A Surly Duke.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6751, 4 February 1892, Page 3

A Surly Duke.

The Duke of Cambridge is accused of being discourteous to a distinguished officer in Ireland the ofber day. It is alleged that his Royal Highness was in a bad temper when he went to Lord Wolueley’a dinner party. His bottled-up rage, excited by an attack on h's administration which had appeared the day before in one of the papers, found vent on the first guest he was introduced to. This chanced to be the Chief of the Army Medical Deparmeut, whose officers have just beaten down the Duke’s life long objection to get their just claims of rank recognised. Purged of expletives, this was how the Duke hailed him : *‘ Good evening, Surgeon - General, or Field - Marshall, or whatever they coll you now. Food ! I don’t know how to address you fellows,” continued his Royal Highness, “ with your new titles. I don’t know what the —I am myself. I suppose you expect mo to take my hat off to you. What do you want ?” “ Only to have our proper status, may it please your Royal Highness, as a corps,” was the courteous reply. “ A nice corps,” roared Royalty, " a pretty corps, indeed, with one man at Portobello and another at Pigeon House.” *• Precisely like the Royal Engineers in this command,” was the crushing retort. After that backhander a taste of the royal urbanity went all round during his Royal Highness’s visit of inspection. Everybody *' caught it ” except-—Lord Wolseloy.