THE KING'S DAILY WORK

Evening Star, Issue 15607, 25 September 1914, Page 1

THE KING'S DAILY WORK

"I WORK AS HARD AS MOST MEN IX THB COUNTRY." [By David Williamson, author of "The Life of Queen Victoria.'! " Buckingham Palace is now run on up-to-date business-like lines," said a man recently, who bad been in close touch with the palace for three reigns. "King George insists on everything being done promptly, and the latest'labor-saving methods are employed, just as you would find them in a big city offtoe." This testimony is general, for everyone who comes into touoh with the palace finds a brisk, satisfactory air which hj quite a contrast to tlio past. Ths typewriter machines click out the enormous daily correspondence which has tot be dealt with by the King's secretaries. The telephone is on call, the Jard index system is installed, and the result is that the " office" is a thorough credit to its Royal master, who told the country that it must " wake up " in its commerce. —Fixing the Day's Programme.— The King's average day-begins early, for no matter how late he has been kept up on the previous evening he is usually ready for breakfast and a glance at his private correspondence before 8 o'clock. Then comes a careful reading of two or three newspapers, and possibly a short ride in the park with Major Clive Wigrato. Princess Mary sometimes accompanies him, tad the gallop is over before many city men have reached their offices. Then comes the day's correspondence, and Lord •Stamfordham takes His Majesty's pleasure as to replies and decisions. The day's engagements are considered, and any fresh appointments, perhaps necessitated by new developments in politics, are added to the list. Social matters, such as the list of guests for the dinner party, are submitted to the Queen, and their Majesties decide quickly and definitely on various details of a forthcoming "Royal visit." The amount of thought and preparations which have to be given to even a day's tour would astonish the outsider. There has to be a programme comprising the arrangements for every portion of the day—the carriages and their occupants, the persons who will be presented to their Majesties, the buildings to be visited, even the weight of the bouquets which the Queen will accept. By the way, at a recent function a bouquet presented to Her Majesty was far heavier

than is the rule, with the result that the Queen passed it on to a lady-in-waiting, after holding it for Only two minutes. Any lady who has tried to* hold a weighty bouquet in her kid-gloved hands will sympathise with the Queen's liking for quite light floral gifts. —His Majesty's Mail Bag.— The mass of each day's correspondence is sorted, and only really important letters axe submitted to His Majesty. Even then there are many, letters on which the private secretary has to exercise his discretion. The King's mail bag always has its proportion of communications from " oranks" and, lunatics, as well as from all manner of loyal subjects with a " bee" in their " bonnet." Once a man wrote, suggesting the King should always wear- a light suit of armor under his uniform, as a safeguard against attack. An indigent widow begs to be put on the Civil List, which she imagines erroneously to be a fund for distributing casual. charity. Then there are the strange letters fromi native chiefs, breathing loyalty iu pidgen-English to the " Great White King." For certain, the King will be punctilious in answering such epistles, for he knows nearly every part of the Empire at first hand, and realises the importance of "the crimson thread of kinship." The young King of Uganda wrote several times to His Majesty, acknowledging gratefully all the kindness shown him on his last visit' to England. I —Before and After Lunch.— Before lunch the King will play a set of lawn tennis or have a gams of squash racquets. His sons, if they are at home, are j only too delighted' to join him. Probably one or two important men have brief interviews, and then comes luncheon. This is a light meal, served in the room in the front of the west wing of the palace. The King does not dally over the meal, for there are engagements to follow immediately. It may be that he aud the Queen have promised to go to a famous hospital. The carriages or the motor cars are soon in the quadrangle, and, attended by a lady-in-wait-ing and an equerry, their Majesties set forth. The King takes a great interest in the recent developments of medical science, and j in the course of his frequent visits to hospitals puts many questions, showing that he j has more than a casual acquaintance with surgery. When he was going through the wards of St. Thomas's Hospital he saw a workman who had contracted lead poisoning through the poison lodging under his finger nails. "Why don't you wear gloves at your work?" asked the King. The patient smiled rather grimly, *nd replied: "I don't know what the employers would say if they saw us men working in kid gloves." But the suggestion of the King was quite relevant, and some form_ of protection lor the hands will be needed if this man is to resume his work. —"Who Won?"— - It was at St. Thomas's that the King noticed one of the medical students was hobbling on crutches after a physician who was making his rounds. He asked at once what was the matter with the student, and was told he was a Mexican who had broken his leg in a football match. between Guy's Hospital and St. Thomas's. "So tho hospitals have occasional connection with maiming as well as .mending," commented the King, asking, with the zeal of a sportsman, "Who won?" Unfortunately, it was Guy's. so the broken limb was not even atoned for by victory. Returning to the palaco about 4.30, 'tea is served in the Queen's drawing room. The j King has a cup of China tea, but hardly j anything else. Ha differs from his father j in this respect, for King Edward ate heartily at afternoon tea. The evening papers may bo glanced over—the King makes no party distinctions in tho papers he reads—and any important telegrams and despatches will be read. Tlie Royal signature is appended' to State documents far more seldom than was the case in Queen Victoria's reign, when the Sovereign used to sign about 40,000 documents a year. But King George reads and signs, before dressing lor dinner, any papers needing his attention. He likes to have a (]iiiet hour for reading books in» the late afternoon, if no urgent business claims him.

—The Books the King Reads.—

King Edward could not be described, in spite of Mr Legge, as a great reader. Heliked' fiction, and in his youth he had read a good number of solid books. But his liking of the open, air and the busy life which ho led precluded him, especially after he came to the Throne, from reading Tery many new books. If his attention was called to a striking book he would make a point of, reading it, but ho was not, nor pretended to be, a book-iover in the sense in w?iich wa use that term. Now, Kins George is a lover of books, and his life at sea increased his opportunities for reading. He has mastered books liko Walter Bagehot's masterpiece on ' The English Constitution.' He likes histories. and as a sailor of course he has read carefully the records of battle* at sea. Biographies of statesmen, like Morley's ' Life of Gladstone,' he has read in company with the Queen. Sometimes the King reads aloud 3 book, the Queen taking a turn at -eading when he is tired. Among modern writers of fiction whose books he enjoys may be mentioned Henry Seton Merrimao, Thomas Hardy, arid W. W. Jacobs. Just before he came to the Throne he read 'Ra'splata,' the story of the Russo-Japanese War. The anonymous translator of Someuoff's striking book was none other than His Serene Highness Prince Louis of Battenberg! So there was a double interest for the King in reading this volume. The poetry and prose of Rudyard Kipling, and the stories of Sir J. M. Barrie, have warm aporeciators at Court, and the King keeps up with the new writers who attain fame. Ho has a liking for .verse of a stirring character, especially the kind which Henry Newbolt has written. I believe it is a fact that sailors are usually fond of poetry, and commit it to memory more often than landsmen. —The Close of the Day.— The Royal dinner party is fixed for an earlier hour than used to be the case. Their Majestic- often wish to attend a theatre—arrangements for which have been made earlier in the day—and in that case the meal will begin not later than 8 p.m. Guests await their Majestie:-, who greet each with individual salutations. ■ There is not much opportunity for conversation with the King and Queen at dinner, and the courses are served with swiftness. Sometimes some of the guests will accompany their .Majesties to the theatre. By 11 p.m. the King and Quern are " home again," and they do not sit up lata. The Court officials lead a very busy life, and Lheir personal comfort is considered by their Majesties. With a cigarette and a book the King's day comes to an end, and he goes +o. his well-earned rest. "I work as hard as most men in the country," hj« said the other day; and it is a fact which redounds" oredit on His Majesty.