KING EDWARD AS A MOTORIST.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 166, 28 June 1913, Page 1 (Supplement)

KING EDWARD AS A MOTORIST.

EXCELLENT STORIEb

A MONARCH AS SEEN IN PRIVATE LII‘E.

FIVK years before King Edward died, Mr. C. W. Stamper was entrusted with the charge of the royal motor-cat ■>. «s expert engineer in ordinary; and rheaoeforth ha was in constant attendance on the Sovereign. His experiences lie now relates, under the title. “What. I know: Reminiscences of five years P'rsoral attendance upon his late Majesty King Edward VII.” (Mills and Boon). Et-H’s h-.ng responsible for keeping the cars in good running or<i'i, it was !’ 1 ity to sit beside the e-aaffeur, to lie prepared for all accu<l ida and pen'-, by th® way, and very i . quentlv to mike ell arrangements as io >oute,'ei", for long journeys, both in Great B‘ d ’ '» and on the Continent. It was *b arduous charge; but though tui-diapa som u.’ l,o = occurred, Mr. Stamper has the saeistaction of r-rmeinberi-.-g that rsally serious ones were more oit«n either avoided or minimised by his ski’d and eiresßOfepe-ction His task was not lightened by tno King’s di.ui»o or a ii'.udarate gpred. When h.s Majesty motored from Loi’.l-m to N-wmarket, it seldom took morn than two hours am! a quarter to outer the <0 odd miles. ■■ Fino run, {stamper,” ho would say Sir Hanry Evart spoke to Mr. Stamper about th* danger incurred, and nir>l.->teti thnt • speed of 30 mil<x» an hour oug.it never to be exc<'e.i<--l. But tho oidoi could not well bo obeyed wnr-n it was ou an tar man ded by Edward VU- No mradventtirt'. however, is recorded which was d i-> to reck’.-.-., driving. When things went wrong it was always from other c-t”?nu. For instr pre, when piloting the rny ii oir from Weimar to Kaiisbad. At"- .■'tamper rr.i. .-.M lui course, go* info a ro.i<J which >-camo bleeper s»t f.fpi’v and vrni* h oivuM in et alm f r-ikea and extremely forb tailing village.

