELCOMED IN SPAIN The Prince of Wales landed incognito at Cadiz on April 20th and then proceeded with the Duke of Connaught quietly to visit Seville and Cordova. At Madrid, which was reached on April 25th, the Royal party were formally welcomed by King Alfonso XII. and attended a state reception at the Palace. A military review was held by the King, and then a train was taken for the Palace of the Escurial, where King Alfonso acted as guide for his Royal guests amidst the bewildering artistic and other treasures of that immense and historic pile. Various functions of stately dignity followed the return of the Prince to Madrid, and the departure of the Duke for London, and the incidents of the period included attendance at a sitting of the Spanish Cortes, and the spec- tacle of a bull-fight. On April 30th His Royal Highness departed for Lisbon, where, on the following day, he was for- mally welcomed by King Louis of Portugal, his Court, the Foreign Ministers and the British Admirals of the fleet in the Tagus. There were no flags, or arches, or decorations, or tokens of welcome in the streets of Lisbon, but there was a vast mass of silent and respectful people. Many functions followed during the next few days and on May 7th the Serapis started once more for England. Four days later the ship was met by a yacht bearing the Princess of Wales and the Royal children and, in a few hours, the Heir Apparent was again at home from his famous journey and receiving a welcome at Portsmouth which was a fitting prelude to similar greetings in London and elsewhere. THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA 161 Such a tremendous experience as this tour had proved could not but have a pronounced and important effect. The burden of a continuous succession of events in which he was the central figure ; the strain of a steady succession of brilliant spectacles presenting a kaleidoscopic variety of sight and sound and splendour and incident ; the weight of a constant burden of ceremonial and state observances in a land where the slightest carelessness, or indifference, or cordiality — at the wrong moment — meant mortal offense to some important dig- nitary, caste, or interest ; the physical trial of innumerable functions to a man clad in European costumes in a tropical climate ; the infinite variety of his duties, the peculiar charac- ter of the hours maintained, the lack of sleep and the con- tinuous round of banquets ; must have tried the mind and heart and body about equally. In the end the experience must have broadened the conceptions and ideas of the Prince ; educated him in a better perception of his immense responsibilities; trained him in an iron school of etiquette and helped to teach him that inflexible routine of duty which must ever face a British Sovereign. To the people of India the tour brought home a clearer perception of the personal power presiding over their destinies and a vivid picture of the greatness of the authority before which all their greatest dignitaries with the traditions of many thousand years, bowed in loyal obeisance. To the imaginative Indian mind nothing more effective could have been presented than the scenes of that brilliant and triumphal passage through the stamping ground of ancient conquerors. To the people of Great Britain it brought home a more realizable sense of the vastness of their dominions and the equivalent greatness of their national duty and responsibility. It helped to lay the foundation of that Imperial future of which Disraeli then dreamed and for which others have since laboured with a measure of success shown in the events preceding and follow- ing the accession of Edward VII., King and Emperor CHAPTER IX. Thirty Years of Public Work. DURING the years between 1872 and the end of the century the Prince of Wales filled a place in public affairs not unlike that of the Prince Consort in the later and ripest period of his useful life. He grew steadily in the faculties which make for wisdom in council and action while retaining and developing the qualities which make for popularity and, in a Prince, may embody the characteristics and feelings of his nation. In those thirty years he saw much and travelled far ; met many men of varied qualities and attainments and character ; learned much by personal experi- ence and observation and much from other people's experi- ence ; tested almost the pinnacle of earthly splendour in his Indian tour and learned in private something of the suffering which comes to all individuals whether great or little. He created the position of Heir Apparent as now understood ; gave it a significance and value never before attained to ; and filled it with a tact and ability which no detraction or misrep- resentation could practically affect, and which in time made him the admittedly most all-round popular man in the United Kingdom. Before his illness the Prince had carried out a good many public engagements and helped a great number of useful objects. After that event and the outpouring of popular sen- timent which found vent in the National Thanksgiving he became still more devoted to his round of public duties. On July 5th 1872, His Royal Highness visited the new Grammar 162 THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK 163 School at Norwich and inspected the Norfolk Artillery Militia of which he was Honorary Colonel. At a banquet given by the Mayor he referred to his late illness, in expressing thanks for local sympathy, and added : " It is difficult now for me to speak upon that subject but as it has pleased Almighty God to preserve me to my country I hope I may not be ungrateful for the feeling which lias been shown towards me and that I may do all that I can to be of use to my countrymen." On July 25th, he reviewed four thousand boys of the Training ships and Pauper Schools of the Metropolitan Unions at South Kensington, and distributed prizes. The Prince was accompanied by the Princess of Wales and his sons. A little later, on August 11th, the Breakwater at Portland was inaugurated, the Royal yacht being accompanied from Os- borne by a splendid fleet of fifteen ironclads. At the conclu- sion of the ceremony the Prince visited Weymouth, which was gaily decorated, and where he accepted a public banquet. THE PRINCE MAKES A VISIT TO DERBY The next important English function of His Royal High- ness was a state visit to Derby on December 17th. The announcement that the Prince and Princess were coming to Chatsworth to stay with the Duke of Devonshire and would also visit Derby created much interest and on the appointed day brought great crowds from Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Chesterfield to swell the population of the city. After driving through the decorated streets and cheering crowds various loyal addresses were received and prizes presented at the City Grammar School. On the even- ing of March 27th, 1873, the Prince presided at the annual dinner of the Railways' Benevolent Institution. In a some- what lengthy little speech he explained its purposes and asked for aid in their attainment. The result was a subscription of five thousand guineas to which he himself contributed two hundred guineas. 164 THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK A duty which was congenial in one sense and sad in another was the unveiling of a statue of the late Prince Con- sort at the entrance of the Holborn Viaduct in London on January 9th, 1874. A luncheon followed in the Guild Hall attended by some eight hundred guests and at which the Prince made a short speech. A few weeks later the Prince and Princess of Wales were at St. Petersburg to attend the marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh with the Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia on January 23rd. The mar- riage ceremony was performed in much state with the successive rites of the Greek and English Churches — Dean Stanley presiding over the latter. Four future Sovereigns were pres- ent on the occasion, the Prince of Wales, the Crown Prince of Prussia, the Czarewitch of Russia and the Crown Prince of Denmark. During this visit the Prince and Princess were treated with great distinction by the Czar and a grand military review was held in honour of His Royal Highness. The anni- versary festival of the British Orphan Asylum was attended on March 25th, in London, and a speech was made by His Royal Highness explanatory of the useful objects of the institution. The subscriptions announced during the evening amounted to /2400. An important incident of the year was the visit of the Shah of Persia to England and the splendid entertain- ments given in honour of an Oriental Sovereign whose friend- liness was of serious import in the event of trouble between Great Britain and Russia. The Prince of Wales devoted con- siderable time to the task of welcoming and entertaining the Royal visitor and gave one great banquet, in particular, at Marlborough House which was remarkable for its effective magnificence. A dinner was given on March 31st by the Lord Mayor of London to Major-General Sir Garnet Wolseley — afterward Field Marshal, Viscount Wolseley — on his return from the successful Ashantee expedition and the Prince of Wales made THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK 165 a tactful speech on the occasion expressive of the thanks of the nation for the services of officers and men in that arduous campaign. On April 22nd the Prince presided over a dinner in aid of the funds of the Royal Medical Benevolent Hospital. The leading men of the profession were present and, after a speech from the Prince, donations of ^1780 were announced by the Secretary with the usual one hundred guinea subscrip- tion from the Royal chairman. A different kind of function was His Royal Highness' attendance at a dinner of the Benchers of the Middle Temple on June nth. The Master of the Temple, the Rev. Dr. Vaughan, presided and others present were the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chief Justice. The Prince, as a Bencher, wore the silk gown of a Queen's Counsel as well as the riband of the Garter and made a brief speech in which he expressed the modest opinion that it was a good thing for the profession at large that he had never been called to the Bar. On August 13th the new Municipal Buildings and Law Courts at Plymouth were opened by the Prince after a formal reception at the hands of the Mayor and a procession through the artistically decorated and densely packed streets of the city. FIRST STATE VISIT TO BIRMINGHAM An interesting event of this year and one which created considerable discussion and comment was the first state visit of the Prince and Princesss of Wales to Birmingham. For half a century that city had been a centre of Radicalism, of extreme democratic opinion and, in earlier days, of Chartist turbulence. The Mayor, in 1874, was Mr. Joseph Chamber- lain who was then noted for democratic views which were sup- posed in many quarters to extend to the full measure of republicanism. Doubt was even expressed as to whether the Royal reception would be as cordial as might be desired or the Mayor as courteous, in the sense of loyal phraseology, as was 1 66 THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK customary. The visit took place on November 3rd and a most cordial welcome was given by all classes of the people. Mr. Chamberlain presented an address in the Town Hall and at a subsequent luncheon spoke of the Queen as " having established claims to the admiration of her people by the loyal fulfillment of responsible duties." In reference to this and other speeches which he made as chairman the London Times of the succeeding day declared that "whatever Mr. Chamber- lain'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." They were described as being couched in a line of "courteous homage, manly independence and gentlemanly feeling." The annual dinner of the Royal Cambridge Asylum was presided over by His Royal Highness on March 13th, 1875; the Merchant Taylors' School in the Charterhouse was visited on April 6th ; the German Hospital annual banquet was pre- sided over ten days later and donations of ^5000 to its funds announced during the evening — including one hundred guineas from the Prince ; the installation of the Heir Apparent as Grand Master of the English Freemasons took place on April 28th. On June 5th he presided at the yearly banquet of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution for providing pen- sions or annuities for persons ruined by agricultural depression. The Earl of Hardwicke in proposing the Royal chairman's health said that " the position of the Prince of Wales is not one of the easiest. He has no definite duties, but the duty he has laid down for himself is of a very definite nature. It is to benefit, to the best of his power, all his fellow-creatures." In the course of his speeches the Prince made an earnest appeal for aid to the purposes of the institution with the result that ^8000 was announced as the total donation of the evening — including the usual one hundred guineas from the chairman. The next important event in his public life was the visit of THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK 167 the Prince to India in 1875-6. On his return the Royal traveller received many demonstrations of popular esteem and the City of London entertained him at a great banquet and ball and an address of welcome, in a golden casket of Indian design, was presented. During the remainder of the year the Prince took a much-needed rest and interested himself largely in matters local to his own county of Norfolk. He took in hand the necessity existing at Norwich for a new Hospital and a large sum of money was soon subscribed for this purpose. Later in the year he visited Glasgow and laid the foundation of a new Post Office in that city. In the spring of 1877 what may be termed the moral courage of the Prince was put to a test in his invitation to preside at the annual banquet of the Licensed Victuallers' Asylum. There were many protests made and at least two hundred petitions presented urging His Royal Highness not to patronize or help the liquor interest. He decided, however, that the charity was a useful one and the widows and orphans of licensed victuallers as deserving of succour as those of other classes in the community, and that he could quite well afford to patronize an institution in succession to his own father, the late Prince Consort. Earl Granville was present, three Bishops and many members of the Houses of Lords and Commons and the proceeds of the occasion were over ^5000. In one of his speeches the Royal chairman referred to the petitions received from Temperance Societies and remarked : " I think this time they rather overstep the mark because the object of the meeting to-night is not to encourage the love of drink but to support a good and excel- lent charity." Early in 1878 the Prince unveiled at Cambridge (on Jan- uary 22nd) a statue of his late father, who for years had been Chancellor of the University. On June 28th, together with the Princess of Wales, he visited the Infant Orphan Asylum at Wanstead and presided at the luncheon which followed and 168 THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK at which were Her Royal Highness, the Duke and Duchess of Manchester, the Bishop of St. Albans and Mrs. Claughton, and a large gathering. In his speech the Royal chairman reviewed the history of the institution and afterwards gave one hundred guineas to its funds. As a result of his interest in naval matters the Prince had already placed his sons on the training ship Britannia and, on July 24th of this year, he and the Princess consented to distribute the annual prizes and medals. An address was presented from the City of Dart- mouth, on board the Royal yacht Osborne, which had been accompanied into the estuary of the River Dart by a large number of war-ships, yachts, steam-launches and boats. Flags were flying everywhere on sea and shore and in the evening the illuminations were striking. At the Britannia the Royal visitors were received by Mr. W. H. Smith M. P. First Lord of the Admiralty and a distinguished gathering amongst whom were Lord and Lady Charles Beresford and Sir Samuel and Lady Baker. In his speech the Prince referred to the personal expression of confidence in the institution by the Princess and himself in sending their two sons to be trained there and expressed the hope that the latter might do credit to the ship and to their country. A visit to Dartmouth followed and then Prince Edward and Prince George were taken home for their holidays. THE DEATH OF PRINCESS ALICE During this year the Heir Apparent had the misfortune to lose his much-loved sister the Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, to whose careful nursing he had owed so much in his own serious illness and the sad features of whose death — as a result of nursing- her children through an attack of malignant diphtheria — had proved such a shock to the British public. The Prince and Princess spent some months in retire- ment after this occurrence and had also to mourn the death of the gallant young Prince Imperial of France, in whose career THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK 169 they had taken a deep personal interest — not only on account of his loveable qualities, but because of the long friendship between the Royal house of England and the widowed Empress Eugenie, to whose lonely hopes and pride the loss was so terrible. The Prince of Wales helped the stricken lady in the details of the funeral, acted as the principal pall-bearer and showed his sympathy in many ways, of which the wreath of violets sent from Marlborough, with the following inscrip- tion, was an incident : " 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." His Royal Highness strongly supported the proposal to erect a Memorial in Westminster Abbey, but even his great influence could not overcome the international prejudices which the suggestion aroused and he had to wait till January, 1883, when the " United Service Memorial " was erected at Woolwich, and, accompanied by his two sons and the Dukes of Edinburgh and Cambridge, he was able to unveil the statue and fittingly eulogize the Royal French youth who had fought and died for the country which had been so kind to his parents. On May 5th, 1879, tne Prince of Wales presided at the annual banquet of the Cabdrivers' Benevolent Association. On May 23, 1880, he presided at a dinner in aid of the funds of the Princess Helena College and the result of his patronage and the careful speech delivered was a total donation of ^2000, to which he contributed his customary one hundred guineas. On June 17th of the same year he visited the new Breakwater and Harbour at Holyhead and, during the visit, there were loyal demonstrations on sea and land and a banquet attended by gentlemen representing most of the leading English and Irish railway companies. During the same month the King of Greece visited England and the Prince had an opportunity of returning some of the many hospitalities which he had received i 7 o THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK from His Majesty and of presenting him to the Corporation of London at a great banquet of welcome. As Duke of Corn- wall he also laid the first stone of Truro Cathedral in this month. Writing of this and other functions on June 18th the Times declared that the representative duties of British royalty were heavier than the private functions of the hardest-worked Englishman. " In these scenes and a hundred like them a Prince's function cannot be discharged satisfactorily unless he be at once an impersonation of Royal state and, what is harder still, his own individual self. He must act his public charac- ter as if he enjoyed the festival as much as any of the specta- tors. He must be able to stamp a national impress upon the solemnity yet mark its local and particular significance." DISTRIBUTES PRIZES, PRESENTS AND COLOURS New colours were presented to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers by the Prince as they were embarking from Portsmouth for India, on August 16th. On May 24th, 1881, he presided at the festival dinner of the Royal Hospital for Women and Children in London, contributed one hundred guineas to its funds and was able to announce donations totalling ^2000. At King's College, London, on July 2nd, His Royal High- ness, accompanied by the Princess, distributed the annual prizes and pointed out the history and merits of the institution. On July 1 8th the Prince, accompanied by the Princess of Wales, laid the foundation of a City and Guilds of London Institute, established for the technical training of artisans, and delivered a speech of considerable range and length. He also accepted the Presidency of the Institute. The seventh annual meeting of the International Medical Congress was formally opened by the Prince, accompanied by the Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia, on August 3rd. He was received by a Committee composed of distinguished medical men such as Sir W. Jenner, Sir William Gull, Sir James Paget and Sir J. THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK 171 R. Bennett and, during the ceremony, spoke upon the progress made in late years by medical science. The death of Dean Stanley on July 18th of this year was felt as a personal and severe loss by both the Prince and Princess. The former had no warmer or wiser friend ; the latter no greater admirer in the highest sense of the word. It was fitting, therefore, that His Royal Highness should take the lead in raising a suitable Memorial to the distinguished Churchman and he attended and spoke earnestly at a meeting called in the Chapter-house of Westminster Abbey, for that pur- pose, on December 13th. Dean Bradley presided and there were also present Archbishop Tait of Canterbury, the Marquess of Salisbury, Earl Granville, the Duke of Westminster, the Marquess of Lome, Mr. J. Russell Lowell, the American Min- ister, Lord Chief Justice Coleridge and others. In his speech the Prince spoke of his intimate friendship with Dean Stanley over a period of twenty-two years, of their association in the East and of the great charm of his companionship. " As the Churchman, as the scholar, as the man of letters, as the philan- thropist and, above all, as the true friend, his name must always go down to posterity as a great and good man and as one who will make his mark on a chapter of his country's history." During the next few years the public events of the Prince's career continued along very much the same lines, varied by some rapid trip to the continent, or visit to the country home of some noble friend, or a shooting excursion to some place where game was plentiful and companions congenial. The central events, aside from his promotion of the Fisheries and other Exhibitions, were the visit to Ireland in 1885, the support given to an Empire policy by his patronage of the Imperial Institute and similar concerns, his active connection with the Masonic Order and his conduct of the Jubilee of 1887. The International Fisheries Exhibition grew out of a comparatively 1 72 THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK small affair at Norwich in which the Prince of Wales had taken an active interest. In July 1881, as a result of his initiative, a meeting was held in London, a committee was formed and the preliminary work done. In February 1882 a second meeting occured and further organization was effected with the Queen as Patron, His Royal Highness as President and the Duke of, Richmond as Chairman of the General Committee. The Exhibition was finally opened on May 13, 1883, by tne Prince of Wales, who had around him most of the members of the Royal family, the Foreign Ambassadors, Her Majesty's Ministers and other distinguished persons. His address defined the reasons for the enterprise in a sentence : " In view of the rapid increase of the population in all civilized countries, and especially in these sea-girt kingdoms, a profound interest attaches to every industry which affects the supply of food ; and in this respect the harvest of the sea is hardly less impor- tant than that of the land." In results he thought the Exhibi- tion should enable practical fishermen to acquaint themselves with the latest improvements in both their working craft and life-saving systems. It was a great success. The total visitors numbered 2,703,051 and there was a financial surplus of ^ I 5> 2 43- Of this, two-thirds was put aside to assist the fam- ilies of fishermen who had lost their lives at sea, and ^"3000 was used to organize a Fisheries Society in order to keep up the interest in the subject and encourage the study of ways and means to help the fishermen. THE PRINCE ENCOURAGES EXHIBITIONS In replying to an address from the Executive Committee at the closing of the Exhibition, on October 31st, the Prince had suggested that other Exhibitions might very well be held dealing with the three great subjects of Health, Inventions and the Colonies. The first subject dealt with was that of Health. Owing to the death of his brother, the Duke of THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK 173 Albany, on March 28th, 1884, the Prince could not do much more than initiate the project but it was carried on by the Duke of Buckingham as Chairman of the Committee. Its active progress was marked by the inauguration of the work of the International Juries by the Prince of Wales on June 17th. Like the Fisheries and the " Colinderies " which fol- lowed it in 1886, the " Healtheries" proved ultimately a great success. Meanwhile, minor incidents were occuring. On March 1st, 1882, as Colonel of the Corps, the Prince presided over the 2 1st anniversary dinner of the Civil Service Volunteers and spoke at some length upon the importance of the Volun- teer force. Others present on the occasion were the Dukes of Manchester and Portland, Viscount Bury, Lord Elcho and Colonel Lloyd-Lindsay. On March 10th, 1883, the Duke of Cambridge, Commander-in-Chief, called a meeting in London to consider what could be done with the neglected British graves in the Crimea and the Prince of Wales, who had felt the matter keenly during his visit of years before, moved a Resolution declaring that immediate steps should be taken in the matter. He spoke with earnestness, contributed ^50 toward the project and was supported by General Sir W. Codrington, Admiral Sir H. Keppel, General Sir L. A. Simmons and Lord Wolseley. The new City School of London, on the Thames Embank- ment, was opened by His Royal Highness on December 12th, 1882, accompanied by the Princess of Wales. On May 21st 1883 crowded memories of his Indian tour were revived by the opening of the Northbrook Club for the use of Native gentle- men from the East Indies. In his speech the Prince referred with gratitude to his "magnificent reception" in India and expressed his strong approval of the establishment of a place where natives of that Empire could meet together for purposes of relaxation and intercourse. The City of London College, intended chiefly for young men who could only attend evening i74 THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK classes, was inaugurated on July 8th of this year. The Princess was also present. In the House of Lords on February 22nd, 1884, the Prince made one of his very few speeches in that Chamber — although a frequent attendant at its sessions. It was in connection with a motion presented by Lord Salisbury for the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the housing of the working classes. His Royal Highness declared that a searching inquiry was very necessary, expressed his pleasure at having been named a member of the Commis- sion, referred to his own experiments at Sandringham, and expressed the hope that measures of a drastic and" thorough kind would result. Three days later, accompanied by the Princess, their three daughters, and Her Royal Highness the Marchioness of Lome, the Prince of Wales visited the Guards' Industrial Home at Chelsea Barracks and distributed the annual prizes. On March 15th, not for the first time, he presided at the annual meeting of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and spoke strongly of its valuable and important work. Other speakers were the Dukes of Argyll and Northumberland. Admiral Keppel and Lord C. Beresford. The Guilds of London Institute was opened on June 25th and the speech made by the Prince was more elaborate than usual. He was well supported by Lord Carlingford and Mr. A. J. Mundella, M.P. An important and interesting incident of this year was the action of the Prince of Wales in presiding over a densely- crowded meeting in the Guild Hall, London, called to cele- brate the Jubilee of the abolition of slavery in British countries and to consider the past and present work of the Anti-Slavery Society. On the platform were many distinguished men in every sphere of the national life and the speech of His Royal Highness was probably the longest he had ever delivered. It was a succinct history of the abolition of slavery in various countries and colonies and contained many expressions of THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK 175 warm approval toward those who had worked to that end — the extension of " the sacred principle of freedom." Sir Stafford Northcote, Archbishop Benson of Canterbury, Mr. W. E. Forster, M.P., Cardinal Manning and others spoke, and it was afterwards announced by the Lord Mayor that the Prince had consented to become Patron of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. The unveiline of the statue of Charles Darwin in the Museum of Natural History on June 9th, 1885, evoked a brief speech and a reference to " the great Englishman who had exerted so vast an influence upon the progress of branches of natural knowledge." On July 4th the Prince and Princess attended the opening of the new building of the Birkbeck Institution in London and the former spoke upon its objects and character. On July 5th of the previous year he presided at the annual dinner in aid of the Railway Guards' Friendly Society and referred in his speech to its nature and valuable work. More than ^3300 was subscribed, to which the Royal chairman gave his usual contribution. The Convalescent Home at Swanleywas opened on July 13th 1885 and the Prince was accompanied by his wife and daughters. A visit was paid two days later to Leeds and the Prince and Princess stayed at Studley, the seat of the Marquess of Ripon. Various addresses were received at the Town Hall and from thence the Royal visitors went to the Yorkshire College, which the Prince duly inaugurated amid much state. At the succeeding luncheon he spoke of the great importance of the industrial educational work which this institution was carrying on. " I have for a long time been deeply impressed with the advisability of establishing in our great centres of population, colleges and schools, not only for promoting the intellectual advancement of the people, but also for increasing their prosperity by further- ing the application of scientific knowledge to the industrial arts." 176 THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORM The sad news of the gallant death of General Gordon affected the Prince of Wales as only the loss of a friend who is greatly and personally admired can do. He took much interest in the Committee which was formed to promote a Memorial and finally summoned a special meeting at Marl- borough House, on January 12th, 1886, to promote the collec- tion of a fund looking to the permanent establishment of a« Gordon Boys' Home. Speeches were made by General Higginson, the Duke of Cambridge and Lord Napier of Mag- dala, and ultimately the enterprise was fairly placed upon its feet. A little later, with Prince Albert Victor and Prince George, His Royal Highness went to stay with the Duke of Westminster at Eaton Hall, From thence, on January 20th, they visited Liverpool and the Mersey Tunnel was formally inaugurated after a drive through the city and the reception of the usual addresses and popular welcome. A banquet was also received and several speeches made by the Prince. The Institution of Civil Engineers entertained the Prince of Wales at dinner on March 27th and the Royal guest was accom- panied by his eldest son and the Duke of Cambridge. Sir Frederick Bramwell presided. On June 28th, following, he laid the foundation-stone of the Peoples' Palace amidst evidences of unbounded personal popularity in the East End of London ; with ten thousand people around him — including one thousand delegates from the various Trade, Friendly and Temperance Societies in East London ; and with representative persons in attendance such as Dr. Adler, the Chief Rabbi, Cardinal Manning, Archbishop Benson and Mr. Walter Besant. As a result of his deep and practical interest in agricultural matters the Prince of Wales held a sale of Shorthorn cattle and Southdown sheep at Norwich on July 15th of this year The sale was a most interesting and successful event from a technical as well as general standpoint and fully proved the right of the Royal owner of Sandringham to be called a THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK 177 farmer and to act as President of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. A luncheon given to the agricultural celebrities of England followed the sale. On March 12th, 1887, the Prince presided at the Jubilee banquet of the London Orphan Asylum and defined its objects and work while urging more financial assistance to its projects. Amongt those present were the Duke of Abercorn, the Earl of Clarendon, General Sir Donald Stewart and Sir Dighton Probyn. The subscriptions announced during the evening were ^5000, including one hundred guineas from the Prince. On March 30th he opened the new College of Preceptors in London, accompanied by the Princess of Wales and the Princesses Victoria and Maud. The opening of the Man- chester Exhibition followed on May 3rd and the Prince and Princesses came to the city from Tatton Hall, where they had been staying with Lord Egerton. The usual hearty welcome was given along the crowded route. On May 22nd the Lon- don Hospital's new buildings were inaugurated, the Prince being accompanied by his wife and two daughters and the Crown Prince of Denmark. Six days later Tottenham was visited and the new portion of the Deaconesses Institution and Hospital opened. The Shaftesbury House, or home for shelterless boys, was inaugurated on June 17th and on Novem- ber 3rd His Royal Highness visited Truro, accompanied by the Princess and his two sons, attended the consecration of the new Cathedral by the Primate of England and spoke after- wards at a luncheon given by the principal residents of the Duchy of Cornwall. On the following day he presented new colours to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry at Devon- port. On May the 8th, 1888, the Prince and Princess of Wales opened the Glasgow Exhibition and the former spoke interest- ingly of the industrial development of the time. The states- man whose advice and knowledge had been so greatly I7 8 THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK appreciated by the Prince during his Indian tour was fittingly comemorated by the statue on the Thames Embankment which His Royal Highness unveiled on June 5th following. Sir Bartle Frere was described in the speech accompanying the act as " a great and valued public servant of the Crown and a highly esteemed and dear friend of myself." On July 6th a new Gymnasium for the Young Men's Christian Association was opened in London ; on May 9th the Prince and Princess visited Blackburn and were enthusiastically received ; on May 14th His Royal Highness, accompanied by his wife and daughters, Prince Charles of Denmark and Prince George of Greece, opened the Anglo-Danish Exhibition at South Ken- sington ; on July 17th he inaugurated the new buildings of the Great Northern Hospital at Islington and in the autumn of the year paid a visit to Austria and some of the countries in Southern Europe. The purely public events of following years may be briefly and partially summarized. In June, 1889, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the Paris Exhibition in a semi- private capacity, and were present at Athens, on October 27th, at the wedding of the Duke of Sparta and Princess Sophia of Germany. The great Forth Bridge was opened by the Prince in March, 1890, and a short time spent with Lord Rosebery at Dalmeny ; a visit was paid to Berlin, accompanied by Prince George, on March 21st ; a statue of the Duke of Albany was unveiled at Cannes on April 6th ; a new nave in the ancient Church of St. Saviour, South wark, was inaugurated on July 24th; the new Town Hall at Portsmouth was opened on August 9th ; the City of London Electric Railway was inaug- urated on November 4th. On November 9th, 1891, the theatrical managers of London presented His Royal High- ness with a large gold cigar-box in honour of his fiftieth birth- day. In 1892 the Prince visited the Royal Agricultural Society at Warwick with the Duke of York, laid the foundation- THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK 179 stone of the Clarence Memorial addition to St. Mary's Hos- pital, Paddington, and supervised the re-building of Sand- ringham after the fire which had consumed a portion of it. One of the events of 1894 was a visit to Coburg in April and attendance at the marriage of his niece and nephew, the Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and the Grand Duke of Hesse. Another was the opening of the Tower Bridge, Lon- don, in June, by the Prince and Princess on behalf of the Queen. On May 16, 1895, the Prince of Wales reviewed the Warwickshire Yeomanry; on July 8th he laid the foundation- stone of new buildings at the Epsom Medical College ; in July he reviewed Italian and British fleets off Portsmouth ; on July 22nd he opened the new building of the Royal Free Hospital, Grey's Inn Road, London ; in November he pre- sided at a lecture in the Imperial Institute. In 1896 he was formally installed as Chancellor of the University of Wales, and stayed at Balmoral in September during the visit of the Emperor and Empress of Russia to the Queen. In January, 1897, the Prince visited the Duke of Sutherland at Trentham Hall ; on May 22nd he opened the Blackwell Tunnel ; in June he participated in all the Jubilee functions, was created Grand Master of the Order of the Bath and gave a banquet, in honour of the appointment, to all living Knights Grand Cross of the Order, which was a unique gathering of men distinguished in diplomacy, statesmanship, in the Army and Navy, and in Imperial and civil administration. During the following year he distributed prizes in June at Wellington College and laid the foundation-stone of new buildings at Uni- versity College Hospital ; on December 23rd he attended the opening service of a restored church at Sherbourne. On June 19, 1899, His Royal Highness held a Levee at St. James's Palace ; on July 6th he received the freedom of the City of 180 THIRTY YEARS OF PUBLIC WORK Edinburgh ; and on September 18th he presented new colours to the Gordon Highlanders. Such was the general character and scope of the Prince's public life. There would have been little object served in elaborating the description of these ceremonial events. They are of value and necessary to a clear comprehension of the position and manifold duties of the Prince of Wales, and quite enough have been given for this purpose. During all these thirty years the work of the Heir Apparent increased in its importance and multifarious character until every interest and element in the population found a place in its performance. It was arduous and unceasing, but the Prince never showed weariness and always appeared with the same unaffected boti- homie and natural dignity whatever the extent of his work or the character of the function. The end of it all was a popu- larity as unique as it was thoroughly and well deserved. H. M. THE QUEEN WITH HER DAUGHTERS AND GRANDCHILD H. M. THE KING, PAST GRAND MASTER, AND THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT AS NEW GRAND MASTER OF MASONS CHAPTER X. Special Functions and Interests. THE Prince of Wales' connection with the Masonic Order was an early one and had always been a close and sin- cerely interested one. He was first initiated in 1868 by the late King of Sweden when staying at Stockholm. He served several terms as Worshipful Master of the Royal Alpha Lodge, which consisted of a number of Grand Officers, generally noblemen, and in this lodge he personally initiated his eldest son, the late Duke of Clarence and Avondale, in 1885. He was also permanent Master of the Prince of Wales Lodge, to which he initiated the Duke of Connaught in 1874. When the Marquess of Ripon retired from the Grand Mastership of English Freemasons in 1875 the Prince of Wales accepted the post and was installed on April 28th at the Royal Albert Hall. The function was perhaps the most memorable and imposing in the British history of the Order. In the vast Hall there were more than ten thousand members of the craft, of all ranks and degrees, and in costume suited to their Masonic conditions. Many distinguished visitors and deputations from foreign lodges were present in the reserved inclosure. The Earl of Carnarvon performed the initial ceremonies and in the address to His Royal Highness referred to the gathering around them : " I may truly say that never in the whole history of Free- masonry has such a Grand Lodge been convened as that on which my eye rests at this moment and there is, further, an inner view to be taken, that so far as my eyes can carry me over these serried ranks of white and blue, and gold and purple, 181 1 82 SPECIAL FUNCTIONS AND INTERESTS I recognize in them men who have solemnly taken obligations of worth and morality— men who have undertaken the duties of citizens and the loyalty of subjects." THE PRINCE'S ADDRESS AS MASONIC GRAND MASTER In his reply the Prince expressed an "ardent and sincere wish" to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and the belief that, so long as Freemasons did not mix themselves up in politics, "this high and noble Order will flourish and will maintain the integrity of our great Empire." After deputa- tions had been received from the Grand Lodges of Scotland, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark the new Grand Master appointed Lord Carnarvon to be Pro-Grand-Master, Lord Skelmersdale to be Deputy Grand Master and the Marquess of Hamilton and the Lord Mayor of London to two other chief offices. In the evening a grand banquet was held at which he presided and made several tactful speeches. The Duke of Connaught, the Duke of Manchester, the late Earl of Rosslyn and the representatives of various Grand Lodges also spoke. On July ist, 1886, His Royal Highness was installed as Grand Master of the Mark Master Masons in the presence of more than one thousand Grand, Past and Provincial Officers from India and the Colonies as well as from the United Kingdom. The Earl of Kintore presided in the early stages of the function and was afterwards appointed Pro-Grand Master, with Lord Egerton of Tatton as Deputy Grand Master and the Duke of Con- naucdit as Senior Grand Warden. During the Queen's Jubilee, on June 13th, 1887, it was decided to present an address to Her Majesty as Patron of the Order and of various Masonic charities. The formal action was taken at an immense gathering in the Royal Albert Hall, on the date mentioned, when some seven thousand officers and members, representatives of the Lodges of the Empire met and passed a Resolution to that effect. His Royal Highness SPECIAL FUNCTIONS AND INTERESTS 183 the Grand Master, who was accompanied by Prince Albert Victor and the Duke of Connaught, presided and was able to announce, after this part of the business had been disposed of and the National Anthem sung with enthusiasm, that ^"6000 had that day been paid in by members and was to be entirely devoted to Masonic charities for the children and the ap-ed. Two years later, on July 6, 1888, and in the same place, the Prince of Wales presided over the centennial banquet of the Royal Masonic Institute for Girls. With him were the King of Sweden and Norway, Prince Albert Victor, the Earls of Carnarvon, Lathom and Zetland, Lord Egerton of Tatton, Lord Leigh and many other eminent Masons. One of the speeches of the Chairman was devoted to a history of the institution they were trying to help and to a request for funds to erect additional buildings and better accommodations. The response afterwards announced to the appeal, made before and at this dinner, was ^50,472 of which London contributed ^22,454 and the Provinces, India and the Colonies the balance. THE PATRON OF ART Another subject in which the Prince always took a great and active interest was that of Art — especially as embodied in the work of the Royal Academy. His first appearance in this connection was at the annual banquet on May 4th, 1863, an( J it has been noted that at the various subsequent occasions of this kind at which he spoke, despite the sameness of the toasts and subjects, there was always fresh material in his remarks. At the banquet on May 5th, 1866, Sir Francis Grant presided for the first time as President and amongst the speakers besides His Royal Highness were his brother Prince Alfred, the Duke of Cambridge, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Earl Russell and 'the Earl of Derby. In 1867 and in 1870 he also spoke and on the latter occasion the speakers included Mr. J. Lothrop 1 84 SPECIAL FUNCTIONS AND INTERESTS Motley, the American Minister, and Charles Dickens. At the banquet in 1871 the Prince spoke and at that of 1874. ne drew special attention to the picture, "Calling the Roll," which after- wards made Miss Elizabeth Thompson so famous, and to a statue by J. E. Boehm which was the beginning of that sculptor's rise to distinction. The Prince of Wales was again present in May, 1875 ar, d then, owing to other pressing engagements, missed four years. At the annual banquet on May 3rd, 1879, which he attended, Sir Frederick Leighton was President of the Academy and the Prince made kindly allusion to the memory of his late prede- cessor. Amongst the other speakers were Lord Beaconsfield, Mr. W. H. Smith and Lord Chief Justice Cockburn. At the banquet in 1880, Sir F. Leighton paid his Royal guest an unusual compliment : " Sir, of the graces by which Your Royal Highness has won and firmly retains the affectionate attach- ment of Englishmen none has operated more strongly than the width of your sympathies ; for there is no honourable sphere in which Englishmen move, no path of life in which they tread, wherein Your Royal Highness has not, at some time, by graceful word or deed, evinced an enlightened interest." In 1 881, the central subject of toast and speeeh was Sir Fred- erick Roberts, who had come fresh from the fields of Cabul and Candahar ; but the Prince of Wales did not forget an illusion to the death of " that great statesman " the Earl of Beaconsfield. In 1885 His Royal Highness was accompanied for the first time by Prince Albert Victor and in 1888 he was able to refer to the fact of this occasion being not only the year of his silver wedding but the year which marked a quarter of a century since his first appearance amongst them. The Corporation of Trinity House, which in the time of Henry VIII. had been a guild for the encouragement of the art and science of navigation and had latterly come into the work of building lighthouses and protecting ships along the SPECIAL FUNCTIONS AND INTERESTS 185 coasts of England, was always an object of interest and support to the Prince of Wales. In 1865 he declined the post of Master — which had been held by men like Lord Liverpool, the Duke of Wellington, the Prince Consort and Lord Palmerston — in favour of his brother the Sailor Prince. He attended the next annual banquet, however, together with the King of the Belgians, and two years later was installed as one of the " Younger Brethren " of Trinity House. The Duke of Rich- mond and Lord Napier of Magdala were amongst the other speakers. The banquet of July 4th, 1869 was especially inter- esting from the eminent men of all parties whom it brought together. The Prince of Wales presided, in the absence of the Duke of Edinburgh, and the speakers included Mr. Glad- stone, Mr. Bright, Mr. Disraeli, Sir Stafford Northcote and Sir John Burgoyne. He again attended and addressed the banquet of Trinity House on June 24, 187 1. and presided at that of June 27, 1874. His speech upon the latter occasion contained various important facts and opinions upon the improvement of navigation facilities. At the dinner in 1877 the Prince again presided and in the proposing his health the late Earl of Derby said : "His Royal Highness has not only now, but for many years past done all that is in the power of man to do, by genial courtesies towards men of every class and by his indefatigable assiduity in the performance of every social duty, to secure at once that public respect which is due to his exalted position and that social sympathy and personal popu- larity which no position, however exalted, can of itself be suf- ficient to secure." The most interesting event of this occasion was the presence and very brief soldierly speech of General U. S. Grant. The encouragement of Musical education and the promo- tion of a public taste for music was one of the subjects in which the Prince of Wales took a deep and practical interest. He believed in the humanizing and civilizing effects of music 1 86 SPECIAL FUNCTIONS AND INTERESTS and felt that amongst a people who had made a home for Handel and who had. in older days loved glees and madrigals and choral compositions there was room, in a more hum-drum age, for the encouragement of popular taste in this direction. The Royal Academy of Music, founded in 1822, had done some good but limited service and, in 1875, ne placed himself at the head of a movement to further the love and practice of music amongst the people. A meeting was held at Malborough House on June 15th for the immediate purpose of establishing free scholarships in connection with the proposed National Training Schools for Music, near the Royal Albert Hall, and there were present the Duke of Endinburgh, Prince Christian, the Duke of Teck, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Lord Mayor of London and many Provincial Mayors, and a numerous company distinguished by public reputation or position. The result of this action was most successful, and in 1878, the Prince endeavoured to complete it by bringing the Academy and the Training Schools into union. ENCOURAGES MUSICAL EDUCATION Failing in this, however, he presided on February 28th 1882 at a meeting in St. James's Palace held for the purpose of founding a " Royal College of Music" and attended by one of the most representative gatherings which His Royal Highness had ever brought together. His speech was an able and elabo- rate statement of the importance of a national cultivation of music and the necessity for its promotion in the United King- dom. " Why is it," he asked, " that England has no music recognized as national ? It has able composers but nothing indicative of the national life or national feeling. The reason is not far to seek. There is no centre of music to which English musicians may resort with confidence and thence derive instruction, counsel and inspiration." The plan was then clearly outlined and enthusiastically accepted — Lord Rosebery, Mr. SPECIAL FUNCTIONS AND INTERESTS 187 Gladstone and Sir Stafford Northcote being amongst those who spoke and supported the project presented by the Royal chairman. A little later, on March 23rd, the Prince invited a number of gentlemen connected with the Colonial part of the Empire to meet him at Marlborough House in order to discuss how best the benefits of the College might be extended and applied to the more distant British countries. On May 7th, 1883, tne Royal College of Music was formally inaugurated after an effort amongst its supporters which had included the holding of forty-four public meetings throughout the country. With the Prince of Wales were present the Princess, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Christian and the Trustees, amongst whom were the Duke of Westminster, Sir Richard Wallace, M. P., Sir George Grove and Sir John Rose. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Mr. Gladstone and many others were also present. The Royal founder of the institution spoke at unusual length, referred to the teaching and examining powers of the College, asked for aid in establishing scholarships and extending its usefulness and dilated upon the importance of the objects aimed at. " I trust that the College will become the recognized centre and head of the musical world in this country. Music is, in the best sense, the most popular of all arts. If that government be the best which provides for the happiness of the greatest number, that art must be the best which at the least expense pleases the greatest number." The project proved most suc- cessful and the Royal College of Music became one of the recognized institutions of the Empire. VISIT TO IRELAND IN 1 885 The Royal visit to Ireland in 1885 was an important inci- dent in the public life of the Prince of Wales. It was seven- teen years since he and the Princess had visited that much- troubled country and many untoward events had occurred 1 88 SPECIAL FUNCTIONS AND INTERESTS since then. The proposal for another visit was not popular with a section of the Irish press and politicians, but when it was evident that the generous instincts of the Irish people were going to make the occasion a demonstration of kindly feeling, if not of loyalty after the English fashion, they changed their attitude and recommended a "dignified neutrality." Even. this advice was very largely, however, lost sight of in the eventual result. On April 9th the Royal couple, accompanied by Prince Albert Victor, arrived at Kingstown amid the usual decorations and crowds and accepted an address of welcome. In Dublin the address was presented by the City Reception Committee instead of by the Lord Mayor and Corporation. An important clause in this document to which the Prince made no reference in his cautious reply was as follows : "We venture to assure you that it would be a great gratification to Her Majesty's loyal subjects in Ireland if a permanent Royal residence should be established in our country." A visit was paid at the conclusion of these proceedings to the Royal Dublin Society and the Agricultural Show. Later in the day the Prince, attended only by his eldest son and without notice of his intention, visited some of the poorest parts of the city and saw for himself the condition of the people. It soon became known, however, that he was amongst them and hearty cheers were given him wherever the people caught a glimpse of their visitor. On the following day thirty different addresses were received from various public bodies and in replying to them the Prince said: "In varied capacities and by widely different paths you pursue those great objects which, dear to you, are, believe me, dear also to me — the prosperity and progress of Ireland, the welfare and happi- ness of her people. From my heart I wish you success and I would that time and my own powers would permit me to explain fully and in detail the deep interest which I feel not only in the welfare of this great Empire at large but in the vm ««.««* SPECIAL FUNCTIONS AND INTERESTS 189 true happiness of those several classes of the community on whose behalf you have come here to-day." The next event was the laying of the foundation stone of the new Museum of Science and Art. The route was densely thronged, the houses beautifully decorated and the cheers of the people enthusiastic. An appropriate speech was made and then the Prince and his wife and son, accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant and Countess Spencer, drove to the Royal University where they were received by the Chancellor, the Duke of Abercorn, and the Honorary degree of LL. D. bestowed upon the Prince and that of Doctor of Music upon the Princess. Succeeding incidents of the visit were a bnlliant Levee at Dublin Castle ; a Drawing-room held by the Princess of Wales ; a state ball given by the Lord Lieutenant, which was a great success ; a visit to the Arlane Industrial School ; an enthusiastic reception at Trinity College from a great and representative gathering ; the presentation of new colours to the Cornwall Regiment, then stationed in Dublin, with a speech — as on most of the other occasions mentioned — from the Prince. On April 13th the Prince and Princess started for Cork and on the way thither, at Mallow, there was some attempt at a hostile demonstration. An effort of the same kind was made at Cork but was nullified by the cordial hospitality of the masses of the people. The Royal visitors left Ireland on April 17th well satisfied with the general loyalty and courtesy of their reception. HIS PART IN THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE In two of the great events which characterized the closing years of the Victorian era and his Mother's reign the Prince of Wales took a prominent and most important part — the Queen's Jubilee of 1887 and the Diamond Jubilee of ten years later. Upon no other occasion has his actual executive ability been better tested than in the latter event. Few, perhaps, can adequately realize the immense amount of work which igo SPECIAL FUNCTIONS AND INTERESTS devolved upon, or was assumed by, the Prince in this connection. He undertook many of the functions ; he was present with the Queen at all the events of a busy, crowded week ; he directed most of the detail and guided the complicated etiquette and * procedure of the occasion ; he personally controlled the arrange- ments for the splendid procession through the streets of London ; he overlooked the plans for the service in the Abbey and for the protection of the massed multitude in the streets ; he received and entertained many of the Royal personages who came from abroad. In both of these great events the Prince of Wales appreciated the new and peculiar significance added to the formal or popular British celebrations by the presence of Colonial leaders and troops and visitors. He had, in fact, to stamp the Imperial character and standing of these great demonstrations. CHAPTER XL The Prince and His Family. THE home life of the Prince and Princess of Wales was never an absolutely private one. It was lived in the light of an almost ceaseless publicity. Not that the actual house of the Royal couple was, or could ever be, unduly invaded ; but that every visitor was a more or less interested spectator and student of conditions and that every trifling incident, as well as the more important matters, of every-day life were remembered, repeated, or recorded as they would never be in an ordinary household. HOME LIFE OF THE ROYAL COUPLE Memoirs of British statesmen, leaders in art, or literature, or religion, or the Army and the Navy, teem with references, during forty years, to the life of the Heir Apparent and his wife at Sandringham or Marlborough and, without exception, they convey the impression of honest domestic happiness and unity. Gossip during that long period there had been, of course ; unpleasant inuendoes had been uttered in a small and unpleasant section of the press ; peculiar and, for the most obvious reasons, impossible stories had been cabled from time to time across the Atlantic ; but they were patiently borne by those who were the easy victims of silly statements and they were more than controverted by the tributes published from men who have lived on^ terms of intimacy with the Royal family and whose death lifted, occasionally, the seal of secrecy from their natural reserve and made the expression of their opinions and experiences possible. 