THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER IN PRIVATE LIFE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18584, 19 December 1934, Page 8

THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER IN PRIVATE LIFE

A PRINCE OF SPORTSMEN

THE PERFECT ALL-ROUNDER THE Duke of Gloucester has many of the traditional attributes of the country gentleman. His tastes are simple, and he jealously guards such privacy as he can snatch from his public duties. He dislikes being photographed except on public occasions, and he Seldom yields to autograph-hunters. He has a deep understanding of children and dogs. He enjoys the cinfema and a good musical comedy, is a good dancer, likes a detective story, and has a taste for antiques. If he has a personal foible, it is for carrying an umbrella. He is distinguished for strength of character, determination, and a certain reserve, lightened by a dry sense of humor. The Duke is not„only a sporting Prinee; he is also a prince of sportsmen. He is regarded as being among the six best shots of Europe; he is the best horseman of the Royal Family, and at polo he almost reaches the international standard. He is an enthusiastic follower of the hounds, a and a big game hunter. He has done a good deal of long-distance running, knows something of boxing, and is an.enthusiastic, though not first-class, tennis player, and a good swimmer. He plays an average game of golf, though this is not one of his greatest enthusiasms, arid is an expert motorist.

When the Duke is in London he lives at Buckingham Palace, having his own quarters there. They are furnished comfortably, but without “frills,” deep armchairs and oak bookcases predominating. The walls are painted cream; the curtains are of dark rod brocade. The establishment is simple, the Duke having a'Comptroller, Major It. T. Stanyforth, M.V.0., M.C., and two Equerries, Captain Howard Kerr, M.V.0., 0.8. E., afld Captain E. W. Brook.'

When alone the Duke amuses himself with his wireless set, or rending and' smoking, settling down comfortably in an old jacket, with his Scotch terriers, .lock and Dougal, at his side. Though the Duke’s library is largely composed of works on military matters, he frequently reads much lighter books, being fond of a good detective story and of humor. P. G. Wodehousb is one of his favorites, and he never tires of the adventures of the, inimitable “Jeeves.” A Regular Church Atterider. The Duke regularly attends ehureh, the King and Queen having brought up their children in a sincere and quiet piety. When presiding at an annual meeting of ,tlie British and Foreign Bible Society, the Duke said: “It would be a happier and. mote pedeoful world if in oilr persoiial arid public affairs we all made the Bible our final court of appeal, and accepted its ruling as the law of life.” Though never shirking public dhtibs, the Duke of Gloucester is fond of privacy, and in his private capacity often travels alone, without even the single equerry considered indispensable. If he ran do so Mrecojpriisbit he is well content, though sometimes his moustache betrays him. The moustache and his slightly serious expression make him look somewhat older than his years.

His personal requirements are modest; no one could be less extravagantly inclined. On one .occasion when he wanted to put up some additional stabling in Ins place in the Shires, lie sold part of his library to pay for the Work, and it is said that one or two collectors of first editions secured long-desired volumes as a result.

The Duke preserves his incognito whenever possible. Once when he was leaving the racecourse he saw a lad- knocked down and injured. The Duke inquired what hospital the boy was being taken to, and the next morning rang up and inquired after the boy.

“He is much better,” came tho answer, “Who is speaking?”

“Oh, he doesn’t know me,” said tho Duke. “I only wanted to make sure he wasn’t seriously injured.