His Majesty was simply furious. ‘I said yoi:'d lend me in a farm yard,” ho cried. "I said you would. t jumped to find the man 1 , had seen looking out of a window. I was gone two or three minuter,, and this msdo bi; Mnj-’sty more angry th&n ever. He must have noticed the man when 1 d; I. for win!’ I was awav ha cried to the chautfeiir “ Where Ins the fool gore? H“ thinks h» nn speak Gorman, but he can’t sneak a word. Wnv doesn the Iwing the man to mo? Go and fetch. him. 0 “I daren’t leave the car, your Ma>esky.” said the chauffeur, for it was standing at a nasty angle on the crest et a hill. , , B N«T»f mind the car. Go and retch him. f tell you.’’ “I daren’t, your Majesty. It's not safe.” “Do you refuse to do as I tell von roared the King. “Yes. your Majesty. I daren't leave the c?-r.” At that moment the King caught sight of Superintendent Quin, who had been following us in another car with one of the chiefs of the Au?tn?,n police, standing behind the empty waggon, and I returned, to hear him crying:—■ ‘‘What's the iis-3 of hiding behind that oart there? Why don’t you come oat and help ?’ Then ha saw me coming. “You’re always going -wrong.’' he thundered. “You’re always going wrong. Everybody else can get to Kw-Lebad m fifty 'minutes, but I—l can’t get t s crj u cl i two hours.” It was » terrible business, says Mr. Stamper; but ho is careful to note that th® King- 1 ang-w never lasted long, and innuni ~i ie ret? pies aro given of his good nature Ho thoroughly enjoyed his p pubi tv Or ?o w hen lio went to K "niton Porn, there he was greeted wto t r’tlo cheering, a man in tl 3 <iowd cried ou + ‘‘What ho, Teddy! Como down to s o u i Good old epo t' Hi it lin sou done with the A™rot rj> Tms was just after the disappear inco of th *■ trophy, and bo one con'd 1 tvo 'a igi -d more, heartily then t» Rii d 1 a the soft impeachment P 1 ms tl i irrowest escape men* anol >v Mr s per was one that occurred near Midliurst. when -nt th® beginning ot i lang aid steep ib’scvmt th® two s and the handbrake wt nt wrong Luckily before the car got out of control it was possible to s v gr d i mr into safety. “No on-' ever know." savs the author, “what the chauffeur and I went through on that- hi!!.” At another time, in (fromweP-r :?. !, butcher's cart was driven Btraigb*. across ahead of the ear. Th® chauffeur swerved to the right to avoid tho cart, but in spite of cur fi untie cries tha driver quite unconcernedly held on his course. ’’Look at tha - • tool,” shouted tho King. Fearful that. t':o car miglit skid, tho chauffeur hi:l not applied his brakes, but now there -.ins nothing else to be done. Accordingly h' ianimnd then on. With looked wheels the preat car skidded violently from one cido to tho other hut the chauffeur wss ah'-' to retain inst sufficient control to turn to the left behind tho cwrfi. which V.-O mi-.sed by a fe>v_inchc®. Th" r? : - < end the driver cf th" cart pulled up and v«r Inokioc fcolishlv at r-.. “Tbri 'A dbgnir-'ful. «.:>il bis 5-r I C n.> r"g’i: t.l lo.'k"d vt>. G-> and t.ik" h:s r.it’r.e ar.-I ad In-wr. 1 ’ B'd. the roxt s-moitd ho chang'd his tn ••’d. “N«.® ha siij. •••W ? h-.d b'tt'go Ott." Tr.'t »n<W< l.u-vont. lev?!- v nrcii'stio"®'''". h’lt |t ~ s rt'-'v’"' 1 I.;- r«»rv’r/to->rr Jr- -» -v><'' r’wn» f.,-> nrnVfv? to ho wi-'- thi" b’s r--n' — n •. ♦ >r_ Wh"e -r.ofo-f-0 j,"J h' K>”£ to ? d rl’Tlff to t T-, to tbo 'oft. Mr -S- .to’n-- - > —•> to., next taming th"V on'dit. ♦' b-’i+ +be ord"r vw r':"'*-d «o to; 1 ” t ir-.ill >■ fbitr. it bad to b" ohoved. A f- w hi". *!n'd t0,,,,’.. ,y.» fo n sac. ‘ -Ye-’’-" rm!-: " --to] th" King. ’'l’m a — to- ’ ” Mto Ma>js’sfr. accordi-g *o tl-o s-i-'-or “alwavn satd *0 ’ ” w’i"" if H.' Fn-too-tol tn h» wjcri"< " tjo-h-V. bo k-o"k'd P ngainwt the door of the car as he was getting In. Wbl»-> fh* Cavort war to res’denc" pt tha King nanallv motored to r "LTn dMF drives, and Mr. Stamper was