191 1 92 THE PRINCE AND HIS FAMILY The steady growth of the Prince and Princess in popular favour and the fact that even the most irresponsible or un- scrupulous purveyor of news to such sheets as Mr. Labou- chere's Truth had never dared to reflect upon the Princess of Wales' beauty of character and life sufficed long before the accession of His Royal Highness to the Throne to kill even "- the surreptitious stories which always float upon the surface of society regarding persons in Royal positions. In this con- nection may be quoted the interesting reference to the subject made by Mr. G. W. Smalley, the well-known American writer who for so many years acted as London correspondent of the New York Tribune. He was dealing, under date of January 17th, 1892, with the premature death of the young Duke of Clarence and, after referring to the freshness of affection which prevailed throughout the Royal family, he proceeded in these words : " It is known to be strong and pure in all three gene- rations — indeed there are now four — which together make up the Royal family of England. * * * The domestic tradi- tions were followed just as faithfully at Marlborough House as at Windsor. The Prince of Wales's has been not merely a good but a devoted family. The Princess, whose whole life has been beautiful is in nothing more beautiful than in her love for her children. She passed from the bedside of her second son whose life she helped to save — they say that Prince George never rallied till his mother returned to nurse him — to the bedside of her first-born by whose grave she has now to stand." Sandrino-ham Hall in Norfolk was the real home of the o Royal couple and it was there that the children of their mar- riage spent much of their younger days and received much of the training which was to fit them for lives of more or less public duty and the responsibilities which go with public posi- tion. Marlborough House, in London, was the social centre, the official environment, the public residence, of the Prince THE PRINCE AND HIS FAMILY 193 and Princess of Wales. But the former place was always the one where they liked to be, where the heart of the Princess always rested with most interest and affection, where the en- joyment of the comforts of country and home life came with most force to the Prince and to his children. Around Sand- ringham the grounds and woods and park were not allowed to be spoiled by art — the latter was used in just such a degree as would help nature. The house, or palace, was concealed from view until the visitor was quite close to it and its home-like simplicity has always been a much-described quality. There was no elaboration of decoration, or straining after an appear- ance of stately luxury. Comfort seemed to be the aim and it was most certainly attained. The hall was designed some- what after the style of the old-fashioned banquetting halls, the various rooms were arranged for convenience and comfort, the decorations were beautiful without being gorgeous, the objects of interest, ornament and curiosity in the drawing-rooms and elsewhere were, of course, simply countless. Above the porch in front of the Hall was the quaint legend : " This house was built by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Alexandra his wife, in the year of our Lord 1870". The place was originally purchased for ^220,000 — saved from the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall by the Prince Consort's management — but further large sums had to be spent in order to make the mansion comfortable and the estate the model which it afterwards became. The former was practically rebuilt in 1870 but not until every cottage or farm-house on the prop- erty had been first rebuilt, or repaired. The house contained, particularly, the great hall or saloon decorated with trophies of the chase in all countries and with many caskets of gold and silver containing some of the addresses presented to the Prince from time to time ; the dining-room with its high oak roof and great fire-place, walls covered with tapestry given the Prince by the late King of Spain and a side-board covered 13 194 THE PRINCE AND HIS FAMILY with racing and yachting prizes in gold and silver ; the chief drawing room with hangings of dull gold silk, furniture bro- caded in soft red and gold, large panel mirrors and quantities of exquisite Sevres and Dresden china ; the conservatory where tea was often served ; a great ball-room and handsome billiard and smoking rooms. The boudoir of the Princess has been described as a dream of grace and simple beauty and everything about the place was arranged with a view to com- bining comfort with charm of appearance. The hundred ser- vants employed in or out of the house had everything that could make their lives pleasant and happy. EDUCATION OF THE ROYAL FAMILY Amidst these surroundings the sons and daughters of the Royal couple were brought up. Upon the education of the boys the Prince of Wales utilized his own knowledge of life as well as the traditions of his father's training of himself. He is said to have believed that the study of men and the ways of the world had not been sufficiently considered in his own case and that he wished his sons, while escaping the nervousness, constraints and adulation which surrounded the Court, should also avoid the sycophancy and flattery which might be expected in their cases at a public school — even of the highest. He therefore decided that a training ship in early youth and the fresh air, vigorous life and wholesome discipline of the Navy in immediately following years would be the best system of education. Prince Albert Victor and Prince George were, consequently, placed on board the Britannia training ship in 1870 and there they spent two years under conditions of study, work, training, mess, discipline and dress exactly similar to those of their shipmates. Their only dissipation was an occa- sional visit from their parents and the usual holiday period at home. During the two years spent on this ship they learned THE PRINCE AND HIS FAMILY 195 carpentering, the details of a ship's rigging and a certain amount of engineering. At the end of this period it was decided by the Prince to send his sons for a prolonged cruise around the world as midship- men on H.M.S. Bacchante. They were to have the. same duties and treatment as the other midshipmen — -except per- haps that their teaching would be more careful and their studies more severe. Special instructors in seamanship, gun- nery, mathematics and naval conditions were appointed, with the Rev. J. N. Dalton, M.A., as Governor, in charge while they were on shore and with supervision over their ordinary studies when at sea. Lord Charles Scott, Captain of the war-ship, was, of course, supreme when the Princes were on board his vessel. The cruise of the Bacchante commenced in Septem- ber, 1879, ar, d terminated in August, 1882. During that period it traversed over fifty-four thousand miles and the Royal mid- shipmen saw and visited Gibraltar, Madeira, Teneriffe, the West India Islands, Bermuda, the Cape Verde Islands, Monte Video, the Falkland Islands, Cape Colony, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and Brisbane, Victoria and Mel- bourne, New South Wales and Sydney, the Fiji Islands, Japan, Hong-Kong, Shanghai, Canton, the Straits Settle- ments, Ceylon, Egypt and the Holy Land, Athens, Crete, Corfu and Sicily. In 1886 two handsome volumes, carefully edited by the Rev. Mr. Dalton, and comprising the private jour- nals and diaries of the young Princes, were published in London and were found to contain many sensible reflections and much garnered information upon the many countries visited during this circumnavigation of the globe. It was not all serious study and work, however, during this period, and in almost every place touched at, where the Princes had anything like a chance, there is still to be found some cherished anecdote of Royal jokes or pranks — especially on the part of Prince George. i 9 6 THE PRINCE AND HIS FAMILY Meanwhile great care and thought had been devoted to the education of the three daughters. From the nursery they passed into a school-room in which French and German, music, history and mathematics were the studies most interest- ing to their father, while the learning of dressmaking and sewing in various branches, cooking, dairy work, the superin- tending of a garden and the management of a house were care- fully watched over by the Princess of Wales. The Princess Victoria was said, in the days following the completion of her education, to have the most domestic turn of mind of the three sisters, together with a pronounced artistic taste. Latterly she had taken over much of the supervision of household matters at Sandringham and Marlborough from her Royal mother and is, in 1902, the only unmarried member of the family. The Princess Maud was, as a girl, merry, pretty and clever ; a capital all-round sportswoman and fond of horses, dogs, birds, yachting and riding ; possessed at home of the nick-name " Harry," and said to be the Prince's favourite daughter; fond of incognito experiences, charities and amusements. The Princess Louise was a quieter and less striking character, and, like her younger sister, was afterwards allowed to marry the man of her choice, although he did not possess the high posi- tion which the Royal father might naturally have desired. MEMORIES OF PRINCE ALBERT VICTOR Following the return of the two Princes from their cruise, Prince Albert Victor was taken by his father to Cambridge, in 1883, and duly installed as an undergraduate of Trinity Col- lege. There he read regularly for six or seven hours a day, made himself thoroughly familiar with French and German, and associated himself in a most marked way with the men of intellect and character who were around him — nearly all his companions afterwards becoming distinguished in one way or another. Always modest and retiring he liked to entertain THE PRINCE AND HIS FAMILY 197 very quietly and to enjoy any possible musical occasion which presented itself. Hockey, polo and a little riding were his outdoor amusements. He came of age in 1885, the Univer- sity conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D., and, during the next few years, he worked as an officer in the Army. It was on the attainment of his majority that Prince Albert Victor received a most interesting letter, under date of January 7th, from Mr. Gladstone. In it the veteran states- man said to the prospective Sovereign : " There lies before Your Royal Highness in prospect the occupation — I trust at a distant date — of a throne which, to me at least, appears the most illustrious in the world, from its history and associations, from its legal basis, from the weight of the cares it brings, from the loyal love of the people, and from the unparalleled oppor- tunities it gives, in so many ways and so many regions, of doing good to the almost countless numbers whom the Almighty has placed beneath the sceptre of England." He went on to express the earnest hope that His Royal Highness might ever grow in the principles and qualities which should adorn his great vocation. During the Session of Parliament in 1889, the Prince of Wales was voted ,£36,000 annually in trust for the use of his children, and at about the same time it was decided to send Prince Albert Victor on a visit to India. On the way thither, at Athens, on October 20th, the latter was present at the wedding of his two cousins, the Duke of Sparta and the Prin- cess Sophia of Prussia, daughter of the Empress Frederick. In the great Eastern Empire he remained until April, 1890, visiting Hyderabad, Mysore, Madras and Calcutta, and meet- ing with a cordial reception which, however, lacked the great state and ceremony of his Royal father's famous tour. Lord Lansdowne was Viceroy and made a most admirable host and mentor. On May 24th, following, the young Prince was created Duke of Clarence and Avondale and Earl of Athlone, and 198 THE PRINCE AND HIS TAMIL Y commenced to take his place in public life as Heir Presump- tive to the Throne. In November of the year 1891 Prince George who had, meanwhile, been pursuing his vocation in the Navy, was taken ill at Sandringham. The Princess was away but, pending her return, his father nursed him personally with care and devotion. Typhoid — the disease which had carried off "the Prince Consort and so nearly killed the Heir Apparent, developed and the family anxiety was very great. At this point, on December 8th, the engrao-ement of the Duke of Clarence to his cousin, the very popular and beautiful Princess May of Teck, was announced amidst general congratulations. DEATH OF THE DUKE OF CLARENCE Then came one of the saddest events in the history of the British Royal family. The young Duke had only been engaged a few weeks and preparations had been commenced for the stately ceremonial of his marriage, when it was announced that he had caught cold at the funeral of Prince Victor of Hohen- lohe and was confined to his room. With but little notice pneumonia developed, the constitutional weakness of his sys- tem was unable to throw it off, and within a few days he was dead — January 15th, 1892. Prince George, in the meantime, had recovered, but those who saw the Prince of Wales walking beside his eldest son's body from Sandringham Church to the station, say that his obvious grief was almost pathetic. As to the mother she never really got over the sadness of that death and the removal of her favourite son. If there was, at times, a sad expression in her eyes, years after the event, it was no doubt due to the sudden shock and great loss which then came to her. Five days afterwards, the following telegram to Sir Francis Knollys was made public : " The Prince and Princess of Wales are anxious to express to Her Majesty's subjects in the United Kingdom, the Colonies, and in India, the sense of THE PRINCE AND HIS FAMIL Y 199 their deep gratitude for the universal feeling of sympathy manifested toward them at a time when they are overpowered 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 affection of Queen Victoria for this grandson, whom the Times of January 19th described as possessing " modesty, affectionateness, kindness, love of order, the desire to render every man his due, and reverence for age and greatness," is well-known to have been intense, and from Osborne, on January 26th, Her Majesty issued the following letter : ' ' I must once again give expression to my deep sense of the loyalty and affectionate sympathy evinced by my subjects in every part of my Empire on an occasion more sad and tragical than any but one which has befallen me and mine, as well as the Nation. The overwhelming misfor- tune of my dearly-loved grandson having been thus suddenly cut off in the flower of his age, full of promise for the future, amiable and gentle, and endearing himself to all, renders it hard for his sorely-stricken parents, his dear young bride and his fond Grandmother to bow in submission to the inscrutable decrees of Providence." Meantime, on June 27th, 1889, the marriage of the Prin- cess Louise had taken place. Her engagement to the Earl of Fife was somewhat of a surprise to a social world which does not like to be surprised. Though the Princess was twenty- two and the groom forty they had known each other for years and Lord Fife had been a frequent and welcome guest at Sandringham, while the Prince and Princess of Wales had long been on terms of intimacy with his parents. His was the only bachelor's house at which the Princess of Wales had ever been entertained. It could not, of course, be supposed that this first marriage in his family — the children of which might be 200 THE PRINCE AND HIS FAMILY very close to the Throne — was quite as lofty a match as the Royal father might wish, yet when he found that the matter was settled so far as the couple were personally concerned, he accepted the situation and asked the Queen's consent to the engagement. The wedding was duly celebrated at Bucking- ham Palace in the presence of the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, the King of the Helenes, the Crown Prince of Denmark, and the Grand Duke of Hesse. Lord Fife, who was personally very wealthy, was created Duke of Fife and Marquess of Macduff, and his wife shared in the subsequent special grant given to the Heir Apparent for the proper maintenance of his children. Afterwards, on the birth of the first child of the Duke and Duchess it was decided that she should not assume Royal rank but be known by the courtesy title due to her father's place in the Peerage. This child — Lady Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise Duff — was born on May 17th, 1891, and on April 3rd, 1893, the Lady Maud Alexandra Victoria Georgia Bertha Duff was born. Meanwhile an interesting event had occurred on March 10, 1888, in the celebration of the Silver Wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Illuminations in London and a ball at Buckingham Palace marked the event. Prince George of Wales was now Heir Presumptive to the Throne and upon him were devolved the more or less arduous duties of that position. Following his brother's death he gave up active service in the Navy and on May 24th, 1892, was created Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Kil- larney. The importance of his marriage was now obvious and a year and a quarter after the death of the Duke of Clarence the eno-aeement of his brother to the Princess May of Teck was officially announced. The wedding took place on July 6th, 1893, and there could be no doubt by that time of the popu- larity of the young couple and of the national pleasure at their union. The decorations in London eclipsed those of the Queen's THE PRINCE AND HIS FAMILY 201 Jubilee and the crowds were equally great. The ceremony was performed at the Chapel Royal, St. James's, instead of at St. George's, Windsor, where the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Princesses Helena and Louise and the Dukes of Albany and Connaugrht had been wedded. Amongst the great gather- ing present at the ceremony were Her Majesty and the Royal family as a whole, the Duke and Duchess of Teck, Lord Salisbury, Lord Rosebery, Mr. Morley, Mr. Bryce, Mr. Chamber- lain, Sir W. V. Harcourt, Lord Ripon, Lord Spencer, Lord Herschell, Mr. Balfour, Mr. Goschen, the Dukes of Argyll, Norfolk and Devonshire, Mr. Gladstone, the Hon. T. F. Bayard, American Minister, several Indian Princes and many others. The Times of July 7th had the following comment upon the event : " Few Royal weddings of our timearroused such unusual enthusiasm as the union of the Duke of York with the bride of his choice — an English Princess, born and bred in an English home, endeared to all hearts by the now softened memory of a tragic sorrow and richly endowed with all the qualities which inspire the brightest hopes for the future. Fewer still have ever been celebrated with happier omens, or in more auspicious circum- stances than that of yesterday. The pomp of a brilliant Court, the acclaim, at once tumultuous and orderly, of the mightiest of cities, spontaneously making holiday and decking itself in its brightest and bravest, the simul- taneous rejoicing of a whole people, the sympathy, unbought and yet priceless, of a world-wide Empire, the radiant splendour of an English summer day — all these combined to make the ceremony of yesterday an occasion as memorable as that of the Jubilee itself." The bridesmaids were all relations of the young couple — the Princesses Victoria and Maud of Wales, Victoria Melita, Alexandra and Beatrice of Edinburgh ; Margaret and Victoria Patricia of Connaught ; Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein ; Vic- toria and Alexandra of Battenberg. The Duke of York wore a simple Captain's uniform and was supported by his Royal father and the Duke of Edinburgh. The bride was described in the papers of the time as wearing silver and white brocade, 202 THE PRINCE AND HIS FAMILY with clustered shamrocks, roses and thistles. On July ioth the Queen addressed one of her usual tactful and gracious letters to the nation expressive of her personal sympathy with the people and of theirs with her and her family. The eldest child of this marriage — Prince Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David — was direct in sue- cession to the Throne after his father and was born on June 23, 1894. The second child was Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George, born on December 14, 1895. Princess Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary, was born on April 25th, 1897, and Prince Henry William Frederick Albert on March 31, 1900. The Prince of Wales was greatly attached to his grandchildren and nothing in these later years gave him greater pleasure than hav- ing around him the youthful scions of the House of Fife, or that of York, and giving them presents and other means of enjoy- ment. On July 22, 1896, his third daughter, the Princess Maud, was married to Prince Charles, second son of the Crown Prince of Denmark. The ceremony was performed in the private Chapel of Buckingham Palace, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the presence of the Queen and most of the members of the Royal family. The Duke and Duchess of Sparta, the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark, Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone and Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain were amongst the guests. The bridesmaids were Princesses Ingeborg of Denmark, Victoria of Wales, Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, Thyra of Denmark, Victoria Patricia of Connaught, Margaret of Connaught, Alice of Albany and the Lady Alexandra Duff. CHAPTER XII. The Prince as a Social Leader. THE influence wielded upon Society by the Prince of Wales, during nearly forty years of public life, was so marked and important as to merit extended considera- tion. Society, of course, in such a connection includes much more than any particular set of persons however select, or dis- tinguished, or aristocratic ; it means, in fact, all the varied social circles, high and low, which have recognized principles of etiquette and intercourse and common customs of amuse- ment and fashion. Taken in this wide sense of the word, no personage in the history of Europe during the nineteenth century wielded so great an influence as His Royal Highness. He helped to make the unbounded after-dinner drinking of a previous period unpopular and socially un-orthodox ; he en- couraged in his more youthful days and always enjoyed the pleasures of dancing ; he introduced very largely the popular fashion of a cigarette after dinner in place of endless heavy cigars and their accompaniment of liquors ; he did much to encourage and popularize a love for music ; he led the fashion in the matter of men's dress and, upon the whole, society ia most civilized countries has to thank him for simple and digni- fied customs in this respect ; he supported the race-course with courage and persistence and not only made racing more popu- lar but helped to establish its code and operation upon a high plane of honour — by far the highest and cleanest in the world; he made charity and the support of its varied public institu- tions popular and fashionable ; he showed the gilded youth of a great social world that work was a good thing for a Prince 203 204 THE PRINCE AS A SOCIAL LEADER and a peer as well as for a peasant ; he, with his beautiful wife, presented for many years a model home and family life to the nation and they, together, discouraged many of the petty vices and small faults which creep into all social systems from time to time. LIFE AT MARLBOROUGH HOUSE The official and social centre of this leadership in the British world was at Marlborough House — a large and unpre- tentious residence in the heart of London. That the place was exquisitely furnished and equipped goes without saying ; that it was comfortable in the extreme is equally a matter of course to those acquainted with the taste and house-keeping capacities of the Princess of Wales. It was filled with fine engravings and paintings illustrative of the Victorian era ; it teemed with mementoes and memorials of past incidents, travels and friendships in the lives of the Royal couple ; it contained rooms suited for every purpose required in the ex- acting life and multifarious public duties of its occupants. The Prince's study, where only intimates were admitted, has been described as the room of a hard-working man of business. When at Marlborough House, His Royal Highness used to mark out his time, each day, with care and precision and even then it was difficult to fill his many and varied engagements. There were certain public functions such as the Horse Show at Islington, or the Royal Military Tournament, to which the Prince and Princess always went when in London. There were a certain number of state dinners given in place of those which, under other circumstances, would have been given by the Sovereign. Diplomatic dinners were also incidents of the sea- son at Marlborough House as well as dinners which included the Government and Opposition leaders and great banquets held from time to time in honour of foreign guests of the nation or Royal relations visiting the country. THE PRINCE AS A SOCIAL LEADER 205 The dininor-room at Marlborough was handsome but plain, the arrangements of the table setting an example of simplicity which society, in this case, did not always follow. The Prince of Wales never concealed his dislike for the extremely lengthy banquets which were the custom in his youth and succeeded, so far as private dinner-parties were concerned, in revolutionizing the system. To the favoured guest Marl- borough House was a scene of historic as well as personal interest. It had been the home of the great Duke of that name ; the residence of Prince Leopold, intended husband of the lamented Princess Charlotte, and afterwards King of the Belgians ; the dower-house of Queen Adelaide ; the choice of the Prince Consort for his son's London home. The general contents of the house were worthy of its history. In one room were splendid panels of Gobelin tapestry presented by Napoleon ; in another were the rare and wonderful treas- ures of Indian work, in gold, silver, jewelry and embroidery, brought home from the Royal visit to Hindostan ; elsewhere was a beautiful vase given the Prince by Alexander II. of Russia, enamelled work from the East, richly ornamented swords, trays of solid gold, tables full of presentation keys, medals, trowels and memorials of all kinds. Socially, the drawing-room was the central feature of in- terest. Its general effect has been described* as being white and gold and pale pink, its floor of polished oak with an Ax- minster carpet in the centre, and with an appearance of vast- ness modified by pillars of white and gold. There were innumerable mirrors and the furniture was upholstered in deep red, while rare china, flowers, photographs, statuettes, and small ornaments of gold and silver and enamel were scattered in profusion upon tables, cabinets and mantels. Here the most eminent men and beautiful or clever women of Great * Private Life of King Edward VII. By a member of the Royal Household. D. Appleton & Co. N. Y. 2o6 THE PRINCE AS A SOCIAL LEADER Britain and the world have been entertained and here, or in the well-kept grounds, the intimate friends of the Prince and Princess have gathered from time to time. The society received at Marlborough was always cosmo- politan in its variety but it was never of the kind which slander sometimes insinuated. No man has ever been more democratic, . so far as mere class barriers are concerned, than was the Prince of Wales, but no one knew better than he where to draw the line in his entertainments. The Princess, for her part, was at all times a model hostess, and each knew too well what was due to the other to make the social life of the Palace anything more than a correct embodiment and representation of the social life of London. The liberality of the Prince was made evident in later years in making cultivated and representative Americans or Jews welcome at his functions. His very proper and openly-avowed liking for beautiful women encouraged at one time a social class of "professional beauties," but as soon as this patronage was found to have been misused and vulgar- ized in certain quarters, he and the Princess quietly dropped those who were making a trade of the Royal recognition. A story has been told illustrating the capacity which the Prince of Wales always showed for keeping people in their proper places. On one occasion, at a great charitable bazaar in Albert Hall, which he had honoured with his presence, he went up to a refreshment stall and asked for a cup of tea. The fair vendor — there was no doubt of her beauty — before handing the cup to His Royal Highness took a drink from it, saying, " ?iow the price will be five guineas ! " The Prince gravely paid the money, handed back the cup of tea and said , " Will you please give me a clean cup ? " The Royal etiquette, as to social entertainments and the acceptance of invitations to country houses, or city functions, was always very exact and was carried out along lines fixed by the Prince and Princess in their early married life. Outside of THE PRINCE AS A SOCIAL LEADER 207 the aristocracy, or a small list of personal friends, very few hospitable invitations were ever accepted and as such accept- ance meant certain admission to the higher ranks of society the pressure upon personal friends or officials can easily be imagined. The Prince always objected to the lavish and extravagant style of such entertainments and this was one important reason for limiting his circle of hosts and hostesses. At the country houses visited from time to time, or at the private dinners to which he accepted invitations, the Prince was supposed to usually see a list of the guests and to always have the right of adding names to it. The delicate and indi- rect task of attending to this matter was for many years confided to Mr. Harry Tyrwhitt Wilson ; who also had the arrangement of details in connection with the visits largely in his hands. One incident of the visits to country houses was an effort on the part of the Prince in recent years to discour- age and check the wholesale habit of tipping servants. He took the method of leaving a moderate and suitable sum for the purpose and this was distributed after he had left the place. It may be added that whenever the Prince went any- where he was always accompanied by an equerry, his own valets, a footman to wait on him at meals, and certain other servants. FRIENDS AND COMPANIONS OF THE PRINCE The Prince and Princess of Wales, separately or together as the case may be, have visited most of the splendid homes of Englai d. Chief amongst those whom they delighted to visit were the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and Chatsworth, Hardwick Hall and Compton Place have, therefore, more than once seen most brilliant entertainments in their honour. Lord and Lady Cadogan were frequent and favourite hosts. Lord and Lady Londonderry, the Earl and Countess of War- wick, the Duke of Richmond at Goodwood House, the late Duke of Westminster at Eaton Hall, all entertained the Royal 2o8 THE PRINCE AS A SOCIAL LEADER couple upon more than one occasion. Lord Alington, the late Duke of Beaufort, and Sir Edward Lawson gave the Prince frequent and enjoyable shooting. The Duchess of Marlbo- rough and Mrs. Arthur Paget were two American ladies whom His Royal Highness counted as friends and hostesses. Several members of the Rothschild family entertained the Heir Appar- ent at homes which have been described as models of comfort and museums of art, while Lord Penrhyn was a Welsh mag- nate whom he once visited with great pleasure, and the late Baron Hirsch, in his Hungarian shootings, gave him splendid sport upon more than one occasion. No phrase has been more conspicuous in recent years and none have been more abused in meaning and application than that of " the Prince's set." Properly used, it meant his per- sonal friends or those who, along specific and often very diverse lines of sport, society, work, or travel, were necessarily intimate with His Royal Highness. Improperly applied, it was supposed to designate a rather fast and very "smart" set of wealthy social magnates. In this latter guise it had really no existence. Those who were familiar with the Prince of Wales' career and character knew that mere wealth was the last thing which ever attracted him, and the one thing which was a most certainly uncertain basis upon which to gain his patronage ; to say nothing of his friendship. Many disap- pointed millionaires can speak with accuracy upon this point — if they wished to. On the other hand, honest love of racing, or shooting or yachting ; brilliancy of conversation in man or woman and conspicuous beauty or charm of manner in the latter ; knowledge of the world and capacity to do the right thino- in the right way at the right time were conspicuous factors in obtaining the friendship of the Prince of Wales. Achievements in art, or distinction in the Army and Navy, or oreat philanthropic interests and undertakings, were always elements of recognized importance. THE PRINCE AS A SOCIAL LEADER 209 Deer-stalking in the Highlands made friends and hosts such as the late Dukes of Sutherland and Hamilton, Mr. Far- quharson of Invercauld and Lord Glenesk. During his annual visits to Homburg, for many years, and in the rest and liberty which he allowed himself there, the Prince's favourite com- panion, as he was his most devoted friend, was the late Mr. Christopher Sykes. Lord Brampton — the clever, witty and eccentric Judge who was better known as Sir Henry Hawkins — the Right Hon. "Jimmy" Lowther, M.P., Lord Charles and Lord William Beresford, and Sir Allen Youne were also special friends of the holiday season. Admiral Sir Henry Keppel was a very old friend of the Prince and his family and this intimacy also included Mr. and Mrs. George Keppel. Lord Rosebery, Lord Beaconsfield, Lord Randolph Churchill and the late Lord Derby could all claim the Royal friendship, while Lord and Lady Farquhar were delightful and favourite hosts of both the Prince and his wife. Colonel Oliver Mon- tagu was a very old and dear friend, and the Earl of Ayles- ford, Lord Cadogan, General Lord Wantage, Colonel Owen Williams, Earl Carrington, Lord and Lady Dudley and Lord Russell of Killowen ranked in the category of friendship. Lord and Lady Alington had the rare distinction of giving dances to which the Princess of Wales used to take her daughters when they were young girls. Amongst hostesses other than those already mentioned whose entertainments the Prince liked to attend were Mrs. Bischoffstein and Mrs. Arthur Rothschild. Other personal friends were the late Earl of Lathom, the bright and witty Marchioness of Aylesbury, Lord James of Hereford and the late Sir Charles Hall. Amongst artists whom the Prince greatly favoured were Sir Charles and Lady Halle and the late Lord Leighton. No closer and more devoted friends of the Prince could be found than the members of his own Household, and the public was long aware of this in the 14 210 THE PRINCE AS A SOCIAL LEADER persons of Lord Suffield, Sir Francis Knollys and Sir Dighton Probyn, in particular. The Prince delighted in doing honour to those whom he accepted as friends. He marked his sorrow at the deaths of Colonel Oliver Montagu and Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild by personally attending their funerals — an ex- ception to the rule which he had set himself in this connection.. His Royal Highness frequently gave his powerful patronage to the promotion of Memorials to those who had been honoured by his friendship and who deserved honour upon national grounds. An early instance of this was the case of Dean Stanley. A later one, on July 13, 1900, was the gathering called at Marlborough House and presided over by the Prince for the purpose of erecting a national memorial in Westminster Abbey to the Duke of Westminster. In speak- ing, His Royal Highness said: "To me personally the death of the Duke meant the loss of a life-long friend. I had known him from his boyhood and there is no one whose friendship I appreciated more than his. In my judgment there is no one whose public services more fully deserve public recognition by his countrymen." Fidelity to friends and appreciation of manly qualities and special abilities were always characteristic of the Prince of Wales and, combined with his tact and the unusual qualifica- tions of the Princess as a hostess, made Marlborough and Sandringham, in different ways, the most ideal centres of social entertainment. Taken as a whole, the Prince's leadership of society was emphatically for good. His approval and patron- age of the opera or the tkeatre, the race-course or the shoot- ing-box, may not have been agreeable to some people, but they represented the popular opinion of the great majority. He took things as they were, enjoyed them in a full-hearted and honest way, improved the morale of the social system and the practices in vogue in many directions and left Society infinitely better and more honest than he had found it. CHAPTER XIII. The Prince as a Sportsman. IN his devotion to the " sport of kings" the Prince of Wales followed the excellent example of Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth, Charles I, Charles II, William of Orange, Queen Anne, the Duke of Cumberland, George IV, and William IV. He represented in this respect an inherent and seemingly natural liking of the English people. With them the manly art of war, the physical excitements of chivalry, and tests of endurance in civil and foreign struggles, have been replaced by the games and sports of a quieter and more peace- ful period. Riding to hounds, steeple-chasing and the amateur or professional race-course represent a most popular as well as aristocratic phase of this development. The Prince of Wales, early in his life, took a liking to racing in all its forms and encouraged steeple-chasing at a time when it was neither fashion- able nor popular. He became a member of the Jockey Club in 1868. It was not, however, until 1877 tnat his afterwards famous colours of purple, gold band, scarlet sleeves and black velvet cap with gold fringe, were carried at Newmarket in the presence of the Princess and before a great and fashionable gathering. Five years later His Royal Highness won the Household Brigade Cup at Sandown and thenceforward his interest in the sport was keen, although it was not till some years afterwards that he established his own racing-stable which, in 1890, was placed under the efficient management of Lord Marcus Beresford. During these years the Prince lost a good deal of money, though the amount was never known or even truthfully guessed 212 THE PRINCE AS A SPORTSMAN at, but in 1889 his horses began also to win. In that year he won ^204, in 1891 ^4148, in 1894 ^3499- and in tne next f° ur years a total of ,£57,430. In 1892 a Royal stud was founded at Sand ring-ham and there Persimmon and Diamond Jubilee were bred. The Derby of 1896 was perhaps, the most historic of English racing events. Attended by a crowd of three hundred thousand people, raced in with horses owned by such generous patrons of the turf as the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Westminister and Mr. Leopold de Rothschild, watched with unusual interest by the crowd, it resulted in the most popular victory in the history of English sport. The Prince had fought hard for this blue ribbon of the turf, he had faced defeat and discouragement again and again and it was known that he would prize success more than anything within the limits of his ambition. When, therefore, Persimmon carried his colours to the first victory won at Epsom by a Prince of Wales in a hundred years, the delight of the Royal owner was evident. The great gathering of people cheered as if each person present had himself won the race and their obvious enthusiasm was an expression of personal liking as well as loyalty. This was a great year for the Prince whose horses not only won the Derby, the St. Leger and the £ 10,000 Jockey Club Stakes but also the Newmarket Stakes. In 1897 Persimmon won the Ascot Cup and the Eclipse Stakes (worth together ,£12,700) and was then retired from the turf. Trained by Richard Marsh and ridden by John Watts, this horse had given his Royal owner not only financial success but— what he valued infinitely more — great victories in a sport which he loved. From that time on the Prince continued to be lucky with his horses. At the Derby of 1900 Diamond Jubilee won in exactly the same time as the Royal horse of 1896 had done. At this race, on May 30th, the Prince was accompanied by a large number of noblemen and ladies and gentlemen interested in racing. The Duke of Devonshire, Lord Rothschild, Lord S -5 = X "3 w o n O 5 W s if £■* " o O TJ S 2 a o § £ u Z £ O THE PRINCE AS A SPORTSMAN 213 Cheylesmore, the Marquess of Londonderry, the Duke of Portland, Lord Farquhar, the Earl of Chesterfield, the Earl and Countess of Crewe, the Earl and Countess Carrington, and others, came from London in the Royal special train. In the Royal box at the races were the King of Sweden, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the Princess Victoria, the Duke of Cambridge and other royalties. The success of the Prince's horse in two minutes, forty-two seconds, was received with tremendous applause and with general congratulation in a large section of the press while, in the same year, the Royal colours were also carried to victory at the Grand National and the Two Thousand Guineas. The whole record was a unique one ; the time at the Derby was the fastest in the history of the course ; the winner of 1900 was a brother to the winner in 1896 ; and those who lost money appeared to be as glad that the popular Prince should win as if they had themselves backed his horse. RACING FRIENDS AND YACHTING EXPERIENCES The part taken by His Royal Highness in sporting matters naturally resulted in many friendships built around a mutual love of racing, of riding, and of the horse. Conspicuous amongst the good sportsmen who were also good friends of the Prince were the names of the Duke of Portland, Sir George Wombwell, Sir Reuben Sassoon, the Rothschilds, the late Lord Sefton, Mr. Henry Chaplin, the Earl of Zetland and Sir Fred- erick Johnstone. Sir John Astley, Lord and Lady Claude Hamilton, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur James, Sir Edward Lawson, Sir Edward Hulse, Lord and Lady Gerard, the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, Sir William Russell and Lady Dorothy Neville may be mentioned amongst other devotees of the turf who ranked in later years as friends of the Prince of Wales in this particular social "set." In this connection the an- nual Derby Day dinner must be mentioned. From 1887 to the time of the Prince's accession this Royal banquet to the 2i 4 THE PRINCE AS A SPORTSMAN members of the Jockey Club was an important institution and a much looked-for event in racing circles. Latterly it was the chief regular entertainment of the year at Marlborough House. The function was elaborate yet not too formal. Evening dress and not uniform was the custom ; the guests included about fifty of the leading patrons of the turf and there were generally half-a-dozen of the Royal family present ; the great silver dinner service ordered by the Prince at his marriage was always used ; and the dining-room with its side-boards laden with gold and silver trophies of the race-course and attendants in scarlet, blue and gold, was a brilliant sight. Dinner did not usually last more than an hour and then the guests adjourned to the drawing-room for whist. In 1896 and 1900 the toast of the Derby winner, which had so often been proposed by the Royal host, had to be given to some one else — greatly to the enthusiasm of the guests. The Prince of Wales was always a fearless rider and was fond of it from childhood. As an undergraduate at Christ- Church he constantly hunted with Lord Macclesfield's pack and was then considered a hard rider ; but in after years his riding was mainly done in connection with military and other functions and for exercise, in a milder way than that of fol- lowing the hounds. Akin, in some respects to the sport of racing, is that of yachting and to this the Prince of Wales was almost equally devoted. Naturally fond of the sea, trained in ocean travel in days when it was no pleasant drawing-room experience to cross the Atlantic, familiar with every part of a yacht and detail of its management, it was only fitting that the Heir to the throne of the seas should be an accomplished yachtsman. His first racing-yacht was the Aline and his next one, the Britannia, was for a time the most successful of large racing -yachts. Many splendid cups and pieces of plate graced the buffets of Sandrinarham and Marlborough and marked the victories of the Prince ; though any prize moneys won in this THE PRINCE AS A SPORTSMAN 215 way were always handed over to his Captain and crew as an addition to their already handsome pay. His Royal Highness was a capital sailor. In returning from his Canadian and American tour in i860 his ship was driven out of its course by a severe storm and so much alarm was caused by the delay that a British fleet was sent out to search for it ; but, different as were the conditions of travel in those days, the Prince was not found to be any the worse for his stormy experience. In after years when cruising along the coasts of Europe, or traversing the Pacific and Indian oceans, he met with many a storm and severe strain, so far as weather was concerned, without effect. It is said, however, that he was troubled somewhat by rough weather in the English Channel. As Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron his patronage did very much in making the sport popular and fashionable and in creating the Cowes Regatta as a great yachting func- tion. To this Royal Yacht Club every consideration in the way of prizes was given and the Queen, the Prince, the Em- peror William of Germany, and Napoleon III. of France, offered prizes or trophies, from time to time. As Commo- dore — which office he accepted in 1882 — His Royal Highness had as predecessors the Earl of Yarborough, the Marquess of Donegal and the Earl of Wilton. The Vice-Commodore for many years was the Marquess of Ormonde. THE NAVY AND LOVE OF SHOOTING On July 1 8th, 1887, the position of the Heir Apparent was recognized and the Navy complimented through his ap- pointment by the Queen as Honorary Admiral of the Fleet. Some criticism was expressed in a portion of the Radical press mainly, it was stated, through ignorance of the Prince's real qualifications as both a seaman and yachtsman. Upon his accession to the Throne no single action was more popular than King Edward's retention of this latter title and the interest 2i 6 THE PRINCE AS A SPORTSMAN which he continued to show in the Navy. His Majesty took as great interest in Sir Thomas Lipton's efforts to win the America Cup as he had in the previous attempts of Lord Dunraven. Sir Thomas was, apparently, a congenial spirit in this connection and from both Prince and King he received a good deal of favour. It was while cruising with him on board Shamrock II., off Southampton, (May 22, 1901) that a heavy wind unexpectedly strained the spars and gear too much and brought down the top-mast and mainmast in a sudden wreck which crashed over the side of the frail yacht. The danger to the King was very great and a difference of ten seconds in his position would probably have given fatal results. The visit to the yacht was, of course, a private one, but such an incident as this made the affair very widely commented upon. The Lon- don Daily Express of the succeeding day embobied a good deal of public opinion in the following remarks : " King though he be, he is resolute to live the frank and free life of an English gentleman, taking the chances of sport by land and sea as gaily as any undistinguished son of the people, whose life is of no smallest national import. That is the sort of King we want, the sort of King we will die for if need be— a King who holds his own in every manly exer- cise, loving sport all the more because it contains the element of danger that possesses such a subtle attraction for men of Anglo-Saxon blood." Shooting was probably the favourite all-round sport of the Prince of Wales and in this he heartily embodied one more characteristic of the typical English gentleman. It has been described as a positive passion with him and as being " the love of his life." His father had been a thorough sportsman, though not a very good shot ; the son became not only a thorough sportsman but perhaps the best shot in the United Kingdom. At seven years of age he was taught deer-stalking, at Oxford he frequently did a day's shooting on neighbouring estates, and, in his American and Canadian tour, a great pleasure to the young man was an occasional day's sport. At THE PRINCE AS A SPORTSMAN 217 Sandringham he early mapped out his estate into a series of drives and soon combined with other famous shots to create and make popular the big battues which were afterwards so well known and which came to constitute so important an event in the shooting seasons at his Norfolk home. But His Royal Highness never confined himself to shooting pheasants, hares, or rabbits. Deer-stalking and shooting grouse were favourite pursuits, and he knew no greater pleasure than to spend a day, or days, upon the moors, accompanied by friends and hosts such as the late Duke of Sutherland, his son-in-law, the Duke of Fife, Mr. Mackenzie of Kintail and Colonel Far- quharson of Invercauld. Going out from Abergeldie, or Bal- moral, or Mar Lodge on a stalking expedition, the Prince cared neither for exposure to bad weather, nor severe exertion, so long as he could return with a bag of several head of deer. With the German Emperor and the late Duke of Coburg he enjoyed splendid sport in the vast forests of Central Europe from time to time, and with Baron Hirsch, on his great Hun- garian estates, he had hunted deer, chamois, wild boar and roebuck, as he had shot game in America, hunted tigers and elephants in India, shot crocodiles in Egypt and hunted in the forests of Ceylon or Denmark. CHAPTER XIV. Habits and Character of the Prince. DURING forty years of his career as Prince of Wales, King Edward VII. was probably the most talked-of man in the United Kingdom. Good-natured stories, ill-natured anecdotes, criticisms grading down from the mali- cious to the very mild, praise ranging from the fulsome to the feeble point, falsehoods great and falsehoods small, have found currency not confined to the English language and ranging through "yarns" of gutter journals in London, Paris, Berlin, New York or Calcutta, in varied languages, and in many degrees of fabrication. Outside of the United Kingdom some of these stories have been more or less believed ; even in his own national home there were always people ready and willing to accept the worst that they heard about a great pub- lic personage. Where he was known best, however, the influence of these things upon the reputation of the Prince of Wales was least and, in fact, so small as to afford little or no excuse for dealing with them. Abroad, however, it had always been different, and in the United States, thirty years before his accession to the Throne, it was conspicuously so. With the passing years, of course, and with growing knowledge of the Prince's position and character, the situation greatly changed. As a matter of fact the Prince of Wales, from the early days of his manhood, was in his personal and private relations a jovial, honest and honourable English gentleman ; possessed of a full sense of his responsibility in much burdensome work 218 HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE 219 and ceremonial and with a growing appreciation, as years passed, of his place as a sort of impartial Empire statesman ; possessed, also, of a large fund of animal spirits and capacity for enjoying the pleasures of life. Within the full limits of his rights and his position he lived his life of work and plea- sure, of public responsibility and of private rest and recreation. Yet it was almost always in the blaze of a noon-day publicity and few, indeed, were the times and seasons in which the Heir Apparent could amuse himself in any genuine incognito. Attempt it he might, but if any evil-minded critic were to seriously orconscientiously considerthe situation — both of which suppositions are improbable — he might have seen that the best-known and most photographed man in the world would indeed have been foolish to trust to an incognito for any but the simplest and most innocent of objects. The actual impos- sibility of the Prince of Wales escaping from his entourage, his identity, and his surroundings, were sufficient to make Con- tinental fictions and foreign fancies about him absolutely farcical to those who knew something of his daily life — aside altogether from those who knew and understood his real character. THE MORDAUNT CASE. There was only one matter involving moral considerations which ever emerged from the low region of back-door insinua- tion to the upper air and it was threshed out in a cause celebre — that of Lady Mordaunt. Her husband, an English baronet, sued for divorce before the Court of Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, alleging the usual grounds, and naming as co-respon- dents, Viscount Cole and Sir Frederick Johnstone. The case was heard on February 16th, 1870, and following days, and the defence on the part of Lady Mordaunt was insanity. The Prince of Wales, though not specified in the indictment, was so widely gossiped about as being connected with the case that he asked to be heard and swore positively that there had been 220 HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE no improper relations between himself and the defendant. Two of the Judges on Appeal — Lord Penzance and Mr. Justice Keating — agreed with the jury's verdict that Lady Mordaunt was insane, while Chief Baron Kelly differed. The woman in the case was for years afterwards confined in a lunatic asylum, and it has long since been quite well understood that the only basis for scandal was the fact that a Royal visit which had been paid upon one occasion was made under the invariable rule of etiquette, which prescribes that no other caller shall be received while the visit lasts. Before and after the trouble Lady Mordaunt's sisters, and especially the Dowager Countess of Dudley, were amongst the Princess of Wales' warm friends, while the daughter of the plaintiff in the case was, in later years, received at Sandringham, and was given many beauti- ful presents by the members of the Royal family upon her marriage to the Marquess of Bath. Such conditions would have been absolutely impossible to imagine with the Princess of Wales had she entertained the slightest belief in the stories floating about regarding that famous trial. During the suc- ceeding thirty years, however, there was never even an apparent excuse for the repetition of such stories, and the happy home life of the Prince and Princess was patent to all who were willing to believe the evidence of their eyes and ears. What may be said of the characteristics and habits of this many-sided heir to Royal position ? Probably his first and most pronounced quality was one of difficult definition — tactfulness. Through its means he led society without rivalry and with unique success ; promoted reforms without violence of agita- tion or the creation of antagonisms ; carried out countless varied and delicate duties, with noiseless celerity, in an age of intense and active curiosity. In forty years of ceaseless poli- tical change and frequently acute political crises not a whisper of his private views became known to the million-tongued press or HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE 221 the curious public. He had known every kind of partisan and been liked by leaders of the masses as well as the classes — by Joseph Arch and Henry Broadhurst, as well as by the Earl of Derby or the Marquess of Salisbury. If he visited Mr. Glad- stone at Hawarden on one occasion he paid the same honour to Lord Beaconsfield at Hughenden at another time. If Lord Randolph Churchill was a personal friend so also was Lord Rosebery, or Mr. Balfour. His genial manner and sometimes cosmopolitan view of society encouraged a popular opinion as to his natural democracy ; while a personal dignity, never forced, or assumed, but always present, prevented the most courageous person from taking undue advantage of the free- dom from ceremonial which he sometimes liked to encourage. His preferences in international matters were as little known as his political opinions, and yet, at times, his influence in this respect was very great. SPORTING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRINCE The next and perhaps most prominent characteristic of the Prince of Wales was his love for sports and his embodi- ment of qualities which, in everyday life, constitute the Eng- lish country gentleman. Some reference has already been made to his interest in racing, yachting and shooting. But most of the lesser sports and games were also attractive to him at different periods, and there was hardly one with which he was not more or less familiar. Boating and riding in his University days and fox-hunting at Sandringham from time to time in later years, were incidents of this record. Croquet he was an expert in, but never very fond of. Lawn-tennis, when first introduced and for years afterwards, was a game to which he was very partial, and on the Sei'apis when traversing the route to T ndia he played deck-tennis until everyone else was exhausted. The bowling-alley at Sandringham was one of the best in England and the Prince was always fond of a game of 222 HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE bowls. Quoits he played well, and billiards he played with frequency and skill — his daughters being also able to handle the cue with success. Hockey was a favourite game, especially on the lakes at Sandringham, and of this sport the other mem- bers of his family were equally fond. Skating and hockey parties were frequent during severe winter seasons and the Prince played in many specially arranged hockey matches — one of them against members of the House of Commons in the winter of 1894-5 included Mr. Balfour, Lord Stanley, Lord Willoughby de Eresby and Mr. Victor Cavendish. Fishing never appealed to him and was, apparently, too quiet and easy a sport. He liked pigeon-flying, and bred some very fine birds at Sandringham for this purpose. Tricy- cling he was very fond of and kept good machines both at Marlborough and Sandrinorham. As soon as motor cars came into use he could be frequently seen driving a smart carriage along the country roads of Norfolk. Chess the Prince never mastered nor cared for. In dancing he was an expert, as well as in skating, and was always exceedingly fond of the amuse- ment. At his Sandringham balls he was an indefatigable dancer, and at great balls all over the world he delighted many a partner and varied social circle by his obvious pleasure in the entertainment. From Halifax to Montreal, from Toronto to New York, in Canada and the United States, in Egypt and India, in Turkey and Greece, in all the greater Courts of Europe, from the days of Napoleon III at Paris, to those of William II at Berlin, he had been the central figure of some such occasions. Golf was played by His Royal Highness on the links of Musselburgh in early days and at a later time in Windsor Park. Cricket he was fond of in his younger days, but latterly he only showed his interest by patronizing matches as an onlooker. In these and other pursuits the Prince repre- sented in his mode of life and his manner of enjoying himself HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE 223 the qualities of a distinct type amongst his countrymen and a type most popular throughout the community. Another characteristic of the Prince was his good man- ners. The "first gentleman in Europe" always knew how to be pleasant without being familiar, dignified without being pompous, genial without being free. Myriads of stories are told in this connection. At the skating and hockey parties on the Sandringham lakes the farmers' wives and daughters were included and no Duchess in the land would be handed a cup of tea with more courtly manner by the Royal host than would the wife of a tenant on his estates. His servants, in houses and farms and stables, in sport or travel, at home and abroad, were treated in such a way as to make every one of them wish to serve the Prince for a life-time. No more charming inci- dent is on record than the way in which His Royal Highness approached Mrs. Gladstone at the state funeral of her great husband, bowed low before her and kissed her proffered hand. Whether in high circles, or in those of ordinary people, in ex- pected surroundings or amid unexpected conditions, the Prince seemed to always retain this faculty of politeness in the true sense of the word — a product of heart and mind rather than of mere instruction or habit. His manner and style of public speaking was an incident in the Prince of Wales' career which exercised considerable influence upon his personal popularity. The pronounced fac- tors in his style were not oratory, gestures, or brilliancy. Plain in matter and manner the speeches always were ; full of meat and substance they frequently were ; neat and effective they were generally considered. Mr. Gladstone once went further than this description would seem to warrant when he declared that there were few speakers whom he listened to with more pleasure. " His speeches are invariably marvels of conciseness, graceful expression and clear elocution". His voice was a good one, clear and distinct and well-trained. 