Dislikes Being Photographed

His Jtoyal Highness dislikes being photographed, and shuns the camera on all save public, occasions, when he cheerfully submits. He is an excellent “sitter, ” provided that he is hot snapped unawares,, an event, Which annoys him. v'ery much,.as it used to annoy the Prince of Wales until he grew hardened. The Duke has ft cohilrmed dislike of antograph-htinters. With that quiet, determination winch characterises him he has made it a nilo never to accede to such requests, djh the few occasions on which he hits yielded it has booh to children. He is inclined to share thy jithference of the Prince of . Wales,for plays of a lighter kind,, He enjoys a good musical comedy, a hd is something of a film “fan,” drbj'Sihg in to a cinema When a good picture fs being shown. He enjoys the arhletic, exhibitions of Douglas t , hirhiba,ttkj,.:aiid' the riding in some of the IFLId Wdst, pictures, biit takes little interest in “vamp" films, or in the ultni-senshtidhal pictures. The Duke Inns a jplo’asaht singing voice which he raVely uses. He shares his brothers’, indifference ,t'o most card ga mes, and says he is keeping them for hlfi old age. Since his return from Japan, His Roy hi Higlinoss has developed a taste for antiqu es, a fact Which has greatly pleased Qiteen Mary, who is an enthusiastic. collector. He acquired some very fine specimens of pottery in Japan, rand haft added to his collection by judicious purchases. He is an. excellent judge, and’ it is not easy to deceive* him with imitations. There

is a story that on one occasion he was badly deceived, and a piece for which he had paid a good price proved to bo imitation. In reply to a friend the Duke said that he had not told the dealer who lie was. “He wouldn't have given you a fake if you had,” pointed out the friend. “Afore probably I should have had to pay twice as much for it,” responded the Duke. Entertains Regularly. The Duke entertains regularly, his friends being drawn from amongst his brother officers and “out-of-doors” men, Lord Burghley, the athlete, being one of his most intimate friends. While perhaps not so fond of society as his brothers, the Duke is an excellent. dtineer, and’ when he attends hunt balls—one of his favorite forms of entertainment—he rarely misses a dance. He has innate courtesy. It is related that when lie descending thb gangway of a steam dr on his return from his African tour lie satv an elderly woman struggling with suitcase, lie asked whether he might carry it for her to the Customs House, ft'e did not disclose his identity. , Like Dock and .Toffre, the Duke loves flowers. Like them, also, he Ivlll hot have them in h, sick-room. The Dnkc of Gloucester has a deep understanding of children. Of all the Itoyhl princes lie is the one, perhaps, who gets on best with children. While ft is Loyal Highness has a full sense of. the responsibilities of hi? position, and possesses the natural dignity with which to support them, it is certain that lie would have been happy as a country gentleman, looking after the welfare of his tenants, farm-, ihg his acres, shooting his coverts,l and developing his estates. TTo has the seif-reliance, strength of character, determination, and reserve of his mother. It is a reserve, however, which, like that of the Queen, is. closely coupled with a sense of humor j which enables him t,o meet difficult situations with an unruffled calm, and to deal with all sorts and conditions'

A Way With Horses. The Duke of Gloucester was the first of the Royal Princes to win a- point-to-point. race. The occasion was when i lie carried off the Infantry Cup in the First Cavalry Brigade Steeplechase against 12 competitors. His success was followed speedily by the Prince of Wales, who won an event of this kind only a few days afterwards, but the Duke of Gloucester is' regarded as by far the better rider of the two. Those who have hunted with the Duke say that he would have made a marvellous “stunt” rider, for he has wonderful control over his mounts. 'This, combined with his total lack of fear, makes trick riding easy for him. The Duke is not heavy, but has long legs, and prefers a horse of a minimum height of 1C hands. One of the best hunters he has possessed was over 17 hands, but it was exceptional, as it is rare to find the necessary quality in a horse of such size. The Duke has always tried to obtain hunters.which will gallop well. He has been on the look-out for a horse capable of winning a point-to-point race at the end of a hunting season. The Duke, for : the same reason, likes a free jumping horse, and one which can jump easily ; and naturally out of its stride. The Duke has a way with horses which is the trim hallmark of the horn .cavalryman. He had had' a passion ; for horses all his life, and he tvas little .morethati 14 when he first rode > to hounds with the Garth. Skill at Polo. Polo he plays exceptionally well. ; Hunting and stccplechnsing have no greater devotee, and’ his sideboards arc plentifully decorated with regi- • mental cups and trophies which lie has ■ won at Army point-to-point meetings in recent years. At Sandotvn and Cheltenham ho has , been seen in the saddle competing against j professional and' accomplished amateur • riders, and his riding has been great-j ly admired by. regular racing men. Tlis', mounts on those occasions have seldom had good form to their credit, bul tho ’ Duke cheerfully takes any mount that - is offered to him—a rather rare sport- ■ ing trail. || “I am afraid that my horse has not ] an earthly chance of winning, sir,”| said an owner once at Sundown to tho j Duke, who had expressed a desire to ] Tid'e the animal in a certain event. Ji

