AN APPRECIATION OF THE QUEEN'S FATHER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 59

AN APPRECIATION OF THE QUEEN'S FATHER.

.January, 1900, brought with it the .eightieth anniversary of the death of the Queen's father, the Duke of Kenl, who •was born at Buckingham House, November 2, 1767, and died at Sidmouth on January 23, 1820, while his little daughter Victoria was still considerably under a year old. Prince Edward Augustus, the fourth son of George 111, was by far the best of the King's sons, and his character stood out pure and stainless amid a court of somewhat dissolute propensities. Principled himself, he admired principle in others ; his reverence for religion was constant and unfeigned ; he was a steady, sincere friend, dignified yet simple and courteous in manner ; very generous, and though he neither awed nor overpowered, none dared to take a liberty with him. His frankness and love of truth often got him into boyish scrapes, and he was so benevolent, open-handed, and sympathetic that in after years be came to be known as the "Popular Duke."

Yet, in spite of his thousand and - one--"good qualities, he was not a favourite with his parents. When in his eighteenth year he was sent" by the King to Hanover to pursue military studies, and was put under the care of a certain baron who, to quote the Prince's own words, was " an arbitrary and inflexible governor "' and " a mercenary tyrant." History relates that the baron restricted the Prince's pocket money, and even intercepted his letters. Prince Edward wrote to a friend : —

"My letters never having reached the King, he -was displeased at my apparently undutiful conduct. I was described to him as recklessly extravagant, and much of the estrangement between nry Royal parent and myself — much to the sorrow of my after-life — may bs ascribed to that most uncalled-for sojourn in the Electorate.''

The prince was treated Avith neglect by parents, brothers, and Ministry, and was kept so short of money that he AA-as obliged to borrow to meet necessary expenses and his " extravagances,'' which consisted of supporting various, charities. After an absence of six years he found life tinder the baron's tutelage unbearable, and incurred the wrath of the King by returning to London. His Majesty 'refused to see his son, and ordered him, in spite of remonstrances from the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York, who both visited Prince Edward at the hotel where he was staying, to proceed within"- 24 hours to Gibraltar. - The Prince obeyed, and on his arrival was appointed to the colonelcy of' 'the 7th Royal Fusiliers, with which regiment he afterwards ' went to Gana<la.

Concerning his visit to America the following anecdote is related. Prince Edward happened to hear of an old woman who f had reached the age of 100 years, and one day he- paid her. a visit. Having talked to her for some time he asked if he could confer any pleasure on her. " Yes, yes ! Certainly, my lord," replied the centenarian ; " dance a minuet with me, that I may be able to say before I die that^l have danced with the son of my (Sovereign." The Prince complied with the ' best possible grace, and after dancing with the dame conducted her to a seat and gave her a respectful salute.

It was at 'the beginning of 1815 that his financial difficulties were brought to a climax by the absconding of his solicitor. His family refused to help him, and accordingly he parted with his servants and his wine cellar, mortgaged his plate, and made sacrifices in every direction, finally quitting England in the summer of 1816 to "live in comparative poverty in Brussels, burdened ■with accumulations of unavoidable debt.

His income was so limited that marriage for the time was out o f the question, and it was only when" the death, of the only child of the Prince of Wales caused sonic agitation concerning the succession to 11.-s throne" that lie was in a position to choose a bride. While in Brussels he Avas. charged by Prince ..Leopold of Saxe-Ooburg, afterwards King of the Belgians,, with letters of introduction to .his"s : ster,> Princess Victoria^ AvidoAV of Prince Loiningen. She Aras living iii seclusion at Amorbach with her two children,, Prince Charles, aged 12, and Lis younger sister, Princess Feodore. An affection soon sprang up betAvoen the Duke of Kent and the Princess of Leiningen. and they were married at Coburg in May, 18i3. the marriage being repeated ir the following July in the Queen's drawing room at Kew, the Duke ot Clareuce being married at the game time to Princess Adelaide of SaseO-Isinmgen.

A fortnight later the Duke and Duchess of Kent returned to Amorhach, where they lived until shortly before Princess Victoria's birth. Both the Duke and Duchess saw the ad\ r lsability of their chLd fosing born on British, soil, and for this reason were anxious to come back to England. The return, hoAvever, was delayed for a time literally foi Avant of means to meet the expenses of the journey, and though the Duke's desires and exigencies were known to the Prince Regent and those in power, no tender of assistence was forthcoming saA-e from comparatively humble friends in England, avlio sent the requisite remittances. So solicitous was the Duke for the care of his Avife that during the whole of the -land journey to Kensington Palace he himself took the reins. . t There Avere so many possibilities" against $he accession of "the little Mayflower," as Victoria Avas called, that people laughed -when the Duk held her up in his arms and said, in a spirit of pprophecyy y •" Look i\b her well! She will yet "be Queen of England ! " To avoid the fogs of London the Duke took his family to Woolbrook Cottage. Sidanouth, or the aa inter, and /vvhile there wrote rather ominously to a f i-iend : — "My little girl thrives under tho influence of a j^eA-onshire climate, and i«, I am delighted to say, strong" and healthy ; too healthy, £ jfesr^ in the soiaioa- of aoax-i member&

of ry family, by whom she is regarded as an intruder."

The Duke's affection for Ms little dsi.-gh-ter led, it is believed, to his d°ath. \>'e had been for a long walk across snowcovered fields one day with Captain Conroy, and came home tired ,xi\'\ vrAh aa tr clothes. While on his way fco lus rr.r.m to change them he caught sight of his pretty rosy-cheeked little daughter, whose engaging ways were irresistible to him, ynd it is supposed that while remaining .v dn,t.p boots playing with her he contracted the •chill -which quickly developed into inflammation of the lungs and terminated fatally in little more than a week. The Pukt- was buried at Windsor.

One of Queen Victoria's first acts on coming to the Throne was to seek out her father's creditors and pay their claims m full. "' I want,"' she said to Lord Melbourne, "to pay all that remain of my father's debts. I must do it. I c .insider it a sacred duty."