224 HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE Nervous in his younger days and accustomed to learn the speeches off for delivery, he gradually changed with age and experience into the delivery of impromptu after-dinner remarks and speeches which did not show traces of the midnight oil or earnest preparation — although often full of facts and incidents about the immense variety of subjects with which he had to deal. Intimately connected with these characteristics of his was the unquestioned ability to judge human nature. This quality enabled the Prince to play his difficult part so well as he did, to keep him in touch with all classes and the masses, to culti- vate all the varied elements of a changing national life, and to be as much at home amongst business men as at the Royal Academy — amongst the aristocracy of London as with the farmers of Norfolk. He was ever a good judge of the people around him and, perhaps, no man in modern life was so well and faithfully served. His memory for names and faces was extraordinary and would remind Canadians of the unique fac- ulty in this connection possessed by the late Sir John Mac- donald. He always hated affectation and toadyism and liked sincerity and simplicity. Marie Corelli, writing in 1897, used the following expressive words : " To entertain the Prince do little ; for he is clever enough to entertain himself privately with the folly and humbug of those he sees around him, with- out actually sharing in the petty comedy. He is a keen ob- server and must derive infinite gratification from his constant study of men and manners, which is sufficiently deep and searching to fit him for the occupation of even the throne of England. I say 'even', for at present, till time's great hour- glass turns, it is the grandest throne in the world ". Patronage Of music, art and the drama were characteristic incidents in the life and work of the Prince. The day for helping litc/ature had perhaps gone when he came upon the scene and newspapers were then supposed to do for budding genius what royalty and aristocracy did for Johnson, Gold- HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE 225 smith, Swift or Pope. It is a curious fact of later-day democ- racy that, with the obvious exception of Kipling, most of the greater lights in literature — Browning, Rossetti, Tennyson, Mathew Arnold or Swinburne — were born with fairly comfort- able means. This in passing, of course. Something has been said elsewhere as to His Royal Highness's patronage of music and there is no doubt that he taught smart society to support the opera, while his personal enthusiasm for Wagner was pro- nounced and sincere. THE THEATRE AND THE CHURCH He patronized the theatre for many years with regularity and discrimination ; his taste in all matters of light comedy and opera was known to be good ; and it goes without saying that his approval of a play or actor made many a reputation and fortune. He used to make his own selection of theatre or play, pay handsomely for his own box, arrive punctually on time and remain till the end, or very near it. His dislike of ostentation soon did away with the old fashion of a manager walking upstairs backward before royalty and his leaving a little early was to avoid causing delay and confusion with their carriages amongst the other guests of the theatre. Actors have greatly exaggerated the extent of his patronage and friendship. But he more than once took supper with Sir Henry Irving and it is understood to have been by his advice that the great tragedian was knighted. He it was who en- couraged the late Queen to resume her patronage of the thea- tre and to begin by having Mr. and Mrs. Kendal appear be- fore her at Osborne. He never liked, however, the appearance of members of the aristocracy on the stage and his daughters are said to have never taken part even in private theatricals. He is said to have enjoyed a private visit and smoke behind the scenes and George Grossmith is stated to have been one of those who were most patronized in this respect. 15 226 HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE An interesting feature of his many-sided career and char- acter was the Heir Apparent's attention to his religious duties. At Marlborough and at Sandringham prayers were read daily, in the morning, and guests, staff and servants were expected, though not compelled, to be present. On Sunday the Prince invariably attended morning service either at the Chapel Royal in London, or at the quaint and beautiful little Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, in the country. The latter was filled with handsome Memorial windows and tablets and there, for many years, worshipped the future King with the humblest labourers on his estate. The only distinction made was in the private entrance for the Prince and the reserved pews for his guests and family. His daughters taught in the Sunday School and the Princess had charge of the music. It has been said that the Prince never attended Divine service on a Sunday in any but an Episcopal church. Certainly the records of his travels and habits appear to confirm this statement. Whether in Bombay, or Montreal, or New York, he seems to have always attended the services of the Established Church or its daughter Churches. Even in Rome, where he once spent Easter Sunday, impressive ceremonies conducted by the Pope at St. Peter's did not pre- vent him from attending a quiet little English church and explaining that when members of the Church were in foreign lands they should be especially particular in encouraging their own form of faith. Of course, as a traveller of wide experience the Prince visited all the great cathedrals of the Continent and was familiar with the splendid Mohammedan mosques and Hindoo temples and sacred shrines which helped to make the glittering East so attractive. But they were visited on week-days. He was supposed to be broad in his principles as a Churchman and certainly at state weddings and funerals in other countries he shared in various forms of worship. The Princess of Wales was known to have attended ritualistic services before her husband's HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE 227 accession to the Throne, but she far more often attended Low or Broad Church services. On Sundays at Sandringham the Prince used, in the afternoons, to walk about the grounds with his family or guests, visit the kennels, the bear-pit, the 1 model farms or the Princess's lovely little dairy and its suite of tiny attached rooms where tea would often be served. In London he would sometime attend Divine service ao-ain or else pay calls in his private hansom and then dine quietly with friends or have a few of them to dinner at Marlborough. Sunday afternoons at Sandringham were always greatly enjoyed by Sir Frederick Leighton and Lord Beaconsfield but Mr. Gladstone is said to have best liked long, lonely rambles through the woods of the estate. An important part of the character of a man in the posi- tion so long held by the Prince of Wales is the fact of modera- tion, or otherwise, in eating and drinking. It is a vital factor in the lives of all men but how much more so when great banquets are for months a daily function ; when every luxury, or delicacy, or combination of cookery known to the civilized world and the barbaric East is at one time or another offered for his delectation ; when the power of rulers and the wealth of millionaires are devoted to the furnishing of choice wines and liqueurs and drinks for his use. The good health always enjoyed by the Prince was perhaps proof enough of his moderation at the table. His habits in this respect became pretty well known. Tea at breakfast and in the afternoon he always liked ; Moselle cup he enjoyed and was rather proud . of possessing the receipt brought from Germany by the Prince Consort ; champagne for many years was almost his exclusive beverage though afterwards claret took its place. Between meals he seldom drank anything though a well-known " cock- tail " in the London clubs is credited to his invention. He always strongly disapproved of ladies drinking anything but a little wine and this was well understood by his own guests or by those at houses where he visited. 228 HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE Reference must be made here to one unpleasant incident in the Prince of Wales' later career — unpleasant in its results and in the comments of the press and pulpit. To playing cards for an occasional evening's amusement the Prince was always partial, but not to the extent which was sometimes asserted. CARDS AND THE BACCARAT AFFAIR During his journeys abroad he seldom or never played and he made a strict and early rule against playing in clubs. His friends say that he used to frequently dissuade younger men or the sons of old friends from forming a habit in this connection and as a well-known man of the world, without affectation and with wide experience and a naturally command- ing influence, his views no doubt had great weight. Hence the most regrettable feature in the famous Baccarat case of 1890 which was, for a time, one of the most talked-of and preached-at incidents in modern social life. To understand the matter it is necessary to look at the Prince's environment. He was the leader of society and society, together with a large proportion of people everywhere, saw no harm in a game of cards, or even in the accompaniment of playing for ordinary money stakes, any more than they saw harm in racing and betting upon the results, or in dancing and its accompaniment of late hours and perhaps frivolous dissipation. Yet to many people in the United Kingdom and the Empire danger and evil lurked in one or all of these amusements and it was a shock to them to find that the Heir Apparent actually indulged in card-playing ; although everyone had known that he patron- ized the other two pursuits referred to. The history of the affair may be told briefly. On Sep- tember 8th, during the Doncaster races, Mr. Arthur Wilson, a very wealthy shipowner, was entertaining a large party at Tranby Croft, near Hull, which included the Prnce of Wales, HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE 229 Lord Coventry, General Owen Williams, Sir William Gordon- Cumming, Lord Craven, Lord and Lady Brougham and Lord Edward Somerset. When each day's racing was over and the company had returned to Tranby Croft and finished dinner, Baccarat was introduced as the amusement of the evening and played for a couple of hours. The stakes were moderate — for such a party — and ran from five shillings to ten pounds. About seventeen people, ladies and gentlemen, usually sat down and the Prince of Wales was the life of the party, as he generally was, whatever the occupation or sport. On the date men- tioned, Mr. Stanley Wilson, the host's son, thought he saw Sir W. Gordon-Cumming using his counters fraudulently and informed Lord Coventry and General Williams of his suspi- cions. On the third evening a committee of five — two ladies and three gentlemen — watched the baronet and unanimously agreed that they saw him cheating. He was privately accused of the offence, denied it vehemently, and brought the matter before the Prince, who practically acted as judge and regret- fully told him that there could be no doubt of his guilt. It was, perhaps the most difficult position the Prince of Wales had ever been placed in. To hand a friend and fellow- guest and well-known soldier over to justice meant in this case ruin to the man himself, disgrace to their host and his family and a considerable amount of discredit to the Prince. Of the latter point it is probable that the Prince thought least, as his fidel- ity to friends was always well-known. Yet to let the apparently guilty man go without punishment or restriction was impossi- ble from every standpoint. The Prince, therefore, tried to square his duty all round by a compromise and made Sir W. Gordon-Cumming sign a pledge to never play at cards again. The natural result followed where at least seven people hold a secret of much importance. It became known, or rather rumored, the resignation of the baronet from the Army was not accepted pending inquiry and, finally, he precipitated 2 3 o HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE the issue by sueing the committee of five— Mrs. Arthur Wil- son, Mr. Stanley Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Lycett Green and Mr. Berkeley Levett— for scandal. Sir Charles Russell acted for the defence and Sir Edward Clarke for the plaintiff and, after a sensational trial, the action was dismissed. The case created the most intense interest and for a time His Royal Highness was the most criticised man in the United Kingdom. Press and pulpit thundered forth denunciations of gambling and card-playing, and lectured the Prince upon his duty to the nation and his responsibility for public morality. Every extreme religious speaker or writer, every Radical paper, or pamphleteer, or lecturer found the Heir to the Throne an excellent subject for abuse, while the best papers abroad teemed with reflections which could hardly be termed generous. Speaking of the counters which had been used in these games and which were brought by the Prince personally to Tranby Croft the New York Tribune declared that in them he had " fingered the fragments of the Crown of England." Upon one point all the home papers were united and that was that in trying to arrange and settle the matter the Prince had contravened the Army regulations. The better class of papers were very serious upon the subject. The London Times declared that the Heir Apparent could not put off his responsibilities as he did his official dress and, while admitting the assiduity and tact and good-humour with which he performed his dull round of routine duties, it yet bitterly regretted the example he had now set The Daily News thought that the Prince had only been guilty of an indis- cretion, so far as his action toward Gordon-Cumming was concerned, but went on to say that what was blameless as an example in meaner men, was very different in one of his exalted position. The Standard denounced the whole affair from beginning to end. " The Prince of Wales is not as other men. His position demands a sobriety, a self-restraint, and a HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE 231 dignity from which people of less exalted position and lighter responsibilities are absolved." The religious press put no bounds to its denunciation. The Christian World spoke of the matter as an "outrage to the public conscience" and the British Weekly thought it " enough to sober the strongest supporters of the Monarchy." Resolutions were passed at some Church meetings of a similar character. AFTERMATH OF THE INCIDENT Then the re-aotion came. His Royal Highness expressed to the Military authorities and the House of Commons his apologies for an unintentional infraction of Army regulations ; it was pointed out that playing a game of cards in a private house was not setting a public example and that the situation was so unique that any man in the Prince's place would have been pardoned in not knowing what to do ; the cause of the trouble was dismissed from the Army and expelled from his clubs. The Daily Telegraph pointed out that the carrying of the Baccarat counters, which was apparently deemed the most serious part of the matter by many commentators, was a very common habit with players of this game as the symbols for money tended to moderation in playing, and were better in every way than slips of paper. Years afterwards, Mr. Arnold White stated it as a fact that these famous bits of pasteboard were actually a present from the Princess of Wales. The public came to feel after the first hasty judgment was given that, after all, the Prince had risked a good deal for a friend and the Observer went so far as to say that "under the most difficult and trying circumstances His Royal Highness has acted as ninety-nine Englishmen out of a hundred would have done." The Rev. Dr. Charles A. Berry, the eminent Non- conformist divine, declared that the people were not going to be unduly severe in their judgment. " They recognize the fact that he does a great deal of public work and is compelled 232 HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE to live almost continually a life of unnatural pressure. It is, therefore, to say the least, understandable that he should seek pleasure and relaxation in some form of excitement." Then the issue cooled down as suddenly as the tempest had arisen, and before long it would have been hard to recog- mize that so stormy a stage of criticism had swept over the popular Prince's head. In the Life of Archbishop Benson, published many years afterwards, there appeared a long letter from the Heir Apparent in answer to a note of sympathy received at this time from His Grace. The Prince spoke of the "deep pain and annoyance" which the Baccarat incident had caused him ; of the recent trial which had given the press occasion "to make most bitter and unjust attacks upon me, knowing I was defenceless — and I am not sure that politics were not mixed up in it." Speaking of the papers and the Nonconformists, who had been especially strong in their remarks, he added some interesting expressions as to his general view of gambling. "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 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 Eng- lishmen 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." Such were some of the characteristics and habits and social incidents in the career of King Edward while he was Prince of Wales. They show how entirely he shared in the life of the majority of the people — a fact all the more illustrated in the HABITS AND CHARACTER OF THE PRINCE 233 occasions when he departed from his natural and usual course and seemed to participate in matters outside of the accepted and popular pursuits of the people. It is the picture of a man who loved his England, liked life and its pleasures, hated humbug, enjoyed sport, did his duty as it came to him and liked the play, the race-course and all the sports of a healthy, hearty Englishman. They prove the accuracy of that inter- esting description penned in his Diary by the King of Sweden and which, somehow, became public : " The Heir Apparent to the British Throne is Prince of Wales by name, Prince of Society by inclination, Prince of Good Fellows by nature." CHAPTER XV. The Prince as an Empire Statesman. THE breadth of view shown by the late Prince Consort was one of his greatest and most marked qualities. He seemed to have the faculty of seeing further into the future than most men and of preparing his own mind for developments which were yet hidden from the view of contem- porary statesmen. Hence his famous Exhibition of 1851 and the realization of the fact that to encourage trade and com- merce some knowledge of the world's products and resources was not only desirable but necessary. Hence the early per- ception, which he shared with the Queen, of the coming im- portance of the Colonies and of the necessity of bringing the Crown into touch with those over-sea democracies which were growing up to nationhood in such neglected fashion and with such little practical concern in the Motherland. Hence the dislike of the Queen and himself— because she had the states- man's understanding as well as her husband — to the Manches- ter school, and their opposition to the line of thought which said that Colonies were useless except for commerce and not much good for that. Hence the Queen's long-after regard for Lord Beaconsfield and her appreciation of his stirring and romantic Imperialism. The Prince of Wales unquestionably inherited this capac- ity for statecraft from his parents. Natural and hereditary pride in his future Crown and in the greatness of the United Kingdom was developed by teaching and study and visits into an intense pride in the vast Empire which grew so rapidly *34 THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN 235 from year to year around his country and under its Crown. Having a broader and saner outlook than many of those about him, without the spur of ordinary ambitions, or the hampering influence of partisan considerations, he was enabled to view this development more carefully, wisely, and clearly than the busy diplomatist or the much-occupied statesman. Hence the pleasure with which he saw the Imperial Federa- tion League formed in 1884 and watched the efforts of Mr. W. E. Forster and Lord Rosebery to build upon the prelimin- ary principles already evolved by Lord Beaconsfield. It was not long before he saw an opportunity to promote this senti- ment of unity and encourage the extension of Imperial trade. He had visited different parts of the Queen's dominions and understood something of the immense possibilities which were still lying dormant. His sons had since travelled over an even larger portion of the Empire and had, no doubt, in pri- vate as well as in their published journals, told him much of the more recent progress of those great outlying communi- ties. Contemporaneously, therefore, with the founding of the League just mentioned, His Royal Highness proposed the holding of a great Exhibition which should meet the new needs of the time as his father's had done in 1851. Then, the interests of British trade were cosmopolitan and Colonial de- velopment slight and unimportant to the immediate concerns of England. Now, British commerce was contracting with foreign countries and steadily growing with British countries. Hence the new Exhibition should, he thought, be confined to British resources and products and be Imperial instead of international. On November 10th, 1884, the Queen issued a Royal Com- mission to arrange for the holding of an Exhibition of the products, manufactures and arts of Her Majesty's Colonial and Indian dominions in the year 1886. The Prince of Wales was to be President and Sir Philip Cunliffe-Owen, 236 THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN Secretary, of the Commission. The first meeting took place at Marlborough House on March 30th, 1885, with His Royal Highness in the chair. Amongst the members present were F. M. the Duke of Cambridge, the Marquess of Salisbury, the Marquess of Lome, the Earl of Derby, the Earl of Dalhousie, Earl Cadogan, the Earl of Kimberley, the Earl of Lytton, F. M. Lord Strathnairn, Mr. Edward Stanhope, Sir Stafford Northcote, Mr. W. E. Forster, Sir M. E. Hicks-Beach, Sir H. T. Holland, Sir John Rose, Sir R. G. W. Herbert, Sir Charles Tupper of Canada, Sir Arthur Blyth of South Aus- tralia, Sir F. D. Bell of New Zealand, Sir Saul Samuel of New South Wales, Mr. Charles Mills of Cape Colony, Mr. R. Murray Smith of Victoria, Mr. James F. Garrick of Queens- land, Sir W. C. Seargeant, Sir G. C. M. Birdwood and many other distinguished representatives of British, Colonial and Indian interests. In the course of his somewhat lengthy speech detailing the objects of the movement and the methods of operation, the Prince described the proposed Exhibition as one by which the "reproductive resources" of the Colonies and India would be brought before the British people and the different countries concerned be able to "compare the advance made by each other in trade, manufactures and general mater- ial progress". He pointed out the desire of the Motherland to participate in the development of Colonial material interests and then added: "We must remember that, as regards the Colonies, they are the legitimate and natural homes, in future, of the more adventurous and energetic portion of the popula- tion of these Islands." The Secretary announced that the preliminary list of guarantees provided for ^128,000, including ,£20,000 from the Government of India, ^10,000 from that of Canada, ,£19,000 from the various Australasian Governments and ^1000 each from individual subscribers such as Lord Cadogan, Sir Thomas Brassey, Sir Daniel Cooper, the Earl of Derby, Mr. Henry THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN 237 Doulton, Sir J. Whittaker Ellis, Mr. Samuel Morley and the Earl of Rosebery. This latter list indicated in a most marked manner the personal influence of the Prince of Wales. On May 3, 1886, the eve of the formal opening of the Exhibition was marked by a meeting of the Royal Commission at which the Prince presided, sketched the history and progress of an undertaking to which he had given much time and intimated that the guarantee fund now amounted to ,£218,000, of which the City of London had recently voted ,£10,000. In proposing a vote of thanks to the Royal chairman, seconded by Earl Granville, the Duke of Cambridge said : " It is not the first time that His Royal Highness has acted as President in under- takings of this nature, and it is very difficult for any person to praise him in his presence without appearing fulsome ; but it is not fulsome to say that he has always devoted his whole energies to bringing everything to a successful issue with which he is connected." OPENING AND SUCCESS OE THE EXHIBITION The Colonial and Indian Exhibition was opened on the following day at South Kensington by Her Majesty the Queen in the presence of an immense gathering, representative of all parts of the British realm. It was, in fact, the first of those great fetes with which the people became so familiar in the next two decades and which did so much to unify and typify the power of the Empire. In the brilliant throng surround- ing the Queen and the Prince of Wales, as the latter read an elaborate address of loyal welcome, were the members of the Government, the various Foreign Ambassadors, distinguished men in every walk of life, representatives of Colonies and British islands in all parts of the world — Lord Salisbury, Lord Rosebery, Lord Cranbrook, the Earl of Northbrook, the Dukes of Manchester, Buckingham and Abercorn, the Earl of Iddesleigh, Lord Granville, the Earl of Kimberley, Lord 238 THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN Napier of Magdala, Sir M. E. Hicks-Beach, Sir F. Leighton, Sir Charles Tupper and Mr. Hector Fabre from Canada, Sir Alexander Stuart, Sir Arthur Blyth, Sir Samuel Davenport, the Hon. James F. Garrick and the Hon. Malcolm Fraser, from Australia, Sir Lyon Playfair, Sir Richard Cross, Sir William Harcourt, Lord Wolseley, the Archbishop of Canter- bury, Mr. H. C. E. Childers, the Maharajah of Johore, Rustem Pasha, Count Hatzfeldt, Earl Spencer, and many others. Madame Albani sang that splendid ode by Lord Tennyson beginning : ' ' Welcome, welcome with one voice In your welfare we rejoice, Sons and brothers that have sent, From isle and cape and continent Produce of your field and flood, Mount and mine and primal wood, Works of subtle brain and hand And splendours of the Morning L,and, Gifts from every British zone Britons, hold your own !" The National Anthem was first sung in English and then in Sanskrit as a compliment to the Indian visitors. The address read by the Prince of Wales referred to the origin and pro- gress of the project, to the development of the Colonies, to the late Prince Consort's interest in Exhibitions and to his own position as President of the present Royal Commission, and concluded as follows : " It is our heartfelt prayer that an undertaking intended to illustrate and record this development may give a stimulus to the commercial interests and intercourse of all parts of Your Majesty's dominions ; that it may be the means of augmenting that warm affection and brotherly sym- pathy which is reciprocated by all Your Majesty's subjects ; and that it may still further deepen that steadfast loyalty which we, who dwell in the Mother Country, share with our kindred who have elsewhere so nobly done honour to her name." The THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN 239 Queen's reply expressed an earnest hope that the Exhibition would encourage the arts of peace and industry and strengthen the bonds of union within the Empire. An interesting feature of the proceedings was the receipt of a telegram from Sir Patrick Jennings, Premier of New South Wales, expressing that Colonial Government's "thanks and appreciation to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for the profound interest " he had shown in the success of the great project now so auspiciously opened. The London Times on the following day spoke of the "energy and devotion" of the Prince in this connection, and the press as a whole at home and in the external Empire joined in congratulating him upon the issue. The Exhibition was a great success in every way. Over five and a half million visitors were recorded and the Queen helped, personally, to maintain public interest in it by herself visiting the various Sections repeatedly. The final meeting of the Royal Commission was held at Marlborough House on April 30th, 1897 an d tne Prince of Wales submitted an elabo- rate and exhaustive Report which was afterwards published. In his own remarks the President pointed out that the project had served its main purpose in very largely promoting knowl- edge of the Empire's resources and products and that, inci- dentally, its success had given the management a surplus of ,£35,000. This sum, he suggested, should be largely devoted to the advancement of the project for a permanent Exhibition or Imperial Institute — "in the promotion of which the Queen and I both take' so warm an interest." Later in the evening- the Prince expressed the hope that as the late Exhibition had been, allegorically, burnt that day, "the Imperial Institute may be a Phcenix rising out of its ashes. I trust that it may be a lasting memorial not only of that but of the Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen." Of the sum mentioned, ^25,000 was accordingly voted to the new project. 2 4 o THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN The proposal of the Heir Apparent — as first expressed in a letter to the Lord Mayor on September 13, 1886 — was that the idea evolved in the Exhibition should be made permanent and be embodied in an Imperial Institute which should be at once a visible emblem of the unity of the Empire, a place for illustrating its vast resources, a museum for exhibiting its varied and changing products and industries, a centre of information and communication for all British countries, an aid to the increase and distribution of national wealth, a medium for combining in joint co-operation older and smaller institutions of tried utility, and a fitting national memorial of the Queen's Jubilee. The movement developed steadily and, on January 1 2th, 1887, a gathering was held at Kensington Palace, upon invitation of the Prince of Wales, and was one of the most representative over which even he had ever presided. Amongst those present were Lord Herschell, Chairman of the Organ- izing Committee, the Earl of Carnarvon, Lord Revelstoke, Lord Rothschild, Sir Lyon Playfair, Sir H. T. Holland, Sir John Rose, Sir Henry James, the Right Hon. H. H. Fowler, Sir Frederick Leighton, Sir Charles Tupper, Sir Saul Samuel, Sir Edward Guinness, Sir Ashley Eden, Sir Owen T. Bourne, Sir Reginald Hanson, Lord Mayor of London, Mr. J. H. Tritton, Chairman of the London Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Pattison Currie, Chairman of the Bank of England, Sir Fred- erick Abel, Mr. Neville Lubbock, Lord Campden, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the Lord Mayor of York, the Mayor of Newcastle and nearly two hundred other mayors, or chief magistrates, of British towns. The Prince of Wales was accompanied by Prince Albert Victor and spoke at length upon the objects to be served and the progress already made in the matter which he had so much at heart. "It occured to me that the recent Colonial and Indian Exhibition, which presented a most successful dis- play of the material resources of the Colonies and India, might THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN 241 suggest the basis for an Institute which should afford a perma- nent representation of the products and manufactures of the Queen's dominions. I, therefore, appointed a Committee of eminent men to consider and report to me upon the best means of carrying out this idea." So much for the initiation of the scheme. The Report had been duly submitted and accepted and he now invited co-operation and assistance in establishing and maintaining the proposed " Imperial Institute of the United Kingdom, the Colonies and India." His Royal High- ness pointed out that no less than sixteen million persons had attended the four Exhibitions over which he had presided — the Fisheries, Healtheries, Inventories and Colinderies, as they were popularly called — and expressed the strong belief that they had added greatly to the knowledge of the people and largely stimulated the industries of the country. INITIATION OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE " My proposals are that the Imperial Institute be an em- blem of the unity of the Empire and illustrate the resources and capabilities of every section of Her Majesty's dominions." The Colonies and Motherland would thus teach other and emigration would also be greatly aided along British channels. He believed that the work upon which he had entered in this connection would be of lasting benefit to this and future gen- erations and, after a careful review of the whole situation, declared that " from the close relation in which I stand to the Queen there can be no impropriety in my stating that if her subjects desire, on the occasion of the celebration of her fiftieth year as Sovereign of this great Empire, to offer her a memorial of their love and loyalty, she would specially value one which would promote the industrial and commercial resources of her dominions in various parts of the world and which would be expressive of that unity and co-operation which Her Majesty 16 242 THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN desires should prevail amidst all classes and races of her extended Empire." A public meeting at the Mansion House followed with the Lord Mayor in the chair and was addressed by Earl Gran- ville, Mr. A. J. Mundella, Mr. G. J. Goschen, and others. Strong resolutions of support and approval were passed, many telegrams of sympathy with the object announced, and a state- ment of initial subscriptions given which included the names of Lord Rothschild, Sir W. J. Clarke of Australia and Lord Revelstoke. During the next six years the project was stead- ily pressed forward ; large individual subscriptions obtained by the personal influence of the Prince of Wales, supplemented by the growing sympathy with the Colonies and with Empire unity ; while grants were given by the British, Indian and Colonial Governments. Gradually, the splendid building in South Kensington, known over the world as the Imperial In- stitute, approached completion and, on May 9th, 1893, was opened by the Queen amidst stately ceremonial and all the trappings of regal magnificence. Nearly all the Royal family were present and, in the progress through the streets, a particu- larly enthusiastic reception was given to the Duke of York and Princess May of Teck whose engagement had been very recently announced. Around Her Majesty and the Prince of Wales, as the latter presented the address of the Committee, were ranged the most representative men of England, many Ambassadors, and Indian Princes and Colonial statesmen. Lord Salisbury, Mr. A. J. Balfour, Mr. H. H. Asquith, Sir William Harcourt, Lord Rosebery and Lord Randolph Churchill were there, but not Mr. Gladstone. After a brief description, in the address, of the objects and history of the Institute, the Prince continued as follows: "We venture to express a confident anticipation that the Imperial Institute will not only be a record of the growth of the Empire and of the marvellous advance of its people in industrial and THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN 243 commercial prosperity during Your Majesty's reign but will, also, tend to increase that prosperity by stimulating enterprise and promoting the technical and scientific knowledge which is now so essential to industrial development." After some brief words from Her Majesty the great building was declared open and another important project initiated by the Prince of Wales had reached completion. The London Times of the succeed- ing day referred with accuracy, in this connection, to his "clear-sighted initiative and untiring energy" and a member of the Executive Committee, which had the enterprise in hand, wrote to the same paper that during the past six years " every important step in connection with the Institute has been taken under the immediate direction of the Prince of Wales. By his energy men have been moved to action, and difficulties ap- parently insuperable have been overcome. The result of years of devoted labour was accomplished to-day." EARLY ADVOCACY OF IMPERIALISM These were the two chief products of what may be called the Empire statesmanship of the Prince of Wales. Long be- fore either of them were undertaken, however, he had shown a deep and sincere interest in the unity of the Empire — a nat- ural outcome of his training, his travels, his individual abilities. For many years he acted as President of the Royal Colonial Institute, accepting the position at a time when people were only beginning to awake to the fact that Great Britain was more than an Island and sea-power and when the Institute was the rallying ground and centre for a small group of men like the late Duke of Manchester, Lord Bury, Mr. W. E. Forster and Sir Frederick Young, who devoted much energy and enthusiasm to the promotion of what long afterwards be- came known as Imperialism. The patronage and support of His Royal Highness did very much to give the movement, in its earlier days, a place and an influence and to establish the 244 THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN Institute as the factor which history has since recognized it to have been. It was in this connection, on July 16th, 188-1, that the Lord Mayor of London — Sir William McArthur M. P. — entertained the Prince of Wales at a banquet attended by many repesentatives of the Colonies and distinguished guests. In his speech the Prince referred with extreme regret to his not having been able to visit all the Colonies, and especially, Australia. He had greatly desired to accept the invitation extended to him two years before to visit the Exhibitions at Sydney and Melbourne. " Though, my Lords and gentle- men I have not had the opportunity of seeing those great Australian Colonies, which every day and every year are mak- ing such immense development, still, at the International Ex- hibitions of London, Paris and Vienna, I had not only an opportunity of seeing their various products then exhibited, but I had the pleasure of making the personal acquaintance of many Colonists — a fact which has been a matter of great im- portance and great benefit to myself ". A further reference was made to the sending of his sons to visit Australia and memories of his own tour of British America were revived, with an expression of special gratifica- tion at seeing his " old friend," Sir John Macdonald, Prime Minister of Canada, present on this occasion. In August, 1887, the Prince of Wales showed further and practical inter- est in Australia by accepting the post of President of the Royal Commission appointed by the Queen, in England, to promote and help the Melbourne Exhibition of 1888. The Earl of Rosebery acted as Vice-President and much was done in making the British exhibit a good one. Years before this, speaking at the laying of the foundation stone of the first Melbourne Exhibition — February 19th, 1879 — the Governor of Victoria, Sir George F. Bowen, declared it to be well-known that the Heir Apparent was animated by " a desire to visit the Australian Colonies in person should high reasons of state KING EDWARD VII hi Highland Garb. w i D Q 2 O < 5 - W « ?> O o SQ P g" W 13 H ^ < c 2 £ O , ° a D S O 2 J < >< O w THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN 245 permit." As illustrating the opinions formed of him by colo- nial statesmen, the following may be quoted from the autobi- ography of that uncouth, clever, patriotic personality, Sir Henry Parkes : " I met His Royal Highness on several occasions in London, and he struck me as possessing in a remark- able degree the princely faculty of doing the right thing and saying the right word." Another matter to which the Prince of Wales gave an Imperial character was the Royal College of Music which he initiated, organized and finally inaugurated on May 7th, 1883. Upon the latter occasion he explained in his speech that the institution was open to the whole Empire, that scholarships had already been provided by Victoria and South Australia, and that he hoped it might become an Imperial centre of musical education as well as a British centre. " The object I have in view is essentially Imperial as well as national, and I trust that ere long there will be no Colony of any importance which is not represented by a scholar at the Royal College." During the years which followed, up to the time of his accession to the Throne, the interest of the Prince of Wales in everything that helped Imperial unity was continous and most earnest. At the Jubilee periods of 1887 an d 1897, ne entertained many Colonial statesmen, as he had done at other times when opportunity served, and he was always delighted to meet them and to discuss the affairs of their countries with men who naturally knew them best. It was a process of mental equipment for the government of avast empire which, in addi- tion to his early travels, must have made the experience and knowledge of Queen Victoria's successor as uniqne as were the conditions and greatness of his Empire. During the last Jubilee the Prince presided, on June 18th, as President of the Imperial Institute, at a banquet given to the Colonial Premiers and other representatives in London. Upon his right sat Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Premier of Canada, 246 THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN and upon his left Mr. Whitelaw Reid, the special Envoy of the United States. Amongst others present were Lord Salis- bury, Sir Hugh Nelson, Premier of Queensland, the Marquess of Lansdowne, Lord Rosebery and Mr. Chamberlain — all of whom spoke; while Lord Ripon, Lord Dufferin, Lord Kim- berley, the Marquess of Lome, Sir W. V. Whiteway, Premier of Newfoundland, Lord Rothschild, Sir Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona) the Archbishop of Canterbury and a splendid array of other representative men in Church and State, army and navy, art and science and literature, were also present. In one of his tactful speeches on this occasion, His Royal High- ness referred to the enormous growth of the Colonies during the Queen's record reign and expressed the hope that present peaceful conditions might long continue. " God grant it," he added, "but if the national flag is threatened I am convinced that all the Colonies will unite to maintain what exists and to preserve the unity of the Empire." In little more than a year these words were fully borne out by events. But the Prince of Wales was never content to make mere speeches in advocacy of a principle. His aid to the Royal Colonial Institute and organization of the Imperial Institute were cases in point. When the Imperial Federation League was formed he could only help its aims indirectly because there were political possibilities in its platform, but when, in 1896, the British Empire League succeeded to its place and mission, with a broader and more general platform, the Queen and the Prince extended their patronage to the organization. On April 30, 1900, a great banquet was given under its auspices to welcome the Australian Delegates who had gone " home " to discuss the Commonwealth Act, and to recognize the services rendered by Colonial troops in the South African war. The Duke of Devonshire occupied the chair, with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York on either hand, and next to them again the Dukes of Cambridge and Fife. The Marquess THE PRINCE AS AN EMPIRE STATESMAN 247 of Salisbury, Lieutenant Colonel George T. Denison, Presi- dent of the League in Canada, Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. Edmund Barton of Australia and Mr. J. Israel Tarte of Canada were amongst the speakers, and others present included the Right Hon. C. C. Kingston, the Hon. Alfred Deakin, the Hon. J. R. Dickson, Sir John Cockburn and Sir James Blyth of Australia, the Earl of Hopetoun, Lord Lansdowne, Lord Wolseley, Lord Knutsford, Lord Strathcona, the Earl of Onslow, the Earl of Jersey, the Earl of Crewe, Lord Kelvin and Earl Grey. The Prince of Wales was enthusiastically received and congratulated upon his recent escape from assas- sination at Brussels. After some eloquently appropriate remarks upon this point, he welcomed the Australians in kindly words and then referred to the war. "We little doubt," he went on, " that in a great war like the one we are now waging we should have at any rate the sympathy of our Colonies ; but it has exceeded even our expectations. We know now the feeling that existed in our Colonies and that they have sent their best material, their best blood and man- hood, to fight with us, side by side, for the honour of the flag and for the maintenance of our Empire." Such words may fittingly conclude a brief record of the Prince of Wales' interest in Empire affairs up to the time of his accession to the Throne. CHAPTER XVI. The Prince as Heir Apparent. T"^HE Heir to a Throne such as that of Great Britain has an exceptionally difficult place to fill. He has to have the broad sympathies and knowledge and training of a statesman without the right to express himself upon any of the political problems and issues of his time ; he has to live in a never-ending blaze of publicity and be liable to unscrupulous, or too scrupulous, criticism without the power of direct reply ; he has, perhaps, to suffer in private life and character from the caustic shafts of men at home or abroad who do not like the institution which he represents; he has to officiate in a cease- less round of functions and public ceremonial ; he has to travel constantly from Court to Court in Europe and, in the case of the Prince of Wales, he had to act for several decades the part of the Sovereign in public life without the resources or responsibilities which the actual ruler would naturally possess. There are, of course, important compensations. He has the foremost place in every leading national event, the priv- ilege of knowing as intimately as he pleases the great men of his own and other countries, in every line of statecraft and human attainment, the pleasure of travel in many lands and amongst varied scenes and people, the opportunity of taking up any matter of a non-political character which he deems useful to the state, the people, or the Empire, with a reasonable certainty of substantial backing. To succeed, however, in the position as did Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, demands a peculiar combination of qualities which very few men possess 248 THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT 249 in any rank of life. Tact, self-restraint, self-reliance, knowl- edge of human nature, energy, dignity, good intentions earnest patriotism, are more or less necessary. How seldom these qualities have all been possessed by Heirs to the British Throne is plain upon the pages of history. There have been amongst them seventeen Princes of Wales' of whom the best, before the chief of the line, was the Black Prince, and of whom only four have reached the Throne since the time of Edward VI. They were Charles I, Charles II, George II. and George IV., and the careers of the last two consisted in the establishment of rival Courts, continuous disa- greements with their fathers, the headship of political factions, and the possession of characters about which the least said the better. The Prince who became Edward VII. may be said to have created the position of Heir Apparent, as his Royal mother created that of a modern constitutional Monarch. NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE POSITION He established himself as a sort of advisory statesman to the nation, an absolutely impartial leader in questions of high, as distinct from party politics, the first gentleman in the land in society, sports and manners, the leader of philan- thropic projects and social reforms. He became the busiest man in England, the most popular personality in the three kingdoms, the head and front of many important public undertakings. Such a development was new to British insti- tutions, but it came about so gradually that only when he ascended the Throne did people fully realize how large a place the Prince of Wales had held in public affairs as well as in their affections. Mr. Chauncey M. Depew, the eloquent American Senator, expressed the personal side of the matter very well when he said, with some surprise, after first meeting His Royal Highness : " I met a thoughtful dignitary filling to the brim the requirements of his exalted position. In fact, a 2jo THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT practical as well as a theoretical student of the mighty forces which control the government of all great countries and make their best history." There were many sides to this career, and in some of them the Prince never received the credit which he deserved. One was the essentially business-like management of his financial affairs. From the time of attaining his majority the Heir Apparent received ,£40,000 a year by grant of Parliament ; at his marriage a special grant of ,£10,000 was given the Prin- cess of Wales ; when their children grew up the Prince was given ,£36,000 to apportion amongst them as he saw fit. During his minority the wise management of the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall — which is an hereditary appurtenance of the Prince of Wales — by the late Prince Consort, gave the Heir Apparent a total of ,£600,000, of which ,£220,000 were expended upon the purchase of Sandringham, and a consider- able sum upon improvements there. On the Prince's marriage he was voted ,£23,455 to defray expenses and his allowance for the Indian tour of 1875 was ,£^4 2 > 000 > of which ,£69,000 was for presents. Marlborough House was given him by the nation, though he paid taxes upon it like any other citizen. The Duchy of Cornwall was so well managed after it came under his control that it yielded in 1897 a total income of nearly ,£74,000, or almost double the value of the returns received forty years before. Birk Hall, an estate inherited from the Prince Consort, was sold to the Queen for ,£120,000. The total public income of the Prince of Wales during many years was about ,£180,000, or nearly a million dollars, and the man- agement of his finances was always careful. The stories of extravagance and indebtedness were absolutely without foun- dation. Yet these tales of poverty were always widespread and were probably believed by many millions of people. The truth is that he was a first-rate business man in money affairs, knew how to make his income go to its furthest THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT 251 extent, and had an established system on his estates and in his palaces which combined comfort and luxury with judicious economy. A few words upon this point may be quoted, in passing, from an article in the well-known Ladies Home Journal of Philadelphia, written in July, 1897, by Mr. George W. Smalley, an American critic of authority who lived in London for many years : "It is not a subject which I care to touch upon, but I may refer to the stories about the Prince of Wales' financial position. It is a matter with which the American public has absotutely no concern. Nevertheless all sorts of stories are printed here about his debts to this person or that. Such stories were circulated when Baron Hirsch died — so circumstantial that they must have either been based upon minute knowledge or have been pure fabrications. They were not based upon knowledge, minute or otherwise, because they were not true." These stories were rendered more absurd by the fact that a rough calculation of his receipts during forty years of public life would indicate a sum of between thirty and forty millions of dollars. CHARITIES OF THE PRINCE Of course the expenses of the Heir Apparent were very great even when those are excepted which the nation paid. His personal gifts to benevolent institutions, educational con- cerns, religious interests, objects of social, moral and physical improvement, hospitals and infirmaries, asylums, orphanages, commercial and agricultural organizations, the relief of chil- dren and foreigners in distress, deaf and dumb and blind institutions, memorials and statues, Indian famines, war funds, calamity funds of various kinds at home, in the Colonies, and abroad, have been reckoned by an English student of statis- tics at ^3,200 a year, or ^128,000 in forty years — $640,000 spent in response to public appeals alone without reference to the many private charities about which little was known except 252 THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT that a very large amount of assistance was given yearly by the Prince and Princess in response to all kinds of private and authenticated requests. In this general connection Mr. Glad- stone, when Prime Minister, spoke very warmly during the Parliamentary discussion of 1889 upon the Royal grants of that year. " It will be admitted," he said in the course of his somewhat famous speech, " that circumstances have tended to throw upon the Prince of Wales an amount of public work in connection with institutions as well as with ceremonials, which was larger than could reasonably have been expected, and with regard to which every call has been honourably and devotedly met from a sense of public duty." Reference has been made in the preceding pages to the infinitely varied public functions of His Royal Highness and the aid thus given to charities and benevolent objects. A few instances only were quoted in which many thousands of pounds were obtained for worthy objects through his patronage. The fact is that the Heir Apparent gave his position a rather unique characteristic in this respect by becoming a sort of Grand Almoner of the nation. Almost any charity which he patronized or which the Princess supported with his approval, became a success, and it is probable that every thousand pounds which he gave away became a hundred thousand pounds through the prestige of his example and his often vio-orous and effective personal exertions. One of the inter- ests to which he was most devoted was that of the London and other hospitals. Attendance at the festivals, or annual dinners, was frequent, and the consequent subscription to their funds from time to time considerable. During the Diamond Jubilee the Prince thought he saw in this cause a way to fittingly commemorate that great event — as he had already marked that of 1887 by the Imperial Institute. Under date of February 5th, 1897, therefore, an elaborate statement and earnest appeal appeared in the London Times ALBERT, PRINCE CONSORT, THE FATHER OF EDWARD VII From a painting by F. Winterhalter. THE CORONATION CHAIR Containing the Stone cf Scone on which traditional Irish Kings, Scotch Rings and British Kings have been crowned. THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT 253 and other great papers signed by the Prince of Wales, and asking for organized help in making up the existing deficits of ,£100,000 in London hospitals. The Royal writer pointed out that the efforts of individual institutions, praiseworthy as they had been, failed to obtain more than a small number of subscriptions from the great population of the metropolis ; that the reasons for this was partly the difficulty of choosing amongst so many useful charities, partly the lack of definite opportunity for giving annual subscriptions to the cause as a whole, partly a feeling that small sums were not worth contrib- uting ; that it was proposed to establish this " Prince of Wales Hospital Fund " in order to commemorate the 60th anniver- sary of the Queen's reign by obtaining permanent annual sub- scriptions of from £"100,000 to ,£150,000. He also announced that Lord Rothschild had accepted the post of Treasurer, that a commencement in subscriptions had been made, and that the Lord Mayor had promised his active assistance. The success of the movement thus inaugurated by the Heir Apparent was pronounced. The annual Report of the Council of the Fund, which was issued on May 2nd, 1899, stated that during the past two years ,£89,000 had been distributed, and that the hospitals had been enabled to re-open and maintain two hundred and forty-two beds. It had, how- ever, not come up yet to the requirements and, on March 1st, of this year, the Prince made another effort to help the hospi- tals. He called a large and representative meeting at Marl- borough House, and placed before it a plan for the establish- ment of an Order to be called the League of Mercy. Its object would be to reach locally persons who did not subscribe to minor Funds, or individual institutions, and to do this by offering an honour in the form of this decoration, ''as a reward for gratuitous personal services rendered in the relief of sick- ness, suffering, poverty or distress." These services would be apart, altogether, from gifts of money, (although the latter 254 THE PRINCE A $ HEIR APPARENT would be gladly accepted) and must be continued during five years. The Queen was to be head of the Order and the Heir Apparent its Grand President. All names were to be submit- ted to Her Majesty and the honour itself was not to confer any rank, dignity or social precedence. The plan was approved, and its success marked despite some caustic and unjust criti- cisms in certain Radical papers. On December ist (1899), following, the annual meeting of the Hospital Fund was held at Marlborough House, with His Royal Highness in the chair, and attended by Lord Rowton, Lord Iveagh, Cardinal Vaughan, Lord Lister, Lord Reay, the Chief Rabbi and others. Lord Rothschild submitted a statement which showed the year's receipts to be ,£47,000, the first distribution from the League of Mercy to be ,£1,000, and the total amount of the Fund to be ,£217,000. The meeting of December 18th, in the following year, showed receipts of ,£49,468; of which ,£6,000 came from the League of Mercy. In his speech upon this occasion Lord Rothschild heartily congratulated the Royal chairman upon his "wisdom and foresight" in forming this League. In passing, it maybe said that Grey's Hospital, London, was one of the individual institutions which the Prince undertook per- sonally to help, and at one special banquet, at which he presided for this purpose, he was enabled to announce total subscrip- tions to the extraordinary amount of ,£151,000. THE PRINCE AND THE WORKINGMEN There was no part of his public career more creditable to ! the Prince of Wales than his sincere, unforced friendship and sympathy with the workingman. Like his philanthropic, work, it was the natural product of a generous disposition, and won the honest liking of men who had always looked with suspi- cion upon aristocratic, to say nothing of Royal, efforts in their behalf. This was another illustration of the difference between Heirs Apparent to the Throne. Imagination fails to grasp THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT 233 the thought of the Stuarts or the Georges, when holding that position, trying to help the poor or uplift the labourer ! Speaking at a meeting in London on January 12th, 1887, Lord Mayor, Sir Reginald Hanson, said : " All those who have been engaged in this scheme (the Imperial Institute) know that the Prince of Wales is one of the first in this coun- try who looks to the interests of the working classes." For many years, indeed, he had been an annual subscriber to the Working-men's Club and Institute Union and to the Work- ingmen's College in Great Ormond Street. In the Alexandra Trust, founded by Sir Thomas Lipton, at the instance of the Princess, much interest was taken by the Heir Apparent as well as his wife, and, on March 15th, 1900, they privately and unexpectedly visited the Restaurant in City Road and inspected this praiseworthy effort to supply wholesome food at low prices to the poor. After walking about and speaking to many of the people, they enjoyed a "three-course dinner" costing four pence half-penny, and left amid a scene of great enthusiasm. More than once the Prince aided workingmen's institu- tions by visiting them. On one occasion he heard that an Exhibition in South London, promoted by workingmen, was languishing for want of patronage and at once arranged to visit it unofficially. He went through it