The King’s Screen

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 608, 9 March 1929, Page 18

The King’s Screen

EDWARD VII. COLLECTED i PHOTOGRAPHS OP CtLtb- | RITIES I 1

the early days of King (f I vSmvMmMcs\ George’s illness a foldIQ IMPI screen was used between his bed and r •* the door to avoid any chance of a draught reaching him when the door was open. Later, a screen that was one of the prized possessions of King Edward was substituted for the screen first put up in the room. This screen is a four-fold one made of rosewood and is completely covered with autographed photographs of bygone celebrities collected by King Edward. The screen was put in King George’s bedroom as it was thought it would interest him to look at it. The King at that time was unable to read or even to listen or talk to any one. How to give the King some distraction was one of the difficulties of fiis case.

The screen has an interesting history. It took King Edward over thirty years to completely cover the screen with photographs. He conceived the idea of making his collection of photographs when he visited America and was the guest of President James Buchanan. The President gave the then Prince of Wales his autographed photograph, and it was one of the first to be put on the screen. In close proximity to the photograph of Buchanan are photographs of Emerson and Oliver Wendell Holmes, whom the Prince met in America. It was the hope of the Prince to continue putting the photographs of succeeding American Presidents on the screen, but the hope was not realised. When the Civil War broke out it was unquestionable that the sympathies of England, or at all events of the ruling classes, were with the South, and therjß seems little doubt that the Prince of Wales shared their sympathies. At the conclusion of the war it was the Prince’s intention to write to President Lincoln for his photograph, but the Prince was advised that it would not be diplomatic to do so, as there w r as the possibility of his request being refused. The next autographed photograph of a President of the United States to reach Buckingham Palace was that of President Wilson, who gave his photograph to King George when he was the sovereign’s guest after the war.

The screen with the extensive gallery of photographs affixed to it constitutes an interesting pictorial story of over thirty years of King Edward’s life and is likely to recall to King George many incidents of his younger days.