RITAIN'S NEW KING

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4289, 23 February 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

RITAIN'S NEW KING

A .MOST POPULAR PRINCE. SOCIAL LIFE AND CHARACTERISTICS. A WOMAN’S VIEW. In I lio "Lnily's lloalm” tho Prince of Wale,, now King Edward VII., w;i, described recently as tho most popular man in the Empire and the moat popular Prince in Europe. At the time of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee a “wag’’ suggested that it would make a pleasing teavuro or the pageant it the Prince o r Wales sat in las mother’s carriage, and (he Duke of York bosido him with Prince Edward upon his knee. One may lairdi at tho ukra-domosticity of such an ar rangement, but, per so, it would have been an instructive object-lesson illustrative of an amiable union of generations in the Royal Family which forms a marked contrast to tho earlier annals 01 tho House of Hanover, whan the Georges and thoir heirs lived in open feud and divided tho allegiance of the nation. HIS VISIT TO AMERICA. When, in 1800, the Prince visited Canada and tho United States, ho won golden opinions hv his bonhomie* and utter absence of undue Royal assumption. The visit was ono of grave importance so far as the United States was concerned, and might have proved disastrous to inline fueling between the two countries if it had been managed less tactfully, for this was the first time that a Royal prince from old England had set foot on .American soil since George Washington was a. rebel. The Prince was barely niuelocn, but he* displayed in a marked degree those social qualities—tho faculty of doing and saying the right thing- - which have served lum in good stead on many occasions since. We soo him during tho voyage sitting for hours, crosslegged, on tha deck of the Here, telescope in hand, amusing himself with •ne:nalling to tho other .ships of tho squadron, and carrying on a running fire of banter and repartee. All on board were O.iCEdited with his lively social mnnM, -, and ho permitted no one to bo dull in bis vicinity. The fair Republicans, of course, io.se their hearts te tho Handsome, merry Prince, and, forgetting that he was the great-grandson of George 111., flung bouquets at his foot when he stepped ashore, and his Royal Highness gallantly stooped and picked them up with looks of ampressemeut. Ho danced with tho belles of New York, and stood bare-headed hy the grave of Washington. It seemed that he left no,thing undone which could give pleasure to our transatlantic cousins, save choosing a bride from amongst them, in which event America might even have returned to tho maternal font. SOCIAL LIFE.

Tlie marriage of the Brinco took place a, little moro than a year after the death of the Princa Consort, when the Queen tvas living in retirement, and, in consequence, ho and the Princess became the virtual loaders of society, taking, in this respect, tho place of the monarch. Tnoy ware extremely youthful for tho tush, the Prince being twenty-one and bis bride a little younger, but they entered upon tho position with a gay abandon, and, thoroughly enjoying tho gaieties of Court life, gave a brightness and chic to state ceremonials which had house was the centre of much gaiety, and hitherto been wanting. Marlborough House was the centra of much gaiety, and of tho ancient ducal mansions. Beauty and grace reigned supreme amongst the women, and the men ware distinguished for smartness, courtliness of manner, and ability. But although the Prince widened tho circle of the Royal entourage, his democratic leanings had their limits. Nut the Queen herself was mere exacting iu all matters of etiquette than was the Heir-Apparent, and those, who presumed upon Jus youth and affability to indulge in undue familiarity were quickly made aware of their presumption. Both the Prince and Princess wore exceedingly fond of dancing, and generHouso during the season, in addition to tho state balls at Buckingham Palace, ally gave two large balls at Marlborough His Royal Highness took part in tnese gay functions with zest and spirit; ho was an accomplished dance! - himself, and was not a little critical of the dancing of his partners. “Wo must have a few dancing lessons,” was the kindly but significant “aside” of His Royal Highness to beautiful Lady ——•, when she made a false moves in the lancers.