carefully, buying a number of articles and expressing much interest in the project. There was no further neglect of the institution by the general public. There was, perhaps, no single work in which he more appre- ciated the opportunity of doing good than that connected with the Housing of the Poor Commission to which he was appointed in 1884. He more than once presided at its meetings and took an active part in the investigations which were necessary. He attended every sitting and studied quietly and privately the whole condition of the poor in the poorest quarters of London and other cities. The Prince never hesitated to 256 THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT criticize those who neglected their charitable duties, or to praise those who lived up to the level of their opportunities, and in connection with an institution which he opened at Dept- ford, in 1898, his condemnation of the wealthy people in that neighbourhood was severe. On March 4th, 1900, the working-class dwellings built in Shoreditch by the City Council were opened by the Prince of. Wales. They were largely the product of the Royal Com- mission in which he had taken such interest and whose pro- posals were the basis of so much progress in this direction. His Royal Highness was accompanied on this occasion by the Princess and Lord Suffield and was surrounded on the plat- form by Lord Welby, the Earl of Rosebery, the Bishops of London and Stepney, the Earl and Countess Carrington and others. In his speech the Prince was expressive and vigorous upon the necessity of better housing for the poor. " I am satisfied, not only that the public conscience is awakened on the subject but that the public demands, and will demand, vigorous action in cleansing the slums which disgrace our civilization and the erection of good and wholesome dwellings such as those around us, and in meeting the difficulties of providing house-room for the working-classes, at reasonable rates, by easy and cheap carriage to not distant districts where rents are reasonable." He concluded an elaborate speech upon the question generally by expressing the hope that the Legis- lature would deal with and punish those who were responsible for insanitary property. Speaking at a banquet of the London County Council on December 3rd of the same year, the Prince again urged attention to the improvement of dwellings in various city areas. A part of this generous desire to aid the poor was the Princess of Wales' dinner to three hundred thousand persons in London at the Jubilee of 1897. Contri- butions poured in unceasingly to the project and amongst others was the gift of twenty thousand sheep from the pastoralists THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT 257 of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. The organi- zation of the dinner was in the hands of the Lord Mayor of London and it proved a great success. The gifts of a statesman were cultivated by the Prince of Wales upon every proper opportunity. His Empire unity ideas and projects were abundant evidence of this while a not less distinct proof of statecraft was the apparent absence of it — the absolute non-partisan position of the Heir Apparent. No one was ever able to say that he held political views of any particular type. His delicate tact was particularly shown in his kindness and courtesy to Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone. When the aged statesman finally retired from politics the Prince visited him again at Hawarden Castle and was photographed in a family group. He and the Princess attended his funeral and showed the greatest respect for his memory and services. When the time came, in 1900, for Mrs. Gladstone to be laid beside her husband in Westminster Abbey one of the incidents of a sad occasion was the wreath sent in by their Royal High- nesses with the following inscription : In Memory of Dear Mrs. Gladstone. " It is but crossing with abated breath And with set face, a little strip of sea, To find the loved ones waiting on the shore More beautiful, more precious than before." In preparing a national memorial to the eminent Liberal leader the Prince of Wales accepted the post of President of the General Committee with the Duke of Westminster as Chairman of the Executive. With Mr. Cecil Rhodes, he was long upon terms of intimacy and never concealed his admira- tion for the great Imperialist's career and objects. There can be no doubt that he knew much of South African affairs and was instrumental in the Duke of Fife taking a place on the Directorate of the South African Chartered Company. The 17 258 THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT only occasion upon which the Prince ever withdrew from a prominent Club was his retirement from the Traveller's because they had black-balled Mr. Rhodes. Not the smallest evidence of statecraft which the Prince of Wales showed, in a semi- personal way, was his warm sympathy with the emancipation of the Jews and his belief in their absorption into the life and interests of England. His presence at the marriage of Mr. Leopold de Rothschild caused, long since, a sensation in Jewish circles but it was only the first of many compliments which the Heir Apparent bestowed upon the "chosen people" up to the days when one of them became Prime Minister and a daughter of the House of Rothschild married a future Premier — the Earl of Rosebery. The late Baron Hirsch, the present Lord Rothschild, Sir Reuben Sassoon and Sir Moses Montefiore were amongst his personal friends and he made a thorough study of the position of the Russian Jews — showing them practical sympathy in various indirect ways. Of course, this partiality was open to misconstruction and the rumour of indebtedness to Jewish financial interests was so prevalent at one time that Sir Francis Knollys had to write a corres- pondent, who directly asked the question, an official statement as Private Secretary to the Prince, that the latter had no debts worth speaking of and could pay every farthing he owed at a moment's notice. There is no question, however, that this friendship with a powerful financial class, ruling great interests in every nation, gave the Prince of Wales a much enhanced influence abroad. In the same way his obvious liking for American men and women of standing and ability was marked and did undoubted service in promoting good feeling between the two countries — where it was not grossly and untruthfully misrepresented by sensational journals. Really distinguished visitors from the United States, whether rich or poor, always found a welcome at the hands of His Royal Highness and amongst those whom THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT 259 he appears to have especially liked were James Russell Lowell, Thomas F. Bayard, Whitelaw Reid and Chauncey M. Depew. American women who have been absorbed into English life and society like Lady Harcourt, Mrs. Chamberlain and the Duchess of Marlborough were always treated with marked cour- tesy by both the Princess and himself. His visit to the United States in i860 had also taught him something of conditions there which those around him were not always fully aware of. Hence the value of the message which was sent to the New York World in the name of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York during the Venezuelan crisis. If it be true that a private letter, a word spoken in season, or a brief drawing- room conversation, is often more influential than a cloud of newspaper writing, then the Prince of Wales was for years a potent force in promoting good-will between the Empire and the Republic. As a diplomatist there can be no doubt of the Heir Apparent's influence. He succeeded, in fact, to much of the power held in that respect by the Prince Consort. It was the post of an unofficial and secret personal mediator between the Sovereign of Great Britain and those of other countries. Thoroughly acquainted with the personality of foreign rulers, related to the majority of those in Europe, knowing their degrees of national influence and personal power, familiar with the statesmen's position in Court and Legislature, asso- ciated more and more closely as the years went on with Queen Victoria's personal view of foreign policy, the Prince's position was one of very great indirect power. Through his heirship to the British throne he was naturally upon terms of some- thing like equality with those whom he met as rulers at Berlin or St. Petersburg, at Paris or Vienna, and more in sympathy with their point of view than men of less than Royal rank. To quote Mr. George W. Smalley in McClures Magazine of March, 1901 : " His is a strange nature. He has, very fully 2 6o THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT and strongly, the pride of Kings and what the pride of Kings is, a republican who has lived all his life in a republic can hardly conceive. He has behind him, moreover, the loyalty of an expectant nation." Upon the other hand he knew more about the people and was more of them than any other heredi- tary ruler or prospective ruler in the world. Hence the strength of his position when conferring with a German Emperor, or a Russian Czar, or talking quietly with some Foreign Minister at a time of crisis. INCIDENTS OF DIPLOMATIC INFLUENCE This personal influence of the Heir Apparent was a factor often ignored. "Again and again," says Mr. Smalley, from the point of view of one who watched for years at the source of power in London, " the Prince has gone abroad as — in effect, though of course never in name — an Ambassador from the Queen to some Sovereign on the Continent. He has laid her views at some critical moments before the German Emperor and carried home the Emperor's response." This sort of personal intercourse must, many a time, have solved vital and serious issues. When William II. visited Windsor in 1899 and the Queen, with the aid of the Prince of Wales, Lord Salisbury and Mr. Chamberlain, evolved the terms upon which the countries were to stand in regard to the coming South African war, can there be any doubt as to the place in these negotiations which the Heir Apparent held, or as to the advantage which his many earlier visits to Berlin in the days of Bismarck and the Kaiser's initiatory years of rule, must have been to him ? The result of this intercourse was, in the end, the turning of a possible national enemy into a friend ; the change of the Emperor who wrote the famous Transvaal cablegram into the ruler who took the first train and boat to Windsor and bowed his head at the deathbed of Queen Victoria. THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT 261 Another interesting- incident in this connection may be found in the friendship known to have existed between the Prince of Wales and the Czar of Russia. Nicholas II. bore the same relationship of nephew to him that was borne by Wil- liam II. and, like the other Imperial ruler, came to bear a similar feeling of respect and regard for his uncle — sentiments i not always felt between relations, royal or otherwise. It was on August 31st, 1894, that the Princess of Wales received a despatch from her sister, the Czarina, that Alexander III. was nearing his end in the far-away Palace of Livadia. As rapidly as train and ship could carry them the Royal couple travelled to Russia, but only in time for the prolonged and splendid ceremonial of a state funeral. In this great and solemn pageant, lasting a week, and extending from Livadia to St. Petersburg, the Czar and the Prince were constantly together, in the most intimate relations, at a moment when the former was just emerging — as yet a young and inexperienced man — into the responsibilities of perhaps the most difficult position in the world. It was little wonder if the youthful autocrat of ninety millions took counsel of his experienced and genial relative, and found in his society comfort and knowl- edge and the basis of a lasting friendship. Let Mr. W. T. Stead in the Revieiv of Reviezvs, of January, 1895, describe the situation : It was fortunate for every one that he stood where he did, as no one outside the Royal Castle could have been to the young Czar what the Prince was at Livadia, and afterwards. In the long and almost terrible pilgrimage to the tomb which followed, when the corpse of the dead Czar was carried in solemn state from the shores of the Black Sea to the tomb in the Cathedral that stands on the frozen Neva, the Prince was always at the right hand of the Czar. Alike in public or in private, the uncle and the nephew stood side by side. After the first gush of grief had passed, it was impossible but that thoughts of the relations between the two Empires should not have crossed the minds of both. These two men share between them the over lordship of Asia. To the Czar, the north from the Ounil 262 THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT to the far Sagahlien ; to the other, the south from the Straits of Babel Mandeb to Hong Kong. No two men on this planet ever represented so vast a range of Imperial power as the first mourners at the bier of Alex- ander the Third. At St. Petersburg, the Duke of York joined the mourning group of Royal personages, and there, on November 26th, the young Czar was married to his cousin, Princess Alix of Hesse,* and a still closer tie of relationship formed with the Royal House of England. From this time forward the diplomatic relations of Russia and Great Britain steadily improved and there has never been any doubt amongst those in a position to judge that it was very largely due to the close friendship between the Prince of Wales and his Imperial nephew. In France, and especially amongst its leading men, His Royal Highness was for long an influential factor in keeping the wheels of international relations moving smoothly. Personally popular, his tactful course at critical periods helped greatly in maintaining official amity. The root of this wide-spread influ- ence and practical statecraft, in addition to elements already indicated and covering more directly the personal equation, was well described by Mr. Smalley in an article already quoted : " First of all, the impression of real force of charac- ter. Next, that combined shrewdness and good sense which together amount to sagacity. Third, tact. Add to these firmness and courage, and base all of these gifts on immense experience of life by one who has touched it on many sides and you will have drawn an outline of character which cannot be much altered. Add to it the Prince's constant solicitude about public matters and his intelligent estimate of forces — which last is the chief business of statesmanship. Add to this again the effect upon the hearer of conversation from a mind full, not indeed of literature, but of life ; a conversation of wide range, of acuteness, of clear statement and strong opinion, of infinite good humour." THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT 263 To these varied lines of useful statesmanship and personal labour in which the Heir Apparent was engaged for so many years, maybe added the personal influence which he exercised over men of the Empire from time to time, and his constant inculcation of pride in country and of patriotic principle. There will then be seen a total record worthy of his later place as the hereditary ruler of vast dominions. In the former con- nection one incident may be mentioned as told by a corre- spondent during the Indian tour : "The Prince's tact is remark- able, and the news of his friendliness soon spread over India ; one officer of great experience in Indian affairs declared that in asking the Maharajah Scindia to ride down the lines with him at Delhi, His Royal Highness performed an act which was worth a million sterling." Upon the latter point his speeches during forty years to innumerable military bodies — Militia, Volunteer, or Naval — may be mentioned. His earliest deliverance of this character was in presenting colours to the 100th, or Prince of Wales' Royal Canadian Regiment, at Thorncliffe, on January 10th, 1859. His first speech as an officer of the Army was, therefore, of an Imperialistic character : " The ceremonial, in which we are now engaged, possesses a peculiar significance and solemnity because in confiding to you for the first time this emblem of military fidelity and valour, I not only recognize emphatically your enrollment into our national force but celebrate an act which proclaims and strengthens the unity of the various parts of this vast Empire under the sway of our common Sovereign." The fact that this address of the youthful Prince — he was not eighteen — was probably revised and approved by the Prince Consort and the Queen, illustrates how early his education in Imperialism began, and how far in advance of public opinion the Queen and her sagacious husband were. Through the years that followed the Prince of Wales was never backward in urging efficient military and naval protection 264 THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT for British interests. Upon the question of the Navy two speeches, delivered in 1899, may be referred to as indicat- ing the patriotic statesmanship of the Heir of the Throne- Speaking at the Middlesex Hospital banquet on April 12th he said : " In this country it depends on our Navy and our Army to uphold the honour and prestige of our nation and to protect the interests which have made it the vast empire it is. I rejoice to think that Her Majesty's Government have thought fit to increase our Navy. I realize by your applause how heartily you reciprocate what I have said, and I believe that this feel- ing exists not only in this room but throughout the length and breadth of Her Majesty's dominions. In strengthening our Navy, God forbid that it should imply in any way that we threatened other countries — just the reverse— for, in order to be at peace, we must be strong. Therefore, the best policy is to strengthen our first line of defence— the Navy. I hope the motto of which our Volunteers are so proud may ever be retained by the Navy ; that of defence, not defiance." A little later, as President of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, he presided over a banquet in London on May 1st. In pro- posing the toast of the Army and Navy he declared that the country owed them much. "I am sure the desire of every Englishman is to see both in a high state of efficiency and that he does not grudge putting his hand in his pocket to maintain them, because he knows that if he has a good fleet and a good army he is safe and the honour of the Empire is safe." An incident occurred on April 4th, 1900, which afforded abundant proof of the popularity of the Prince of Wales and indicated the importance his position had attained in the eyes of the world. He had been travelling to Denmark accompan- ied by the Princess, and his train had arrived at Brussels en route from Calais to Copenhagen. The carriage was a special one and was leaving the station at a slow, preliminary rate when a youth named Sipido jumped on the foot-board of the THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT 265 car and fired two shots, in rapid succession, point-blank at the traveller who was just taking a cup of tea with his wife. He was about to fire a third time, but was seized by the station- master, arrested and sent to prison. The man turned out to be a Belgian, expressed no regret for his attempted crime, said that he was willing to try again, and stated, under cross-exami- nation, that his object was to avenge the thousands of men "whom the Prince had caused to be slaughtered in South Afri- ca." He was afterwards tried under the laws of Belgium and acquitted. After sending dispatches to the Queen and the Duchess of York, containing assurance of safety, the Prince and Princess proceeded on their way to Denmark. The event created a profound sensation in Great Britain and throughout Europe and the British Empire. The first feeling was of astonishment that one of the most popular members of the world's Royal circle should be the object of such an attempt ; the second that more care had not been taken by those responsible for his safety in travelling ; and the third was admiration for the perfect coolness and obvious bravery which he showed during and after the ordeal. Every- where tributes of sympathy were tendered in language of unstinted appreciation of the Heir Apparent's public services and character. Speaking at Acton, on the same evening, Lord George Hamilton, M. P., said : " What could have induced any foreigner to raise his hand against the Prince of Wales passed his comprehension. If there was one individual who had utilized his position and abilities to promote the welfare of the poorer section of society it was the Prince of Wales. No kinder, no more philanthropic, no more humane man existed on the face of the earth." At other meetings which were going on, sympathetic allusions were made to the event, amidst loud cheers, by Lord Strathcona, Sir William Wedder- burn, M. P., the Earl of Hopetoun, and Sir Wilfrid Lawson. Telegrams poured in at Windsor and Marlborough House 266 THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT from every point of the compass. Resolutions of congratula- tion were passed in every portion of the Empire during the next few days, and " God bless the Prince of Wales " rang loudly through the United Kingdom and many a distant country. King Leopold of Belgium was one of the first to express his deep regret at the occurrence ; the Governments of Vic- toria, South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New Zealand, Tasmania, Cyprus, Mauritius and Barbados, the President of France, the Portuguese Parliament, the Town Councils of Ballarat and Bendigo in Australia and Durban in South Africa, the Agents-General of all the Colonies in Lon- don, the Australian Federal Delegates in London, the Masonic Grand Lodge of New Zealand, the Corporation of London, the Government of Servia, the High Commissioner for South Africa and the Hon. W. P. Schreiner, Premier of Cape Colony, the Governor-General of Canada, the Governor of Malta, and some eight hundred other Governments, public bodies, or prominent persons, telegraphed messages of congrat- ulation or formal Resolutions. The references of the British and Colonial press were more than sympathetic. The London Standard thought that " the veneration felt for the Queen as well as the general regard for the Prince's personal qualities and his universal popularity might be supposed to give him absolute immunity, even in these days of frenzied political animosity and unscrupulous journalistic violence. The Prince is almost as well-known on the Continent as he is at home, and his invariable courtesy and unaffected kindness of heart have been appreciated and acknowledged in capitals where his coun- try is not regarded with affection." The London Daily News pointed out the utter absence of all excuse for such an attempt. " The Prince had refrained with admirable tact and discretion from interference with public affairs. All sorts of charitable and philanthropic concerns have found in his Royal Highness a sympathetic friend." THE PRINCE AS HEIR APPARENT 267 Returning home, on April 20th, the Prince of Wales was given a pleasant surprise at Altona where, as his train stopped on German soil, he found the Emperor William and Prince Henry of Prussia waiting with their suites to welcome him to Germany and, at the same time, to offer personal congratula- tions upon his escape. This occurrence created wide comment in Europe generally, and was taken to mean a desire by the German Emperor to express friendly national as well as friendly personal feelings. When His Royal Highness arrived at Dover, the^welcome was immense in numbers and enthusi- astic in character. The same thing occurred at Charing-Cross Station, London, where he was met by the Duke of York and the King of Sweden and Norway and wildly cheered by thousands of people on his way to Marlborough House. As the Standard put it next day : " No address of congratulation, presented by dignitaries in scarlet and gold, could have been nearly as eloquent as that sea of friendly faces and the ringing cheers of loyal men." In response to the innumerable con- gratulations received, as well as to this reception, the Prince of Wales issued a personal and public note of thanks in the fol- lowing terms : " I have been deeply touched by the numerous expres- sions of sympathy and goodwill addressed to me on the occa- sion 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 through- out the world, as well as from the representatives and inhabi- tants of foreign countries, have these manifestations of sympa- thy 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 good-will. Such proofs of kind and generous feeling are naturally most highly prized by me, and will forever be cherished in my memory." CHAPTER XVII. Accession to the Throne THE death of Queen Victoria and the accession of King Edward were the first and perhaps the greatest events in the opening year of the new century. Before the formal announcement on January 1 8th, 1901, which stated that the Queen was not in her usual health and that " the great strain upon her powers " during the past year had told upon Her Majesty's nervous system, the people in Great Britain, in Canada, in Australia, in all the Isles of the Sea and on the shores of a vast and scattered Empire, had become so accus- tomed to her presence at the head of the State and to her personality in their hearts and lives that the possibility of her death was regarded with a feeling of shocked surprise. During the days which immediately followed and while the shadow of death lay over the towers of Windsor, its influence was everywhere perceptible 'throughout the press, the pulpit and amongst the peoples of the Empire — in Mon- treal as in Winnipeg, in busy Melbourne and in trouble-tossed Cape Town, in Calcutta and in Singapore. When the Prince of Wales, on Thursday evening, the 22nd of January, tele- graphed the Lord Mayor of London that " My beloved mother, the Queen, has just passed away," the announcement awakened a feeling of sorrow, cf sympathy and of Imperial sentiment such as the world had never seen before in such wide-spread character and spontaneous expression. Yet there was no expression of uneasiness as to the future ; no question or doubt as to the new influence and power that must come into existence with the change of rulers ; no fear 268 ACCESSION TO THE THRONE *'>9 that the Prince of Wales, as King and Emperor, would not be fully equal to the immense responsibilities of his new and great position. Perhaps no Prince, or statesman, or even world-conqueror, has ever received so marked a compliment ; so universal a token of respect and regard as was exhibited in this expression of confidence throughout the British Empire. THE EMPIRE'S CONFIDENCE IN THE NEW KING. Public bodies of every description in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and other British countries rivalled each other in their tributes of loyalty to the new Sovereign as well as of respect for the great one who had gone. The press of the Empire was practically a unit in its expression of confidence, while the pulpit, which had during past years, expressed itself occasionally in terms of criticism, was now almost unanimous in approval of the experienced, moderate and tried character of the King. The death which it was once thought by feeble-minded, or easily misled in- dividuals, would shake the Empire to its foundations was now seen to simply prove the stability of its Throne, and the firm- ness of its institutions in the heart of the people. The acces- sion of the Prince of Wales actually strengthened that Monarchy which the life and reign of his mother had brought so near to the feelings and affections of her subjects every- where. On the day following the Queen's death the new Sovereign drove from Marlborough House to St. James's Palace ; accom- panied by Lord Sufneld and an escort of the Horse Guards. He had previously arrived in London from Windsor at an early hour accompanied by the Duke of Connaught, the Duke of York, the Duke of Argyll, Mr. Balfour and others. The streets were densely crowded with silent throngs of people ; crape and mourning being visible everywhere, and the raised hat the respectful recognition accorded to His Majesty. Later 2 7 o ACCESSION TO THE THRONE in the day the people found their voices and seemed to think that they could cheer again. At St. James's Palace the mem- bers of the Privy Council had gathered to the number of 150 and were representative of the greatest names and loftiest posi- tions in British public life. THE KING ADDRESSES THE PRIVY COUNCIL. Members of the Royal family, the members of the Gov- ernment, prominent Peers, leading members of the House of Commons, the principal Judges and the Lord Mayor of Lon- don — by virtue of his office — were in attendance. Lord Salis- bury, Lord Rosebery, Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. Balfour ; the Dukes of Norfolk, Devonshire, Portland, Northumberland, Fife and Argyll ; the Earls of Clarendon, Pembroke, Chester- field, Cork and Orrery and Kintore ; Lord Halsbury, Lord Ashbourne, Lord Knutsford, Sir M. E. Hicks-Beach, Lord Balfour of Burleigh, Lord George Hamilton, Mr. St. John Brodrick, the Marquess of Lansdowne, Mr. W. H. Long, M. P., Lord Ridley, Sir. H. Campbell-Bannerman, Sir J. E. Gorst, the Marquess of Ripon, Lord Goschen, Mr. H. H. Asquith, Lord Pirbright, Lord Selborne, Sir R Temple, Mr. W. E. H. Lecky, Sir Drummond Wolff, Sir Charles Dilke, Lord Stalbridge, Sir M. E. Grant-Duff, *Mr. John Morley, Earl Spencer and Earl Carrington were amongst those present. After the Council had been officially informed by its President of the Queen's death and of the accession of the Prince of Wales, the new Sovereign entered, clad in a Field Marshal's uniform, and delivered, without manuscript or notes, a speech which was a model of dignity and simplicity. Its terms showed most clearly both tact and a profound perception of his position and its importance was everywhere recognized : " 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 melancholy duty is to announce to you the death of my beloved ACCESSION TO THE THRONE 271 mother, the Queen, and I know how deeply you and the whole nation, and, I think I may say, the whole world, sympathize 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, so 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, and 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." After the oath of allegiance had been taken by those present, the proclamation announcing the accession of the new Monarch was signed by the Duke of York — now also Duke of Cornwall, — the Duke of Connaught, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Christian, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Mayor of London, and the other Privy Councillors present. The Houses of Parliament met shortly afterwards and the members took the oath of alle- giance, while all around the Empire the same ceremony was being gone through in varied tongues and many forms and strangely differing surroundings. There was wide-spread interest in His Majesty's choice of a name, and the designation of Edward VII was almost universally approved — the excep- tions being in certain Scotch contentions that the numeral could not properly apply to Scotland as a part of Great Brit- ain. The name itself reads well in English history. Edward the Confessor, though not included in the Norman chron- ology, was a Saxon ruler of high attainments, admirable char- acter and wise laws. Edward I, was not only a successful sol- 272 ACCESSION TO THE THRONE dier and the conqueror of wild and warlike Wales, but a states- man who did much to establish unity and peace amongst his people. Edward II. was remarkable chiefly for the thrashing which the Scots gave him at Bannockburn while Edward III. was the hero of Crecy, the winner of half of France, and a brave and able ruler. Edward IV. was a masterful, hard and not over-scrupulous monarch, and Edward V, was one of the unfortunate boys who were murdered in the Tower of London. Edward VI. was a mild-natured and honest youth who did not live long enough to impress himself upon a strenuous period, or upon interests with which his character little fitted him to deal. The last of the name had reigned, therefore, before the Kingdom of England got out of its national and religious swaddling clothes ; before the reign of Henry VIII. had freed it from connection with Rome, or that of Elizabeth had founded the maritime and commercial empire which, in time, was to create the mighty realm over which the new Edward now assumed sway. INCIDENTS SURROUNDING THE ACCESSION The Proclamation of the King in the cities of the United Kingdom and at the capitals of countries and provinces and islands all around the globe was a more or less stately and ceremonious function, and the Proclamation itself was couched in phraseology almost as old as the Monarchy. " We, there- fore, do now with consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the high and mighty Prince, Albert Edward, is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lord, Edward the Seventh." At the ceremony in London, Dublin, Liverpool, Derby and other cities, immense crowds assembled and "God save the King "was sung with unusual heartiness. Mean- while, following his address to the Privy Council, the King had returned to Osborne with the Duke of Cornwall and ACCESSION TO THE THRONE 273 York, and there he found the German Emperor awaiting him. The latter had come post-haste from Berlin and been in time to see the Queen before she passed away. He had now decided to stay until after the funeral and thus to tender every respect in his power to the memory of his august grandmother. Parliament had been called immediately upon the King's Pro- clamation, and it met hurriedly and briefly on January 24th to enable the members to take the oath of allegiance while, all around the Empire, similar proceedings were taking place in Courts and Legislatures and Government buildings. On the following day Parliament met in brief Session and the Marquess of Salisbury in the House of Lords and Mr. A. J. Balfour in the Commons read a Royal message : " The King is fully assured that the House of Lords will share the deep sorrow which has befallen His Majesty and the nation by the lamented death of His Majesty's mother, the late Queen. Her devotion to the welfare of her country and her people and her wise and beneficent rule during the sixty-four years of her glorious reign will ever be held in affectionate memory by her loyal and devoted subjects throughout the dominions of the British Empire." In moving an address of mingled sympathy and congratulation, in reply, Lord Salisbury spoke with sincere and weighty words as to the qualities and power of the late Queen, her position as a constitutional ruler and her " steady and persistent influence on the action of her Ministers in the course of legislation and government." Upon the position of the new Sovereign the speaker was explicit : " He has before him the greatest example he could have to follow, he has been familiar with our political and social life for more than one generation, he enjoys a universal and enormous popularity, he is beloved in foreign countries and foreign Courts almost as much as he is at home, and he has profound knowledge of the working of our institutions and the conduct of our affairs." 18 2 74 ACCESSION TO THE THRONE The motion was seconded by Lord Kimberley as Liberal Leader in the House, and spoken to by the Archbishop of Canterbury. In the Commons Mr. Balfour referred at length to the oreat reien and character of Queen Victoria and to the Sovereign's influence upon public affairs. " In my judgment the importance of the Crown in our Constitution is not a diminishing but an increasing factor." Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman, the Opposition Leader, seconded the motion, dealt with the late Queen's personal character, referred to Queen Alexandra as having long reigned in the hearts of the people, and paid high tribute to King Edward: " For the greater part of his life it has fallen to him not only to discharge a large part of the ceremonial public duty which would naturally be performed by the head of the State ; but also to take a leading part in almost every scheme established for the national benefit of the country. Religion and charity, public health, science and literature and art, education, commerce, agricul- ture — not one of these subjects appealed in vain to His Majesty, when Prince of Wales, for strong sympathy and even for personal effort and influence. We know how unselfish he has been in the assiduous discharge of all his public duties, we know with what tact and geniality he has been able to lend himself to the furtherance of these great objects." The tactful and obviously sincere language of the King's address to his Council had, meanwhile, won the warmest and most loyal commendation in all parts of the Empire — the unanimity of approval being extraordinary in view of the diversity of peoples and interests involved. Other messages which followed from His Majesty were of the the same states- manlike character. To the Army, on January 25th, he issued a special message, as Sovereign and as constitutional head, thanking it for the splendid services rendered to the late Queen and describing her pride in its deeds and in being her- self a soldier's daughter. " To secure your best interests will ACCESSION TO THE THRONE 275 be one of the deepest objects of my heart and I know I can count upon that loyal devotion which you ever evinced toward your late Sovereign." On the following day the Navy received a message of thanks for the distinguished services rendered by it during the long and glorious reign of the late Queen and concluding with these words : " Watching over your interests and well-being I confidently rely upon that unfailing loyalty which is the proud inheritance of your noble Service." An incident followed which once more showed the tact- fulness of character so desirable and important in a Sovereign. The presence of William II. of Germany in England, at this particular period, was creating much discussion abroad and his evident friendship for the King, whom he had just made an Admiral of the German fleet and with whom he had been having prolonged conferences — in company on one occasion with Lord Lansdowne who had been hastily summoned to Osborne — increased this interest. On January 28th the situa- tion was accentuated by the announcement that the German Emperor had been made a Field Marshal in the British Army and his son, the Crown Prince, a Knight of the Garter. In personally conferring the latter honour King Edward made a brief speech in which he expressed the hope that the kindly action of the Emperor in coming to London at this juncture and his own presentation of this ancient Order to the Prince might " further cement and strengthen the good feeling which exists between the two countries." Between the time of the King's accession and the funeral of Queen Victoria, on February 1st, the press and public of the Empire were busy taking stock of the great loss sustained and measuring the character and possibilities of the new Sovereign. There was, in both connections, a curious and striking unanimity, as may be inferred from what has been already stated. A few expressions of authoritative opinion about the new King may, however, very properly be quoted here 276 ACCESSION TO THE THRONE in addition to the references made in Parliament. The Lon- don Times, on the day following the Queen's death, spoke of the long training undergone by the Prince of Wales, of his wide experience and his acquaintance with the ceremonial functions of Royalty. " Endowed as he is with many of the most lovable and attractive qualities of his mother — with warm sympathies, with a kind heart, with a generous disposition, and with a quick appreciation of genuine worth — the nation is happy in the confidence that, in spirit as well as in form, it may count upon the maintenance of that conception of Roy- alty which is the only one which most of us have ever known. To these qualities the King adds perfect tact, wide knowledge of men and the business virtues of method, prompt decision, punctuality and great capacity for work." KINDLY AND LOYAL WORDS Speaking on January 24th at the City Temple, the Rev. Dr. Joseph Parker, Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, spoke of the King's great opportunities and personal powers. "As Prince of Wales he has played a difficult part with strict sagacity and unfailing good-nature. He is a man of great compass of mind. Let us welcome him with our warmest appreciation." From across the Atlantic came the voice of the Prime Minister of Canada, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, in his eloquent speech in Parliament on Feruary 8th : "We have believed from the first that he who was a wise Prince will be a wise King, and that the policy which has made the British Empire so great under his predecessor will also be his policy." From the still more distant Melbourne, Australia, came the kindly and loyal words of the Argus on February 1st : "In the eyes of his subjects, near and far, he is clothed with the kindliness, the tact, the sympathy with social progress, the practical intelligence, the political impar- tiality, and the keen sense of duty he displayed during the o 3 o P C B B a. o , E-n 3J3 SO o * B B" » o S3 S B w „ j ia < Q .s ■Si to Z Q < < z & • O S o S fci o -5 M 5 ►^ rt D bjo Q .5 B» e > .2 ffl .tj 5 i- < « w .5 D u < § S e O £ H o. 2 « Id sf < s ^ =3 < 4) THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 309 This interesting trading centre, with its four hundred and fifty million dollars' worth of commerce and its population of min- gled Chinese, Dutch and Germans, was ablaze with decora- tions and filled with holiday-makers. A Royal reception was held in the Town-Hall on April 22nd attended by Chinese, Arabs, Malays, Tamils and representatives of all the medley of blood which makes up the East. There were a dozen deputations bringing addresses and adding to the steadily accumulating caskets of gold and silver and ivory and precious stones which the Duke was destined to possess in a measure only excelled by his Royal father's collection in the past. The Malays contributed an elephant's tusk set in gold, the men of Penang a great bamboo set in gold, and the Chinese of Malaya a fire-screen worked with Oriental skill and beauty. After this ceremony, and including dinner, the Duke and Duchess drove through the Chinese quarters and in the even- ing witnessed the strange procession of figured reptiles and demons, dragons and monsters of distorted fancy, which marked Chinese pleasure and indicated the loyalty of the coolies as their costly decorations and caskets and the presence at functions of richly-dressed men and women had already illus- trated the loyalty of the merchant class. An incident of the afternoon was the singing by five thousand school-children of mixed Eastern races and the presentation of a bouquet to the Duchess. The effect of " God Save the King " in their quaint, native accents was described as being strangely pathetic. On the following morning the Ophir steamed out of the harbour bound for Australia and left eastern civilization behind for the forms and customs of England transplanted upon Australian soil. The shores of Sumatra were coasted, the Straits of Banka, the Sea of Java and the beautiful Straits of Sunda were traversed ; the Equator was crossed and His Royal Highness willingly subjected to the quaint and immemorial usages of the occasion ; the Indian Ocean traversed and two 3io THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR thousand five hundred miles of this part of the journey exper- ienced before the shores of the island- continent were sighted on May ist. The formal landing at Melbourne, for which all Australia was looking, took place on May 6th and the splendour of the reception far exceeded all expectations. For many weeks the people of the Commonwealth had been legislating, planning decorating and preparing for the visit of the Heir to the British Throne and his wife ; the dormant loyalty of years, aroused and developed by the events of the war and the despatch of thousands of troops to the front, had grown to a white-heat of interest and excitement ; the completion of con- federation and the union of the Colonies in one ereat Com- monwealth, which was now to be marked by the opening of the first Federal Parliament and stamped through this visit with Royal approval and British sympathy, enhanced the public interest. There was a great and stately setting at Melbourne for the functions which graced the occasion and, as the Ophir rested in the waters of the bay, surrounded hy British and foreign warships, with roaring salutes and a myriad of flutter- ing flags, there were excellent scenic preliminaries to the impressive landing ceremonies. From the St. Kilda Pier, through miles of beautiful, decorated streets, great arches and hundreds of thousands of cheering people, the Royal couple passed to Government House, welcomed also on the way by a gathering of thirty-five thousand school children singing " God Save the King." The whole spectacle was an extraordinary one. Mr. E. F. Knight, correspondent of the London Morning Post said that " it was a day of splendid pageants, stirring and impres- sive, and the extraordinary enthusiasm of the ovation given to the Duke and Duchess by the hundreds of thousands of Aus- tralians who packed the streets along the entire eight miles of route must ever stand out vivid in the memory of all who THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 311 witnessed it." Mr. W. Maxwell, the correspondent of the Standard, declared that : "I have seen many Royal progresses but never have I seen one more hearty and spontaneous than that of the multitude of well-dressed men, women and children who thronged the streets daily for nearly two weeks." The scheme of decorations was splendid, the triumphal arches were authoritatively stated to be better and more numerous than anything yet seen in London itself, the gathering of Australian troops lining the streets was representative and effective, the spectators were almost everywhere dressed in black or dark clothing as a tribute to the late Queen, the evening illumina- tions were on a magnificent scale — buildings and arches and decorations being a flashing, gleaming mass of light and fire and varied brightness. A state dinner was given at Govern- ment House by Lord Hopetoun in the evening and, on the succeeding day, a great Levee was held and addresses received. All the leaders of Australian life and society were presented and every form or phase of loyalty was embodied in the addresses presented from public institutions. Another state dinner followed at Government House and on May 8th the University of Melbourne was visited and an honorary degree conferred upon His Royal Highness. A great procession of various trade and labour associations was then witnessed and the third day of the visit concluded with a well-managed and stately Royal reception at Government House. OPENING OF THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENT On May 9th the central ceremony of the tour was per- formed and a new British Commonwealth started upon its national course. The streets through which the Royal progress was made were packed with enthusiastic masses of people ; the great Exhibition Building in which the Parliament of Australia was to be formally inaugurated was filled with twelve thousand persons, representative of every form of Australian life and 3 i2 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR character and achievement ; the scheme of decoration — blue and golden yellow and chocolate — was effective and bright, the black and white and purple of the universal mourning was brightened here and there amongst the people by scattering bits of uniform in blue and scarlet and gold. At noon, the distant sound of cheers and the blare of trumpets announced the approach of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York. Amidst the strains of the National Anthem, and accompanied by the Governor-General and Countess of Hopetoun, they took their places upon the dais. Around the King's son and his wife were all the leaders of Australia ; in front of them, the Parliament, the classes and a substantial section of the masses. The Earl of Hopetoun read some formal prayers and then gave place to His Royal Highness who, in clear and dis- tinct tones read his speech to Parliament and the people. In it he spoke of himself as fulfilling the wish of the late Queen Victoria and his father, the King, and as representing their deep interest in Australia and warm appreciation of Australian help in the war and loyalty to the Crown. Of the future, His Majesty felt assured. " The King is satisfied that the wisdom and patriotism which have characterized the exercise of the wide powers of self-government hitherto enjoyed by the Colonies will continue to be displayed in the exercise of the still wider powers with which the United Commonwealth has been endowed. His Majesty feels assured that the enjoyment of these powers will, if possible, enhance that loyalty and devotion to his Throne and Em- pire of which the people of Australia have already given such signal proofs. It is His Majesty's earnest prayer that this union, so happily achieved, may, under God's blessing, prove an instrument for still further promoting the welfare and advancement of his subjects in Australia, and for the strengthening and consolidation of his Empire." The Duke then declared the Parliament open in the name and on behalf of his Majesty. He also read a cablegram just received from the King : " My thoughts are with you on the day of the important ceremony. Most fervently do I wish THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 313 Australia prosperity and happiness." The members of Parlia- ment then took the oath of allegiance administered by Lord Hopetoun. Meanwhile, as His Royal Highness declared the Houses of Parliament open, and while the immense standing audience was making the building echo with a mighty cheer, the Duchess touched an electric button, and from every school- house in the Commonwealth there waved the Union Jack as a sign that the great function was completed. Amidst cheering multitudes the Royal couple then drove back to Govern- ment House. In the evening a brilliant concert was given under the auspices of the Commonwealth Government. On the following day fifteen thousand Australian troops were reviewed in the presence of one hundred and forty thousand people — infantry, mounted men, engineers, army service corps, army medical corps, ambulance corps and cadets — representa- tive of all the States and of all branches of the system together with blue-jackets and marines from the Royal Navy. Then came a state dinner at Government House. On May nth an afternoon reception was given by the Victorian Government and Parliament at the same place, and on Mon- day May 13th, His Royal Highness and the Duchess visited the famous golden city of Ballarat, inspected one of its great mines and laid the foundation-stone of a monument to Austra- lian soldiers who had fallen in South Africa. Tuesday saw an interesting school-children's fete and a reception by the Mayor and Corporation of Melbourne On May 14th, Their Royal Highnesses presented prizes to the scholars of the united Grammar Schools of Victoria, and the Prince spoke to the boys of the stately and historical events of the past few days. " Keep up your traditions and think with pride of those edu- cated in your schools who have become distinguished public servants of the state, or who have fought, or are still fighting, for the Empire in South Africa." To another great gatherino- of twenty thousand children the Duke was both eloquent and 3H THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR impressive. " May your lives be happy and prosperous, but do not forget that the youngest of us have responsibilities which increase as time goes on. If I may offer you advice I should say : Be thorough, do your level best in whatever work you may be called upon to perform. Remember that we are all fellow-subjects of the British Crown. Be loyal, yes, to your parents, your country, your King and your God." After a rousing farewell from the people of Melbourne, a special train was taken on May 18th by the Royal couple for the capital of Queensland. AT BRISBANE AND SYDNEY Every town, or settlement, or mining camp on the way contributed its cheers and shouts from crowds of sturdy Aus- tralians, and on May 20th, Brisbane was reached and an enthusiastic welcome received in the drive through crowded and beautifully decorated streets. At Government House, where the Royal guests were received by Lord Lamington, Lieutenant-Governor of the State, twenty-two deputations attended to present addresses — as compared with forty-eight at Melbourne. In the evening, a brilliant illumination of the city marked the event. On the following day a review of troops took place, and the Duke and Duchess enjoyed the patriotic singing and happy sports of some five thousand chil- dren. The evening saw an aboriginal Corrobberee performed for their benefit, and on the 23rd of May, the foundation-stone of a new Anglican Catheral, which was being erected as a memorial to the late Queen Victoria, was laid by His Royal Highness amid appropriate and dignified ceremonial. In the afternoon the Agricultural Exhibition was visited and a splen- did demonstration of welcome received from over thirty thou- sand people. The following and last day at Brisbane included a Levee, an afternoon reception and a concert. Each evening had seen a formal state banquet. THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 315 On May 24th the route was taken for Sydney, and a stop, was made near Combooya for a picnic in the bush, or " billy tea." Newcastle gave the Royal couple a rousing reception, and at Haukesbury the Ophir was boarded and the trip up the splendid harbour of Sydney commenced — -escorted by warships and welcomed by the roar of cannon from ships and shore. As the Duke and Duchess landed amid cheering sailors, pealing bells and the shouts of a massed concourse of people stretching far back from the landing-place, they were received at a sort of graceful portal, decked with flags, flowers and semi-tropical foliage, by the Governor-General, the Federal and State Governors and Premiers, the Mayor and others. The procession then passed along a three-mile route to Gov- ernment House with bands at intervals playing the ever- present National Anthem, with beautiful decorations and arches, and with cheering crowds, fluttering handkerchiefs and waving flags in every direction. In the evening there was the usual state dinner and more than usually striking illuminations. Of this reception the Sydney Morning Herald said the next day : " The acquisition of territory is a triumph of national achievement ; but it is a small thing beside this re-creation of a new Britain in another hemisphere. The demonstration in Sydney yesterday embodied the message to this effect which our people desire to transmit by favour of the Duke and Duchess to the centre of Empire." The ensuing event was a Royal review of nine thousand troops with the presence of one hundred and fifty thousand people as observers. Then came a brilliant Reception at Government House, and on the morning of May 29th a Levee attended by two thousand citizens and at which twenty-four addresses were received — including the various denominations, the Masons, and the Orangemen. That of the city was in a beautiful gold and jewelled casket. To these His Royal High- ness replied in eloquent language, and then knighted the 3i6 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR Mayor of Sydney, Dr. James Graham, as he had already done the Mayor of Melbourne. A state dinner followed with con- tinued evening illuminations. The naval depot at Garden Island was visited in the morning, and in the afternoon a naval review witnessed. A second Reception followed at Govern- ment House, and on the succeeding day the commemoration- stone of a Queen Victoria Memorial addition to the Prince Alfred Hospital was laid by the Duke. In his speech he expressed a doubt "whether anymore fitting memorial to that great life could have been chosen, for sympathy with the suf- fering was an all-pervading element in the noble and beautiful character of her who was your first Patron and with whose name the Hospital will now be associated for all time." At the Univerityof Sydney the Royal visitor was given an honor- ary degree amid the amusing chaff of a reception which was as hearty and enthusiastic as it was hilarious. A Citizen's Con- cert followed in the evening, and on the next day His Royal Highness conferred fourteen hundred medals upon volunteers who had returned from the war. In the afternoon there was a brilliant garden party at Government House. On Sunday a sermon was listened to at St. Andrew's Cathedral, preached by Archbishop Saumarez Smith, and Monday being the Duke's birthday was observed as a public holiday. In the afternoon a visit was paid to the Young People's Industrial Exhibition where five thousand school children sang a special Ode for the occasion. In the afternoon the Duke departed for a couple of days' shooting, and the Duchess visited the neighbouring Blue Mountains. On June 6th, after a very cordial "send-off" from the people, the Royal party boarded the Ophir and started for Auckland, New Zealand. Five days later they found that loyal city alive with enthusiasm, crowded with people and decorated to the extreme limit. They were welcomed by the Governor, Lord Ranfurly and the Premier, Mr. R. J. Seddon. THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CORNWALL AND YORK AT NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA October 13, 1901. THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 317 The latter presented an address in a superb casket made of New Zealand wood and gold, silver, and enamel, in the shape of a Maori war canoe. The ceremony of presentation and the reply occurred on board ship. Immediately upon landing the Duchess touched the key of a telegraph instrument, and flags waved and guns roared a welcome in every city and town of New Zealand. The popular welcome in the streets was tumultuous and the arches particularly impressive, while one of the incidents of the Royal progress to Government House was a living Union Jack composed of two thousand children dressed to fit the design. In the afternoon eleven addresses were received, and during his reply the Duke said : " I look forward to making known to His Majesty how strong I have found the feeling of common brotherhood and readiness to share in the responsibilities of the Empire, and earnestly trust that the results of the journey maybe to stimulate the interest of the different countries in each other, and so draw even closer the bonds which now unite them." ROYAL WELCOME IN NEW ZEALAND A state dinner followed this event and an evening Recep- tion. The succeeding day a Royal review of forty-three hun- dred troops occurred, with twelve thousand spectators, and was followed by a luncheon to four hundred veterans of the South African and Maori wars, at which the Duke of Cornwall and York made one of the several impromphi speeches delivered during his tour. Speaking of the combination of old veterans and young soldiers he said : " There is nothing like a chip of the old block " — to which some one responded with " You're one yourself" — "when one knows that the old block was hard, of good grain. and sound to the core, and if, in the future, whenever and wherever the Mother-hand is stretched across the sea, it can reckon on a grasp such as New Zealand has given in the present." This speech evoked tremendous cheering. 