The Prince’s Birthday

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 162, 28 June 1930, Page 9

The Prince’s Birthday

(Specially Written for the “Tribune”)

The heir to the British Throne was born at White Lodge, Richmond Park, on June 23, 1894, and baptised 23 days later by the Archbishop of Canterbury as Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David. ■ His easy, approachable ways and his sunny personality have endeared him to the millions of British subjects scattered all over the globe, and it is safe to say that no more truly popular Prince of Wales has even appeared in British history.

TN 1902 Mr. H. P. Hansel was as his tutor, and remained with him until August, 1914. The Prince was first of all trained for the Navy, and at the conclusion of his course in 1911 was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, his father having ascended the throne. He then became a midshipman and served aboard H.M.S. “Hindustan" for some months. After a visit to the Continent he entered Magdalen College Oxford, and took part in the usual athletic amusements of the undergraduates. Some of his vacations were spent in travel. His university career was ended by the outbreak of the Great War. On August 7. 1914. he was gazetted to the Grenadier Guards and joined the Ist Battalion at Warley Barracks, Essex. In November 1914 the Prince was appointed aide-de-camp to Sir John French, and assumed his duties in British G.H.Q. at St. Omer. During the next 18 months he served with the Expeditionary Force it> Flanders and in France in various parts of the line. In March 1916 he was given a post on the staff of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and went to Egypt. He visited the troops in the line and reached as far south as Khartoum. On his return journey he visited the Italian Headquarters, and afterwards returned to France. Various fronts were afterwards visited.

On his return to England at the end of February. 1919. the Prince immediately took up a number of

public duties which had had of necessity to be deferred during the war period. In August, 1919.. he sailed in the “Renown 1 ’ for Newfoundland and Canada, where he made a complete tour of the vast Dominion, returning home in December. On March 16, 1920, he sailed -for Australia and New Zealand again in the “Renown," and during his visit endeared himself still further to His Majesty’s subjects south of the line. Since then his attention to his public duties, which have taken him to different parts of the world, has been unremitting, and his reputation has been more than sustained wherever lie has gone. Brief holidays have intervened during intervals to break the strain of the constant fulfilling of engagements, and this many-sided young man has shown that he can nut as much zest into his play as into the exacting work which it has fallen to his lot to do. New Zealand sent her loyal greetings and good wishes this week, and received the usual gracious acknowledgment. Many speculations have been current from time to time regarding his matrimonial future, but so far .the Prince has shown no sign of succumbing to the attractions of any of the ladies he has encountered. His taste must be fastidious in the extreme, for it inay be safely that his opportunities have l>een legion. Yet, somehow, we prefer him as he is—the free-lance Prince of the Empire, who has already shown that he has all the qualities necessary to equip him for the high destiny which is onb day to be his.