Under tho new regime at the Marlborough House balls tho more spirited and piquant dances, such as tho polka, sclmttischo, and mazurka, came into vogue, and thdre was less of dull, formal dancing than prevailed in the first part of tho reign. The valso, too, was greatlv in favour ; and on occasions, at the Sandringham balls, the Prince would abandon himself to a hornpipe or Highland fling iu a manner calctdated to make a Scotsman fling his tam-o’-shanter into the air.

“A PROGRESSIVE.” Prior to his almost fatal illness in 1871, tho Prince was chiefly distinguished ns tho genial, gay, and accomplished loader of society, tho first gentleman in England, which was practically the only role open to him. Tho Queen took no ono into her counsels after tho death <f the Prince Consort, save her Ministers, so that the Heir-apparent was not called upon to bo adviser to tho Crown. Ho could not, like his brothers, devote himself cither to tho army or tho navy, and the bent of his mind was not in tho direction of art or literature. There' was little loft to him but to be a specieh of unofficial Master of Cdremdnics. Tho outburst of loyalty and affection ovinev.l by tho people during his illness, and the: joy shown at his recovery, touched the Prince very deeply, and found a response in tho manner in which hd subsequently threw himself into public life, and andoavourecl to further, by his patronage, tho educational, philanthropic, and socialistic movements of the day, especially hospitals and schemes, for the better housing of tho poor. THE WOMEN THE KING ADMIRES. Tho attitude of tho Prince to tho women’s movement must not be overlooked, and while His xioyal Highness abhors anything which destroys tho charm of femininity,, ho is very much dispose-] to give place'aux dames. Tho Princo lias not been a. pampered older son or orother, and his courtesy :o women is proverbial. When he married, his beautiful Princess captured tho nation uy storm, and the Prince has been unselfishly gratified at her immense popularity. Ho considers that it is desirable for liulies to give tho grace of their nwv scnca to public ceremonials, and he will never attend one, if bo can avoid if/; without having tho Princess and his daughters with him; ami, failing them, the Duchess of York or Princess Louise generally accompanies him. His Royal Highness has been ono of the most indulgent of fathers, and has never coerced his daughters into loveless marriages for State reasons.

Whiio the Prince abhors a “blue,” ho admires a clever and vivacious woman, and has full sympathy with the higher education movement and the opening c'. professions to woman. He and the Princess showed their approval of tiio “lady doctor’'’ by opening tho new laboratory of the London Medical School for

Women in the summer of last year, and tho speech which the Prince delivered on that occasion clearly- revealed nie sympathy, with the pioneer efforts of Airs Garrett-Anderson, whom he was careful to address as ■•Doctor.’' DRESS iAND JEWELLERY. On matters of lady’s drass His Royal Highness is an acknowledged authority, and his taste is largely that of the fau Parisicnnc, who generally contrives to near tho exact costume .suited to tho occasion. Splendid jewels or costly materials do net compensate in tho Prince’s eve. f'.r want of stylo and fit, and tha Princess would not appear in his presence with wrinkles in her bodice "for worlds.” The elegance of her toilettes reflects tho taste of hLs Royal Highness. The influence of the Prince in society has eertanly been in tho direction of giving power and influence* to women. We have advanced a long way from the time when ladies peered from the window of an upper chamber at their lords feasting below in the hall of the castle; and the rapid change in the social intermingling of the sexes has been accelerated >y tho Prince, who has made hard drinking and thd use of profane language “bad form” at social gatherings where ladies aro present—a matter of decorum which would have boon laughed to scorn by William IV.

His Royal Highness is as great a stickler for the forms of outward propriety as he is panetilious about the observance of the most trjyial detail ia Court etiquette. His influence upcm fashions for men has been salutary. It cannot ba said of him, as it was of the Prince Regent, that his greatest achievement was the invention of a shoe-buckle. The Prince of Wales has always discountenanced foppery, dandyism, and effinunacy, and set an example of severe simplicity in male attire, not uncombined with elegance. A man in trills and with heavy bejewelled hands would give the Princo tHo colic.