3 i8 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR Later, the foundation-stone of the Queen Victorian School for Maori Girls was laid, and in the evening, after a state dinner at Government House, the Royal visitors attended a Recep- . tion given by the Mayor, and drove through splendidly illumi- nated streets. The next few days were spent amongst that most picturesque, gallant and chivalrous of native peoples — the Maoris. Expressions of the most intense and unaffected loyalty and contentment with British rule were universal. Most interesting sights were witnessed and Maori customs studied — including war and other dances, songs of welcome and of challenee to enemies, and mimic battles fought with native skill and zest. Wellington was reached on Waterloo Day (June 18th) and the route to Government House was spanned by a dozen handsome arches — two of which had been erected by the enthusiastic Maoris. After the conferring of some knighthood honours the Royal visitors in the afternoon watched a pro- cession of Friendly Societies and laid the foundation-stone of a new Town-Hall. In the evening there were the usual state dinner, Reception and illuminations. On the following day three hundred medals were presented to South African veterans and seventeen deputations received. A state Reception was attended at the Parliament Buildings in the evening and the next day was devoted to visiting certain great industries and charitable institutions. On June 20th the foundation-stone of new Government Railway offices was laid amid torrents of rain and then the departure was made for Christchurch which was reached in a few hours amid the welcome of pealing bells, cheering people and roaring guns. Here the foundation-stone of a statue of Queen Victoria was laid in the presence of a great throng of people. The Sunday sermon of next day was preached by the Bishop of Christchurch and, on Monday, June 24th, a review of eleven thousand troops was held (including three thousand cadets) in the presence of sixty thousand THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 319 spectators. A feature of the drive to the review ground was a welcome sung by eight thousand school children. A luncheon to the war veterans was also given here and militant New Zealand was well represented in the speeches. Dunedin was reached by train on the following evening and in the Royal saloon the Hon. John Mackenzie — whose health had prevented him attending the formal ceremony at Wellington — was knighted by the Duke and personally invested with his Order. The city was found to be spanned everywhere with arches. Several functions were combined here and His Royal Highness received addresses in a special pavilion, pre- sented medals and inspected the veterans. The Corporation address was in a box modelled after a Maori meeting-house and made of gold, silver and bronze. Another military luncheon followed and in the afternoon a children's demonstration was attended and the Pastoral and Horticultural Shows visited. At Lyttleton, on the following day, another foundation-stone of a Queen Victoria statue was laid and then the Royal couple left for Tasmania after the Duke had issued a farewell address speaking of the enthusiasm of his reception, the loyal and military spirit of the people, the splendid qualities of the Maoris and the exquisite beauty of New Zealand scenery. The Hobart welcome was given on July 3rd and a most tasteful, loyal and enthusiastic one it was. There were a dozen triumphal arches and the civic address was presented in a beautiful pavilion specially erected. The usual state dinner and Reception followed. In the morning a Levee was held and thirty addresses received from the Churches and Friendly Societies, the Freemasons and the Orangemen, the Half-castes and the Chinese. During his reply the Duke referred to the Island's entry into the Commonwealth and said: "I trust that the hopes and aspirations which prompted her people to enter this great national union may be fully realized in the future prosperity of the Commonwealth and in the greatness, 3 2o THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR power and solidarity of the Empire." In the afternoon the foundation-stone of a statue to Tasmanian soldiers who had fallen in the war was laid by the Duke and an eloquent speech delivered in which reference was made to the event as being a testimony to " that living spirit of race, of pride in a common heritage and of a fixed resolve to join in maintaining that heri- tage ; which sentiment, irresistible in its power, has inspired and united the peoples of this vast Empire." A log-chopping con- test was then witnessed followed by an impromptu visit to inspect an arch in a poor and squalid part of the city. Another Reception was held in the evening accompanied by illumina- tions on sea and land. The succeeding day saw a review of two thousand troops, the presentation of war medals, a child- ren's demonstration, a trades' procession, a Reception by the Mayor in the City Hall with the singing of a special Ode, and illuminations and a fire brigade procession in the evening. Sunday was spent quietly and then the Royal yacht sailed for Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. IN SOUTH AND WESTERN AUSTRALIA Here the Duke and Duchess were formally received on July 8th by the Lieutenant-Governor, Lord Tennyson, and his Ministers, and enthusiastically welcomed in crowded and tastefully decorated streets, bathed in a bright and genial sun- shine. There were four arches — though ^2000 of the grant had been expended on the poor instead of on temporary decora- tions. At the Town-Hall an address was received and at the the same time twelve hundred homing pigeons were liberated to carry news of the Royal arrival to all parts of the State. A state banquet followed in the evening and after the Lev^e on the next day a number of addresses were received. Mean- while the Duchess visited the two local hospitals. Her Royal Highness also attended a football match in the afternoon and received a brilliant assemblage of people in the evening — the THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 321 Duke being compelled to have a tooth extracted. On the succeeding day the Art Gallery was visited and a bust of the late Lord Tennyson unveiled and an honorary degree accepted from the Adelaide University by His Royal Highness, who also laid the corner-stone of a new building in connection with this institution. Later, a demonstration of six thousand child- ren was attended and a Reception held in the evening. The next day was devoted to shooting and to seeing an exhibition of sheep-shearing, bullock-riding and buck-jumping, with a military Tattoo in the evening and the usual spectacle of bril- liant illuminations. The last day, but one, in South Australia included in its programme the laying of a foundation-stone for a Maternity Home in memory of Queen Victoria, and the review of four thousand troops with a state concert at night. On Sunday, a recently-completed Nave in St. Peter's Cathe- dral was dedicated by the Bishops of Adelaide and New- castle and a tablet to South African heroes unveiled by the Duke. The voyage was then resumed for Freemantle and Perth, in Western Australia, but stress of weather on July 2nd caused the Ophirio put in at Albany, instead, and there the surprised and delighted people gave the Duke and Duchess a rousing welcome as they took the train for Perth. The State capital was reached two days later and, amid perfect weather, through great crowds and a dozen splendid arches, the Royal progress was made to the Town Hall where the inevitable address was received. In the evening there was the usual state dinner given by the Governor, Sir Arthur Lawley, and ensuing Reception. On the following day the programme included a Levee, the reception of addresses, the laying of the foundation- stone of the State's monument to its sons lying on the South African veldt, the presentation of war medals and a civic Reception and state concert. The last two days of the 'visit were devoted to attendance at a state service in St. John's 322 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR Cathedral where the Duke unveiled a brass tablet in memory of South African heroes, laying the foundation-stone of a new building connected with the Museum, a visit to the Mint, an enthusiastic welcome given by a children's demonstration and a visit to the Zoological Gardens. Before sailing for South Africa on July 26th, the new Heir Apparent addressed a formal farewell to the people of Australia in the form of a letter to the Earl of Hopetoun. Reference was made at some length to the twenty-live thousand troops reviewed during the visit, to the educational systems of the States, to the loyalty exhibited to the King and the generous personal reception given by the people, to the hospitality of Governments and the good management and kindness of officials. Finally he said : " We leave with many regrets, mitigated, however, by the hope that while we have gained new friendships and good will, something may also have been achieved towards strengthening and welding together the Empire, through the sympathy and interest which have been displayed in our journey both at home and in the Colonies. The Commonwealth and its people will ever have a warm place in our hearts. We shall always take the keenest interest in its welfare, and our earnest prayer will be for its continued advancement not only in material progress, but in all that tends to make life noble and happy." The response of the press to this Message was pronounced and may be represented by the statement of the Melbourne Argus on June 29th, that from first to last "the Australasian visit was a success, in every way worthy of its statesmanlike conception and purpose." The Royal couple came from King and Empire, and their mission was personally performed with unique success. " Everywhere they were received with demon- strations of delighted loyalty. They were living symbols of British unity. From all they will take back a reciprocal mes- sage to King and Empire. There is not a single blemish upon the record of the visit. Not one imprudent word was spoken, not one slight left a stinging recollection." Mauritius was reached on August 4th, and the brightly- decorated streets of the capital were crowded with Creoles, THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 323 Mohammedai.s, Hindoos, and Chinese, while the French lan- guage was everywhere, and the English tongue seldom heard. Tropical flowers and foliage were brilliant and plentiful in the plans of decoration, and the streets were lined with a combi- 1 nation of Bengal Infantry, Royal Artillery and Engineers. At Government House the first investiture of knighthood in the Island's history was held and various addresses received. The foundation-stone of a statue of Queen Victoria was then laid, a procession of Hindoo and Chinese children witnessed and a drive taken through the town. The next four days were spent in strict privacy at the residence of Sir Charles Bruce, the Governor, with the exception of a state dinner and Recep- tion on the first evening-. ROYAL RECEPTION IN SOUTH AFRICA War-tossed South Africa was sighted on August 13th and the landing took place at Durban, where the welcome was enthusiastic. There were many arches and excellent decora- tions, eleven thousand singing children, crowded streets and shouting spectators who included Zulus, Kaffirs of all kinds, Indian coolies and the whole white population. In a Royal pavilion, specially constructed, addresses were presented and answered, and the train was taken to Pietermaritzburg after luncheon with the Mayor and a distinguished gathering. A deputation of ladies had, meanwhile, presented the Duchess with a table-gong made of pompom shells mounted on a rhin- oceros horn. The railway to the capital of Natal was patrol- led by mounted troops, and the drive through the illuminated city and densely-packed streets to Government House was done at night. On the following day the place was found to be handsomely decorated with many arches and the first func- tion was the Royal inauguration of a new Town Hall. The cheering of the people was intense and continuous in the streets. Afterwards addresses were presented — that of the 3 2 4 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR Corporation in a singularly beautiful casket of ivory and gold. In his eloquent speech the Duke referred to the events and sacrifices of the war. They had not been in vain. " Never in our history did the pulse of Empire beat more in unison ; and the blood which has been shed on the veldt has sealed for ever our unity, based upon a common loyalty and a determin- ation to share, each of us according to our strength, the com- mon burden." An address was also presented from Johannes- burg and specially replied to. In the afternoon there was an extraordinary assemblage, composed of the dignitaries of political and social life and the pick of the great British army in South Africa — a quarter of a million fighting men. It was a gathering of eleven holders of the V. C, and forty-three holders of the honour next in degree for bravery in the field — the D. S O. These famous medals were conferred by the Duke of Cornwall and York, and then a great deputation of Zulu Chiefs, clad in barbaric war para- phernalia, presented loyal congratulations. A reception was held in the evening and the city illuminated. The next day the voyage was resumed, and Simon's Bay reached on August 19th. After landing, through a guard of one thousand blue- jackets, and receiving an address from the Mayor, the special train was taken to Cape Town. There the formal reception was given by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the President of the Legislative Council, the Archbishop, the Chief Justice, the Mayor, the President of the Africander Bond and other officials or public men. The reception in the streets was enthusiastic, and it has been said that more Union Jacks were displayed than at any other point on the tour. A Levde was held in the afternoon at the Parliament Buildings and two thousand citizens were presented, while addresses were received from many public bodies in Cape Colony, Orange River Colony, and Rhodesia. THE WELCOME TO THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CORNWALL AND YORK AT MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 325 A memorable event occurred on the succeeding day, when in the Government House grounds, His Royal Highness and the Duchess received over one hundred native chiefs who had come from all parts of South Africa, laden with unique and peculiar gifts, clad in extraordinary costumes and led by Lero- thodi of the Basutos and Khama, the famous Chief of Bechu- analand. Short speeches were interchanged, and then the Duke and Duchess drove to Grootschur, to visit Mr. Cecil Rhodes. On the following day the Duke accepted an honor- ary degree from the University of Cape Town — of which he was already Chancellor — and in the afternoon received some six thousand school children, Colonial and Dutch, who sang an Ode of welcome and presented a gift of Basuto ponies for the Royal children in far-away London. There was also an evening reception and the same splendid illuminations which had graced the previous night. The last day of the visit included the laying of the foundation-stone of a Nurse's Home in memory of the late Queen, and of the corner-stone of the new St. George's Cathedral. Despatches were interchanged with Lord Kitchener, and a letter written by His Royal High- ness to the Governor, Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, expressive of the deep gratitude of his wife and himself for their recep- tion and the earnest hope that peace would soon be restored. An investiture of knighthood was also held, and on August 23rd the Royal couple were once more on the Ophir heading for distant Canada. ARRIVAL AT HISTORIC QUEBEC. After a voyage in which every kind of ocean weather was experienced, or suffered, the mighty St. Lawrence was reached, and finally the City of Quebec, on the 15th of September. The arrival was the commencement of a continental tour which proved a fitting crown to the whole splendid Empire progress and a more than appropriate continuation of the King's visit 326 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR of forty years before — in which he had touched only the smaller central Provinces of the great railway-girdled Domin- ion which now welcomed his son and his son's Consort. On Monday, September 17th, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, accompanied by the Earl of Minto, Governor-Gen- eral, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Prime Minister — who had gone down the river to meet them — set their feet upon Cana- dian soil. The Dominion Ministers were present to join in the welcome, and the procession then passed through the city, many thousands of people lining the streets, and three thous- and French children at the St. Louis Gate sino-jncr " O Can- ada, Land of Our Ancestors.'' At the Parliament Buildings, the Hon. S. N. Parent, Mayor of Quebec and Premier of the Province, read a lengthy address which referred to this visit as a proud privilege, expressed the renewed devotion of the citi- zens to the Crown and person of their Sovereign, and spoke of French-Canadians as " a free, united and happy people, faithful and loyal, attached to their King and country, and rejoicing in their connection with the British Empire and those noble self-governing institutions which are the palladium of their liberties." In his reply the Duke referred to the suc- cess of the Canadian troops at Paardeberg, and spoke with sorrow of the death of President McKinley. " It is my proud mission to come amongst you as a token of that feeling of admiration and pride which the King and the Empire feel in the exploits of the Canadians who rushed to the defence of the Empire." A Royal procession to the Citadel followed and in the afternoon the Duke and Duchess visited Laval University, where they were received by Archbishop Begin, the Rector, and five hundred clergymen of the Arch-diocese. In the address which was read by the Archbishop reference was made to the late Queen, to the accession of the present Sovereign, to the triumphal welcome on the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 327 which was being prepared for the nation's guests, and to the pleasure of the Church in sharing that welcome. "To the history of our Catholic Church belongs the honour of hav- ing forged between the English Throne and a French Cana- dian people solid bonds which neither adversity nor bribery can sever." Faith in the Church and loyalty to the Crown were the lessons they desired to inculcate. The University address was then read by the Rev. O. E. Mathieu, the Rector. His Royal Highness in replying and accepting the honorary degree of LL. D., paid a high tribute to Roman Catholicism in Canada. " I am glad to acknowledge the noble part which the Catholic Church in Canada has played throughout its his- tory ; the hallowed memories of its martyred missionaries are a priceless heritage ; and in the great and beneficial work of education and in implanting and fostering a spirit of patriotism and loyalty, it has rendered signal service in Canada and the the Empire." In the evening, a state dinner was held at the Citadel. During the ensuing morning the Royal review took place on the Plains of Abraham. It rained during the greater part of the proceedings and this, together with the cancellation of the proposed Reception, for which fifteen hundred invitations had been issued, threw a measure of gloom over the City. But neither the rain nor the sad death of the President of the United States could be helped and certainly the Duke never flinched from the discomforts of the former. There were some five thousand troops on the ground under command of Major- General O'Grady-Haly assisted by Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. M. Aylmer as Adjutant-General. After the parade was over, His Royal Highness distributed the South African medals to the men and presented Lieut.-Colonel R. E. W. Turner, of the Queen's Own Canadian Hussars, with his V.C. and D.S.O. and a sword of honour from the City of Quebec. In the evening, as on the previous one, the city was brilliantly 328 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR illuminated and the ships and river showed sudden blazes of light amid the blackness of surrounding night and through the flash of fireworks and gleam of electricity. The Royal couple gave a farewell dinner on the Ophir to a select number and in the morning started for Montreal. The journey was made in the splendid train built by the Canadian Pacific Railway Com- pany for the special purposes of this tour and destined to carry the Royal visitors all over the Dominion. Their imme- diate train of cars was preceded, as elsewhere throughout the country, by one bearing the Governor-General and Lady Minto. RECEPTION AT MONTREAL AND OTTAWA. Very few stops took place on the way to Montreal, where some change in the programme was to be made owing to the President's funeral. At Port Neuf, Three River's and Lano : raie, however, a few minutes' pause had been arranged. At the Montreal station the Royal couple were received by Mr. Raymond Prefontaine, M.P., Mayor of the city, in gorgeous official robes. With him were Archbishop Bruche'si, Vicar- General Racicot, Archbishop Bond, Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, Mr. T. G. Shaughnessy, Senator Drummond, Rev. Dr. Barclay, Principal Peterson, Sir William Hingston, Sir W. C. Van Home and Sir Wilfrid Laurier. The Civic address was read in French and the Duke replied in English. Other addresses were presented from the Numismatic and Antiqua- rian Society, the Daughters of the Empire and the Baron de Hirsch Institute. There was an immense crowd present and the proceedings concluded with the introduction of a number of Indian chiefs to His Royal Highness and the presentation of medals to the South African veterans. The procession through the streets to Lord Strathcona's house, where the Royal visitors were to stay, was a rather swift drive and the throngs of people were not given very much time to see the Duke and Duchess. Elsewhere in THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 329 Canada the rate was slower. Several beautiful arches deco rated the route. The cheers of the Laval students and the enthusiasm of five thousand school children on Peel Street were the most marked incidents of this parade through gaily decorated streets. In the evening Lord Strathcona enter- tained at dinner in honour of his Royal guests and the whole city was a blaze of light from electric illuminations and the fireworks on Mount Royal. The Reception in the evening was cancelled owing to the President's funeral. A visit was paid to the mountain in the morning and then followed the formal functions of a busy day. At McGill University an address was read by its Chancellor, Lord Strathcona, and an honorary degree received. Then followed an address from the Medical Faculty, read by Dr. Craik, and including the presentation of a casket of Labradorite — a native Canadian product. The Duke also formally opened the new Medical building. At Laval University the decorations were most elaborate and there was a great assemblage of local clergy. Archbishop Bruche'si extended a verbal, instead of written, welcome and informed the Duke that the clergy and Professors devoted themselves to training the youth of the University " in science and in arts, in loyalty to the throne, as well as in love of religion and country." An honorary degree was also given and accepted. Another place visited was the Royal Victoria Hospital which, like McGill University and its Medical Faculty, owed much to Lord Strathcona. At the Diocesan Institute an address was presented from the assembled Provincial Synod of Canada by the Lord Bishop of Toronto. In the afternoon the Duke and Duckess drove out to the Ville Marie Convent where they were received by the Archbishop of Montreal, the Lady Superior and Sir Wilfrid Laurier. An address was pre- sented and, as at Laval, the Duke replied informally though here, for the first time, he said a few words in French. A 33Q THE EMPIRE TOUR OE THE NEW HEIR torchlight procession of the people, general illumination of the city and more fire-works, followed in the evening. At nine o'clock on the succeeding morning the Royal couple started for Ottawa. They remained in Ottawa from September 20th until September 24th. On the way to the capital a brief stop was made at Alexandria and an address received. The arrival at' Ottawa and the Royal progress through the city was marked by brilliant decorations, cheering crowds and finer weather than had been the case either at Quebec or Montreal. The Civic address was read by Major W. D. Morris in a pavilion erected on the Parliament grounds and eighteen other addresses were received. The reply of His Royal Highness was sym- pathetic and eloquent in language. It was, he said, impossible for him not to think of the difference between forty years ago and the present time. " Ottawa was then but the capital of two Provinces, yoked together in uneasy union. To-day it is a capital of a great and prosperous Dominion, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, the centre of the political life and administration of a contented and united people. The Federation of Canada stands permanent among the political events of the century just closed for its fruitful and beneficent results on the life of the people concerned." He hoped that mutual toleration and sympathy would continue and be extended to the Empire as a whole and that, more than ever, the people would remain " determined to hold fast and maintain the proud privileges of British citizenship." On leaving for Government House the Duke and Duchess were greeted with " The Maple Leaf," sung by thousands of school children and were given a great cheer by the students of Ottawa College. In the afternoon a visit was paid to the Lacrosse match between the Cornwalls and Ottawas and at night a state dinner was held at Government House. The city was illuminated on this and subsequent evenings in a way THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 331 to rival the famous effects of the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo. On the following morning an investiture of knight- hood was held at Government House followed by a drive through Hull. At noon the statue of Queen Victoria on the Parliament grounds was unveiled amid the usual surroundings of state and soldiers and crowds. South African medals were presented by the Duke and to Lieutenant E. J. Holland was given his V. C. as well as medal. His Royal Highness was then lunched by a number of prominent gentlemen at the Rideau Club and in the afternoon a garden party was held at Government House. In the evening there was a quiet dinner and drive through the city to see the illuminations. On the following day, Sunday was quietly observed and Christ Church Cathedral attended in the morning by the Royal couple and the Governor-General and Lady Minto. Bishop Hamilton officiated and the sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Kittson. The morning of September 23 was notable for the entertainment given by the lumbermen of Ottawa. The Duke and Duchess travelled on a special electric car to their destination, went in canoes with voyageurs through the rapids, descended the famous lumberslides of the Chaudiere, witnessed a race of war canoes, saw tree cutting and logging, watched the strange dances of the woodsmen, ate a lumbermen's lunch in a shanty, heard the jolly songs of the voyageurs, and listened to a speech from a habitant foreman which made them and all Canada laugh heartily. In the evening a brilliant Reception was held in the Senate Chamber. At noon on the following morning the Royal couple left for Winnipeg through crowded streets and cheering people. Before her departure the Duchess of Cornwall was given a handsome cape by the women of Ottawa. The presentation was made by Lady Laurier, on behalf of the contributors, at Government House. In Montreal a beautiful gift had also been made to her in the shape of a corsage ornament composed of a 332 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR spray of maple leaves made of enamel and decorated with 366 diamonds and one large pearl. It was presented by Lady Strathcona and Mrs. George A. Drummond. The Royal journey across the continent commenced with the departure from Ottawa and, between the capital of the Dominion and the metropolis of the West, a number of places were passed at a few of which the Royal visitors paused for a brief time. At Carleton Place there was a cheering crowd and gaily decorated station and sineing- school children ; at Almonte the town was enfkte and cheering could be heard from even the roofs of the distant cotton mills ; at Arnprior the whole population turned out and the decorations were extensive ; at Renfrew and Pem- broke the same thing occurred ; at Petawawa and Chalk River crowds of country people had gathered ; at Mattawa and North Bay the stations were gaily decorated and bands played their welcome. Everywhere in the wilds of Algoma and along the rocky shores of Lake Superior little groups of settlers might be seen at the lonely stations watching for a sight of the Duke and Duchess. At Missanabie, a stop was made to see a Hudson's Bay post and stockade and at White River, the coldest place in Canada east of the Yukon, a picturesque party of Indians was seen. A stop was made at Schrieber, and the whole popu- lation turned out to see an address presented to the Duke and a bouquet to the Duchess. Late in the evening of the 25th Fort William was reached and the school children of the town saner " The Maple Leaf " from an illuminated stand at the station. At Port Arthur the Duke accepted a case of mineral specimens. Winnipeg was reached at noon of the next day after a quick journey through the " Lake of the Woods " dis- trict and a splendid welcome was accorded the Royal visitors. Flags flew everywhere and decorations abounded throughout the city. At the station about a hundred of Manitoba's lead- ing men were gathered. The Governor-General and Lady THE DEPARTURE Of THE " OPHIR " FROM PORTSMOUTH With the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall starting on their tour around the Empire, March 1G, 1901. THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CORNWALL AND YORK ON THE BRIDGE OF THE "OPHIR" They are leaving England on their tour around the Empire and waiving farewell to King Edward and his party, who were on the •• Albert and Victoria." THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 333 Minto and Sir Wilfrid Laurier were also present to assist in the welcome, as their trains had preceded the Royal party to Winnipeg. The same order was observed in this connection throughout the Canadian tour. IN WINNIPEG AND THE WEST The Royal procession then passed along the wide main street of the city, through splendid arches of wheat, to the City Hall, where Mayor Arbuthnot presented the address to the Duke. Archbishop Machray then presented an address from the Church of England in Rupert's Land, expressive of welcome and attachment to the Throne and Empire. Arch- bishop Langevin, on behalf of the Catholics of Manitoba and the West, in his address dwelt upon the French pioneer labours in the Northwest, and declared the pride felt by the people of his Church in having defended England's noble standard, even at the expense of their blood. " We thank God for the amount of religious liberty we enjoy under the British flag." In his reply, the Duke of Cornwall and York spoke of the marvellous progress made by Winnipeg — " the busy centre of what has become the great granary of the Empire, the poli- tical centre of an active and enterprising population in the full enjoyment of the privileges and institutions of British citizen- ship." Then followed the presentation of South African medals and a luncheon at Government House attended by many leading citizens. In the afternoon the University of Manitoba was visited and an address read by Archbishop Machray, Chancellor of the University. A state dinner was given in the evening at Government House and about ten o'clock the Royal visitors passed through the crowded and illuminated streets of the city to the train, followed by a torch- light procession and the sound of many cheers. At Regina, on September 27th, a loyal welcome was received. The procession to Government House was followed 334 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR by the reception of twelve addresses from Territorial centres and the distribution of South African decorations. A luncheon was given by Lieutenant-Governor Forget, and at 3 p. m., the Royal visitors departed for Calgary. There, on the following morning, they witnessed a thoroughly typical Western scene and received a Western welcome. The streets were gaily deco- rated and many cheers followed the Duke and Duchess as they proceeded to Victoria Park, where a review of 240 Mounted Police was held, medals presented to the South African veterans and Major Belcher decorated with his C. M. G. At another point near the city the Duke then met a large party of Indians and received from them an address which recited their past privations and present progress and expresed the hope that when His Royal Highness should accede to the Throne it would be "to long reign over us, our children, and the other many peoples of the British Empire in peaceful security and abundant happiness." Speeches were made by a number of the Chiefs and the Duke replied in most picturesque terms. " The Indian is a live man, his words are true words and he never breaks faith. And he knows that it is the same with the Great King, my father, and with those whom he sends to carry out his wishes. His promises last as long as the sun shall shine and the waters flow. And care will ever be taken that nothing- shall come between the Gteat King and you, his faithful children." Indian children then sang the National Anthem, and, after witnessing an extraordinary spectacle of broncho busting and cow-boy riding, the journey was resumed to the Rockies towering up on the horizon. Sunday was spent in traversing the marvel- lous panorama of nature which spreads out through the Rockies and Selkirks, the mighty glaciers, rushing rivers, lightning changes of colour and varied splendours of scene. A stop was made at Banff and at Lao-gran and Field, the stations were tastefully decorated with evergreens and flags. Revelstoke THE EMPIRE TOUR OE THE NEW HEIR 335 was passed, the lower levels of the mountains traversed, the plains reached, and on the morning of September 30th the Royal train drew into Vancouver. Mounted Police and blue-jackets from the fleet were there and as the procession left for the Court House, where addresses were to be received, the deep-mouthed guns of the fleet in the harbour, the ringing bells of the city churches and the cheers of the people sounded a combined welcome. Through several arches and gay decorations — the Japanese and Chinese arches being noteworthy — the parade proceeded, with the Premier of Canada in a carriage at its head. At the pavilion, in front of the Court House, the Royal visitors were received by Mayor Townley, an address was presented and a bouquet given to the Duchess as well as a handsome portfolio of British Colum- bia views from the Local Council of women. The Duke was very brief in his reply. The next thing on the programme was the opening of the new Drill-Hall and the presentation of South African medals. The Boy's Brigade was also inspected. After luncheon a visit was paid to the Hastings Saw-Mill, and a drive taken through the splendid trees and vistas of Stanley Park. At Brockton Point a drill of school children was held in sight of some seven thousand persons and a grand stand full of children looking on. Here the Duke presented a silken banner to the school which had won the prize for drilling and was given an enthusiastic reception. As the C. P. R. steamer, Empress of India, with the Royal party on board, passed in the evening across the Bay of Victoria the waters were illuminated with multitudes of lighted craft and the city was a vision of golden light with a background of surrounding blackness. Accompanied by five warships, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall arrived at Victoria on the morning of October 1st and were greeted by Lieut.-Governor Sir Henri Joly de Lot- biniere as they landed. The drive through the decorated streets 336 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR to the Parliament Buildings was the scene of much cheering and at the destination Their Royal Highnesses were received by the officials of the Province and an immense surrounding crowd. Mayor Hayward presented the Civic address and various deputations followed him. In his reply the Duke made no allusion to the international relations mentioned in one of the addresses but declared that Canadian sacrifices in South Africa had " forged another link in the golden chain which binds together the brotherhood of the Empire." Medals were distributed and the school children inspected. A drive fol- lowed through the gay streets of the city out to Esquimalt, where a barge was taken to the Admiral's flagship and luncheon served, with Real-Admiral Bickford as the host. In the afternoon the Agricultural Exhibition at Victoria was opened and in the evening the city and Parliament Build- ings were brilliantly lighted up by electricity and fireworks. After a state dinner at the Lieutenant-Governor's residence a Reception was held at the Parliament Buildings. The follow- ing day was a very quiet one. Her Royal Highness called on Mrs. Dunsmuir, wife of the Prime Minister, to express sym- pathy over a terrible disaster which had occurred at the Extension Mines and, after luncheon, the Duke and Duchess visited the Royal Jubilee Hospital. During the day the latter was presented by the miners of Atlin with a bracelet of gold nuggets. Late in the afternoon farewells were made and the voyage back to Vancouver commenced. From Vancouver they departed in the morning, the Duchess going to Banff where she stayed for a couple of days and the Duke going on to Poplar Point, Manitoba, forty miles from Winnipeg, where he enjoyed a couple of days' shooting with Senator Kirchhoffer. Winnipeg was reached on October 8th. They were cordially welcomed again and a visit was paid to Oglivie's Mill — said to be the largest in the Empire — and the direct journey for Toronto was then commenced. From North Bay, through THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 337 the Muskoka region and on to the capital of Ontario, there were cheering crowds at every station. Huntsville, Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst were marked in this respect. At Orillia, Barrie and Newmarket short stops were made and, amidst gay decorations, singing children and cheering throngs, the Duke and Duchess appeared on the platform, received a few presentations and in the case of Her Royal Highness accepted bouquets of flowers. MEMORABLE RECEPTION AT TORONTO The occurrences at Toronto during the Royal visit were of a character to make history. The morning of October 10th, when the Duke and Duchess arrived was gloomy and later on the rain poured with steady and depressive persistence. But it did not seem to affect the patience of the waiting crowds or dampen the enthusiasm of the reception. A special and beautiful station had been erected at the head of St. George Street and here, amid the patriotic songs of 6000 children, the Royal visitors were received by the Hon. G. W. Ross, Premier of Ontario and a number of his Ministers. The Vice-regal party and Sir Wilfrid Laurier had, as usual, arrived first. The procession followed through miles of decorated streets and throngs of cheering people until the City Hall was reached and a scene of colour and serried masses of people witnessed such as Toronto had never known. The streets were lined with ten thousand troops stretching from the station to the Hall and the Alexandra Gate, erected by the Daughters of the Empire, and the Foresters' Arch, erected by the Independent Order of Foresters, were notable features of the welcome. At the City Hall the Royal couple were received by Mayor O. A. Howland and welcomed by the singing of a large trained chorus of voices. An immense crowd was present and addresses were handed in by eleven deputations and replied to at some length. 338 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR During the afternoon a presentation was made to the Duchess by Miss Mowat, daughter of the Lieutenant-Governor, on behalf of the women of Toronto. It consisted of a writing set made of Klondike gold and Canadian amethysts and chrystal. The case was made of Canadian maple. A state dinner was given at Government House in the evening by Sir Oliver Mowat and the Royal couple afterwards attended a Con- cert at Massey Hall where Madame Calve and others sang. The streets were filled with enthusiastic crowds far into the night and the illuminations were something unequalled in the history of the city and unexcelled by any others during the Royal tour in Canada. Powerful search-lights from the top of the City Hall tower were an unique feature of the demonstration. On the following morning — October 12th — the Royal review took place on the Exhibition grounds. It was unques- tionably the most brilliant and effective military spectacle ever seen in Canada. Nearly eleven thousand men were mustered under command of Major-General O'Grady-Haly. Before the review commenced His Royal Highness presented the South African medals to a number of the soldiers and the V. C. to Major H. C. Z. Cockburn. To the latter also was given a sword of honour on behalf of the City Council. Colours were presented to the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry and the Royal Canadian Dragoons in the name of the King and as a mark of appreciation for their services in the war. The march past then took place. There were said to be twenty- five thousand people on the grounds and the streets and approaches were lined with many other thousands. In the afternoon the Duke and Duchess visited the Bishop Strachan School and the Duke planted a tree in- Queen's Park and reviewed the Fire Brigade. Then came the state visit to Toronto University, the presentation of an address by the Chancellor, Sir William Meredith, and the bestowal of the honorary degree of LL. D. THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 339 In the evening a Reception was held in the Parliament Buildings when two thousand people shook hands, amid brilliant surroundings, with the Heir to the Throne and his wife. Prior to this a very large state dinner had been held in the halls of the same building with His Excellency the Governor-General as host. The city was again most bril- liantly illuminated and filled with waiting throngs anxious to see and cheer the Royal visitors. Early in the following morning they left Toronto for a rapid trip through Western Ontario. As the Royal train rushed through the populous centres, or quiet villages of this rich section of the country, every railway station was crowded with cheering people anxious for a sight of their future Sovereign and his Consort. At Brampton a short stop was made, and a mass of beautiful roses, carried by eight children, was presented to the Duchess from the well-known rosaries of the town. At Guelph a plat- form had been erected near the station, and here two thousand school children sang patriotic songs. At Berlin there was another chorus and another exquisite bouquet of flowers for the Duchess. There was a great crowd of people at this point, and the children carried branches of maple leaves, as well as flags, which they waved while the singing was goino- on and the presentations were being made by Mayor Bowlby. The City of Stratford had a gaily decorated station, eight thousand cheering citizens and children singing "The Maple Leaf." An arch had been erected festooned with evergreens and flowers. The visit to London was a matter of more formality and length. The city was packed with people from outlyino- points, and the reception to the Royal couple as they drove through decorated streets to the Victoria Park was most enthu- siastic. There an address was proffered by Mayor Rumball. After the Duke's reply colours were presented to the 7th Re«-i- ment and the departure took place through the same kind o{ cheering throngs which had previously lined the streets. 340 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR From London the route was taken up to Niagara. Every station was crowded with people, and in the vineyard and fruit region a brief stop was made at Grimsby. Finally, the Royal train ran into the historic village of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and there, at the Queen's Royal Hotel, the visitors found elaborate preparations for their comfort during the ensuing day of rest. Masses of flowers and fruit were displayed as further proof of the diverse productions of the Dominion. Sunday was, how- ever, a busy day in some respects. In the morning the steamer was taken to Oueenston, and from thence a special electric car conveyed the Royal couple along the banks of the mighty Niagara, past Brock's monument and the scene of the historic conflict upon Oueenston Heights, and on to the famous whirlpool where half an hour of sight-seeing was spent. In Queen Victoria's Park there were crowds of people wait- ing to see the Duke and Duchess, but only a few minutes' glance at the Falls was taken. A visit to Loretto Convent followed with songs from the pupils and luncheon afterwards. Archbishop O'Connor of Toronto assisted in the reception. The rest of the day was spent in viewing and admiring the ever-chanoinof odories of Niagara Falls, and the return took place in the evening. On the 14th of October Hamilton was visited and three hours spent in receiving one of the most enthusiastic welcomes of the whole tour. Thousands had gathered in the spacious grounds surrounding the station and in the streets, and the cheering was hearty and continuous. The usual address was presented by Mayor J. S. Hendrie at the City Hall. The Royal visitors then lunched at " Holm- stead," the residence of Mr. William Hendrie, and afterwards the Duke presented new colours to the 13th Regiment. The departure took place amidst the cheers of thousands. At St. Catharines there was a short stop and the whole city turned out, business was suspended and the colleges and schools attended in a body. There was a guard of honour at H. R. H. PRINCE GEORGE OF WALES DELIVERING HIS SPEECH AT GUILDHALL— 5th December, 1901. The Prince of Wales expressed himself in a manner which gave unbounded satisfaction to the nation in regard to his impressions during the Royal tour. THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 341 the station, cheers from eight thousand throats, a beautiful bouquet presented to the Duchess and a few citizens intro- duced by Mayor Mclntyre. Brantford had its station hand- somely decorated, and three thousand children massed on the platform to sing patriotic songs as the train rolled in. Another bouquet for the Duchess was presented and also a casket con- taining a silver long-distance telephone from Professor Bell, the father of its inventor, who was born in Brantford. Their Royal Highnesses here signed the Bible which was given in 1 712 by Queen Anne to the Mohawk Church of the Six Nations and which already contained the autographs of the King and the Duke of Connaught. A very brief stop was made at Paris, where the school children were gathered and a large crowd cheered the Royal couple. At Woodstock the whole population turned out and the train entered the station amid the cheers of ten thousand people. Mayor Mearns presented some of the citizens and his little daughter handed a beautiful bouquet of roses to the Duchess. A thousand school children waved flags and sang the National Anthem. FROM WESTERN TO EASTERN ONTARIO From the West to the East travelled the Royal train during the night, and on the morning of October 15th reached Belleville, where some eight thousand people had assembled to welcome the Duke and Duchess. Presentations by Mayor Graham, a guard of honour, cheers and a bouquet for the Duchess, with singing school children, were the familiar fea- tures of the reception. An address from 250 deaf and dumb children was, however, an interesting exception. At Kingston the Royal couple drove through the crowded and decorated streets to a pavilion in front of the City Hall, where three thousand children sang, cheered and waved flags, while flowers were given to the Duchess and several addresses presented to the Duke. Following this ceremony the Royal procession 342 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR passed on through the historic city to Queen's University where his Royal Highness was given an honorary LL.D. and presented with an address by the Chancellor, Sir Sandford Fleming. In replying to the latter the Duke expressed the reeret of himself and the Duchess at the absence through ill- ness of the Very Rev. Principal Grant. He then laid the corner-stone of a new building donated to the University by the citizens of Kingston. There was .tremendous cheering from the students and gay decorations along the route which was then taken to the Royal Military College. At the College the Royal visitors witnessed a march past and gymnastic display from the Cadets. A spontaneous and unexpected incident occurred in the private visit of Their Royal Highnesses to Principal Grant at the General Hospi- tal. They talked with him a few minutes and then the Duke personally conferred upon him the C. M. G. which had been recently granted by the King. About one o'clock the Royal party reached the wharf where they embarked on the steamer Kingston, which had been most elaborately decorated and fitted up for the occasion, and started for a trip through the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence. At six o'clock the steamer arrived at Brockville, and the Duke and Duchess were greeted with a brilliant display of fireworks from the shore. At the landing-place they were met by Mayor Buell, Senator Fulford and other prominent citizens. A bouquet was aiven the Duchess and the procession from the wharf to the station passed through cheering people and the departure was made in a blaze of fireworks. At Cornwall, which was reached on the morning of October 16th, there were some four thou- sand people at the station, and Mayor Campbell presented the Duke and Duchess with a complete set of lacrosse sticks for the Royal children. They were enclosed in a gold-mounted case. The next stoppage was at Cardinal, where thousands THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 343 had assembled from the same surrounding country and the school children sang national songs. On the way from Ontario to the Provinces by the Atlan- tic a pause was made at Montreal on October 16th to visit the Victoria Jubilee Bridge — a reconstruction of the one into which His Majesty the King had driven the last rivet when visiting Canada in i860. The Duke of Cornwall and York was now presented with a gold rivet by Mr. George B. Reeve, General Manager of the Grand Trunk Railway system, as a souvenir of that event and of his present visit. The Bridge, which was called one of the wonders of the world at the time of its construction, now had a double track and double roadway. During the afternoon half-an-hour was spent at Sherbrooke, where the station was gaily decorated. Mayor Worthington presented the address and during his reply the Royal speaker declared that " among the many pleasant experiences of our delightful visit to Canada one will remain most deeply graven in our memories — the solemn declaration of personal attach- ment to my dear father, the King, and of loyalty to the throne of our glorious Empire." A beautiful bear-skin was then pre- sented to the Duchess by Mrs. Worthington on behalf of the ladies of Sherbrooke. Some South African veterans were decorated with the medal and a delegation from the Caughna- waea Indians received. From Sherbrooke the Royal party then travelled straight through to St. John, New Brunswick, which they reached in the afternoon of October 17th. After they had arrived and the echoes of the roaring guns had died away the Royal pro- cession was formed and passed through the usually crowded and decorated streets to the Exhibition Buildings where Mayor Daniel, in his official robes, welcomed the Duke and Duchess and presented an address from the City as did Mayor Crocket from Fredricton. Some nine other local addresses were also presented and replied to. His Royal Highness then 344 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR presented colours to British Veterans from Massachusetts. There was to have been a review of troops in the afternoon but, owing to some mistake in the arrangements, a Royal pre- sentation of South African medals, of colours to the 62nd Bat- talion, and of a sword of honour to Captain F. Caverhill Jones, comprised the proceedings. The return from the Exhi- bition grounds to Caverhill Hall, which had been specially fitted up by the Provincial Government for the visitors, was through crowds of more or less enthusiastic people. In the evening there were fireworks and electrical displays and a Reception at the Exhibition Building attended by a large representation of New Brunswick society. Late in the after- noon a deputation of ladies waited upon Her Royal Highness and presented her with a beautiful mink and ermine muff on behalf of the women of St. John. At noon on the following day the Duke and Duchess left the city amid much cheering and the farewells of a representative gathering at the station. On the way to Halifax the City of Moncton, N. B., celebrated the arrival of the Royal tourists with a half holiday, a decora- ted station and a mass of cheering people. Mayor Atkinson presented a number of prominent people and the Duchess received a couple of handsome bouquets. At Dorchester, as the train arrived it passed through a gaily decorated station, cheering crowds and local officials ranged along the platform. At Amherst, N. S., a short stop was made. FROM NEW BRUNSWICK INTO NOVA SCOTIA When Halifax was reached, on the morning of October 19th, the reception was beautiful and impressive as well as loyal. Thousands of soldiers with glittering bayonets lined the streets, together with hundreds of sailors armed with cut- lasses and rifles, and many thousands of crowding and cheering citizens. As the Royal visitors arrived at the station they were welcomed with a roar of guns from the magnificent citadel THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 345 heights and defences of Halifax and from the vessels of the most formidable fleet of war-ships which, it was said, had ever graced a Canadian port. They were received by the Vice- regal party, Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford and his staff, Colonel Biscoe and his staff, Lieutenant-Governor the Hon. A. G. Jones, of Nova Scotia, Lieutenant-Governor P. E. Mclntyre of Prince Edward Island, the Hon. G. H. Murray and the members of his Government, Mayor Hamilton of Halifax, the Mayor of Charlottetown and various other offi- cials and representative men. At the platform in front of the station various addresses were presented amid cheers from an immense gathering. The Duke, in replying, did so separately to the Prince Edward Island welcome and to that from Nova Scotia. To the former he expressed the "true regret " which they felt at not being able to visit that well-remembered Prov- ince, and to the latter he made a really eloquent response. "It is perhaps fitting that we should take leave of Canada in the Province that was the first over which the British flag waved, a Province so full of moving, checquered, historic memories, and that, embarking from your capital which stands unrivalled amongst the naval ports of the world, we should pass through waters that are celebrated in the annals of our glorious Navy." He also spoke of the "affectionate sympathy" with which they had been received throughout the Dominion. Following this function the Royal couple passed through streets lined with troops and sailors and cheering crowds and at times presenting the appearance of a net-work of colour, a canopy of bunting. In the grounds of the Provincial Building His Royal Highness laid the foundation-stone of a monument erected by the Government and people of Nova Scotia in honour of the Provincial heroes who had fallen in South Africa. The procession then passed on to a handsome arch, guarded by a detachment of Royal Engineer, where the Duke inspected the members of the British Veterans' Society who 346 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR were drawn up on parade. Conspicuous amongst them was a negro holder of the V. C. Thence the parade continued to the Dockyard where the Royal couple went on board the Ophir, which had come up from Quebec during the long inland tour. In the afternoon a oreat review and massing of many thousands of soldiers and sailors, infantry, cavalry and artillery, was held on the Halifax Common in the presence of a crowd of spectators — probably twenty-five thousand in number. The troops were under the supreme command of Colonel Biscoe, and the Royal Naval Brigade included four thousand sailors from twelve of Britain's most modern cruisers. It was a sight such as had never been witnessed in Canada before and the review eclipsed in effect the previous military spectacle at Toronto ; while the environment of great fortifica- tions and a harbour full of war-ships enhanced the character of the scene. Near the Royal pavilion was a stand containing six thousand school children who sang patriotic songs. After the review the Duke presented colours to the 66th Princess Louise Fusiliers and was informed by the Lieutenant- Governor that H.R.H. the Duke of Kent had conferred a similar honour upon the Regiment in the early part of the preceeding century. His Royal Highness then handed the war medals to the South African veterans and presented a sword of honour to Major H. B. Stairs. In the evening a state dinner was given by the Lieut.