THE PRINCE OF WALES

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12363, 5 February 1926, Page 6

THE PRINCE OF WALES

The Prince of Wales is about to come into closer touch with the machinery of government. For this very desirable report the "Daily News” is responsible. We hope the enterprising journal is rightly informed. It is indeed high time that the Prince’s abilities and fine personality were found employment more useful than can be got in the field of sport. To find useful work for him is better for him than tying him on his horse for mere amusement. The Prince has just completed the series of tours which have taken him all round the Empire. From what he has said and done during this perambulation it can fairly be concluded that he has now a strong grip of the affairs of the Empire he is one day to govern—a better grip than his father, hard worker as he is, has today, his travels of the early days of the century notwithstanding. Bringing him into the circle of the Royal work will be to give to. the Empire the advantage of one who knows something of all its parts, has shown his understanding of them, and gained the confidence of their people. If only for this reason, the Prince ought to be at the elbow of his father in his counsel-room.

In this matter, if the newspaper story is true, the King has risen high above the customary prejudice of royalty. In the whole range of British history there is no instance of friendly trust of a King for the Heir-Apparent. One of the Norman Kings wept when the son he had never given insight into affairs was drowned off one of the Channel Islands. Suleman the Magnificent of Turkey was so jealous of his son Ibrahim, a fine soldier and capable provincial governor, popular with army and people, that he got rid of him through the medium of the bow-string—one of the saddest pictures in history is the fight of the young man against his chartered murderers. How jealous our Henry IV. was of his clever son, the future hero of Agincourt, Shakespeare has powerfully recorded. How the Kaiser William 11. kept his Crown Prince from "business,” and. finally banished him to garrison duty at Danzig when he had won public applause over the Agadir incident, is recent history. In English history the worst instance of this parental jealousy is supplied by Queen Victoria’s attempt to keep her eldest son not only from her working room but from any talk whatever with her Ministers. All the world knows that the Prince overcame this stupid, petty tyranny; knows how the Prince in the Queen’s declining days was privileged to preside over ceremonials and pay for them, and knows how, by. systematic secret disobedience, the Prince acquired as good a knowledge of affairs domestic as he could, and becamethe most popular King that ever sat on the English throne. King George V., if this story is true, will be described by the future historians as the only Sovereign of England who trusted his heir and gave him full opportunities to learn the business of kingship.

The new policy will employ the superabundant energies of the Prince, increase his popularity, and make him truly capable of taking in his hands the reigning power, when the time comes—a time the Empire, in it,s devotion to George V., hopes is far off.