HIS EARLY LIFE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 84, 21 January 1936, Page 7

HIS EARLY LIFE

A MORE INTiMATE SKETCH. A UNIQUE EDUCATION. APPEAL OF ALL SPORT. The new King has won a position in the hearts of the people of many nations of the world that has never oeen paralleled in history. There is about him a glamour of romance which catches the fancy of the civilised world which for long year's regarded him as but a very young man He was born at White Lodge, Rich-, mondj on June ‘23, 1894, at 10 o’clock on a peaceful summer evening. The little house in the middle of the green oalts of Richmond Park became for many days the huh - of the world’s interest and the converging point for the receipt of literally thousands of congratulatory telegrams and cablegrams . The birth was momentous, also in the fact that .for the first time in history a queen had lived to see three generations of her line.. In the opening days of her 58th year as sovereign, Queen Victoria looked upon a son, a grandson and a great-grandson, all in direct line of succession to her throne. At Hie time of the birth of the future Prince of Wales the Victorian era was already drawing to a close irrespective of the near end of her Majesty’s reign. Gladstone, the G.0.M., had given- his best years and was peacefully spending tiie evening of-his life watching political events from his armchair; Josefjli Chamberlain and Lord Salisbury were passing the zenith of their parliamentary careers; Lord Tennyson represented a dying age of romanticism in art. A century of important history making events and outstanding men was giving way swiftly to a problematic age, in which, apparently there were no great men; yet the shadow of a thousand difficulties both to the British Empire and the world, was looming vaguely into view. It was a critical period—this at which, the young Prince was born, and no one knew better than lis near relatives. ■ . . . , For hundreds of years royalty had beem taken for granted as a necessity of the British Constitution hut now there were murmurs* in the land-only murmurs, but they were the herald a cry which later was to amplify into a howl of discordant discontent in Russia- and other European countries and the Far East.

I ’ “Rea! English” Prince. I The happiest leacuie or tue Prince’s I jiivn, anu one which augured well 101 ItUo mture, was rue’lucd emit lie wus ! leal xUignsli." was* it not true tliat Lis ’tatlier and mother were to be,- alLenvards, the lirst King and Queen [noon born in England xor over 3UJ [years? . . • . wo all the six children of their Majesties, Edward, Prince of Wales, was by lar the most troublesome as a smad ' Three weeks after the birth of tlio prince Queen \ lotoria summoned the members of the Royal Family to a consultation to discuss the question of naming tiie little Prince iNatuniliy there must be some attempt made, for political and national reasons, to endow the child with Christian names which might satisfy the great numbers of subjects over whom Prince Edward would some day rule. Then, too, there must be taken into consideration the differing choice of the immediate lioyai family circle. Already Queen Victoria desired that the infant should bear the name Albert; it is of sad interest to know that her gracious Majesty decided this after the birth of each of her orandsons (with one or two notable” exceptions;. Three days later the future heir to the Throne was baptised as Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David. The laudable addition of the three national names, representing Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, satisfied everyone! Though, officially, the Prince was known as Edward, his family always called him David. " t ' A Vivid imagination. The Prince was carefully tutored by a governess. He had always a viyid imagination, and progressed well with his lessons, while He was allowed some scope for games, to which he turned keenly. , . . . . The first sad note entered into his life when Queen Victoria died on Jaiiuary 23, 1901. He had been the favounte grandchild of tho Imipire s greatest queen. Then, two months later, his father and mother, then the Duke and Duchess of York, set sail on their Empire tour of seven months. The acute edge of the parting of parents and children was taken away by the promise of King Edward that he would look after the young people, a promise which he capably fulfilled, “David’s” mind was already beginning to turn to things military and naval . His bright .spirits were allowed rein as far as was possible, but though he seems to have thoroughly enpoyed life, with its frequent visits to Frogmore (near Windsor), Sandringham, York Cottage and Marlborough House, the pressure of the sterner duties which would fall upon him in later years, began to make itself felt. He was' allowed only one servant, Mr Frederick Finch, who acted as a valet and later became his lioyai Highness s batman in France during Alio Great War. Sir Finch later became steward of York House, the Prince of Wales’s London residence King George’s Part. King George was given too little creditor the part lie played in forming the character of the Prince of Wales.- He paid the closest attention to the wav in which his, eldest soii'aCquitted himself in his elementary schooling, but did not use the. lever if reminding the young boy of his position to enforce a strict attention to his lessons. _ • In this respect, the primary education of the Prince was unique. Both