-Governor at Government House when occasion was taken by the Duke to present the Hon. Dr. Borden with the medal won by the gallant son who had lost his life in South Africa. A Reception was held after- wards in the Provincial Buildings amid scenes of striking beauty and brightness. The city and fleet were brilliantly illuminated and the spectacle one of the most beautiful of the whole Canadian tour. The next day was Sunday and was spent very quietly on board the Ophir. At night the Duke dined with Vice-Admiral Bedford on board his flag-ship. On THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 347 the following morning the Royal visitors left the shores of Canada in their yacht, accompanied by the fleet of battleships and with the cheers of many thousands of people, the roar of guns and the sound of bands playing on sea and shores, echoing out over the waters of the harbour. THE ROYAL FAREWELL TO CANADA. Before leaving Halifax, and under date of October 19th, the Duke of Cornwall and York sent a communication to the Earlof Minto expressive of the regret felt by the Duchess and himself at bidding farewell to " a people who by their warm- heartedness and cordiality have made us feel at home amongst them from* the first moment of our arrival on their shores." He referred to the loyal demeanour of the crowds, the general manifestations of rejoicing and the trouble and ingenuity dis- played in the illuminations and street decorations. They were specially touched by the great efforts made in small and remote places to manifest feelings of kindness toward them. " I recognize all this as a proof of the strong personal loyalty to the throne as well as the deep-seated devotion of the people of Canada to that unity of the Empire of which the Crown is the symbol." Thanks were tendered to the Dominion Gov- ernment, the Provincial authorities and municipal bodies and to various individuals for the care and trouble bestowed upon the varied arrangements. Of the Militia His Royal Highness spoke in high terms. The reviews at Quebec, Toronto and Halifax had enabled him to judge of the military capacity of the Dominion and of the " splendid material " at its disposal. Their hearts, he added, were full at leaving Canada and their regrets extreme at having to decline so many kind invitations from different centres. " But we have seen enough to carry away imperishable memories of affectionate and loyal hearts, frank and independent natures, prosperous and progressive communities, boundless productive territories, glorious scenery, 348 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR stupendous works of nature, a people and a country proud of its membership in the Empire and in which the Empire finds one of its brightest offspring." On the way home Newfoundland was visited and an enthusiastic reception given by the people of St. John's and the Government of the Island. The usual addresses, decora- tions and functions followed and- then the Ophir steamed away over the last stretch of ocean in this long, strenuous and memorable Royal progress of over fifty thousand miles on sea and land. When in siofht of English shores agfain the Kine and Queen and the Royal children, accompanied by the Chan- nel squadron of thirteen warships, met the travellers and escorted them to Portsmouth. After eight months of separa- tion the Royal family of three generations were again together. The popular welcome at Portsmouth was brilliant and enthus- iastic as well it might be. As the Times put it on November ist — the day of the arrival home — "The Duke and Duchess have made the greatest tour in history ; they have accom- plished an act of high statesmanship without statecraft but by simple arts which are better than any statecraft ; they have been under many skies and seen many strange, lovely and impressive sights ; they have been greeted and acclaimed by many peoples, races and languages." In his speech to the Civic deputation waiting upon him on the following day His Royal Highness stated that their journey had covered thirty- three thousand miles by sea and twelve thousand five hundred by land. " Everywhere we have been profoundly impressed by the kindness, affection and enthusiasm extended to us and the universal declarations of loyalty to the Throne ; and by the conscious pride in membership of our great Empire which has constantly displayed itself." A dinner was given by the King and Qeen on board the yacht Victoria and Albert in honour of the Royal travellers' return and, in the course of a speech of welcome, His Majesty THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR 349 referred to the cordiality and loyal enthusiasm of their recep- tion everywhere. " The accounts of their receptions, regularly transmitted to me by telegrams and letters and amply con- firmed in my conversations to-day, have touched me deeply and I trust that the practical result will be to draw closer the strong ties of mutual affection which bind together the old Mother- land with her numerous and thriving offspring". The special train was then taken to London and from Victoria station to Marlborough House the Royal couple drove through numer- ous crowds of cheering people and gaily decorated streets, with little Prince Edward beside them- — for the first time making- a public appearance and accepting the acclamations of the public with becoming gravity. It was a triumphal ending to a tri- umphant progress. A sort of climax to this termination was afforded, however, in the great banquet given by the Lord Mayor of London at the Guild Hall on December 5th, to him who had been created Prince of Wales on the 9th of Novem- ber preceding by his father the King. There were only four toasts — the King, proposed by Sir Joseph Dimsdale, the Lord Mayor and chairman ; Queen Alexandra and the Royal family, responded to by the new Prince of Wales ; the Colonies, pro- posed by the Earl of Rosebery and responded to by Mr. Chamberlain ; the Lord Mayor and Corporation proposed by the Marquess of Salisbury. Besides the speakers and the members of the Royal suite during this famous tour there were present the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Mrs. Chamberlain, Lord James of Hereford, Mr. John Morley, Lord Knutsford, Lord and Lady Tweedmouth, Lord and Lady Lamington, Lord Brassey, Lord Avebury, Sir Frederick Young and many other interesting or important personages. The speech delivered by the Prince of Wales was one which startled England from its directness of statement and its eloquence of style and delivery. It was not merely a clear, or good description of the tour ; it was the 350 THE EMPIRE TOUR OF THE NEW HEIR utterance of one who was both statesman and orator. His Royal Highness referred to the historic title which he now bore, to the voyage, unique in character and rich in experience, to the loyalty, affection and enthusiasm of the greetings every- where, to the special characteristics of the visit in each coun- try. He analysed Colonial loyalty as being accompanied by " unmistakable evidences of the consciousness of strength ; of a true and living membership in the Empire; and of power and readiness to share the burden and responsibility of that membership". He spoke of the influence of Queen Victoria's life and memory, of the qualities of the sixty thousand troops whom .he had reviewed, of the openings for better commercial interchange. " I venture to allude to the impressions which seemed generally to prevail among our brethren across the seas that the Old Country must wake up if she intends to maintain her old position of pre-eminence in her Colonial trade against foreign competitors ". The need of more popu- lation in the Colonies was referred to and an urgent appeal made to encourage the sending out of suitable emigrants. " By this means we may still further strengthen, or at all events, pass on unimpaired, that pride of race, that unity of sentiment and purpose, that feeling of common loyalty and obligation which knit together and alone can maintain the integrity of our Empire". CHAPTER XX. The King and the South African War. NO event in many years has created such keen interest amongst, and been so closely followed by, the Royal family of Great Britain as the war in South Africa. Apart from Queen Victoria's natural and life-long dislike of the horrors of war, there was the earnest sympathy which she felt in the last two years of her reign with thousands of her subjects who had suffered in the loss of husband, or brother, or father, or friend ; and the womanly sorrow which she herself felt for the many promising young officers whom she had per- sonally known or liked, or whose relations and friends had been upon terms of intimacy with members of the Royal cir- cle. The matter was still more brought home to her, in a personal sense, by the death of her grandson, Prince Christian Victor, who, after months of hard campaigning and with the reputation of an able, modest and hard-working officer, suc- cumbed in the autumn of 1900 to enteric fever, and was buried, at his own request, upon the South African veldt. But these personal considerations had never been so potent with the Queen as had her broader sympathies for her people, and there can be no doubt the gloomy days of Colenso and Spion Kop told severely upon the sensibilities of a Sovereign who was as proud of the nation's position and as keen to feel national humiliation, or sorrow, as was- the humblest and most loyal of her subjects. And the fact that her duty to the peo- ple and the Empire lay in supporting her Ministers and press- ing, if necessary, for a still more vigorous prosecution of the 351 352 THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR struggle, could not but have its effect upon the constitution of a Queen who felt her responsibilities very keenly and who was an aged woman as well as a great ruler. Where she could help in keeping behind her Ministers a united people Queen Victoria did her utmost. Early in March, 1900, the Royal recognition of Irish valour in South Africa, shown in the order to the soldiers of the Empire to wear the Shamrock on St. Patrick's day, was as tactful and wise a step as statesmanship ever initiated. The ensuing postponement of Her Majesty's spring visit to sunny Italy and her prolonged stay in Dublin during the month of April were pronounced appeals to Irish loyalty. Her Christmas present of chocolate to the troops in the field, her ever-thoughtful telegrams, and occasional letters and speeches upon public occasions, were also of great value to the cause of national unity and action in differing degrees. Meantime, the Duke of Connaught had volunteered early in the period of trouble which eventually developed into war, but the Queen did not wish him to go to the front and, though he had offered to waive his rank and seniority in order to do so, his mother's wishes, of course, prevailed. DUTIES OF THE HEIR APPARENT The Prince of Wales was exceedingly active during this period in paying every possible compliment to departing troops, in welcoming home the veterans of the war, in confer- ring medals and in helping the many charities, hospital inter- ests and military organizations which the situation evoked. As soon as the war broke out the Princess of Wales had com- menced to organize a hospital ship for the care of the wounded at Cape Town and, on November 22d, 1899, Her Royal High- ness visited the vessel prior to its departure. She was accom- panied by the Prince with Princess Victoria, the Duchess of York and the Duke and Duchess of Fife. Badges and gifts were presented to the nursing sisters and the men of the Royal THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 353 Army Medical Corps and St. John Ambulance Brigade and a brief speech delivered by the Prince. To this object, it may be added, the Princess had given £1000, and a Committee formed by her and composed of Lady Lansdowne, Lady Wolseley, Lady Wantage, Sir Donald Currie and others, had raised the large additional sum required. At Windsor, on December 15th, the Prince of Wales, accompanied by his wife, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Christian, presented to the Grenadier Guards the medals they had won in the Soudan. On January 26th, 1900, he reviewed six hundred officers and men of the Imperial Yeomanry under command of Colonel, Lord Chesham. He thanked them for makine him their Hon. Colonel, and then added : "You have all, like true men, volunteered for active service to do your duty to your Sover- eign and your country. I feel sure that when you leave your homes and country you will feel that a great duty devolves on you — to maintain the honour of the British flag — and that you will ably assist the Regular forces of Her Majesty abroad and do credit to your country and your corps." A little later, on February 9th, another contingent of Yeomanry, under Colonel Mitford, were inspected by the Prince ere they departed for South Africa. "Most heartily" he said to them, "do I hope that the services you intend to render your Sovereign and your country will bring credit upon yourselves. I feel sure that, under your commanders, you will know that one of the first principles is good discipline. Then, I hope you are good shots and good riders." In the afternoon, at Devonshire House, His Royal Highness received the one hundred and fifty nurses and men connected with the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital. When the Princess of Wales' Hospital Ship returned with its sorrowful burdens of wounded men the Prince and Princess were the first to visit it and do what was possible by kind thought and word and action to soothe the suffering of the soldiers. Netley Hospital they visited ao-ain 23 354 THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR and again, and more than one Canadian or Australian, or other Colonial soldier of the Queen, will always speak of the gracious personal kindness of the Royal couple. When the Naval Brigade returned in triumph from its achievements at Ladysmith there was added to the seething, cheering, enthusiastic popular welcome the formal reception and inspection by the Heir Apparent, accompanied by the' Princess and other members of the Royal family and the Lords of the Admiralty. After brief speeches from Mr. Goschen and His Royal Highness the former, as First Lord of the Admiralty, entertained the officers of the Brigade and the Prince of Wales at luncheon. On November 2nd, following, the Prince presided at a great banquet given in London to the officers and men of the Honourable Artillery Company and the City Imperial Volunteers. Colonel Mackinnon of the latter force sat on the right of the Royal chairman and the Lord Mayor on the left. In his speeches the Prince gave a brief history of the origin and the war achievements of the Artillery and the City Imperial Volunteers, congratulated many of the officers by name, spoke of the opportunity they had been given of taking part in " a great and important war and of maintaining the honour of the British flag," and referred in pathetic terms to the death of Prince Christian Victor — who had been through five campaigns and was under thirty-four years of age. When the Composite Regiment of the Household Cavalry went to war in November 1899 they had been inspected by the Heir Apparent. Upon their return, December 3rd 1 900, he paid them the same compliment, accompanied by various members of the Royal family and leading officers of the Army. He expressed pride at being Colonel-in-Chief of a corps which had so greatly distinguished itself — in the distant past as well as the near present. Following them came the Royal Cana- dian Regiment, commanded by Colonel W. D. Otter. To THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 355 m them the Prince made a neat and patriotic speech. "la well aware of what you have gone through and the splendid way in which you have served in South Africa and I deeply regret and mourn with you the loss of so many brave men." Ever anxious, like the Queen and her own husband, to promote the well-being of the soldiers and sailors the Princess of Wales had acted since the beginning of the war as President of the Soldiers and Sailors' Families Association and, on December 31st, 1900, reported through the press that ,£500,000 had been directly subscribed to their purposes, ^190,000 given through the Mansion House subscription, and ,£50,000 through a special Lord Mayor's Fund. The whole of this sum had now been expended in caring for the wives and families of those at the front and distributed through the voluntary services of eleven hundred ladies and gentlemen throughout the United Kingdom. At least £"50,000 was still being expended monthly and Her Royal Highness made and personally signed an earnest appeal for the further funds required. When Lord Roberts left to take command in South Africa, the Prince of Wales personally saw him off at the station — accompanied by the Duke of Connaught, who had been again praying the Military authorities to allow him to go to the front in the new crisis which had arisen and who had even obtained Lord Roberts' approval to his taking a place upon his Staff. But the War Office would only say that with so many general officers out of the country His Royal High- ness could do better service by remaining with the Army at home. There were many reasons for the Prince of Wales taking a keen interest in the war apart altogether from the natural and patriotic reason. A peculiarly large number of the sons of personal friends were at the front and many of them were fated to fall from time to time. The reputation of the officers engaged in the struggle was necessarily very dear to 356 THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR him. He knew them all and had many associations with their regiments and themselves. A blow to Sir George White, a disaster to Sir Redvers Buller, a danger to Col. Baden Powell, a threatened illness in the case of Lord Roberts, were all matters of personal concern to him as well as of national or patriotic inter- est. The central figure in the beginning of the war — the great personality of Mr. Cecil Rhodes — had long been a friend and had been received by the Prince upon a kindly social footing. Through the Duke of Fife's connection with the South African Chartered Company, the Prince must have been closely inter- ested in all the earlier developments of the struggle and it could only have been by special permission that his son-in-law held a Director's place up to the actual outbreak of the war. Mr. Chamberlain and Lord Milner.were both men who had been closely associated with his own Imperialistic projects and ideals and there can be little doubt — though it was never pub- licly expressed — that the Prince of Wales sympathised with the policy which has since made South African expansion and empire possible. The Prince of Wales had seen Lord Roberts off upon his career of successful action ; on January 3rd, 1901, accompan- ied by the Princess, the Duke and Duchess of York and the Duke of Connaught, he welcomed him home and on behalf of the Queen received him as a Royal guest at Buckingham Palace. A magnificent banquet followed, given by the Prince, in honour of the Field Marshal — who had just been created an Earl and a Knight of the Garter — and six months later as King of Great Britain, he was able to send a special message to Parliament recommending a grant to Earl Roberts of ,£100,000. Shortly after this reception came the much- mourned death of the Queen and the accession of His Royal Highness to the Throne. It was not long before the King was showing his appreciation of South African soldiers by inspecting or addressing them before their departure, or upon Si > a, o v. z w O -, r ^ r a ■< 5 co THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 357 their return. On February 15th, accompanied by Queen Alexandra, the Duke and Duchess' of Connaught, the Duke of Cambridge, Princess Louise, the Duchess of Argyll, the Duke of Argyll, Lord Roberts, Sir Redvers Buller, Lord Strathcona and Mr. Chamberlain, he inspected Lord Strath- cona's Regiment of Horse and presented a King's colour to Colonel Steele. His Majesty's speech to the officers and men was tactful and gracious : " I welcome you here on our shores on your return from active service in South Africa. I know it would have been the urgent wish of my beloved mother, our revered Queen, to have welcomed you also. That was not to be ; but be assured she deeply appreciated the services you rendered as I do. It has given me great satisfaction to inspect you to-day, to have presented you with your war-medals and also with the King's colour. I feel sure that in entrusting this colour to you, Colonel Steele, and to those under you, you will always defend it and will do your duty as you have done in the past year in South Africa and will do it on all future occasions. I am glad that Lord Strathcona is here to-day, as it is owing to him that this magnificent force has been equip- ped and sent out." The King then presented Colonel Steele, personally with the M. V. O. decoration. PERSONAL INTEREST IN THE WAR Following this and other similar events came the re-organ- ization of the Army, in which the King no doubt took a great deal of interest though it would only be shown the form of advice or expressions of opinion. By Mr. St. John Brodrick's scheme, as outlined on March 9th, and ultimately accepted in the main, it was decided to have the military forces so org- anized that three Army corps could be sent abroad at any time ; that the artillery and mounted troops should be increased and the medical and transport service reformed ; that officers should be better trained, with less barrack-square drill and 358 THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR more musketry, scouting and individuality. It was proposed also to "decentralize administration, centralize responsibility ; '' to increase the Militia from 100,000 to 1 15,000, to increase the pay of the soldiers, to utilize the Yeomanry and to affiliate, if possible, the Colonial forces. The new arrangements would provide, it was hoped, a home force of 155,000 Regulars, 90,000 Reserves, 150,000 Militia, 35,000 Yeomanry and 250,000 Vol- unteers — a total of 680,000 men. Meanwhile, peace negotiations had been progressing. On February 28th a long interview took place between Lord Kitchener and General Louis Botha who, according to the British general's despatch, "showed very good feeling and seemed anxious to bring about peace." The question of gov- ernment, grading from a Crown Colony system up to full self- government, was discussed ; the licensing of rifles for protec- tion and hunting ; the use of English and Dutch languages; the enfranchising of Kaffirs ; the protection of Church and trust funds and the guarantee of legal debts and notes of the late Republics ; the question of a war-tax on the farms and the time of return of prisoners of war ; pecuniary assistance to the burghers, so as to enable them to start afresh ; the ques- tion of amnesty and the proposal to disfranchise Cape rebels ; were all freely discussed. After considerable interchange between Lord Kitchener and Mr. Brodrick and Lord Milner and Mr. Chamberlain, a definite statement of terms was offered General Botha and by letter, dated March 1 6th, declined. The details of this cabled correspondence and the proposed terms were, of course, submitted to the King and approved by His Majesty, and it is certain that had the war then ended the Coronation would have taken place at an earlier date than was afterwards fixed. The question of honours conferred by the Crown in peace or war has always been one of considerable discussion in Colonial, if not in home circles. How far the Sovereign acts THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 359 in this connection with, or without the advice of responsible Ministers, cannot be exactly known. The action is unquestion- ably guided by circumstances based primarily upon the admitted fact that all honours and titles, constitutionally as well as theoretically, lie in the hands of the Sovereign. It is probable that the recommendations made are generally accepted ; that the name of any one known to be disapproved of by the Kino- would never be submitted ; that the slightest hint of dis- approval would suffice for any name to be at once dropped ; that any suggestion made by the Sovereign is at once included in the official list as a matter of course ; that the interest taken by the Sovereign in the honours bestowed depends somewhat upon whether they are conferred in the ordinary way for routine services or granted for special reasons of action or state ; that Colonial honours are seldom changed as they come from the hands of the Governor-General or Viceroy. On the other hand it may be reasonably assumed that King Edward took more interest in this subject than did the late Queen. His many years of active association with public life and men of all classes and political opinion had made him keenly and impartially aware of personal claims and merits and more than usually able to judge amongst the great numbers who desire or deserve Royal recognition from time to time. His Majesty's first Honour List dealt with services in the South African War under terms of a multitudinous catalogue submitted by F. M. Lord Roberts up to November 29th, 1900. Amongst those who were made Knights Commander of the Bath, or K. C. B. were Lieut.-General Charles Tucker, Lieu- tenant-General Lord Methuen, Major-General Reginald Pole- Carew, Major-Generals W. G. Knox and H. J. T. Hildyard, Lieut.-General Ian S. M. Hamilton, Major-General Hector A. Macdonald, Lieut.-General J. D. P. French, Brigadier-Generals Henry S. Settle, Edward Y. Brabant and J. G. Dartnell — all well-known officers in the South African conflict. The Grand 360 THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR Cross of St. Michael and St. George, or G. C. M. G. was con- ferred upon General Sir Redvers Buller, Lieut.-General Lord Kitchener, Lieut.-General Sir Frederick Forestier-Walker and General Sir George White. The K. C. M. G., or Knight Commandership in the same Order, was given to Major-General Sir C. F. Clery, Major-General Sir Leslie Rundle, Major- General E. T. H. Hutton, Lieut. -Colonel E. P. C. Girouard and others. A number of minor honours were bestowed upon British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and South African officers and men and an Investiture of various Orders was held at St. James's Palace on June 3rd, 1901. In such a list much discrimination was necessary and it is probable that the tact and knowledge of the King would have a very controlling influence apart altogether from his constitutional rights and powers. VARIOUS CEREMONIES AND INCIDENTS On May 24th, His Majesty helped to make the welcome home to Sir Alfred Milner splendid and impressive and worthy of the statesman who had toiled amidst personal danger and depressive surroundings, public disasters and continuous mis- representation, to maintain British rights and justice in South Africa. The High Commissioner was received at the station by Lord Salisbury, Mr. Chamberlain, Lord Roberts, Lord Lansdowne, Mr. Balfour and many others. Thence he was driven to Buckingham Palace and received by the King in a prolonged and private audience. The honour of a peerage was conferred upon him and on the following day Lord Milner was entertained at a large luncheon given by the Colonial Secretary and Mrs. Chamberlain and attended by the most eminent public men of the Metropolis — outside of the Liberal party ranks. On the same day the King presented colours to the Third Scots Guards. On June 13th a most imposing ceremony was held by His Majesty on the Horse Guards Parade when thirty-two hundred THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 361 officers and men from South Africa were presented with war medals by the King amid scenes which had not been dupli- cated since the memorable function when the late Queen Victoria and the Crimean soldiers had been the central figures. The Royal platform was covered with crimson cloth and in its centre was spread a beautiful Persian silk carpet above which a canopy of crimson and gold, supported on silver poles, had been erected. Around the platform was a bewildering display of splendid uniforms and, after the arrival of the King and Queen Alexandra, accompanied by Princess Victoria, the dis- tribution of the medals lasted over two hours — Major-General Sir Henry Trotter handing them to His Majesty who, in turn, presented them to the officer or soldier as he filed past The first recipients were Lord Roberts, Lord Milner and Sir Ian Hamilton. A most brilliant and successful function con- cluded with cheers and the National Anthem. The war now dragged on its weary way. Victories and occasional defeats marked the stages of attrition by which the bravery and obstinacy of a determined foe was gradually worn down. On August 16th, 1901, Lord Kitchener issued his proclamation banishing all Boer leaders taken in arms after September 15th: three days later the Duke of Cornwall landed at Cape Town ; on August 27th Lord Milner returned to take up his arduous duties. Mr. Cecil Rhodes died on March 26th, 1902, and on April 9th Boer delegates met at Klerksdorp under safe conducts from Lord Kitchener, and there Mr. Steyn, General Delary and General De Wet, and others, conferred upon the possibilities of peace. Three days later they proceeded to Pretoria and were given every facility for discussion and consultation by the British authorities. On April 1 8th they temporarily dispersed to consult their Com- mandos after being given the terms and concessions which it was decided to grant. There were supposed to be, at the most liberal computation — London Times of April 25th — some 362 THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR io.ooo Boers in the field at this time, while the women, chil- dren and Boer residents of the refugee camps, who were being fed and cared for by the authorities, numbered 1 10,000. The keenest interest had been taken by the King in the course of the war during this period and in the negotiations which ensued. He had been hoping for its termination before his Coronation and, some months prior to this, on January 1 5th, had addressed a re-inforcement of the Grenadier Guards in rather sanguine terms: "I trust that the duties you will be called upon to perform will be less arduous than those of some of the men who have gone before you and that the war will shortly be brought to a close. But, whatever duties you may be called upon to perform, I am sure you will fulfil them effi- ciently and will keep up the old spirit and traditions for which the Guards are famous." His wishes, like so many entertained throughout the Empire, were not speedily realized, but it is safe to say that His Majesty would no more have unduly hur- ried the course of negotiations or changed their effective and final character in order to attain his natural desire for a peace- ful celebration of the Coronation — as was asserted in some sensational quarters — than he would have cut his own hand off. It is sometimes forgotten that the King not only embodies the authority of his vast realm in his position, but must con- centrate in his own person a natural strength of pride in his Empire so great as to be far beyond the possibility of a reflec- tion upon its patriotism. He would hardly be human in his qualities if the most intense patriotic pride in the unity and power of his realms was not the first and strongest instinct of his nature. But this in passing. Lord Salisbury illustrated the attitude of both the Sovereign and his Ministers when speaking at the Albert Hall, London, on May 7th, during the pending negotiations : " I only wish to guard against misap- prehension which I think I have seen, to the effect that the willingness we have shown to listen to all that may be said to THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 363 us is a proof that we have retreated or receded from our former position and are willing to recognize that the rights we claimed are no longer valid. There is no ground for such an assertion. We cannot afford after such terrible sacrifice, not only of treasure but of men, after the exertions, unexampled in our history, that we have made — we cannot afford to submit to the idea that we are to allow things to slide back into a position where it will be in the power of our enemy again, when the opportunity suits him and the chance is favourable to him, to renew again the issue that we have fought this last three years." TERMINATION OF THE WAR Meanwhile the negotiations were proceeding. At first the Boer delegates proposed that the two Republics should merely concede what had been demanded before the outhreak of the war. When this was refused, even as a matter for considera- tion, and they were referred to previous statements as to terms, the request was made that some of the leaders be allowed to consult their friends in Europe, or at least to have one of the European refugee leaders come over and assist them in their decision. To this Lord Kitchener rave an instant veto, and intimated that unless their proposals were to be serious the negotiations had better drop. Then they asked for an armistice in order to consult the burghers in the field, but Lord Kitchener would not stop military operations a moment further than to allow the delegates to hold meetings of their Commandos. • But in that event they were to return to Pretoria armed with full powers to conclude peace — if they returned at all. As a result of this decision the leading officers of the Boer forces met their respective Commandos, and delegates were duly appointed to a total number of one hun- dred and fifty. These met on May 16th at Vereenigino- and spent a couple of weeks in discussion, in obtaining abso- lutely final terms for acceptance or rejection from the 364 THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR British authorities, and in presenting these again to the Com- mandos. The opponents of peace during these preliminaries were generally believed to include Mr. Steyn and Command- ants Wessels, Muller, Celliers and Herzog, while Generals Delarey and De Wet were in favour of accepting the British terms. Finally, on May 31st, the conditions of surrender were signed. Mr. Steyn was the only important absentee from the final conferences at Pretoria. Thus ended a war in which Great Britain had spent ^200,000,000, raised and equipped some three hundred thou- sand men, of whom one-sixth were Colonial troops, and per- formed the unparalleled feat of supplying quick and satisfac- tory transport and subsistence for this great body of troops to a distance of seven thousand miles from the seat of Govern- ment. The people had never wavered, the Government had, apparently, never hesitated, the credit of the country had not been affected, even the prosperity of Great Britain had not been touched. Speaking of the conduct of the people in this connec- tion the Times of July 2d paid the following personal tribute : " A splendid example of patriotism and devotion was set them by our late Sovereign Lady, and they nobly followed it. It is worth recalling now that,- while she deplored the necessity of war, she never wavered to the end in her conviction that it must be fought through. It is to her, perhaps, above all others, that we owe the calm dignity of temper with which the peoples of her Empire have passed through the greatest ordeal they have been called upon to undergo since the days of Napoleon. Her son, King Edward, has inherited her spirit and kept before his subjects the ideals she held up to them." The terms of peace included the promise by Great Britain of self-government in gradual stages and "as soon as circum- stances will permit " ; the exemption of burghers from civil or criminal proceedings in connection with the war (with certain specified exceptions) ; the recognition of English as the official THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 365 language, and the promise that Dutch should be taught in the schools when desired ; the granting of arms, under license, to the burghers and the postponement of native franchise questions until the period of free government had arrived ; the grant of ,£3,000,000 to be expended by Commissioners in the work of repatriation and the supply of shelter, seed, stock, etc., to the returning burghers ; and the reference of rebels to their own Colonial Courts for trial, with the proviso that the death penalty should not in any case be inflicted. The settlement was well received by the burghers, of whom fully twenty thousand came in and gave up their arms in the course of a week or two. Many of the Commandos fraternized with the British troops and joined them in singing " God Save the King." As soon as the decision for peace had been ratified Lord Kitchener paid a visit to Vereeniging and addressed the assembled Boer leaders. He congratulated them upon the splendid fight they had made. "If he had been one of them himself he would have been proud to have done as they had done. He welcomed them as citizens of a great Empire and hoped they would do their duty to the Sov- ereign as loyally as they had to the old State." Messrs. Schalk-Burger and Louis Botha had, meanwhile, written fare- well letters to the burghers which concluded by asking them to be obedient and respectful to their new Government. Immediately on receipt of the information that peace had been signed King Edward issued the following message : '' The King has received the welcome news of the cessation of hostilities in South Africa with infinite satisfaction, and trusts that peace may be speedily followed by the restoration of pros- perity in his new dominions, and that the feelings necessarily engendered by war will give place to the earnest co-operation of all His Majesty's South African subjects in promoting the welfare of their common country." At the same time His Majesty cabled Lord Milner : " I am overjoyed at the news 366 THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR of the surrender of the Boer forces and I warmly congratulate you on the able manner in which you have conducted the negotiations." A similar despatch went to Lord Kitchener, with hearty congratulations on the termination of hostilities : " I also most heartily congratulate my brave troops under your command for having brought this long and difficult cam- paign to so glorious and successful a conclusion." The King' also announced that he had created Lord Kitchener a Viscount and promoted him to be full General. Following the public announcement of peace on Sunday, June ist, came a flood of congratulatory telegrams to the King from public bodies and private individuals, and celebrations were held all over the United Kingdom and the British Empire. On June 8th, by order of the King, a special thanksgiving service was held in St. Paul's Cathedral and His Majesty attended in person accompanied by Queen Alexandra, Princess Victoria, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince and Prin- cess Charles of Denmark, the Duke and Duchess of Con- naught, the veteran Duke of Cambridge, and other members of the Royal family. A great gathering of representative Britons was present in the crowded Cathedral, including most of the members of the Houses of Lords and Commons and the Corporation of London. Amongst many other notabilities were the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, Mr. Balfour, the Earl of Rosebery, the Marquess of Lansdowne, Earl and Countess Roberts, Earl and Countess Carrington, Lady Macdonald of Earnscliffe, Sir Redvers and Lady Audrey Buller. A short and eloquent sermon was preached by Bishop Winnington. Ingram, of London, in which he referred to the blessings of peace for the people and the completion of the causes for rejoicing at the approaching Coronation. Meanwhile, on June 4th, the King had followed up the honours already conferred on Lord Kitchener by sending a special message to the House of Commons at the hands of Mr. A. J. Balfour, the THE KING AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 367 Government Leader, to the following effect : " His Majesty tak- ing" into consideration the eminent services rendered by Lord Kitchener and beiiiLT desirous, in recognition of such services, to confer on him some signal mark of his favour, recommends that he, the King, should be enabled to grant Lord Kitchener ,£50.000." The vote was carried by a majority of three hun- dred and eighty-two to forty-two and marked the final stage in the war — its prolonged struggles, its negotiations, its honours and its rewards. To the King this result was the one thing needful and seemed to leave a fair field, a peaceful Empire, a loyal people, waiting without a shadow on the sun to share in the splendid celebration of his approaching Coro- nation. To the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London and the London County Council His Majesty addressed, on June 13th, some words in reply to their expressions of loyalty and congratulation at the conclusion of peace, which may appro- priately be quoted here : " I heartily join in your expression of thankfulness to Almighty God at the termination of a struggle which, while it has entailed on my people at home and beyond the seas so many sacrifices, borne with admir- able fortitude, has secured a result which will give increased unity and strength to my Empire. The cordial and spontaneous exertions of all parts of my dominions, as well as of your ancient and loyal city, have done much to bring about this happy result. ' ' You give fitting expression to the admiration universally felt for the valour and endurance of the officers and men who have been engaged in fighting their country's battles. They have been opposed by a brave and determined people, and have had to encounter unexampled difficul- ties. These difficulties have been cheerfully overcome by steady and persistent effort, and those who were our opponents will now, I rejoice to think, become our friends. It is my earnest hope that, by mutual co-op- eration and good- will, the bitter feelings of the past may speedily be. replaced by ties of loyalty and friendship and that an era of peace and prosperity may be in store for South Africa." CHAPTER XXI. Arrangements for the Coronation. THE preparations for the Coronation of the King were of a character which eclipsed anything in the history of the world. It was unquestionably his aim and intention to make the event an illustration of the power of the British Empire, the loyalty of its people and the unity of its complex races. The pride of the King in his great position, the knowl- edge which he had acquired of the Empire in his innumerable travels, the statecraft which he had inherited and developed, were all factors in the determination to make this occasion memorable. Connected with the splendour of the event, as planned, was the personal relationship and friendship of most of the Sovereigns of Europe with and for His Majesty and, associated with every detail of its anticipated success, was the enthusiastic loyalty of Indian Princes and great self-governing British dominions beyond the seas. Finally, the end of the South African War came as if to add the one thing wanting to the entire success of the most magnificent Coronation in all history. Preparations went on apace from the beginning of Spring, 1902. The mere material evidences of the coming event transformed busy and commercial London into a forest of boards and poles and platforms. Westminister Abbey was chano-ed inside and out and a special entrance was made for the King and Queen Alexandra to enter through, and so made as to harmonize with the general architecture and character of the building. 368 ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION 3 6 9 A thousand great beacon lights were built over the United Kingdom so that from shore to shore the news of the crown- ing of the King might be flashed in flames of light to the people. In London and other centres every kind of device for electrical display and illumination was prepared and, toward the middle of June, flags and bunting in myriad forms began to show themselves. In other parts of the Empire almost every city and town and village arranged for some kind of demonstration. Banquets and garden parties and band con- certs and processions and military reviews and all the varied means by which the English-speaking person expresses his feelings were in full tide of preparation as the time of the Coronation grew near. India had its own unique and Orien- tal modes of expressing loyalty and the feeling there was enhanced by the news that the new Prince of Wales was going to repeat the state visit of his father, the King, in December of this year and see the people of practically the only part of the British realms which he had not yet visited. South Africa was to celebrate peace and loyalty at the same time and the great centres of Australia were not behind the rest of the Empire despite the existing gloom of draughts and sheep famine. The guests invited to attend the great function might be divided into two classes — those who came to a common centre for the celebration of their Sovereign's crowning, for the pre- sentation of a picture of Imperial unity, and for the discus- sion of questions incident to the wide-spread dominions of the King ; and those who came from foreign nations as a tribute to the position of Great Britain in the world and as a token of their friendship for its people as well as their respect for its ruler. In the first list the first place may be given to India because of the element of gorgeousness and Oriental pomp which its representatives were to bring to the function. Cal- cutta was to be represented by Maharajah Kumar Tagore* 24 37° ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION Bombay by Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, the scion of a series of great merchants ; Madras by Rajah Sir Savalai Ramaswami Mudaliyar ; Bengal and the Presidencies of Bombay and Mad- ras by distinguished gentlemen of long names and varied titles ; the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh by the Hon. N. M. D. F. Ali Khan, who had served in both the Provincial and" Supreme Councils, and by Rajah Pertab Singh ; the Punjab sent two representatives of whom Sir Harnman Singh Ahlu- walia belonged to the Viceroy's Legislative Council and repre- sented indirectly the native Christians ; the Central Provinces, Assam, Burmah and the new North-West Frontier Province also appointed representatives. Other guests from India included the Sultan Muhammad Ao;ha Khan of the Khoga Community. The special Royal guests from the Colonies were General Sir Francis W. Grenfell, representing Gibraltar, Malta and Cyprus; Sir Joseph West Ridgeway, representing Fiji and various Eastern Colonies and Protectorates ; Sir Walter J. Sendall, for the West Indies, Bermudas, British Honduras and the Falkland Islands ; Sir William MacGregor, representing the West African Colonies and Protectorates; the Right Hon. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister, representing the Dominion of Canada; the Right Hon. Edmund Barton, Prime Minister, representing the Commonwealth of Australia ; the Right Hon. Richard J. Sedden, Prime Minister, representing New Zea land ; the Right Hon. Sir J. Gordon Sprigg, Prime Minister, representing Cape Colony; Sir Albert H. Hime, Prime Min- ister, representing Natal ; and Sir Robert Bond, Prime Minis- ter, representing Newfoundland. Other British guests were His Highness the Sultan of Perak and Lewanika, Chief of the Barotzes, in Africa. There were many invitations accepted outside of the list of special names mentioned who were privi- leged as the King's guests and as such were to be put up in state at the Hotel Cecil and be provided with Royal carriages ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION 37 i and servants and escorts. Governors of various minor Colo- nies and dependencies ; Native Princes of India apart from the official representatives of its Cities and Provinces ; Pre- miers of Australian States and Canadian Provinces ; were all invited to be present and many of them came to grace the occasion. Amongst those from Canada who accepted the invitation and were in London, with the others already referred to, as the day for the ceremony approached, were the Hon. G. W. Ross, Premier of Ontario, the Hon. H. T. Duffy, representing the Premier of Quebec, the Hon. R. P. Roblin, Premier of Manitoba, the Hon. James Dunsmuir Premier of British Columbia, the Hon. L. J. Tweedie, Premier of New Brunswick and the Hon. G. H. Murray, Premier of Nova Scotia. Every foreign country or state of importance had its official representative appointed and they poured into London and were received with varying degrees of state and ceremony as the eventful day approached. Prominent amongst them were the Hon. Whitelaw Reid, special Ambassador from the United States and, in an unofficial capacity, Senator Chauncey M. Depew. From Russia came the Grand Duke Michael, Heir Presumptive to the Throne; from Italy His Royal High- ness the Duke d 'Aosta ; from Greece the Crown Prince and Heir to the Throne ; from Bulgaria, the reigning Prince Ferdi- nand I. ; from Belgium, Prince Albert of Flanders; from Ger- many, Prince Henry of Prussia; from Denmark the Crown Prince Frederick, Heir to the Throne; from Roumania the Crown Prince ; from Austria the Arch- duke Francis Ferdi- nand, Heir Presumptive ; from France, Admiral Gervais, special Ambassador ; from Rome, Mgr. Merry del Val ; from Abyssinia, Ras Makonnen, the victorius general and special envoy of the Emperor Menelik ; from Bavaria, Prince Leopold ; from Sweden and Norway the Crown Prince ; from Portugal, the Crown Prince. 372 ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION Other foreign representatives were Duke Albert of Wur- temberg, Prince Waldemar of Denmark, General Dubois of France, Field Marshal Count Von Waldersee and Admiral Von Koeter of Germany, Prince George, Prince Nicholas and Prince Andrew of Greece, the Crand Duke of Mecklenburg- Strelitz, Prince Danilo of Montenegro, the Duke of Saxe- Coburg and Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg, Prince George of Saxony, the Prince of the Asturias from Spain, Prince Chen of China, Prince Mohamed Ali of Egypt, Prince Akihito Komatsu of Japan, Prince Yo Chai-Kak of Korea, Baron de Stein of Liberia, the Prince of Monaco, the Crown Prince of Siam and special Ministers from Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Turkey, Honduras, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Persia, Servia and Uruguay. Soldiers of the King from all parts of the Empire were present in England for the occasion. The Indian troops, quartered at Hampton Court, numbered nine hundred strong and represented every phase of the military and native life of Hindostan. Sikhs, Dogras, Jats, Pathans, Mohammedans from the Punjaub, the Deccan and Madras, Mahrattas, Rajpoots, Garwhal's, Gurkhas, Afridis, Tamils, Moplahs, Hazaras and Beloochis, were each represented in uniforms of their local regiments. Scarlet, yellow, blue, grey, green and red, were some of the colours to be seen. At the Alexandra Palace were soldiers from a great variety of countries. Canada sent six hundred and fifty-six men, representative of all its regi ments, under command of Lieut.-Colonel H. M. Pellatt and Lieut.-Colonel R. E. W. Turner V.C., D.S.O. ; Australia sent one hundred and forty men under Colonel St. Clair Cameron C. B. ; New Zealand seventy-nine men under Colonel Porter ; Cape Colony one hundred and fifty under Major-General Sir Edward Y. Brabant ; Natal, ninety-nine under Lieut.-Colonel E. M. Greene ; Rhodesia twenty-six, Ceylon fifty-four, Malta forty-six, and Cyprus fourteen men. Native contingents ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION 373 included variously coloured and clad soldiers from the Gold Coast of Africa, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Lagos, British Central Africa, British East Africa, Uganda, Somaliland, Straits Set- tlements, Bermuda, British Borneo, the West Indies, Fiji, Hong-Kong and Wei-hai-Wei. The Colonial troops, with their interesting war record, their varied and striking uniforms, their varieties of race and colour and country, their differences of physique and appearance, were not the least remarkable of the Empire contributions to a great function. The Duke of Con- naught was in command of all the Forces for the occasion and with him were associated Lord Roberts, Lord Wolseley, Sir Francis Grenfell, Sir William Butler, Major-General W. H. Mackinnon, Sir Edward Brabant and other officers connected with the late war. Colonel and Maharajah Sir Pertab Singh represented India on this Staff and Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Hunter was in immediate command of the Colonial Contingents. Various Foreign regiments were to be represented includ- ing the 1st Prussian Dragoons of Germany, the 12th Hussars of Austria, the Guard Hussars of Denmark and the forces of Russia and Portugal. All the great British regiments were to be included, either in the procession as cavalry, or along the route as infantry. Preparations for the great Naval Review were elaborate. The Channel, Home and Cruiser squadrons were to be in attendance with Admiral Sir Charles Hotham as Commander-in-Chief. Besides a number of Foreign war- ships, which were specially sent to participate in the function, the British battle-ships numbered twenty-one, the cruisers twenty-six, the torpedo gun-boats seventeen, the torpedo boat destroyers twenty-eight and the sea-going training vessels ten. Amongst the Foreign contributors to the Review were Ger- many, the United States, Russia, Sweden and Norway, Den- mark, Greece, France, Japan, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Chili, Austro- Hungary and the Argentine. 374 ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION All the complex arrangement of the details in connection with these and other elements of the Coronation festivities were in the hands of an Executive Committee appointed on June 28th, 1 901, at a meeting of the King and his Privy Council and attended by most of the members of the Cabinet, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Dukes of Nor- folk, Portland and Fife, the Earls of Rosebery, Selborne and Carrington, Earl Roberts, Earl Spencer, Lord Alverstone, Sir W. V. Harcourt, and Sir Henry Campbell - Bannerman. Amongst the members of this Executive of fifteen were the Duke of Norfolk (chairman) Lord Esher, the Bishop of Win- chester, Lord Farquhar, Mr. Schomberg K. McDonnell, Col- onel Sir Edward Bradford, Sir Francis Knollys, Sir Edward W. Hamilton, Colonel Sir E. W. D. Ward, Major-General Sir Arthur Ellis and Rear-Admiral W. H. Fawkes. Later on Sir Montagu Ommanney, Sir William Lee-Warner, Sir Kenelm Digby, Lieut. -General Kelly-Kenny, and others, were added. Their work was, of course, closely overlooked by the King who was in constant communication with the Duke of Norfolk and Sir Francis Knollys. The following programme of leading events was finally announced as approved by His Majesty : June 23 State Dinner at Buckingham Palace. Jund 24 The King and Queen to receive Foreign Envoys and Deputa- tions. State Dinner at Buckingham Palace. June 25 Royal Reception of Colonial Premiers. Dinner by Prince of Wales to Princes and Envoys at St. James's Palace. June 26 The Coronation. June 27 Procession through London. Luncheon at Buckingham Palace. Dinner at Landsdowne House to King and Queen. Lady Lansdowne's Reception. June 28 The Naval Review. June 29 Ambassadors and Ministers give Dinners to their respective Princes. June 30 The King and Queen proceed from Portsmouth to London. Gala Opera. ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION 375 July 1 Royal Garden Party at Windsor Castle. July 2 Dinner at Londonderry House to the King and Queen. July 3 The King and Queen to attend a Special Service at St. Paul's Cathedral and a Luncheon at the Guildhall given by Lord Mayor and Corporation. July 4 Reception at the India Office in honour of the Indian Princes to be attended by the King and Queen. July 5 The King's Coronation Dinner to the Poor. Many other functions developed around these central ones until the weeks before and after the event were to be crowded with every sort of festivity and celebration — partly in honour of the occasion, partly as evidences of hospitality to Colonial, Indian and Foreign visitors. At Portsmouth ar- rangements were made for a banquet in the Drill-hall, on June 26th, to one thousand men from the Foreign war-ships, with five hundred British seamen and marines as hosts. On the following day there were to be athletic sports for the sailors and a garden party by the Mayor and Mayoress for the officers of the fleets and distinguished visitors. Following the Review, on June 28th, arrangements were made for a garden party at Whale Island, for an Admiralty ball in the Town-Hall, for a luncheon to the officers, a Civic entertainment to the men and a ball given by the Mayor and Mayoress. In London a Coro- nation bazaar, in aid of the Sick Children's Hospital, was announced with various stalls in charge of Princess Henry of Pless, the Duchess of Westminster, Lady Tweedmouth, Mrs. Harmsworth, the Countess of Bective, Mrs. Choate, the Duchess of Somerset and Countess Carrington. The King's Dinner to the Poor of London was planned upon an enormous scale and His Majesty stated that he would spend ,£30,000 in thus entertaining half-a-million o f his poorer subjects. Sir Thomas Lipton, who had been in charge of a smaller affair at the Diamond Jubilee, was given control of the details. Similar preparations, upon a minor scale of course, were going on 376 ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION all over the Empire and in New York a Coronation Ode was issued by Mr. Bliss Carman — a Canadian by birth — which did the subject noble justice and commenced with the follow- ing verse : "There are joy-bells over England, there are flags in London town ; There is bunting on the Channel where the fleets go up and down ; There are bon-fires alight In the pageant of the night ; There are bands that blare for splendour and guns that speak for might ; For another King of England is coming to the Crown." Meanwhile, a Colonial Conference had also been arranged to take place during these weeks of celebration and the dele- gates were to be special Royal guests for the Coronation — Sir Francis W. Grenfell, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Mr. Seddon, Mr. Barton, Sir W. J. Sendall, Sir William MacGregor, Sir Gordon Sprigg, Sir Albert Hime, Sir Robert Bond, and Sir West Ridgeway — together with Mr. Chamberlain and the Earl of Onslow, Under-Secretary of the Colonies. The official programme, published a few days before the date set for the Coronation, gave the details of the Royal proces- sion on that and the following days. On June 26th, in passing from Buckingham Abbey, there were to be eight carriages containing the Royal visitors and members of the Royal familv, the Prince and Princess of Wales and then the state coach with the King and Queen — having the Duke of Con- naught riding to its right and a considerable staff and brilliant escort of Life Guards behind. The procession of the following day was to be essentially an Imperial pageant and was to pass over a popular city route. The Colonial portion came first on the programme, headed by Lieut-General Sir A. Hunter, and with detatchments of Cana- dian artillery and cavalry and Australian cavalry preceding a carriage containing Sir Wilfrid and Lady Laurier and Mr. and Mrs. Barton. Then followed carriages with Sir R. Bond and ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION 377 Mr. and Mrs. Seddon, Sir Gordon and Miss Sprigg, Sir Albert and Miss Hime, Sir W. Ridgeway and Sir F. Grenfell, Sir W. Sendall, and Sir W. MacGregor, the Sultan of Perak and King Lewanika — each preceded or followed by detachments of New Z aland, Cape, Natal, Ceylon, Trinidad, Cyprus and other Colonial cavalry, in accordance with the country represented. 