| “Good,” replied the Duke; “the public won’t lose any money then, even if I come in last. I like the horse, and I’ll have the mount.” He finished a respectable fourth. | _ Thb Suke is hot a betting man, any ! any wkgbf he makes is on a very j modest scale. At Cheltenham one | day a, Well-known racehorse trainer I told the Duke that a certain horse was practically unbeatable in the big race. “In that case,” answered the Duke, “I must have a bet,” and he put 10s each way on it. The trainer had £2OO on, but lie was not nearly as delighted when the horse won as was the Duke of Gloucester. The Duke probably attends more race meetings than any of his brothers and is a good judge of form. One of his most cherished ambitions is to see a Royal horse Win the Derby. Like most sportsmen, Prince Henry is devoted to dogs. He possesses some very fine retrievers, in which breed he keenly interested, and is usually accompanied on his journeys by one or tWb of these dogs. He 6whs Scottish terriers, greyhounds, & bull mastiff, and a Labrador. Ho is particularly keen on covert shooting. A few years ago ho accompanied his father on a shoot, at Sandringham, where the birds rise high above the tops of the trees before the guns can reach them, and therefore present a. difficult target. The King discharged both barrels unsuccessfully, but the Duke brought doWn a bird at the .first shot. The King laughingly doffed his hat, delighted at his son’s skill. Long-Distance Running. Punning and walking matches hold a great, measure Of interest for the Duke, and it Was at his owh wish that in 1921 he started the Marathon Race from the grounds of Windsor Castle. He had particulars of the progress of the race telephoned' until its conclusion. At Eton Prince Henry was ono of the best long-distance runners of his time, and ho indulged in running during the afternoon in later life, in order to give himself sufficient exercise. When he was in Africa, the Duke .followed the example of the Prince of Wales, when taking long trips by train, of turning out in shorts and sprinting along the track while the train followed slowly behind. The grounds of Buckingham Palace have provided the Duke with an excellent training ground, where he can indulge in running and' tennis in privacy right in the heart of London. The Duke from boyhood has always been interested in athletics, and while at Eton was an enthusiastic crosscountry runner. Ho can reel off all the up-to-date athletic records, a feat which always astonishes his great friend, Lord Burghley, tlie famous hurdler. Boxing is another sport which interests the Duke. It is said that he is no mean exponent of the fistic art, and he is credited with being the boxing champion of the Royal Family. To see boys and youths boxing always gives the Duke pleasure, and he has presented'scores of cups to boys’ clubs and organisations all over England to encourage ringcraft. Prince Henry played his first round of golf at the hge bf 12. He plays an good average game, but is not the golf enthusiast that, the Prince Of Wales has become; nor is he as attached to., the game as the Duke of York. Hu. bkes to watch a good professional match. to play billiards at Cam; but though' he occasionally has .a. faunae, the Prince is hbt a rbnlly j kefcn player. For bsercise while at home, the Duke plays tennis a good deal, and takes part in his regimental races, Wearing his owjx colors of pale blue and sc&rlet. He used to play Rugby regularly, but now contents himself With being a spectator. He became a member of the Automobile Club when he was 20. On most private occasions he drives himself, very frequently in the sports model lie favors. He handles a fast, car well. | The Duke is keenly interested in aviation, though, being a. soldier, it is natural that he should regard it; mainly from the military standpoint. When his other duties have permitted, he has made it a rule to be present at the Royal Air Force pageants. He has flown a good deal. The Duke is an excellent, swimmer, and is not unfamiliar with yachting, because he is a frequent visitor to Cowes.