THE PRINCE OF WALES

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4263, 24 January 1901, Page 6

THE PRINCE OF WALES

George Frederick, Prince of Wales, is the second son of the King and the Queen Consort, and was born at Marlborough House oij the ,3rd June, 1865, just seventeen months after his elder brother- the late Duke of Clarence. As boyfe, the two'brothers wore inseparable companions, and they entered the Navy together as cadets on the. sth June, 1877. After two years spent on the training ship Britannia, they made a three year;’ tour round (he world in -.he, Bacchante. In Slay, 1883, Prince" George;became :>, midshipman on board the Canada, on the North American station. Ho passed his examinations with great credit, and became a lieutenant in 1885. In 1890 be was ontrnsteu with the separate command of the gunboat Thrush on tho V. est Indian station. Ho opened tho Jamaica Industrial Exhibition during that year. In 1891 be was raised, to. the rank of commander. While staying with his brother in Dublin in October of the same year ho contracted a dangerous fever. In 1892 tho Duke of Clarence died during the pneumonia and influenza epidemic of January, and Prince George became heir to the throne, and was raised to the peerage us Duke of York, a, title which had been' long in abeyance. In May of tho following year his engagement to the Princess Mary of Teck (Princess uv”) was publicly announced, and the marriage was celebrated on the 6th July in the Chapel Royal, St. James’s. At the ceremony, which was very brilliant, all the members of the Royal Family wore present, togfether with the Emperor of Russia (at that time Czaiewitchj and tho King and Queen of Denmark. A son and heir was born to tho Dune and Duchess on the 23rd June, 1894, and was christened after ihe patron saints of the British islands and his grandfather—Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick Davil. There are three- other, children. In January, , IS9I, the Duke of York was compelled to decline an invitation to visit Australia.' During the last few n on the preparations have been made in Australia and New Zealand to,receive the Duke ana Duchess, it having been arranged that the former should ‘open the first session of the Australian Commonwealth Parliament. .Now that Hie Duke has become Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the throne, it remains to be seen whether he will com© to Australia at present. The new Prince and Princess of Wales have of recent years undertaken many public-duties in Great Britain, and hav3 carried them out in a gracious manner which has been much appicciatod.