sometime® horrified at the brusquene<»s with which royalty was addressed by the gillies. “Do you want me to get out here?” the King asked one of them. “No,” was the curt reply, “you stop where you are,” and turning to the Prince of Wales, now King George, tha man added, “But you come out of it.” In each case the instruction was meekly obeyed; but the Ministers of the Crown found his Majesty less tractable. Just as the motor was leaving the castle one of them rushed down the steps with a document for signature. The King wan greatly annoyed, and said, “ Haven’t I worked hard enough? Can’t I even go out for a few hours’ fresh air but you must como after me with papers for me to sign?” Nor would he look at tho paper till his return. For the most part Mr. Stamper’s anecdotes of the King relate to things which ho himself saw or heard. But ho adds a few which are unsupported by such direct testimony. For instance, there is a story about tho Victorian Order, now told in this form. His Majesty, according to Mr. Stamper, being greatly pleased with the way in -which a naval officer carried out some manoeuvre. announced his intention of making him a M.V.O “Serve him right, Sir.” said a courtier. “ The King,” we read, “wheeled on the speaker, looked at him far a moment, and then burst into a roar of laughter.” The incident is not related for the first time; but : t bears a curious resemblance to a story printed in the “Examiner” more than half a century ago. William IV., meeting his Lord Chamberlain, informed him, with 3 radiant countenance, that ho had at last got rid of a certain officer whose importunities had long been r vexation. “May I venture to enquire," the Lord Chamberlain asked, “how your Majesty managed that?” “Why,” said the King, chuckling, “I K.H.d him,” meaning, of course, that the culprit had been created a Knight cf the Hanoverian Order. “ Your Majesty served him perfectly, right,” was tho Lord Chamberlain’s comment. King Edward is, of course, the central figure in Mr. Stamper’s book ; but ether members cf tho Royal Family are not neglected. The author's naive cora-m-ndation of exalted personages is obviously sincere. King George, then Frir.co of Wales, always treated him, ho says, with great consideration. “One cf the fairest men I ever encountered he was patently very well tend, and thought much, seldom speaking on flings of moment without reflection.” Princess Victoria’s “easy, gentle way” is highly commended, .and Mr. Stamper is emboldened to record an esarnpla cf it. Queen Alexandra and the Princess, when motoring near Oxford, had tho car turned down a by-lane v. here luncheon was served. There was, ns always, luncheon provided for the chauffeur and myself, and this we went a little apart to cat. When I returned to the oar, “ Haro a whisky and soda, Stamper.;’ said Princi-m Victoria. Since it was her Royal Highne.a> who of her kindness had asked mo, I wae loth to decline, lest she should think ma unmannerly or disrespectful. At the same time I could no' forget that I had just consumed a largo bottle of ale. So I thanked her very much, but said that 1 had already had something to drink-. “ What have you had ?” I told her tho brand of the ale. “I’vo never tasted it,” said the Princess. “Is it nice?” “If I’m very thirsty, your Boyd Highness, it quenches my thirst batter than anything.” STEAK AND ONIONS. During tho visit to Barritz, in 19011, Mr. Stamper, the sergeant-footman, tho courier, and tho postmaster lunched heartily ono day on steak and onions, much to tho royal indignation. “It appeared that after lunch His Majesty hud wanted to see the. postmaster and the courier. Calling the sergeant-footman, tho King was proceeding to tell him to summon them before him, when ho stopped short and looked at tho man. “ ‘Hawkins, you’ve been eating onions.’ “ ‘No, your Majesty.’ “ ‘Yes. you have. I'm sure you have. . . . Send Mr. Hiley hero at once. And Mr. Fehr..' “ ‘Yes, your Majesty.’ “Tho sergeant-footman withdrew, and presently tho postmaster was announced. The King called him to his side and was beginning to read him a telegram ho wanted him to despatch, when “ 'Hiley, you've been eating onions.’ ho cried. “ ‘No.’ your Maiesty.’ raid the Postmaster, instinctlv recoiling. “ ‘Y -, you have. It’s disgraceful.’ “The courier entered the room. Ho approached very warily, but his Maiostv’s sense of smell was keen, and rill Mr. Fehr's efforts to suppress the fart-s cf the case were unavailing rh* King looked up sharply and sat back in his chair. “ ‘l’m — if vou haven’t been eating onions, too.’ ” CHARM OF PRINCESS PATRICIA Mr. Stamper is, like tho rest cf tho world, a keen admirer of the Duke <>f Connaught and tho Princess Patricia, with whom ho danced -at ono of the Sandringham Christmas bails“With the whole of tho Court Princess Patricia was a great favourite. She ha.i great personal .charm, and ♦ hough I saw her very seldom, th 3 little I did seo of her aaa enough’ to show mo that sho wt’s a very great “Once «r twice I h°-d the honour to dance with her. Sho r.as very careful to convey the impression that a dance was to her as agree -able ns it n-as t" her partner, whoever he might bo. 1 romomher redwing that slm .>■'em' I ex.-e"dingly fond of the Duka> cf Connaught, from whom sho was rew-r far away. “T ! 'o T)-.iXe cf Connaught I more frea’ientlv th in the Princess. Many times I have taken him out in th" car with the King, and ho has ‘poke”, a it ll H'C often ;>r.d often. Hi' was alwtyvs delightful, and there wav about him much ef that charm of manner ,ard easy dignity which twi behis Majesty.” ROADSIDE PICNIC’-'. It will into'est Air. .Tamos Welch to know that after ho had seen “When Knights Were Bold,” Mr. S't.impe’" heard tho King aav, “Never laughed so much in my life.”

Dignity was so much King Edward’d quality that ho did not bother to !jo uncomfortably dignified. During tha Continental holidays:, he frequently had a picnic tea by the roadside. “When tha tea was over, sometimes his Majesty would say, “I’ll help you pack up, Stamper. Now be very careful and don’t break anything. There put some paper between the cups. . . . “ And bo, he directing, his Ma jesty and I would pack the things away. When wa had finished, he always said, “ ‘Now you go and hare some tea, and see that the chauffeur has some.’