THE PRINCE'S OATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18298, 15 January 1923, Page 5

THE PRINCE'S OATH.

PRIVILEGE REFUSED. WAITS HIS ;TUEN IN QUEUE. .; ; Among the, peers who took [ the-''oath in . the Lords to-night .was -.the Prince ■; of . Wales," who caused something of a fluttei lll , among the -graver;: constitutional experts by declining ■ to avail himself of one of his' royal privileges— ' a - priceless boon ; on an ; occasion like ,this—in accordance with which he might : have walked round from the twl to the head of ! a long waiting; queue of peers and prelates, and without further delay had' the oath administered to ' himself separately, ■ wrote the parliamentary correspondent of .the Manchester Gu«ffidian : on November .■2% . "A , Peer ,of the Blood,!' pronounces the final; authority ' ''. on such matters, " takes; the oath ' singly, • like, the Lord Chancellor;!' 'Unless one is".mistaken,that was how the Duke of -York on the previous day swore 'allegiance to .the ■'.: King and his.,'heirs, though /the Duke, .it must be owned, had; adroitly, avoided any temptation ■•:.; to' [ come into conflict with, the 'Constitution™ by appearing at, the table before a queue. •.! had had time to form. ■ .• ;. To-day came the turn of the Heir .him- / self, and as luck would have it, at an hour when a queue comprising the two Archbishops, " several other: prelates, 'and ' . ,a ; long .line: of ■;eminent .lay peers, ; was coiling 'itself out from the Woolsack, from '. oho sfdev right round the table and back I again ..to the :• Woolsack on - the ■ opposite , % side/ When the Prince arrived Lord Lin- •■■ colnshire '■' as Great. Chamberlain, appar- ... ently .'charged with the responsibility ;of seeing the forms duly observed, ; came : forward immediately. .Moved by -a'.' similar impulse, Sir Arthur Thririg, as Clerk of ', the Parliaments,;; promptly entered into : - ■ the • conspiracy, and, advancing .■: to greet ■ tho .Prince,, invited him. to take ; a short 1 cut to the table. Not -only soj. but Lord Dunedin, \who had .been, keeping the' Lord ■Chancellor, company on the Wool" ' sack, signalled at the same time to the Clerk . and the others that their, captive Was to be brought up at once, quite ahead ; of i the qiieUej-f-an;': injunction "that Lord , Dunedin presently sought to enforce, by •personal; pressure.' To all. those directions/, entreaties, and • gesticulations, hoWever, the 'same-reply was ieturned. With: a , shake-of the * head .the Prince ;i : signified ' that he would: wait his turn. ,;", : .':>: Placing ,himself accordingly at the end queue, be 'permitted. Lord Lincoln-i shire to retire baffled, thefT enteredon this slow progression: with the, others, , making sure now and /again .that he had his writ of surhnloils securely in one. hand, I presumably as a /passport;, and necessary 'certificate of .identity. Yet'with' all his ' defiance of- tho conventions 1 the.. distill;} I guislied.rebel 'did, not entirely escape,'tor , j oh:arriving at.-the Woolsack -..in-Hue rota- . . I tipn he .was.,'r epdived'' by. 'the?; Lord Chaii- ' \ •-!• celjor standing—the' only peer;to :'\vhoi(i» ; i (his compliment was paid/' ■ ' ■""■'■■" '."■ '' ■'■■■ ' ,'K ; '■' -' : --:-"'- :. : P • /■' *