1 hen was to come the Indian portion of the procession includ- ing varied detachments of Native cavalry, and with carriages containing the Maharajahs of Jaipur, Kolapore and Bikanur. Following these was to be a long line of British artillery and Aids-de-Camp to the King, representing the Volunteers, Yeo- manry, Militia and Regular forces and the Marines. The Head-Quarters staff came next, then Field Marshals in the Army, Foreign naval and military attaches, deputations of Foreign officers, then Indian Aides-de-Camp to the King — the Maharajahs of Gwalior, Gooch and Idur — and several mem- bers of the Royal family on horseback. Then came thirteen carriages containing Royal visitors, special Ambassadors and members of the Royal family, followed by special escorts of Colonial and Indian troops and Royal Horse Guards. The King and Queen were to come next, in a splendid state coach drawn by eight horses, with the Duke of Connaught riding on one side of them and the Prince of Wales on the other. THE KING'S PRELIMINARY WORK AND ILLNESS Some of the incidents connected with the Coronation as preliminaries were carried out by the King with apparent energy and in the midst of what were known to be very heavy labours. On May 30th His Majesty presented colours to the Irish Guards, received the Maharajah Sir Pertab Singh, held an investiture of the Garter in great state, visited Westmins- ter Abbey to see the Coronation preparations, and gave a large dinner party. During the next three days he presented medals to the St. John Ambulance Brigade and held a Levee 378 ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION and investiture of the Bath. On June 4th he gave audiences to various Ministers, proceeded with the Queen to the Derby, gave a dinner to the Jockey Club and then joined the Queen at the Duchess of Devonshire's dance. On June 6th the King received the Indian Princes at Buckingham Palace and after- wards, with Queen Alexandra, held a stately Court function. Two days later the King and Royal family attended a service of thanksgiving for peace at St. Paul's Cathedral. Other in- cidents followed and on June 14th His Majesty, accompanied by Queen Alexandra, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, Princess Victoria and Princess Margaret, of Connaught, visited Aldershot to inspect the forty thousand troops which had been slowly gathering there for weeks. A stormy and wet day changed to bright- ness as the Royal party arrived and the town was found to be prettily decorated and filled with enthusiastic people. A great Tattoo was held in the evening with massed bands and myriad torch-lights, but with not very pleasant weather. On the following day it was announced in the Times that the King could not attend church owing- to a slight attack of lumbago caused by a chill contracted the night before. Queen Alexandra attended the service, however, and in the after- noon visited several charitable institutions. Monday the 16th saw His Majesty still too much indisposed to take his part in reviewing the troops and this function was fulfilled by the Queen, accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales. In the afternoon the King and Queen returned to Windsor and in the evening His Majesty was able to be present at a dinner party in the Castle. On the following day the Times ex- pressed editorial pleasure at the King's apparent recovery but urged caution and suggested that, despite the disappointment of the people, it might be better if Ascot were not visited by him on that day and the next but a substantial rest taken instead. The same idea seemed to occur to the Royal ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CORONATION 379 physicians because not only was the visit to Ascot cancelled but also a long-expected visit to Eton which had been arranged for June 21st. Other functions were postponed or cancelled and it was announced that His Majesty was resting quietly and preparing himself for the essential and heavy functions of the Corona- tion week. Such was the apparent position of affairs in con- nection with this great event as massed myriads of people roamed the streets of London and the other and varied mil- lions of the British Empire threw themselves into the final stages of preparation. Such was the position on June 21st when the Toronto Globe, in a very fitting editorial, embodied the popular feeling of Canada. It declared that on the following Thursday the historic Abbey of Westminster and the streets of London would see " the greatest ceremonial which our times have known " ; that no King " ever ascended a throne with the more universal consent of the governed than does Edward VII." ; and that the British people had never been fickle in their feelings toward him who was once Prince of Wales and was now King. " Their affection for him has never faltered and they will feel gratified on Thursday that the concluding ceremony of Coronation has fixed him firmly on the most glorious of earthly thrones". CHAPTER XXII. The Illness of the King. IF the almost fatal sickness of the Prince of Wales in 1871 was historic, from the sympathy it evoked and the influ- ence it wielded, that of the King in June 1902 was infi- nitely more memorable. At the latter period the attention of the whole civilized world was focussed upon the figure of the Sovereign who was about to be crowned amid scenes of unpre- cedented splendour; the press of the Empire and the United States was filled with the record of his movements ; the rep- resentatives of the Courts of Europe had arrived or were arriving; the Prime Ministers of a dozen countries and the Governors of many other countries of his far-flung realm were in London ; dense crowds were swarming through the streets of the gaily-decorated metropolis ; the approaching day was being looked forward to by many millions of people in many lands as an evidence, in its successful splendour, of the power and prosperity of the Empire. Three days before the 26th of June the King and Queen Alexandra had arrived in London from Windsor and the Coronation festivities proper had com- menced. His Majesty had looked well and had smiled and bowed freely to the welcoming multitudes along the line of route. Rumors of his having caught cold had prevailed, it is true, and in certain sensational quarters there had been statements as to serious illness and even allegations of paraly- sis. But the evidence of that drive through the cheering streets of London was deemed conclusive and during that 380 THE ILLNESS OF THE KING 381 afternoon and the next morning the crowds increased and the excitement grew until sober-minded observers who had seen the celebrations of the Queen's Jubilee and the Diamond Jubi- lee and knew something of the millions then gathered together were dismayed at the prospect of the massed multitudes of Coronation day. It was at 12.45 p. m. on June 24th, when the streets were packed with moving, happy, holiday crowds and the decorations were nearing completion and their full effect and force becoming apparent to the on-lookers, that an official bulletin was posted at the Mansion House which seemed to reach every one in London at the same instant — so rapidly was the news spread. News that almost on the steps of the throne, within a day of the mightiest festival ever designed by human government and helped by a willing people, the King had been stricken down ! It appeared incredible. The people of England and of the Empire were almost as dumb-founded as the masses on the streets of the Metropolis. But there was no way of getting beyond the simple words of the bulletin signed by Lord Lister, Sir Thomas Smith, Sir Francis Laking, Sir Thomas Barlow and Sir Frederick Treves : " The King- is suffering from perityphlitis. His condition on Saturday was so satisfactory that it was hoped that with care His Majesty would be able to go through the ceremony. On Monday evening a recrudescence became manifest rendering a surgical operation necessary to-day." The trouble approximated to the disease known in the United States and Canada as appendicitis and was of a char- acter which made certainty as to recovery quite impossible and left the widest scope for fears and discussion and speculation. It was analysed by Dr. Cyrus Edson, a well-known New York physician, as follows : " Perityphlitis is inflammation, including the formation of an abscess of the tissues around the vermi- form appendix and hence it is very hard to distinguish from appendicitis. Usually an operation is necessary to ascertain 382 THE ILLNESS OF THE KING whether the appendix or the surrounding tissue is diseased." The King's physicians gave the public all the information they wisely could. The operation was performed by Sir Frederick Treves, the most eminent living- surgeon in this connection, shortly after the first bulletin was issued and at six o'clock it was announced that " His Majesty continues to make satisfac- tory progress and has been much relieved by the operation." Five hours later the physicians stated that the King's condi- tion was " as good as could be expected after so serious an operation." It would be some days, however, they added, before it would be possible to say he was out of danger. The doctors remained at Buckingham Palace all that night and but little news crept out from the silence surrounding the great pile of buildings to that stirring outer world which had grown so suddenly and strangely quiet. Following the startling announcement of the King's ill- ness came the necessary statement that the Coronation cere- mony was indefinitely postponed and the further intimation that the King himself had asked that celebrations in the Pro- vinces outside London might be continued. In London, he had specified his wish, before the operation took place, that the dinner which was to be given to half-a-million of poor people should not be postponed and His Majesty had expressed keen sorrow, not at what he had already suffered himself or was likely to suffer, but at the disappointment which his people would everywhere feel. Gradually it came out that for over a week he had been ill ; that the pain had been very great at times ; that the physicians had acceded to his determination to go on with the ceremonies and the Coronation until longer delay in operation would have made the result fatal ; that the King's one anxiety had been not to disappoint the millions who would be in London and the millions who would look on from abroad during the long-looked for event. THE ILLNESS OF THE KING 383 The story of the illness as it developed was made known by the Lancet on June 27th. It seems that on Friday June 13th His Majesty had gone through a particularly arduous day and next morning was attended by Sir Francis Lakino- vvho found him suffering from considerable abdominal discom- fort. In the afternoon he felt better and went to Aldershot where the unfortunately wet and cold weather at the Tattoo caused a distinct revival of the trouble in the early morning accompanied by severe pain. Sir F. Laking was sent for and in turn telegraphed Sir Thomas Barlow. On the 15th, the Royal patient had a chilly fit but on Monday returned to Windsor and bore the journey well. Two days later he was seen by Sir Frederick Treves who found symptoms of peri- typhlitis. These, however, gradually disappeared and on Saturday, the 21st, His Majesty was believed to be on the road to rapid recovery and to be able to go through the Coro- nation ceremonies. "Sunday was uneventful. On Monday the King travelled from Windsor to London. Next day the necessity for an operation became clear." The Lancet gave no reason for this sudden change in condition and it may have been the excite- ment and strain of the drive through cheering- masses of the London populace. " At ten o'clock Tuesday morning (24th) the urgency of an operation was explained to His Majesty. Recognizing that his ardent hope that the Coronation arrange- ments might not be upset must be disappointed he cheerfully resigned himself to the inevitable. Before the actual decision upon an operation was arrived at Sir Frederick Treves took the advice of two other sergeant-surgeons to the King, Lord Lister and Sir Thomas Smith. They, as well as Sir Thomas Barlow and Sir Francis Laking, came to the unanimous con- clusion that no course but an operation was possible in all the circumstances. To delay would, in fact, be to allow His Majesty to risk his life." Such appears to have been the plain 384 THE ILLNESS OF THE KING statement of this serious incident. Following the operation the course of the disease was steadily towards recovery and without serious complications of any kind. Danger at first there was and neither physicians, nor family, nor the public could feel anything like assurance of recovery. PROGRESS TOWARDS RECOVERY The London Times went out of its way to warn the people against over-confidence in the result, and the bulletins were cautious in the extreme. On June 25th the King was said to have been very restless and without sleep during the early part of the night. He was, however, free from pain, and his five physicians declared that, under all the circumstances, he might be described as " progressing satisfactorily." On June 26th they reported His Majesty's condition as satisfac- tory, his strength as having been well maintained, and the wound as doing well The reports of June 27th showed a normal temperature, no disquieting symptoms and, finally, a substantial improvement. On the next day the five physicians issued the following bulletin : " We are happy to be able to state that we consider His Majesty out of immediate danger. His general condition is satisfactory. The operation wound, however, still needs constant attention and such con- cern as attaches to His Majesty's case is connected with the wound. Under the most favourable condition His Majesty's recovery must of necessity be protracted." The bulletins thenceforward were regular in their statements of slow and steady improvement. On July 2d it was announced that the wound was beginning to heal ; then only daily reports were issued; and finally, on July 13th, the Royal patient was taken by private train from Buckingham Palace to his yacht at Ports- mouth and, during the next few weeks, while it was anchored or quietly cruising off Cowes, the King was steadily growing stronger and better. THE ILLNESS OF THE KING 385 The bare details of an illness such as this can give no idea of the burden of apprehension which it entailed upon millions of people, the financial losses which it meant to thousands of merchants and others in all parts of the world, the dislocation of a political, social, and general character which it involved in London, the consternation which it naturally caused in every centre in the Empire. The first effect of the King's illness was to create a new tie of sympathy between himself and his sub- jects. Human suffering borne so patiently during that week of concealed sickness and with such earnest determination to go through what must have come to appear the frightful ordeal of the Coronation appealed strongly to people everywhere in the Empire, while the externally dramatic passage from prepa- rations for the greatest of national festivities down into the valley of the shadow of death came home to the hearts of every one with peculiar force. This was particularly apparent in Westminster Abbey where the last rehearsal of the great Coronation choir, in the presence of the Bishop of London and under the musical direction of Sir Frederick Bridge, was proceeding at noon on June 24th. Suddenly, Lord Esher entered and told the sad news to the Bishop, who, in a few words, turned the service of national rejoicing into one of solemn intercession. Everywhere there were similar services and similar sudden changes. Coronation day, despite the King's kindly wish that demonstrations and functions outside of London should proceed, was turned into a season of special service and prayer in Great Britain and in the many other countries of the Empire. A pathetic service was held in St. Paul's Cathedral on the evening of the announced illness, and the Bishop of Step- ney spoke in most impressive terms. "As the days have passed, our thoughts and, I trust, our prayers have been cen- tred in the King as he has moved to his Coronation watched by millions of eyes. Only yesterday we welcomed him to 25 386 THE ILLNESS OE THE KING London with heartfelt joy. All around us is the glamour of preparation for a splendid festival. The very air is vivid with the glow of popular enthusiasm. From all parts of the earth our brethren have come to rivet anew the links which bind them to our ancient Monarchy. And now come the tidings that this King is laid low with sickness and that the great day has been postponed. We are bewildered. We cannot realize, except in imagination, the dislocation of the life of a whole Empire." Meanwhile, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York had asked their clergy to hold intercessory services on June 26th, and Cardinal Vaughan, for his Church, had given similar orders. " The finger of God," he wrote to his clergy, "has appeared in the midst of our national rejoicing and on the eve of what promised to be one of the most splendid pageants in English history. This is in order to call the thoughts of all men to Himself. The King's life is in danger. Danger being imminent, let us have immediate recourse to the Divine mercy and by public prayer seek His Majesty's recovery." The Chief Rabbi held special Jewish supplications and the Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales telegraphed to Sir Francis Knollys their hope that it might please God to spare the King's valuable life so "that he may rule for many years over his devoted people." Telegrams of inquiry and sympathy poured into the Palace, the Departments of the Government, and the Guildhall, for days after the eventful incident of the operation. On the day that should have witnessed the stately splendour of the Coro- nation, St. Paul's Cathedral was the scene of a solemn service of intercession for the recovery of the King. The Bishops of London and Stepney, the Archdeacon of London and Canons Holland and Newbolt were the officiating clergy and with them were the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and a dozen other Bishops. The Lord Mayor of London was present officially and the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Teck. So THE ILLNESS OF THE KING 387 were the special missions of France, Spain, Germany, Mexico and other countries, the Hon. Whitelaw Reid and Mr. Ch at , the American Ambassador. Lord Selborne, Lord Cadogan and Mr. Ritchie represented the Cabinet while the Premiers of Canada, Australia, Cape Colony, Natal, New Zealand, Western Australia v and South Australia, with the Sultan of Perak, the Rajah of Bobbili, Sir Jamesetjee Jejeebhoy, and others represented the Colonial and Indian Empire. A large number of the leaders in the public, social and general life of the country were also there. At the same time a similarly impressive service was held in Margaret's, Westminster, the official church of the House of Commons, attended by the Lord Chancellor and Speaker, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, Lord and Lady Londonderry, and many members of both Houses of Parlia- ment. A multitude of other churches held intercessory ser- vices at home and abroad on this day — notably, perhaps, one arranged by the National Council of Free Churches and held in the City Temple. Orders were given by the heads of all kinds of denominations in all kinds of countries to pray for the King on the succeeding Sunday and, in most of the great Colonies of the Crown, that day was specially set apart for the purpose. EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY Meanwhile, the messages continued to pour in from Gov- ernments as well as individuals or institutions. General Sir Neville Lyttelton for the Army in South Africa, Lord Hopetoun for the Government and people of Australia, Sir Edmund Barton, the Premier of Australia, the Legislature of New South Wales, the Governors of the other Australian States and New Zealand, the Governors of Fiji, Gambia, Cape Colony, Mauritius, Bermuda, Newfoundland, and Gibraltar, the Admin- istrators of Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Ceylon, Hong-Kong and Wei-hai-Wei, the Governor of the Straits Settlements and the 3 88 THE ILLNESS OF THE KING Premier of Natal sent despatches of sympathy and regret. In the United States much kindly feeling was expressed. Papers such as the New York Commercial- Advertizer ; Tribune and Post were more than kindly and generous in their regrets ; others were merely sensational. The President hastened to cable an expression of the nation's sentiments and, at Harvard University on June 25th, said : " Let me speak for all Ameri- cans when I say that we watch with the deepest concern and interest the sick-bed of the English King and that all Ameri- cans, in tendering their hearty sympathy to the people of Great Britain will now remember keenly the outburst of genuine grief with which all England last fall greeted the calamity which befell us in the death of President McKinley." Prayers were also offered up for His Majesty in the Senate and House of Representatives. Germany was largely silent in its press but outspoken and warmly sympathetic in the person of its Emperor. Austria was more than friendly and at Rome a Resolution passed unanimously through both Houses expres- sing earnest wishes for " the prompt recovery of the head of the State which has long been Italy's best friend." The French press was moderately sympathetic and dwelt upon King Edward's love of peace, while the leading Russian newspapers paid tribute to the same elements in his character and laid stress upon his high qualities as a man and a Sovereign. On the Sunday following the serious stage in the King's illness the metropolis was the scene of many special services. At Marlborough House Chapel, Queen Alexandra, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal family were present in the morning, together with a crowded gather- ing of members of the Court and old friends of His Majesty. Bishop Randall Davidson of Winchester preached a sermon of eloquent retrospect — a picture of the events of the past few days and weeks. Almost from his seat on a great throne their Sovereign had passed to a hushed sick-room ; during a crowded LIEUTENANT-GENERAL LORD KITCHENER QUEEN VICTORIA AND THE PRINCE OF WALES Now Edward VII. THE ILLNESS OF THE KING 389 week the people had passed from bouyant expectancy to crushing disappointment, from loyal admiration of a splendid occasion to personal sympathy with a stricken King. At the Chapel Royal the Bishop of London preached and drew a lesson of humility from the tragic event, while in St. Paul's Cathedral the Bishop of Stepney preached to an audience which included various Indian Chiefs and King Lewanika of Barotze. Mgr. Merry del Val, the Papal Envoy to the Coro- nation, addressed a gathering at the Brompton Oratory attended by Sir Wilfrid and Lady Laurier and Mr. Justice Girouard of Canada, Sir Nicholas O'Conor, British Ambassador at Con- stantinople, Lord Edmund Talbot, Lord Walter Kerr, first Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Howard Glossop and Lord Clifford of Chudleigh. The Reverend Bernard Vaughan, at the Warwick Street Roman Catholic Church, dwelt upon the great loyalty of his people to the Throne and declared that much might and should be done by Roman Catholics " to build up and consolidate an Empire where every man could breathe the air of freedom, claim his share of justice and practice his religion in peace." Amongst the special incidents of the day were prayers for King Edward in all the principal towns of Greece as well as in the churches of Athens and prayers and sermons upon the subject in many of the churches of New York. On July 3rd Cape Town was brilliantly illuminated as an expression of pleasure at the King's recovery. Four days later the Prince and Princess of Wales visited Grey's Hospital and His Royal Highness in speaking to the institution, for which the King had done so much when Heir Apparent, referred to the occa- sion as the first on which he had been able to attempt an expression of the unbounded gratitude which they all felt for "the merciful recovery of my dear father, the King." He spoke of the important work undertaken by the Hospital and then proceeded : " I wish to take this first opportunity to say 39 o THE ILLNESS OF THE KING how His Majesty the King, the Queen, and whole of our family have been cheered and supported during a time of severe trial by the deep sympathy which has been displayed towards them from every part of the Empire. And I should like to say that we who have watched at the sick bed of the King fully realize how much, humanly speaking, is due to the eminent surgical and medical skill, as well as to the patient and highly-trained nursing which it has been His Majesty's good-fortune to enjoy " CHAPTER XXIII, The Coronation. IN the middle of July it was announced that the Royal patient had recovered sufficiently to be able to fix a date once more for the Coronation ceremony and that, with the advice of his physicians, August 9th had been decided upon. Many of the events surrounding and connected with the central function originally proposed for June 26th had already taken place by special wish or consent of the King. Deeply regretting the disappointment of his people and keenly thoughtful, as he always had been, for the feelings and antici- pations of others, His Majesty had specially ordered the carrying out of two incidents of the Coronation festivities upon the date arranged— the Dinner to the London poor and the publication of the Coronation honours. In both cases much disappointment would have followed delay though it would necessarily have been different in degree and effect. On June 26th, as already decided upon and expected, the Honour List was made public and the names of those whom the King desired to especially compliment were announced. The promotion of the Earl of Hopetoun to be Marquess of Hopetown, was well deserved by his services as Governor- General of Australia and the creation of Lord Milner as a Viscount by his work in South Africa. A number might almost be called personal honours. Sir Francis Knollys, the veteran and efficient Private Secretary became Lord Knollys ; Lord Rothschild and Sir Ernest Cassel, old friends of the King when Prince of Wales, were made members of the Privy 391 392 THE CORONATION Council ; Lord Colville of Culross, Chamberlain to the Queen Alexandra since 1873, was made a Viscount ; Sir Francis Laking and Sir Frederick Treves, the well-known surgeons, and Sir Thomas Lipton, the King's yachting companion upon more than one occasion, were created baronets ; the Earl of Clarendon, Lord Chamberlain to the King, and General the Right Hon. Sir Dighton Probyn, so long the faithful official of his Household, were given the G. C. B.; Viscount Esher was made a K. C. B. General H. R. H. the Duke of Con- naught, brother of the King and Commanding the Forces in Ireland, was made a Field Marshal, and H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, was created a General. CORONATION HONOURS AND INCIDENTS In the more general list every rank and profession was represented — the Army and the Navy in honours conferred upon a large number of officers ; Art in the creation of Sir Edward Poytner as baronet, and the knighting of Sir F. C. Burnand and Sir Ernest Waterlow ; Literature in the knight- ing of Sir Conan Doyle, Sir Gilbert Parker and Sir Leslie Stephen ; Medicine and Surgery in the same honour conferred upon Sir Halliday Croom, Sir Thomas Fraser, Sir H. G. Howse and Sir William Church ; Science in the person of Sir Arthur Rucker ; Music in that of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford; Architecture in that of Sir William Emerson ; the Stage in that of Sir Charles Wyndham, The Colonies were amply honoured. Australia saw knighthoods bestowed upon Sir E. A. Stone, Sir J. L. Stirling, Sir Henry McLaurin, Sir A. J. Peacock, Sir Arthur Rutledge, Sir John See, Sir A. Thorpe- Douglas, Sir N. E. Lewis. In New Zealand, Captain Sir W. Russell-Russell and Sir J. L. Campbell received their knight- hoods. Sir John Gordon Sprigg of Cape Colony, received a G. C. M. G., as did Sir Edmund Barton of Australia. In Can- ada, Sir D. H. McMillan, Sir F. W. Borden and Sir William THE CORONATION 393 Mulock received the K. C. M. G. The King also announced the establishment of a new Order of Merit, restricted in num- bers and for the purpose of special Royal recognition of distinguished and exceptional merit in the Army and Navy serv- ices, and in Art, Science and Literature. The first list of members included Lord Roberts, Lord Wolseley, Lord Kitch- ener, Lord Rayleigh, Lord Lister, Lord Kelvin, Admiral Sir Henry Keppel, Mr. John Morley, Mr. W. E. H. Lecky, Admiral Sir E. H. Seymour, Sir William Huggins and Mr. George Frederick Watts. A very important event connected with the Coronation — though not exactly a part of it — and which proceeded in spite of the King's illness, at his earnest desire, was the Colonial Conference composed of General Lord Grenfell, Sir J. W. Ridgeway, Sir W. J. Sendall and Sir William McGregor rep- resenting the lesser Colonies, Protectorates and Military posts and the Premiers of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Natal, Cape Colony and Newfoundland. It was called by Mr. Chamberlain, largely as a result of so many Colonial leaders being in London at this time, and partly because of negotia- tions between Australia and Canada looking to a discussion during the Coronation period of such questions as trade rela- tions between the Commonwealth and the Dominion, the establishment of a fast mail service, the organization of a better steamship service between Canada and Australia, the estab- lishment of a line of steamers from Australia to Canada via South Africa, and the position of the Pacific Cable scheme. The Conference met a few days after the King's illness was announced and proceeded to discuss these and other questions in secret session during the next few weeks. A great many of the functions surrounding and forming part of the Coronation festivities took place during the period immediately following the Coronation day, which was to have been, and these increased in number and brilliancy as the days 394 THE CORONATION of actual danger passed away. On June 26th it was deter- mined not to disappoint the twelve hundred children from Orphanages and Homes who had been looking forward for many weeks to an entertainment promised them by the Prince and Princess of Wales in Marlborough House grounds. They were according received on that day. and another twelve hun- dred on the succeeding day, and enjoyed their feasts and games to the uttermost. On July 1st, amid perfect weather, immense and enthusiastic crowds and in the presence of Queen Alexandra and the Prince and Princess of Wales, a parade of Colonial troops took place at the Horse Guards. The route was lined by Regular troops and the Colonial force of about two thousand men was headed by General Sir Henry Trotter and the Canadian Contingent. The Duke of Connaueht com- manded the whole and was supported by a brilliant staff. The Queen came first on the review ground accompanied by many members of the Royal family, and soon afterwards there appeared a glittering cavalcade headed by the Prince of Wales in general's uniform. With him were Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief, the Duke d'Aosta, the Crown Princes of Denmark, Greece, Sweden and Roumania, the Grand Duke of Hesse, Prince Nicholas and Prince Andrew of Greece, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg, Prince Akihitu Komatsu of Japan, Prince Christian and Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein and two Indian Princes. After the inspection the Prince of Wales pesonally conferred the Distinguished Service Order, the Vic- toria Cross, the Companionship of the Bath and the Distin- guished Conduct Medal upon a number of Colonial officers and men who had won them in the South African War. The parade followed and men from Canada and Australia, New Zealand, Cape Colony and Natal, Ceylon, Cyprus and many other parts of the British world filed past the Queen and the Heir Apparent — special cheers greeting the gallant Sir Edward Brabant of Cape Colony. Well might the Times THE CORONATION 395 in its description express the keen regret of all at the absence of the King, and then add : " Perhaps never in the whole history of the world has there been such a display of Empire power as was witnessed yesterday. Here we had men of every colour, creed, denomination and descent, all answering to the same word of command, all performing the same manoeuvre, all animated with the single object of paying hom- age to the head of the greatest Empire the world has ever seen." Meanwhile, on June 30th, some fifteen hundred Colonial officers and men and one thousand Indian troops had embarked on special transports to see the great fleet at Spithead and to obtain an insight into that mighty naval power of England which the Coronation review was to have brought before the world once more. In the evening a multitude of bon-fires around the Kingdom, intended to celebrate the Coronation, were fired to mark the King's having passed the danger-point in his illness, and they afforded a most weird and striking effect. On the evening of July 1st a number of important festivities took place. At the Inner Temple the Colo- nial Premiers and distinguished visitors were banquetted. Amongst the guests were the Lord Chancellor, Mr. Chamber- lain, Lord Cross, Lord Davy, Lord Macnaghten, Lord Lindley, Lord Knutsford, Lord Robertson, and Sir Edmund Barton of Australia, Sir John Forrest of Australia, Sir Robert Bond of Newfoundland, Sir Albert Hime of Natal, Sir West Ridge- way, General Sir Francis Grenfell, Sir W. J. Sendall, Sir John Carrington, Sir William MacGregor, Sir Julian Salomons, Mr. Justice Girouard of Canada, the Hon. Arthur Peters and Hon. F. W. G. Haultain. The Premiers of Australia, Newfoundland and Natal spoke and paid loyal tributes to the King and the Empire. In his speech Mr. Chamberlain referred to Sir Albert Hime's statement that the Colonies would be glad to join the Councils of the Motherland. " If that be 396 THE CORONATION their feeling, I say — and I know I speak the view of the whole of the people of Great Britain — we shall welcome them. They have enjoyed all the privileges of the Empire ; if they are now willing to take upon themselves their share of its responsibilities and its burdens we shall be only too glad of their support." The Canadian Dinner, to celebrate Dominion Day, was held the same evening ; as was Lady Lansdowne's Reception. At the first-mentioned event, the speakers included Lord Strathcona, Sir Charles Tupper, the Hon. G. W, Ross, the Earl of Dundonald, Sir F. W Borden, the Earl of Minto, the Duke of Argyll, Sir W. Mulock and Mr. Seddon. ROYAL AND COLONIAL FUNCTIONS Lady Lansdowne's function was given in the magnificent drawing-rooms of Lansdowne House in honour of the special Envoys to the Coronation and the Colonial and Indian guests of the King. Nearly all the Colonial Premiers were present at some period during the evening and the Crown Princes of Roumania, Sweden, Japan and Siam, Mgr. Merry del Val, King Lewanika, the Duke and Duchess d'Aosta, the Mahara- jahs of Gwalior, Jaipur, Kolapore, Bikanur, and Kuch Behar, Sir Pertab Singh, and Mr. and Mrs. Whitelaw Reid. The Ambassadors of France, Austria, Turkey, Spain, United States, Germany, Persia, Belgium and half the countries in the world were also in attendance on what had been originally intended to be a reception by the Foreign Secretary and his wife in honour of the Coronation. After the Dominion Day banquet Lord Strathcona also held a Reception in Piccadilly attended by a great gathering of Canadian and other Colonial celebrities. The Review of the Indian Coronation Contingent on July 2nd by the Queen and the Prince of Wales was a bril- liant spectacle, the enthusiasm of the reception accorded the members of the Royal family as great as on the preceding o *< 5 °- CL ft sr»' ft rt- £3 IN THE KING AND QUEEN RETURNING FROM WESTMINSTER ABBEY AFTER THE CORONATION CEREMONY They rode to Buckingham Palace in the state coach, wearing their golden crowns for the first time in public. Large concourses of people assembled to witness the spectacle of their monarch, riding through the streets of their ca t ital, crowned and in royal robes. THE CORONATION 397 day, the massed crowds even larger than on that occasion, the kaleidoscopic colour and glittering splendour of the scene even more marked. The ordinary incidents of the parade were much the same as in that of the day before but British officers from British countries were superseded by a staff of native Princes blazing with gems, while the white soldier in ordinary British uniform, with only an occasional contingent of Houssas, or Fiji troops, or some other dark-coloured Colonial subjects, were replaced by an Oriental combination of varied uniform and complex colours. They numbered twelve hundred strong and the Eastern side of the display was one which the stricken King — deeply sensitive to the Imperial significance of the Coronation as he was — would have greatly appreciated and understood. The Times description was an eloquent one : " To those sitting in the stands it appeared as if a great rich ornamental carpet of kaleidoscopic colour had been suddenly unrolled across the gravel of the parade-ground ; a line of dazzling tints, before which the impressive grandeur of Household uniforms with attendant cuirasses, bear-skins, scar- let and bullion, dwarfed into insignificance. The front of the Asiatic line was crested with fluttering lance pennons, and be- neath these flags were stalwart frames in vermillion, rich orange, purple-drab, French-grey, and gold-tipped navy-blue, dressed shoulder to shoulder, making a nether border of snow- white or orange breeching." One after another the representatives of famous Indian regiments passed by and no Roman Emperor, or conqueror of old, ever had such a triumphal gathering in victorious pro- cession through his ancient capital as this which passed the windows of the room where the Emperor-King lay slowly verging toward recovery. Finally, they had all passed — Rajpoot, Sikh, Pathan, Afridi, Jat, Hazura, Gurkha, Dogra, Multani, Madrassee, Baluchi, Dekani — and, after a great cheer for the Emperor of India and to the strains of the 39 8 THE CORONATION National Anthem and personal cheering of another kind, the Queen and Princess of Wales drove from the grounds fol- lowed by the Prince and the rest of the Royal family. In the evening a ball was held at the Crystal Palace, the proceeds of which were to go to King Edward's Hospital Fund, as a sort of Coronation tribute to His Majesty's well- known interest in this subject. The function, which had been managed by Mrs. Arthur Paget, Lady Maud Wilbraham and others was a great success. During the same day Mr. W. H. Grenfell M. P. entertained the Colonial Premiers and visitors, on behalf of the British Empire League, at a water- party on the Thames and a luncheon at Taplow Court. The King's Dinner to the poor people of London took place on July 5th and constituted probably the most remarkable event of the kind in all history. A statistician estimated that six hundred thousand persons sat down at ninety miles of tables served by eighty thousand voluntary waiters. The cost of the occasion was about ,£30,000 and how the guests enjoyed their substantial meal of meat, potatoes, bread, cheese, pudding, beer, lime-juice, chocolate, cigarettes and tobacco can be bet- ter imagined than stated. There were eight hundred separate feasts and eighteen thousand people entertaining the guests while thirteen members of the Royal family devoted them- selves to representing the King and giving the pleasure of their presence to the crowded and happy multitudes. The day was beautiful, the arrangements, which had been so largely in the hands of Sir Thomas Lipton, were excellent, and the assistance abundant. The Coronation mugs gave tremendous pleasure and it would be a problem in psychology to say why the mere sight of Royalty should give the intense satisfaction which it unquestionably afforded the crowds — especially the women. Decorations were everywhere and the Prince and Princess of Wales drove in semi-state all through East London. The final climax to the day was the physicians' THE CORONATION 399 announcement from the Palace that the King was out of dan- ger. Princess Christian, the Duke and Duchess of Con- naught, the Duke and Duchess of Fife, the Prince and Princess Charles of Denmark, the Duchess of Albany, the Duke and Duchess of Argyll did more than their duty in visiting the various points and giving the feasters a glimpse of those who represented, even indirectly, their Royal host. On the follow- ing day Lord Knollys wrote the Lord Mayor, by command of the King, expressing the greatest satisfaction at the success of the affair and at the energy, foresight and skill displayed by those who had taken it in hand. " I am further commanded", he wrote, "to repeat how sincerely His Majesty regretted his inability to be present at any of his dinners and how deeply also he has been touched by the loyal and kind feeling so universally displayed when the bulletin of yesterday morning was read at the various dining-places." On the following day and at various times and places in the succeeding weeks the Queen entertained thousands of young servants at tea. Mayors and other officials or promi- nent persons presided, and each guest, after listening to a musical programme, was sent away happy with a box of choco- late bearing Queen Alexandra's portrait in colours. A func- tion of a different character was the great state dinner given by the Prince and Princess of Wales at St. James's Palace on July 8th in honour of the Colonial guests and visitors. The leading members of the suite during the late Empire tour were present together with the Countess of Hopetoun, the Earl and Countess of Onslow, the Earl and Countess of Minto, the Lord and Lady Lamington, the Lord and Lady Strathcona, Mrs. Chamberlain, Sir Wilfrid and Lady Laurier, Sir Edmund and Lady Barton, Mr. Seddon, Sir Gordon and Miss Sprigg, Sir Albert and Miss Hime, Sir R. Bond, Sir John and Lady Forrest, General Sir Edward Brabant, Sir W.* Mulock, the Hon. Mr, Fielding and Hon. Mr. Paterson. During this week 4 oo THE CORONATION the Countess of Jersey gave three garden parties at Osterley Park in honour of the visitors, and Lady Howard de Walden entertained the Colonial and Indian dignitaries at a reception and concert on July 7th. Three days later the Queen opened the Imperial Coronation Bazaar which was held on behalf of the Ormonde St. Hospital for Sick Children. Her Majesty was accompanied by Princess Victoria, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the Princess Christian and other members of the Royal family, and the occasion was successful despite a storm of wind and rain. In the evening the Prince and Prin- cess of Wales held a Reception of some nine hundred more or less distinguished people at St. James's Palace in honour of the Colonial visitors. Most of the members of the Royal family were present as well as Royal representatives of Rou- mania, Denmark, Greece and Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and the Colonial Premiers and other officials or visitors from the out- side Empire. It was a really brilliant function, delightful in its surroundings, decorations and illuminations, and elaborate in its final incident of supper. On the preceding day a detach- ment of troops from Australia and New Zealand, under arrangements made by Lord Carrington and the Duke of Argyll, visited Windsor Castle and were given luncheon in the town with the former nobleman as host. About the same time twelve thousand Kensington school-children were entertained under the auspices of Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, and revelled in a pleasure such as had perhaps never come before to the most of them. There were various functions and incidents of interest in the second week following the postponed Coronation. One of the most picturesque scenes ever witnessed in London occurred on July 3rd, when the Fijian soldiers, who had come to the Empire capital for the great event, were being driven around the city. On reaching Buckingham Palace they expressed a wish to sing an intercessory hymn for the King. With their THE CORONATION 401 bare heads, legs and feet, their long and frizzy hair, their white cotton skirts and quaint tunics, they made a most unique appearance as they turned toward the Palace and chanted words of which the following is a rough translation : " The King is great, and noble, and good. May he find favour in the sight of the Ruler of Kings ; May he wax strong and stay the tears of us all, for his people are sad. Mighty is the King and his people shall be glad." Other parties of West African and Indian troops were driven up and cheered the bare walls of the Palace with fervour. The Duke of Con naught, and afterwards the Duke of Cambridge, visited the Indian troops at Hampton Court. On July 9th, Colonel Lord Binning and the officers and men of the Royal Horse Guards provided an entertainment for the Colonial contingents at the Albany Barracks. Entertainments for the Colonial Premiers were almost continuous. The Duke and Duchess of Westminster gave an afternoon party in their honour at Grosvenor House ; Lady Lucy Hicks-Beach gave a garden party at the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer; parties of the King's Indian guests were taken at different times by Lord Esher and Lord Churchill to see Windsor Castle ; Sir Gilbert Parker gave a dinner in honour of the Premiers of Australia and Canada ; Lady Wimborne gave a dinner and reception for the Colonial Premiers ; the Constitutional Club on July 7th entertained the guests from the Colonies at a banquet presided over by the Duke of Marl- borough. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, in the course of his speech, made a notable declaration : " The bond of the British Empire, let me tell you this my fellow-countrymen, and accept it from a man not of your own race, the bond of union of the British Empire is allegiance to the King without distinction of race or colour." The Primrose League in London entertained the 26 402 THE CORONATION visiting Premiers at a banquet ; and the Fishmonger's Com- pany did the same. An interesting incident was the visit of Mr. R. J. Seddon, Premier of New Zealand, and his wife and daughters to Windsor Castle whence, on July 3rd, they were driven to Frogmore Mausoleum and placed a wreath of lilies and rosebuds on the tomb of the Queen and on behalf of the people of New Zealand. The Empire Coronation banquet was the great event of these weeks in the way of dining and speaking, although Mr. Chamberlain's unfortunate accident and absence created a serious void. The Earl of Onslow presided, and amongst the speakers were Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Maharajah of Kolapore, Sir Gordon Sprigg and Sir Edmund Barton. Earl Cromer and Lord Lansdowne, Lord Minto, Lord Kelvin and the Maharajahs of Bikanur and Cooch-Behar were also present together with a distinguished array of Colonial dignitaries. An event of historic importance occurred on July nth when the Marquess of Salisbury waited upon the King and tendered his resignation of the post of Prime Minister. The fact that His Majesty was able to receive him and deal with the questions involved also served to indicate his progress toward recovery. Mr. A. J. Balfour was at once sent for and, after an interview with Mr. Chamberlain, accepted the task of forming a new Ministry. It had been pretty well understood that Lord Salisbury intended to resign when peace had come and the Coronation ceremonies were disposed of. Delay had naturally occurred owing to the King's illness, but His Majesty's progress toward recovery and the fact of the principal Coro- nation functions having been disposed of — outside of the event itself — induced the Premier to feel that he could now lay down his burdensome position. Mr. Balfour was received again by the King on July 12th and a little later in the day General Lord Kitchener, after passing in triumphal procession through the streets of London on his return from South Africa, was also THE CORONATION 403 admitted into audience by the King and personally decorated from his couch with the special Coronation honour — the new Order of Merit. Lord Kitchener then dined with the Prince of Wales, as representing His Majesty, at St. James's Palace. Meanwhile, the King had been winning golden opinions from all sorts and conditions of men. His plucky conduct at the beginning of the illness, his thoughtful consideration for others through every stage of its continuance, his evidently strong place in the hearts of his subjects, combined to increase the personal popularity of the Sovereign at home while enhanc- ing or promoting respect for him abroad. As the New York Tribune put it on the day before the Coronation : "The King is showing himself ' every inch a King ' in some of those respects which are most prized and cherished by all men of his race, and which unfailingly command admiration among all men and all races. Those are the qualities of unselfishness, and indomita- ble and uncomplaining pluck." He had struggled long and earnestly against the malady — not for his own sake, because safety and ease would have early been found in surrender to its natural course. When that became finally necessary, and recov- ery then succeeded the period of suspense,his whole desire seemed to be the re-assuring of the popular mind and the relieving of public inconvenience. On August 6th the King and Queen Alexandra had landed at Portsmouth from the Royal yacht and proceeded to London. The stations were profusely deco- rated, and dense crowds were awaiting their arrival in the capital. At the Metropolitan station the King walked easily to the end of the platform and to his carriage, helped the Queen to enter, and followed himself without any apparent difficulty. The route to Buckingham Palace was lined with great throngs of people, and His Majesty acknowledged the continuous cheering with a most cheerful expression and by frequently raising his hat. He was described as looking better than for a long time' past — while the Queen appeared 4 o 4 THE CORONATION positively radiant. On the evening of August 8th, the King issued an autograph message of thanks and appreciation to the nation, through the Home Secretary, couched in the following terms : " To My People : — On the eve of my Coronation, an event which I look upon as one of the most solemn and most important in my life, I • am anxious to express to my people at home and in the Colonies and India, my heartfelt appreciation of the deep sympathy they have manifested towards me during the time my life was in such imminent danger. " The postponement of the ceremony, owing to my illness, caused, I fear, much inconvenience and trouble to all those who intended to cele- brate it, but their disappointment was borne by them with admirable patience and temper. " The prayers of my people for my recovery were heard, and I now offer up my deepest gratitude to Divine Providence for having preserved my life and given me strength to fulfil the important duties which devolve upon me as Sovereign of this great Empire. EDWARD R.I." While this tactful and sympathetic letter was being writ- ten by the Sovereign, his people in London were preparing for the o-reat event of the morrow. The streets were crowded with moving masses of people; the decorations, though not as numerous or imposing as in June, were nevertheless effective ; the streets were illuminated to a considerable extent, and the stands were nearly all sold out of their seating capacity. Dur- ino- the afternoon the King walked in the grounds of Bucking- ham Palace and held an Investiture, at which he gave the Order of the Garter to the Dukes of Wellington and Suther- land and of the Thistle to the Duke of Roxburghe and the Earl of Haddington. A little later, he received in audience Ras MaRonnen,the Abyssinian Envoy. Two interesting announce- ments were also made at this time — that Lord Salisbury was unwell and would be unable to attend the Coronation, and that Bramwell Booth had been granted special permission by the King to appear at Westminster Abbey in Salvation Army EDWARD VII AND HIS QUEEN ALEXANDRA CROWNED On August g, 1902, amid all the pomp and solemnity of the occasion the sovereign of the British Empire and his beloved consort received the joyful homage of their subjects. THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY PAYS HOMAGE TO HIS SOVEREIGN When the primate came to do homage to Edward VII and was about to exhort the king to "stand firm and hold fast," he was quite overcome, and His Majesty to prevent his falling, stretched forth his hana *o assist him. THE CORONATION 405 garb. The first incident marked the closing of an era of state- craft ; of an age marked by the name and fame of Queen Victoria and her Ministers. The other illustrated the tact of the Sovereign as it proved the existence of a religious tolera- tion and equality characteristic of the new period in which the new reign was commencing. On August 9th the great ceremony finally took place. Though shorn of some of the I nternational splendour of the first arrangements and without some of the military and naval glory which would have then surrounded the event its Imperial significance was in some respects enhanced and there was a deeper note in the festivities and an even more enthusiastic tone in the cheering than would have been possible on the 26th of June. The solemn ceremony in the ancient Abbey — which had not been used or opened to the public since that final practice of the choir — was brilliant in all the colours and shadings and dresses and gems and uniforms of a Royal function while it presented that other and more sacred side which all the traditions and forms of the Coronation ceremony so clearly illustrate. The enthusiasm of the people in the streets can hardly be described but the spirit and thought and feeling were well summed up in the words of a Canadian poet — Jean Blewett : 11 L,ong live the King ! Long live the King who hath for his own The strongest sceptre the world has known, The richest Crown and the highest Throne, The staunchest hearts, and the heritage Of a glorious past, whose every page Reads — loyalty, greatness, valour, might." The day opened with brilliant promise and bright sun- shine, but became overcast and gloomy by the time the Royal progress from the Palace had commenced. The crowds gath- ered early, and soon every seat in the many stands were filled 4 o6 THE CORONATION with expectant and interested people who numbered in the end fully half a million. Picked troops, chiefly Household Cavalry and Colonial and Indian soldiers of the King, to the number of 30,000, guarded the route, with a picturesque line of white, black, brown and yellow men of many countries and varied uniforms. When the King and Queen appeared in their o-orcreous state coach from out the gates of Buckingham Palace they were greeted with tremendous cheers from the multitude, and these cheers continued all along the way to the Abbey. In the Royal procession were the Prince and Prin- cess of Wales with thirty-one other members of the Royal family. The Princess was beautiful in a long Court mantle of purple velvet trimmed with bands of gold and a minever cape fastened with hooks of gold over a dress of white satin embroidered in gold and jewelled with diamonds and pearls. Then followed Lord Knollys and Lord Wolseley and Admiral Seymour, Lord Kitchener and General Gaselee and Lord Roberts, with many other notabilities. The Indian Mahara- jahs, who acted as Aides-de-Camp to the King, were brilliant in red and white and brown and blue and gold and jewels. Immediately in front of the King was the Royal escort of Princes and Equerries with a body of Colonial and Indian troops. The arrival at the Abbey was marked by great enthusiasm in the massed multitudes surrounding the famous buildino- and seated in the crimson-covered stands which had been built on every side. The scene in the interior was indescribable. The blend of many colours in costume mixed with the time-mellowed harmonies of shade and substance in the mighty structure, while the air was permeated with the solemn sounds of the recently sung Litany and the slowly pealing bells of loyal welcome. Around were the greatest men and noblest and most beautiful women of Great Britain, and in the stalls was a veritable roll-call of fame in a world-wide Empire. Lord THE CORONATION 407 Salisbury was practically the only British personage of historic repute who was not present while the veteran Duke of Cam- bridge appeared as one of the two living links present between the Coronation which had marked the beginning of the Victorian era and that which was now to illustrate the birth of a new period. Into this scene of splendour and revel of colour came the King and the state officials of his realm. The procession as it passed from the west door of the Abbey through the standing and brilliantly-garbed gathering was one of the most stately spectacles recorded in history. First came the Clergy of the Abbey in copes of brown shot with gold, the Archbishops in purple velvet and gold, the gorgeously-clad officers of the Orders of Knighthood, and the Heralds. Then came the Standard of Ireland, carried by the Right Hon. O'Conor Don, the Standard of Scotland by Mr. H. S. Wedderburn, the Standard of England by Mr. F. S. Dymoke and the Union Standard borne by the Duke of Wel- lington. Various great officials and nobles followed, the coro- net of each borne by a beautifully dressed page. They included the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord President of the Council the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, the Lord Archbishop of York, the Lord High Chancellor, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. Then came the Earl of Gosford as Lord Chamberlain, Lord Harris carrying the Queen's regalia and the Duke of Roxburghe car- rying Her Majesty's Crown. The Queen herself followed in robes of exquisite character and splendour and looking as only the most beautiful woman in England could look. On either side of her were the Bishops of Oxford and Norwich with five gentlemen-at-arms to the right and left of them and Her Majesty's train was borne by the Duchess of Buccleuch assisted by eight youthful personages of title or heirship to aristocratic position. The Ladies of the Bedchamber followed and then came the King's regalia, carried by the Earl of Car- rington, the Duke of Argyll, the Earl of Loudoun, Lord Grey 408 THE CORONATION de Ruthven, Viscount Wolseley, the Duke of Grafton and Earl Roberts. The next personage in this splendid procession of rich- robed noblemen and gorgeously-clad officials was the Lord Mayor of London and then came the Marquess of Chol- mondeley, as Lord Great Chamberlain, the Duke of Abercorn as High Constable of Ireland, the Earl of Erroll as High Con- stable of Scotland, the Earl of Shrewsbury as Lord High Steward of Ireland, the Earl of Crawford as Lord High Steward of Scotland (Deputy to the Duke of Rothesay and Prince of Wales), the Duke of Norfolk as Earl Marshal of England, the Marquess of Londonderry carrying the Sword of State, and the Duke of Fife as Lord High Constable of Eng- land. Following these high officers of state came central figures in the procession — the Duke of Marlborough as Lord High Steward carrying St. Edward's ancient Crown, the Earl of Lucan carrying the Sceptre, and the Duke of Somerset bear- ing the Orb. The Bishop of Ely followed bearing the Patina, the Bishop of Winchester bearing the Chalice, the Bishop of London carrying the Bible and then, behind him came the Sovereign of the mighty little Islands and of an Empire gird- ling the world in power and wealth and service to civilization His Majesty was clad in Royal crimson robes of state and wore the Order of the Garter. His train was borne by the Earl of Portarlington, the Duke of Leinster, the Marquess Con- yngham, the Earl of Caledon and Lord Somers, with Viscount Torrington and Hon. P. A. Spencer, as Pages of Honour and Lord Suffield, Master of the Robes. On either side of the King walked the Bishop of Bath and Wells and the Bishop of Durham and beside them again ten gentlemen-at-arms. Fol- lowing the bearers of the Royal train came Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, the Duke of Portland, General Lord Chelmsford, the Duke of Buccleuch, Earl Waldgrave, Lord THE CORONATION 409 Belper, various Lords-in-Waiting, Lord Knollys, Sir D. M. Probyn and Major-General Sir Arthur Ellis. The services and ceremonies in the Abbey were beautiful and impressive in the extreme. Enriched with a thousand years' traditions, moulded upon ancient forms of a sacred and essentially religious character, symbolizing and expressing a solemn compact between the Sovereign and his subjects, registering by forms of popular acceptance, homage and ecclesiastical ritual the final consecration of the King to the government of his nation, it was a ceremony of exceeding solemnity as well as of impressive splendour. The great Abbey had been transformed by tier above tier of seats, cov- ered with blue and yellow velvet, and so arranged as to form one dazzling mass of brightness and colour when filled with the peers in their gorgeous robes and peeresses in their crimson velvet mantles, ermine capes and beautiful gowns. As the King and Queen entered the Abbey on this eventful day and moved toward their chairs the choir of trained voices sang with exquisite feeling and sound the anthem : " I was glad when they said unto me, we will go into the house of the Lord." The King at different times during the ceremonies was clad in vestments combining an ecclessiastical character with Royal magnificence. The dalmatic was a robe of cloth of gold, the stole was lined with crimson cloth and richly embroidered, the alb, or sleeveless tunic of fine cambric, was trimmed with beautiful lace. The whole effect was one of harmonized colour and splendour. After brief prayer, kneeling on faldstools in front of their chairs, the King and Queen took their seats and then the Archbishop of Canterbury turned north, south, east and west and, while the King stood, he said to the people : " Sirs, I here present unto you King Edward, the undoubted King of this Realm ; wherefore all you who have come this day to do your homage, are you willing to do the same?" Ringing 410 THE CORONATION acclamations of " God save the King," to the sound of trumpets strongly blown, greeted this part of the ceremony. The Bible, Patina, Chalice and Regalia were then borne to the Altar, and the Communion service of the Church of England proceeded with. Then followed the taking of the Coronation Oath, the Archbishop of Canterbury first asking His Majesty if he was willing to do so and receiving an affirmative reply. The questions and answers were as follows, the King holding a Bible in his hands : Archbishop . Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Dominions thereto belonging, according to the statutes in Parliament agreed on and the respective laws and customs of the same? The King. I solemnly promise to do so. Archbishop . Will you to your power cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judgments ? The King. I will. Archbishop . Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel, and the Protestant Reformed religion established by law ? And will you maintain and preserve inviol- ably the Settlement of the Church of England and the doctrine, worship, discipline and government thereof as by law established in England ? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England and to the Church therein committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do, or shall appertain to them or any of them ? The King. All this I promise to do. His Majesty, when he had said these words passed to the Altar, knelt down and with his hand on the Bible said: " The things which I have here before promised I will perform and keep. So help me God." After signing the Oath the King returned to his chair. A hymn, a prayer by the Archbishop and an anthem followed. Meanwhile His Majesty, after being relieved of his crimson robes by the Lord Great Chamberlain and of his cap of state, proceeded to King Edward's Chair, near the Altar and, and while four Knights of the Garter in THE CORONATION 4 n their magnificent robes and insignia — the Earl of Rosebery Earl of Derby, Earl of Cadogan and Earl Spencer — held over him a Pall of golden Silk, the Archbishop, assisted by the Dean of Westminster, annointed him with holy oil on the crown of the head, on his breast and on his hands. His Grace of Canter- bury concluded this part of the ceremony with the words : " And as Solomon was anointed King by Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet, so be you anointed, blessed and consecrated King over this People whom the Lord your God hath given you to rule and govern. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen." The King, after a brief prayer by the Archbishop then resumed his place in King Edward's Chair and was robed by the Dean of Westminster with cloth of gold and symbolic girdle. INCIDENTS OF THE CEREMONY Various typical or symbolic functions were then performed. The Lord Great Chamberlain touched the King's feet with a pair of golden spurs as constituting the ancient emblems of Knighthood ; a Sword of State, with scabbard of purple vel- vet, was then handed with elaborate ceremony to the Arch- bishop who, after placing it upon the Altar and delivering a short prayer proffered it to His Majesty about whom it was girt by the Lord Great Chamberlain, His Grace of Canter- bury giving the following injunction : " With this sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity, protect the Holy Church of God, help and defend widows and orphans, restore the things that are going to decay, maintain the things that are restored, furnish and reform what is amiss and confirm what is in good order ; that by doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue ; and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life that you may reign for ever with him in the life that is to come." The King then placed the Sword upon the Altar from which it was presently taken and held drawn 412 THE CORONATION from the scabbard before him during the rest of the ceremony. The Dean of Westminster then invested His Majesty with the Armilla, or gold bracelets, and with the Imperial mantle of cloth of gold, while the Archbishop presented the Orb of Empire — a golden ball, made originally for Charles II. with a band covered with gems and a cross set in brilliants. As he did so His Grace said : " Receive this Imperial Robe and Orb; and the Lord your God endow you with knowledge and wis- dom, with majesty and with power from on high ; the Lord clothe you with the robe of righteousness and with the gar- ments of salvation." The next incident was the placing of a gold ring — carried off by James II. in his flight, and afterwards recovered in Rome by George IV. — upon the fourth finger of the King's right hand with an Episcopal injunction to receive the ring as "the ensign of kingly dignity and of defence of the Catholic faith." Then came the presentation of the Sceptre by the Archbishop as the ensign of kingly power and justice, and the rod of equity and mercy, while the Duke of Newcastle as Hereditary Lord of the Manor of Worksop, had the privilege or right of placing a glove upon the King's hand. Following this came the central and most dramatic feature of the cere- monies — the placing of the Crown upon His Majesty's head by the Archbishop of Canterbury. As the action was per- formed the venerable Abbey shook with the acclamation of " God Save the King " while the trumpets blared and the scene, already brilliant with varied splendours, flashed in added beauty when the Peers and Peeresses put on their glittering coronets. A brief prayer and the presentation of a copy of the Bible by the Archbishop followed with a benediction ending in the words: "The Lord give you a fruitful country and healthful seasons ; victorious fleets and armies and a quiet Em- pire ; a faithful Senate, wise and upright Counsellors and magis- trates, a loyal nobility and dutiful gentry ; a pious and learned ':'"'■.•:■ i^k «"''psp«^; THE CORONATION 413 and useful Clergy ; an honest, industrious and obedient com- munity." After the Te Deum was sung by the choir, His Majesty for the first time took his place upon the Throne surrounded by the leading officials, nobles and clergy, and listened to a brief exordium from the Archbishop, ending with the hope that God would "establish your Throne in righteousness that it may stand fast for evermore." Then came the impressive ceremony of Homage. First the Archbishop of Canterbury, kneeling in front of His Majesty with all the Bishops in their places, repeated an oath of allegiance. Then the Prince of Wales, taking off his coronet, knelt in front of the King and the other Princes of the blood royal knelt in their places and repeated the quaint mediaeval formula in which they swore " to become your liege man of life and limb and of earthly worship, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die against all manner of Folks." At this point occurred an abreviation of the ceremony as well as an impromptu change in the proceedings. As the Prince rose from his knees touched the Crown on his father's head and kissed his left cheek in the the formal manner prescribed, the King rose, threw his arms round his son's neck for a moment and then took his hand and shook it warmly. After the homage of the Heir Apparent each Peer of the realm should have followed the traditionary form in the order of his rank and touched the Crown and kissed the King's cheek. This was modified, however, so as to enable each grade of the nobility to perform the function through its representative of oldest patent — the Duke of Norfolk, the Marquess of Winchester, the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Viscount Hereford and the Baron de Ros. After this had been done the trumpets once more sounded their acclaims and the audi- ence joined in shouting "God save King Edward." A short but stately ceremony of crowning the Queen then followed. The Archbishop of York officiated and four 4 i 4 THE CORONATION Peeresses upheld the Cloth of Gold over Her Majesty as she was anointed upon the head. A ring was placed upon her finger with a brief prayer, and a sceptre in her hand with the following words : " Grant unto this thy servant Alexandra, our Queen, that by the powerful and mild influence of her piety and virtue, she may adorn the high dignity which she hath obtained, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Her Majesty was then escorted from the Altar to her own Throne, bowing rever- ently to the King as she passed him to take her place. The King and Queen then passed to the Altar together, taking off their Crowns and kneeling on faldstools and His Majesty formally offered the Sacrament of Communion to the Archbishop. After thus indicating his headship of the National Church, the King returned with his Consort to their chairs and listened to some brief prayers. Thence they returned to the Altar, received Communion from the Arch- bishop of Canterbury and then passed into the Chapel of Edward the Confessor accompanied by a stately procession. There they were arrayed in Royal robes of purple and velvet, in place of the mantels previously worn, and passed with slow and stately dignity down the nave, out to their carriage and thence through masses of cheering people to Buckingham Palace. There were several incidents in connection with the Coro- nation ceremonies which deeply impressed the onlookers. One was the spontaneous and obvious sincerity of the King's affectionate greeting to his son. Another was the enfeebled condition of the aged Archbishop of Canterbury. With his massive frame, brilliant intellect, and piercing eyes Dr. Temple had lived a life of intense mental activity and reli- gious zeal, but in these declining days the massive form had become bent and trembling, the memory and the eyes found difficulties in the solemn words of the service, and his shaking hands could hardly place the Crown upon the head of his THE CORONATION 415 King. But the latter's solicitude and anxious care to save the Primate any exertion, not absolutely essential, were marked and noticed by all that vast assemblage. The Royal patient was transformed, by kindly sympathy, into a guardian of the Archbishop's weakness. When tendering his homage as first of all the subjects of the King, the aged Primate almost fainted and was unable to rise from his knees until His Majesty assisted him. Prior to the actual Coronation, Mr. Edwin A. Abbey, R.A,, who had been commissioned by the King to paint a pic- ture of the historic scene, was allowed to take note of the surroundings. Another incident of the event was the presence of the Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz — placed by desire of Queen Alexandra in a seat at the exact spot which she had held during the Coronation of Queen Victoria. On the day following the great event a final bulletin was issued by Sir F. Laking and Sir F. Treves, which stated that " His Majesty bore the strain of the Coronation ceremony perfectly well, and experienced but little fatigue. The King has had a good night, and his condition is in every way satis- factory." Being Sunday, special services were held in the St. James's Chapel Royal, at St. Paul's Cathedral, in Marlborough House Chapel, and at St. Margaret's, Westminster. On Mon- day, a Royal message to the nation was made public through Mr. Balfour, the Prime Minister. Dated on Coronation Day, it described the Osborne House estate, on the Isle of Wight, as being the private property of the Sovereign, and expressed his wish to establish this once favourite residence of the late Queen as a National Convalescent Home for Officers of the Army and Navy — maintaining intact, however, the rooms which were in her late Majesty's personal occupation. " Hav- ing to spend a considerable part of the year in the capital of this Kingdom and in its neighbourhood, at Windsor, and hav- ing also strong home ties in the County of Norfolk, which have existed now for nearly forty years, the King feels he will 4 i6 THE CORONATION be unable to make adequate use of Osborne House as a Royal residence, and he accordingly has determined to offer the property in the Isle of Wight as a gift to the nation." Follow- ing the Coronation came multitudes of editorial comments upon the event, and one of the most concise and expressive was that of the London Times : "The significance of the Corona- tion ceremony on Saturday lay in its profound sincerity, as a solemn compact between the Sovereign and his subjects, rati- fied by oath, and blessed by the highest dignitaries of the National Church. It was a covenant between a free people, accustomed for long centuries to be governed according to statutes in Parliament agreed on, and their hereditary King, and a supplication from both to God that the King may be endowed with all princely virtues in the exercise of his great office. Though the details of the ceremony do not mean to us all they meant to our forefathers, the ceremony itself is a no less strong and enduring bond between the King and sub- jects. The most striking feature of the Coronation was that it was the first to be attended by the statesmen of self-govern- ing Colonies, and by the feudatory Princes of India." With the event also came an Ode from Mr. Alfred Aus- tin, entitled " The Crowning of Kingship." On August nth the King held a Council at Buckingham Palace, attended by the retiring and new members of the Cabinet ; invested many distinguished personages with their Coronation honours ; and gave an audience to Sir Joseph Dimsdale, Lord Mayor of London, who presented the City's Coronation gift of $575,000 toward the King Edward Hospital Fund, in which His Majesty had so long taken so deep an interest and to which, on this occasion, there was contributed 20,000 penny donations from the poorest quarters of London. Various functions of a Coronation character or connec- tion ensued. On August 12th some 2000 Colonial troops who were present at the event, in a representative capacity, THE CORONATION 417 from British dominions beyond the seas, were received by the King on the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Under the Royal canopy were the Queen and the children of the Prince of Wales, and in attendance were Earl Roberts, Lord Kitch- ener, Mr. Chamberlain and various Colonial Premiers, includ- ing Sir Wilfrid and Lady Laurier. After the march past, the King pinned a Victoria Cross on the breast of Sergeant Law- rence, and the Prince of Wales conferred Cornonation medals upon the officers and men. His Majesty then addressed the troops as follows: " It has afforded me great pleasure to see you here to-day and to have the opportunity of expressing my high appreciation of your patriotism and the way you distin- guished yourselves in South Africa. The services you have rendered the Mother-Country will never be forgotten by me, and they will, I am sure, cement more firmly than ever the union of our distant Colonies with the other parts of my great Empire." On the following day the Indian troops sent from the great Eastern realm to honour the Coronation of its Emperor were reviewed at the same place. His Majesty wore a jew- elled sword which cost some $50,000, and had been presented to him on the previous day by the Maharajah of Jaipur. The scene was a most brilliant and picturesque one. The British notables present wore military or Levee dress ; the great lawn of the Palace was a splendid spectacle in red, yellow, green and blue ; the Eastern Princes were gorgeous in jewels and many-coloured raiment, and the little Princes Edward and Albert of Wales constituted themselves Aides of the King and brought several general officers up to have an audience. After the march past and the distribution of medals at the hands of the Prince of Wales, His Majesty addressed the troops in the following words : " I wish to convey to all ranks the high satis- faction it has given me to see this splendid contingent from India. I almost feared, owing to my serious illness, that I 27 4i 8 THE CORONATION would be prevented from having the advantage of seeing you, but I am glad to say that by God's mercy I am well again. I recognize among you many of the regiments I had the advan- tage of seeing at Delhi during my tour of India." During the next few days various minor functions took place, and the Colonial leaders especially were feasted and entertained in every possible way. On August 17th the final event occurred in connection with the Coronation. It was the mighty greeting of a great fleet to the Sovereign of a wide-flung realm. It was the inspection of a naval force which a generation before could have dominated the seas of the world and put all civilized nations under tribute. Gathered together from the Home Station, the Channel squadron and the Cruising squadron ; without the detachment of a ship from foreign waters or Colonial stations, it included 20 battleships, 24 cruisers and 47 torpedo crafts, with an outer fringe of foreign vessels con- tributed in complimentary fashion to honour the occasion. From Spithead to the Isle of Wight the horizon was black with great grim vessels of war decked out with flags, and as the King's yacht approached the first line of ships, a hundred Royal salutes made a tremendous burst of sound such as prob- ably the greatest battle-fields of history had never heard. As the King, in Admiral's uniform, stood upon the deck of his vessel and passed slowly down the lines, a signal given at a certain moment evoked one of the most impressive incidents which even he had ever encountered — a simultaneous roar of cheers from the powerful throats of 50,000 enthusiastic sailors. The sound rolled from shore to shore, and ship to ship, was echoed from 100,000 spectators on land and sea, and repeated again from the battleships. The King was deeply moved by this crowning tribute of loyalty, and at once signaled his gratification to the fleet and an invitation to its flag officers to come aboard his yacht and reeeive a personal expression of THE CORONATION 419 his feelings. In the evening electric and coloured lights of every kind and in countless number combined with flashing searchlights to illuminate the great fleet and to cast a glamour of fairy land over the splendid scene. Meanwhile, in the morning, His Majesty had received on board his yacht the celebrated Boer Generals, Botha, De Wet and De la Rey. Afterwards, in company with Lord Kitchener and Earl Roberts they had returned to London greatly pleased with the cordiality of their reception and especially gratified at the kind manner of Queen Alexandra. Following the official Naval Review, the King on the next day visited the fleet in a stormy sea and watched it go through certain manoeuvres of a practical kind before being dispersed to its different local stations. On his return to London he found the Shah of Persia a guest of the nation and awaiting formal reception at the hands of its Monarch. And thus King Edward took up again his unceasing round of duty and ceremonial and high responsibility. In the past year or two he had gone through every variety of emotional experience and official work and brilliant ceremony — his mother's death and the consequent mourning of a nation and empire ; his own assumption of new and heavy duties ; the special labours of an expectant period ; the time of serious illness and the anxieties of complex respon- sibility to a world-wide public ; the realization of his Corona- tion hopes ; the change from an old to a new period stamped by tbe change in his national advisers and the presence of his Colonial Premiers. He now entered upon his further life- work, whether long or short, no man could tell, with chastened feelings in a personal sense but, it is safe to say, with high and brilliant hopes for the future of his own home country and of its Imperial greatness in assocation with those other lands in many parts of the world whose loyalty had lately been so strongly shown and whose prospects under the Crown of Edward the Seventh now appeared so fair and bright. (420) CHAPTER XXIV The Industrial and Commercial Development of Great Britain INDUSTRY in the past centuries was a strikingly different thing from what it has been in the recent period. For a century it has been passing through a great process of evolution, which has by no means reached its culmination, and whose final outcome no man can safely predict. For a long period during the medieval and the subsequent cen- turies industry existed in a stable condition, or one whose changes were few and none of them revolutionary. Manufacture was in a large sense individual. The great hive of industry known as a fac- tory did not exist, workshops being small and every expert mechanic able to conduct business as a master. Employees were mainly apprentices, each of whom expected to become a master mechanic, or, if he chose to work for a master, did so with an independence that no longer exists. The workshop was usually a portion of the dwelling, where the master worked with his apprentices, teaching them the whole art and mystery of his craft, and giving them knowl- edge of a complete trade, not of a minor portion of one, as in our day. The trade-union had its prototype in the gild. But this was in no sense a combination of labor for protection against capital, but of master workmen to protect their calling from being swamped by invasion from without. In truth, when we go back into the past centuries, it is to find ourselves in another world of labor, radically different from that which surrounds us to-day. It was the steam-engine that precipitated the revolution in industry. This great invention rendered possible labor-saving 421 422 THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT machinery. From working directly upon the material, men began to work indirectly through the medium of machines. As a result, the old household industries rapidly disappeared. Engines and machines needed special buildings to contain them and large sums of money to purchase them, the separation of capital and labor began, and the nineteenth century opened with the factory system fully launched upon the world. Great Britain, small as it was, had grown, by the opening of the nineteenth century, to be the leading power in Europe. Its indus- tries, its commerce, its enterprise were expanding enormously, and it was becoming the great workshop and the chief distributor of the world. The raw material of the nations flowed through its ports, the finished products of mankind poured from its looms, London became the great money center of the world, and the industrious and enterprising islanders grew rich and prosperous, while few steps of progress and enterprise showed themselves in any of the nations of the continent. VAST ACCUMULATIONS OF CAPITAL The century of Victoria's reign was one of vast accumulations of capital in single hands or under the control of companies, the concentration of labor in factories and workshops, the extraordinary development of labor-saving machines, the growth of monopolies on the one hand and of labor unions on the other, the revolt of labor against the tyranny of capital, the battle for shorter hours and higher wasres, the coming of woman into the labor field as a rival of man, the development of economic theories and industrial organiza- tions, and in still other ways the growth of a state of affairs in the world of industry that had no counterpart in the past. In past times wealth was largely accumulated in the hands of the nobility, who had no thought of using it productively. Such of it as lay under the control of the commonalty was applied mainly for commercial purposes and in usury, and comparatively little was used in manufacture. This state of affairs was brought somewhat suddenly to an end by the inventions above mentioned. Capital THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 423 became largely diverted to purposes of manufacture, wealth grew rapidly as a result of the new methods of production, the making of articles cheaply required costly plants in buildings and machinery, which put production beyond the reach of the ordinary artisan, the old individuality in labor disappeared, the number of employers largely diminished and that of employees increased, and the medi- eval gild vanished, the workmen finding themselves exposed to a state of affairs unlike that for which their old organizations were devised. A radically new condition of industrial affairs had come, and the working-class was not prepared to meet it. Everywhere the employers became supreme, and the men were at their mercy. Labor was dismayed. Its unions lost their industrial character and resumed their original form of purely benevolent associations. Such was the state of affairs in the early years of the nineteenth century. Industry was in a stage of transition, and inevitably suffered from the change. It was only at a later date that the idea of mutual aid in industry revived, and the trade union — a new form of association adapted to the new situation — arose as the lineal successor of the old society of artisans. Great Britain did not content herself with going abroad for the materials of her active industries. She dug her way into the bowels of the earth, tore from the rocks its treasures of coal and iron, and thus obtained the necessary fuel for her furnaces and metal for her machines. The whole island resounded with the ringing of ham- mers and rattle of wheels, goods were produced very far beyond the capacity of the island for their consumption, and the vast surplus was sent abroad to all quarters of the earth, to clothe savages in far- off regions, and to furnish articles of use and luxury to the most enlightened of the nations. To the ship as a carrier was soon added the locomotive and its cars, conveying these products inland with unprecedented speed from a thousand ports. And from America came the parallel discovery of the steamship, signaling the close of the long centuries of dominion of the sail. 424 THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT Years went on, and still the power and prestige of Great Britain grew, still its industry and commerce spread and expanded, still its colonies increased in population and new lands were added to the sum, until the island empire stood foremost in industry and enter- prise among the nations of the world, and its people reached the summit of their prosperity. From this lofty elevation was to come, in the later years of the century, a slow but inevitable decline, as the United States and the leading European nations developed in indus- try, and rivals to the productive and commercial supremacy of the British islanders began to arise in various quarters of the earth. THE FACTORY SYSTEM BROUGHT MISERY It cannot be said that the industrial prosperity of Great Britain, while of advantage to her people as a whole, was necessarily so to individuals. While one portion of the nation amassed enormous wealth, the bulk of the nation sank into the deepest poverty. The factory system brought with it oppression and misery which it would need a century of industrial revolt to overcome. The costly wars, the crushing taxation, the oppressive Corn Laws, which forbade the importation of foreign corn, the extravagant expenses of the court and salaries of officials, all conspired to depress the people. Manu- facturies fell into the hands of the few, and a vast number of artisans were forced to live from hand to mouth, and to labor for long hours on pinching wages. Estates were similarly accumulated in the hands of the few, and the small land-owner and trader tended to disappear. Everything was taxed to the utmost it would bear, while government remained blind to the needs and sufferings of the people and made no effort to decrease the prevailing misery. Thus it came about that the era of Great Britain's highest pros- perity and supremacy as a world power was the one of greatest industrial oppression and misery at home — a period marked by rebellious uprisings among the people, which were repressed with cruel and bloody severity. It was a period of industrial transition, in which the people suffered deeply and the seeds of discontent and THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 425 revolt were widely sown. This was the condition of industrial affairs when Victoria came to the throne. The era of her reign was largely devoted to its amelioration, and by its close the working-classes had won an assured position, and the old-time suffering and discon- tent were largely overcome. Want and misery existed still, abun- dance of them, but not among the members of the trades-unions — rather in that helpless and hopeless stratum of the population whose troubles have so far proved almost impossible to reach, much less to cure. If we look back a few years into the past, it is to find the com- mercial superiority of England so overwhelming that no other nation came into comparison with it. Of the goods exported from all foreign countries, nearly one-half came to England. The exports of England, the product of her multitudinous workshops, were equal to one-third of those of all the rest of the world. Of the seventy million spindles employed in the production of cotton fabrics, forty million belonged to the people of the British islands. Woolen and linen fabrics, coal, iron, machinery, and many kinds of manufactured goods were produced in immense quantities and sup- plied to mankind throughout the world. Robert Mackenzie, in his notable work, "The Nineteenth Cen- tury," succinctly indicates the earlier state of affairs, as a quotation from his pages will clearly show : " England was not the birthplace of the industries which have attained upon her soil a maturity so splendid. Calicoes were im- ported from India long before they could be made in England. Silk- weaving was taught us by the Italians and French. The Flemings brought us our fine woolen trade. The Venetians showed us how to make glass. France and Holland were before us in paper-making, and a German erected our first paper-mill. Cotton-printing came to us from France. Although we had longf made coarse linens, we were indebted for the finer varieties to Germany and Belgium. Our cloth was sent to Holland to be bleached and dyed. The Dutch caught our fish for us down to the end of the eighteenth century. A 426 THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT Dutchman began our potteries. The Danes and Genoese built ships for us. The Dutch were our masters in engineering, and showed us how to erect the wind and water mills which presided over the lowly dawn of our manufacturing system. Tuscany made our straw hats. Much of our salt and most of our earthenware came from the Conti- nent. Till nearly the middle of the last [the eighteenth] century we imported two-thirds of the iron which we used. The use of coal for smelting was then only beginning, and the infancy of our gigantic iron-trade was watched with hostile eyes by a people who saw that it devoured the wood which they needed for fuel. The industrial genius of England awoke late, but at one stride it distanced all com- petitors. " Until long after the middle of the eighteenth century commerce was strangled by the impossibility of conveying goods from one part of the country to another. While the English, with ill-directed heroism, expended life and treasure in the worthless strifes of the Continent, they were almost without roads at home. In all Europe there were no roads worse than theirs. It cost forty shillings to transport a ton of coals from Liverpool to Manchester. The food of London was for the most part carried on pack-horses. Often the large towns endured famine while the farmers at no great distance could find no market for their meat and grain. The peasant raised his own food. He grew his own flax or wool ; his wife or daughters spun it, and a neighbor wove it into cloth. Commerce was impos- sible until men could find the means of transporting goods from the place where they were produced to the place where there were people willing to make use of them." England's preeminence in manufacture In truth, England's preeminence in manufacture and commerce dates no further back than the beginning of the French Revolution, of which it was in some measure the product, and its supreme era of development lay within the Victorian reign. One does not need to go far back to find the origin of the cotton trade, that bulwark of THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 427 England's supremacy. In 1785 the British kingdom exported only ,£800,000 worth of cotton goods, and less than ^14,000,000 worth of goods of all kinds. And for many years previous her advance had been very slow. But before the eighteenth century ended the steam-engine had been invented, spinning and weaving machines were in existence, and Eli Whitney's cotton-gin was at work in the American fields, setting free with new rapidity the valuable cotton fiber. Cheap cotton gave England her great opportunity. It began to pour into her ports. By 1801 her imports of cotton reached 21,000,000 pounds ; in 1830, 200,000,000 pounds ; in 1885, 1,700,000,000 pounds. In 1900 the cotton imports had made no further advance, and the empire of the loom was spreading to other lands. Yet there was a check to the progress which cheap cotton, the steam-engine, the spinning machine, and, subsequently, the locomo- tive and the steamship, began to bring to the British nation. This was the system of protection, the import duties of which the Corn Law was the keystone. The repeal of this law, after Victoria came to the throne, gave an immense impetus to the industries of Great Britain. After the Corn Law fell, the whole protective system swiftly followed. In 1842 there were 1200 articles on which duty was levied in British ports. A few years later there were only twelve — and they were left only for revenue. With this the artificial regulation of prices came to an end, and the great natural law of supply and demand was given the freest and fullest liberty. The British islands had no need of protective duties. No nation on the earth had equal facilities for production or could place goods on the market at lower prices. No nation had such facilities for distribu- tion as arose from Britain's rapidly growing commercial fleet. Pro- tection, to that country, was a brake upon the wheels of progress. When it was lifted, these flew round with vastly accelerated speed. In 1846 the whole foreign commerce of the United Kingdom — imports and exports combined — was only ^134,000,000 — five times that of 1785, but far less than it was destined to become. In 428 THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 1890 it had reached the enormous total of ^748,000,000. In 1900 it had grown to about ^800,000,000, or $4,000,000,000 in American currency ; the extraordinary enterprise of the island empire had carried her ships to all seas, and made her the commercial emporium of the world. Not only to her own colonies, but to all lands, sailed her enormous fleet of merchantmen, gathering the products of the earth, to be consumed at home or distributed again to the nations of Europe and America. She had assumed the position of the pur- veyor and carrier for mankind. This was not all. Great Britain was in a large measure the producer for mankind. Manufacturing enterprise and industry had increased immensely on her soil, and countless factories, forges, and other workshops turned out finished goods with a speed and profusion undreamed of before. Machines for spinning, weaving, iron-working, and a thousand other processes were in use on all parts of Britain's soil, and by their aid one of the greatest steps of progress in the whole history of mankind had taken place — the grand nineteenth century revolution in production, which was matched only by the equally grand revolution in commer- cial distribution. INVENTIVE PROGRESS DURING VICTORIA'S REIGN To glance rapidly at some of the steps of inventive progress during Victoria's reign we may quote from Sir Edwin Arnold. While a small child, he was taken by his nurse to see the troops in the street when Victoria was proclaimed Queen, and on his way home he saw something quite new — a man selling lucifer matches in the street, and drawing them through a folded piece of sand-paper to show how they would burst into flame. "On that morning," says Sir Edwin, "as on all mornings before, I had, probably, on awakening from sleep, witnessed my nurse kin- dlino- the fire or liehtine the dressing candles with an old-fashioned flint and steel, laboriously striking the wayward sparks into a smutty tinder, and then applying to a traveling fringe of fire the point of a splinter of wood dipped into brimstone, bundles of which used to be THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 429 sold by beggars in the highways. So did we procure the sacred element when this reign began ; little, if at all, advanced beyond the fire-stick of the savage. "From that trivial Coronation Day match the thought passes naturally to very much greater things. I do not even know whether the lucifer can be set down as a British discovery ; yet of what won- derful new times, of what superb mental and mechanical expansions, of what amazing- revelations in science and advances in arts, trades, commerce, geographical research, imperial possessions, uprises in political liberty, education and daily life ; of what stirring events abroad, what augmentation of population and national wealth at home, and what unforeseen but epoch-making occurrences generally, was that Coronation match to become the humble harbinger ! One needs, no doubt, to strain the memory in order to force it back into realizing all the strange backwardness of those days. Let me, never- theless, make an endeavor towards this by means of a sharp contrast or two of facts and figures. "The revenue of the United Kingdom — to-day exceeding one hundred millions — stood in 1837 at forty-seven millions only. There was no railway open between Liverpool and Birmingham in that England which now has 21,000 miles of iron roads, and you still went down to the Blackwall Docks in carriages drawn by a rope. Not a single electric wire spanned the air, or burrowed through the earth, or crept under the sea. Lord Beaconsfield, whose ' Primrose Day ' is now a national festival, had not made his maiden speech. The Sirius and the Great Western steamers — earliest of their kind — had yet to cross the Atlantic ; Grace Darling had not, by her sweet story of heroism, started our noble life-boat system, the glory of British coasts; India was still reached only by the long Cape route, for' Waghorn did not ventilate his overland scheme in the Jerusalem Coffee House until October 12, 1838. "We had practically little use as yet of railroads, telegraph wires, and of steam navigation, and were only beginning to get the new machine of our popular representative institutions into order at 430 THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT the time when those Coronation trumpets sounded. The Reform Act was but five years old ; the criminal law was still fierce and bloody ; the wealth of even such a family as Mr. Gladstone's had been derived without public scruples from the labor and sale of slaves ; when softly and auspiciously — into this epoch, the descrip- tion of which must smack of barbarism to the young, as we recall it — entered the gracious figure of the girl Queen, bringing in her. hand the magic wand of virtue, and, as we see to-day, those hidden national benedictions which accompany its eternal potency. For, indeed, our Queen has borne an immense personal part in molding her age, if that age has also reflected back upon her name and her greatness a luster beyond the glory of all other reigns." A quotation from the same writer, in reference to the progress in postal facilities, a direct outgrowth of the developments above described, will not be without interest, although we have referred to this subject elsewhere : "Rowland Hill published his pamphlet on 'Postal Reform' in 1837. Thus one may affirm that it was Queen Victoria who brought the penny post with her. In 1839 the charge for letters inside Lon- don was timidly lowered to a penny. In 1840 this boon was tenta- tively extended to the United Kingdom. By 1884 the penny stamp, in which the wiseacres of the old post office utterly disbelieved, had been issued to the amazing total of thirty-one billions, three hundred millions ! The number of letters posted yearly at the date of her Majesty's accession was 80,000,000 ; the number to-day is rapidly approaching two thousand millions ! Imagine what this signifies in closer and more constant intercourse of home with home, heart with heart, mind with mind, locality with locality, friend with friend, parent with child, lover with sweetheart, customer with dealer. It is all Vic- torian ! In 1836 a letter took ten hours to go from Charing Cross to Hampstead, and might cost one shilling and eight pence." One further result of the immense progress in industry and commerce made by Great Britain during the Victorian era may be here given. While the producing and trading classes won vast THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 43* wealth, the working-classes shared the advantages of the new con- ditions. During the reign of the Queen they passed from a posi- tion of oppression to one of power. From being the victims of a system of crushing taxation, they emerged into an economic system in which the payment of taxes was largely optional. It was estimated, about the close of the Napoleonic wars, that a workman paid nearly eleven pounds annually out of his small income to sustain the government and to protect the home indus- tries. In the case of poorly paid workmen, such as the handloom weaver, this absorbed nearly one-half his income. Thirty years later Mr. Cobden estimated that of every pound sterling expended by the working-classes on the great staples of consumption, from 4s. to 1 6s. went to the government. In the succeeding years these taxes on imported goods — upon which the British workingman so largely depends — have practically disappeared. Only two articles pay heavily, spirits and tobacco, and it is at the option of the artisan whether or not he consumes and pays taxes on these detrimental luxuries. The only excise tax remaining on necessary articles of consumption is that on tea, and this averages less than three shillings annually for each of the popu- lation. So, for the very moderate exaction of less than one penny per week, any British workingman who chooses may enjoy the advantages of citizenship. This is certainly a vast advance from his condition when Victoria came to the throne, and when nearly one-half of his very moderate wages went to the government. CHAPTER XXV. Victoria — England's Great Queen A Canadian Tribute THROUGH all the stages in the life of the oldest native of our Canadian soil, the Queen has ruled over his country and reigned in his heart. Her name has become synony- mous with the majestic position and place in the world of those little islands to which British people everywhere look back with pride and affection. It has become an emblem of the highest and purest home life and domestic love known to humanity during the past century. It has, with an ever-increasing environment of splen- dor, been for sixty-four years the embodiment of British power and Imperial growth, It has become the living centre of a loyalty which has grown with the years in youthful countries all around the globe, and strengthened with the span of men's lives in every clime and under every condition. It has developed an Imperial- ism which is destined to make the British realm one in unity and power and continued progress, wherever flies the flag of a British Sovereign. It has, in the United Kingdom and the self-governing Colonies, combined popular liberty with personal loyalty, incor- porated democracy with monarchy and made the Crown an effec- tive pledge of national stability. The creation of such a name and fame has been a noble ser- vice to the world as well as to the Empire of which Queen Vic- toria was the head. How it developed is a part of the history of a great era ; part of the life of every statesman who led in the government of Britain or India, Canada, Australia, or South 432 A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 433 Africa ; part of the literature, the public life, the social system, the religious expansion, the Imperial growth, of that prolonged period. It is high praise to say of the Queen that she was a good woman. Through being so she gave her people the example of a model mother, a loving wife, a devoted widow, and the privilege of a pure Court and firm-set antagonism to all looseness in the marriage tie and in social morals. But she was much more than a good woman. British statesmen knew something of her influence upon the policy of the country, her deep and intimate knowledge of its affairs, her wise counsel and strong opinions. For over six decades Prime Ministers and Cabinets have come and gone, politicians have risen to the surface of affairs or fallen in the attempt, Governors have gone out from the centre of administration to all parts of the world in a long procession of varied character, rulers have suc- ceeded each other upon the thrones of Europe and the East, or in the fleeting seats of republican power. Yet through all these passing changes the Queen has reigned and come into more or less close personal contact with the passing phantoms of popular rule. Through having the continued confidence and regard of all her Ministers, she has had the best and highest counsel which could be given by such men as Wellington and Peel and Graham and Russell, Sidney Herbert and Derby and Gladstone and Bea- consfield, Clarendon and Iddesleigh and Rosebery and Salisbury. Wherever she may have been staying during all these years — whether at Osborne, or Balmoral, or Windsor, or upon the Conti- nent, — she has always had a Minister in constant attendance, and been in continuous touch by courier or telegraph with the Govern- ment at Downing Street. All despatches of importance have had to be submitted to her careful consideration, and Lord Palmerston, in the early " fifties," suffered dismissal from the Foreign Secretary- ship for occasionally disregarding this essential condition. States- men, however, did not stand alone around her throne and person. At her Court have gathered men and women of fame and force in every department of national life — heads of the Churches, experts -3 434 A CANADIAN TRIBUTE in science and philosophy, men of the world, women of noble aim and ideal leaders of art and literature, travelers from every land and clime, soldiers and sailors of renown. Of experience and knowledge they have given her their best, and in return she has been able to offer her statesmen and advisers the garnered wisdom of growing years, the treasured patriotism of a mind far above party or political bias, the influence of unselfish aspirations for the good of her people. Upon the actual government of the United Kingdom the Queen has wielded a greater power than is generally known. Con- stitutional it always was, and the explanation of its undoubted force is easily found in the strength of her own personality. Here and there in the biographical or autobiographical literature of the reign — despite the fact that no letter from the Sovereign can be published without her permission and the occasional repetition of such incidents as the burning by Sir Robert Peel of his correspond- ence with Her Majesty in order to avoid the barest possibility of its falling into wrong hands — documents have crept into print, let- ters have seen the light written by statesmen to one another, com- ments have appeared by men who knew of what they were speak- ing, which combine to illustrate the power she has really wielded. Martin's " Life of the Prince Consort " shows her intervention in several important matters ; Archbishop Tait's "Memoirs" give the particulars of her statesmanlike action in the Irish Disestablish- ment Crisis. Wherever the Royal influence appears it seems to have been exercised with tact and discrimination. In foreign politics her power was freely exercised, and in later years was so absolutely undisputed that a British leader who had held the post of Foreign Secretary told the writer that in matters of foreign policy " the Queen advised her Ministers more than they advised her." Certain historical incidents in this connection are well established. In 1844 her intimate relations with King Louis Philippe of France and his wife averted an otherwise imminent war. The friendship which grew up with the Emperor Napoleon III. A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 435 had much to do with the alliance between France and Eng land in the Crimea. Yet, in spite of those personal relations, Her Majesty's published correspondence with Lord Palmerston in the stormy years of 1 859-60 show that she several times prevented England from becoming an instrument of French ambitions in Italy and Austria. Her position in the Schleswig-Holstein ques- tion was not quite the popular one, and Lord Malmesbury, who was then Foreign Secretary, declares in his " Diary " that the Queen "would not hear of going to war with Germany," and that ultimately she carried her Cabinet with her in the policy of non- intervention which finally developed. During the Trent affair with the United States she compelled a modification of her Ministry's strong attitude, and practically averted war ; during the whole of the American Civil War her sympathies were with the North, and the tremendous pressure of the Emperor Napoleon in favor of joint intervention — favored as it was by the bulk of her own Cabi- net — was ultimately overcome through her personal influence with her Ministers. Upon later events history is as yet silent, and must be for years to come ; but Lord Beaconsfield has declared that the Queen's signature was "never placed to any public document of which she did not approve," and that " there is no despatch from abroad, nor any sent from the country, which is not submitted to her." It is, therefore, evident, even without a knowledge of her exact participation in matters of recent import, that the share taken, and the influence of opinions expressed by her, must have been very great. In the policy which looks for closer and more intimate rela- tions between the various countries of the Empire the Queen has been the pivot, and loyalty to her throne the key-note. Face to face in the earlier part of the reign with a school of political thought — represented by men like Bright and Cobden and Moles- worth and Cornewall Lewis, and in lesser degree of importance, by Goldwin Smith — which looked upon Colonies as encumber- ances and cosmopolitan commerce as the god of its idolatry, she 43 6 A CANADIAN TRIBUTE set herself to make the throne a rallying-point of the opposite sen- timent and, in time, succeeded in her aim to such a degree that during the last years of the reign there was practically only one principle prevalent throughout the English-speaking portion of the Empire— one of unity, loyalty, and sympathy. She sent the Prince of Wales to visit Canada and the Duke of Edinburgh to visit the Cape and Australia at a time when the journey was long and a matter of serious meaning to an anxious mother. Her correspond- ence with Sir George Grey, when Governor at the Cape in the early "fifties," shows her sympathy with far-seeing plans of local federa- tion which were then possible, and, if carried out, would have averted the South African troubles of 1880 and the evils of a later time. Her correspondence with Lord Canning proves that changes which she commanded in the proposed Royal proclamation transferring India from the Company to the Crown prevented another mutiny or insurrection, just as her previous influence with Lord Panmure, Minister of War, at the close of the Crimean struggle, kept the army up to a point at which it was enabled to cope with the sud- den strain of the great Indian crisis of 1857. The Queen has, also, during her long reign been in receipt of continuous private letters from her Governors in all parts of the world — India, Canada, Africa, Australia, Jamaica, and many other dependencies or colonies — and her advice and frequent commands have had a far wider and greater influence in moulding the destinies of the Empire than the public has any present conception of. What Canada owes to the Queen may be inferred in a general way from what the Empire at large is indebted to her life and reign. In a specific sense, however, she owes much. The Victorian era opened with rebellion, dissatisfaction, disunion and an utter absence of Provincial cohesion ; it closes with peace, contentment, federal unity and a national loyalty which harmoniously combines local and Imperial sentiment. Around the throne as a stable centre of fealty and respect has slowly crystalized the feeling of a scattered people until it found gradual and indirect expression in the political A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 437 union of the Provinces by confederation ; their commercial union by increasing fiscal and railway legislation ; their financial credit by following British precedent in banking and trade principles; their adherance to an ever-growing policy of unity with the Empire in political and mititary affairs as in sentiment and commercial matters ; their avoidance of certain laxities and moral pit-falls which have troubled other nations. Into this process of evolution have come many elements of Royal influence and personal action. Working together with the more general principles applicable to other parts of the Empire as well as to the Dominion, they have produced a condition where Canadians profoundly believe in the institution of a limited monarchy as the only means of preserving a really dignified democracy and conserving a permanent British connection and an all-powerful Empire. Under the Queen's rule, they have developed a land which is "rich in heart, in home, in hope, in liberty " and institutions which rest upon the free-will of a free people, and interpret the best thoughts and aspirations of modern civilization while combining a wealth of historic tradition in the old Mother-land with the impetus and freshness of heart, new regions and rising nations all over the world. What the Empire as a whole owes to the Queen and what it has become under the Queen is a matter of tremendous import. In territory the Crown of Great Britain and Ireland, the people of the United Kingdom, have since the Queen came to the throne acquired Natal and Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Zululand, Brit- ish New Guinea and North Borneo, Sabraon and the most of the Gold Coast, Fiji and Cyprus, the basin of the Niger and Burmah, fully half of British India, Wei-Hai-Wei and Kowloon in China, a million square miles in Central Africa, the Solomon Islands and many minor islands in the Pacific, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal, and to all intents and purposes, Egypt and the vast Soudan region. There are 11,000,000 square miles of more or less cultivated and populated British territory in 1901 as against the wild wastes of British North America and Australia, 438 A CANADIAN TRIBUTE the sea-fringe of civilized region at the Cape, the initiatory developments of Indian empire, in 1837. There are at least 420,000,000 of people owning allegiance to the Crown and an Im- perial trade of more than 8000 millions of dollars. In 1837 the trade of Great Britain alone was $20 per head ; in 1900 it averaged $105 per head. The assets of joint stock banks in the United King- dom are now 7,000 millions while their deposits, and those in the savings banks, total up to over 6,000 millions. At the beginning of the nineteenth century Great Britain's shipping was 4,000,000 tons and that of the infant United States came in a good second with 1,850,000 tons. In i860 the American tonnage exceeded that of England. At the close of the Queen's reign the British Empire possesses a tonnage of 1 1,000,000 or nearly half the entire tonnage of the world, which totals up to 25,000,000. But the greatest feature of the Oueen's reiom has not been enlargement of the bounds of Empire, nor even the far-reaching expansion of commerce and wealth. It is to be found in the solid and substantial growth of great communities owing allegiance to the Crown- — a progress based upon British principles of govern- ment and general polity, British freedom to do and dare and achieve. Into the vast and complex system of the Indian depend- ency have come during that period new countries and peoples, new conditions and problems, great trials and disasters. Yet nearly every change has been for the betterment of the masses and where change or reform has been refused it was through the wise caution of far-seeing statesmen administering the affairs of more than two hundred millions of human beings with all their varied civilizations and infinite degrees of grievance, caste prejudice and religious hatred. The trade of the Indian Empire has grown greatly, the country is gradually becoming a network of railways, the colleges are filled with native pupils, the intelligence of the upper classes is being developed along Western lines, the tyran- nical rule of native Princes is held in check and controlled. Through it all runs a perceptible sentiment of growing loyalty, A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 439 Since the assumption of the East India Company's rights by the Crown, and, still more, since the initiation of the vivid appeal to Oriental imagination contained in the crowning of the Queen as Empress of India, the vast populations of that region have more and more awakened to the existence of a greater ruler whom they must respect and whose laws they must obey — a being far-away in per- son but ever-present in power and embodying virtues and authoritv which constitute to ignorant minds qualities of almost divine force. The value of this curious sentiment of Eastern loyalty can only be truly guaged by the depths and heights of Oriental imagination and the influence of a name upon minds of primeval darkness com- bined with perceptions of peculiar quickness. Australia is literally a creation of the Queen's reign while its popular opinion is emphatically a product of the Queen's influence. Within half-a-century its Colonies have grown from a fringe of population along the sea-shore into four millions of rich and prosperous people and developed into States of a powerful federal Commonwealth under the British Crown — enthusiastically loyal, strong, keenly ambitious, aggressively energetic. With a yearly revenue of $130,000,000, an unfelt debt of over $800,000,000, a registered shipping of 100,000,000 annual tonnage, the possession of 10,000,000 cattle and 80,000,000 sheep, the production of more than $50,000,000 worth of gold annually, the country has a right to be proud of its progress. That progress its people have made themselves — with the help of British capital. But, for their institu- tions and the curbing of a fierce democracy, the education of a young and aggressive people in the dignified principles of British government, the growth toward the Mother-land instead of away from it, the later tendency toward Imperialism which has swallowed up in victory the earlier one toward localism and independence, they owe much to external influences and the greatest of these has been the life, the ideals, the administration, the personality of the Sovereign. The Crown has now become the symbol of Imperial power the centre of British loyalty all around the world, and as 44 o A CANADIAN TRIBUTE such it constitutes the motive power of an Empire's unity. With- out such a life and character as those of Queen Victoria it might, however have never attained that position in far-away democracies and could certainly have never reached its present degree of authority. The Queen was always in close touch with the Austra- lian Colonies. Queensland by her suggestion was given its name, Victoria received its baptism from the Sovereign. As the Colonies grew in population and power great functions were marked by tactful royal messages and Governors came direct from the presence of the Queen to the peoples of her far-away possessions. Into their hearts and lives she gradually grew and with the influence of her personality came slowly, and then swiftly, the spirit of a British patriotism which incorporated, instead of superceding, the dominant note of Australian local pride. South Africa has not been so fortunate. Royal visits have been made at the Queen's command ; loyalty amongst the English- speaking settlers has developed under stress of war to a white-heat of emotion ; the Dutch colonists have grown to appreciate the goodness of their Sovereign and, as a whole, have abstained from rebellion during the war which troubled the last days of her reign. How far her influence made for peace and territorial and constitu- tional growth in South Africa can be dimly seen from casual glimpses of her policy. That she favored Grey's policy in earlier days has been already mentioned ; that she admired and trusted and endorsed Sir Bartle Frere in the wise policy of a later Confederation, which was so unfortunately balked, is pretty well established ; that she sympathized with Mr. Cecil Rhodes' great ambitions and proposals — without reference to details such as the Jameson Raid — is also known. What is not known, or at least fully comprehended, is that through all these various changes in her Empire during sixty-four years, through the growth of villages into cities, tiny settlements into great States, vast areas of waste land into noble provinces, fringes of population into Dominions and Commonwealths, she has been more or less an influence upon her thirty and more Colonial A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 441 Secretaries — a force for constitutional freedom, for Imperial loyalty, for united and common-sense progress. Not always a successful force, of course, but always a steady, persistent, certain element in the better government and the greater unity of her Empire. The end of the long reign, the close of a noble life, the last days of a great era, have now come. With this tide in British affairs has also come an overwhelmino- demonstration of love and o loyalty, the picture of a great Empire literally draped in garments of mourning, the spectacle of a silent and sorrowful people from London to Melbourne, from Calcutta to Montreal, from Capetown to Ceylon, following their Sovereign to her last resting-place. Such a scene has never been witnessed before ; it can hardly be re-enacted within the life of anyone now living. That her example and prin- ciples will live after her, goes without saying. The. world has been better for Queen Victoria, the Empire has been greater and stronger, the people have been purer and wiser, the bounds of true and guarded freedom have been made broader and deeper. Under a son and successor trained in her precepts and practices and policy that progress should be carried on and the lamp that has lit the Vic- torian era along paths of constitutional liberty and Imperial unity should be kept flaming with the spirit of popular loyalty and high ideals of government. H 191 79... ■ "O <*>. v "■ . . ' ' , <•? * ■ <^. o .f : - » ."» o ^ a, //SB 4* «1 O ^°^ ^ ^ oVx^D^'" -*/- ^ K 45m&*\ ^ *.-*■