THE DUKE OF YORK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 204, 22 October 1900, Page 4

THE DUKE OF YORK.

The Duke of York—Ptinee George of Wa'is. as we knew him when be visittd AnstralU nearly 20 years ago — h now 35 year* of age—no longer the irresponsible midshipman, but the beir presumptive to the greatest throne in the world. He was born in Marlborough H(u;e on June 3, 1865, only 17 monbhs after bis elder bi other saw the light. With to email a margin | between their ages the two boys were naturally grett companions and both ' of them, aftar the usual preliminary education, entered the Royal Navy together, chiefly, ss we learn on authority, "withauawto the mental and , morsl training that they would receive as midshipman in fer Majesty's navy." That was in 1877. They spent two years ia the Britannia, and when they joked the Bacchant i, of whose voyages in all pans of the world saflSi nt memorial has been nude in the two ' stout io units in which their tutor, ' the Rev. J. ft, Dilton, recorded their advintuies. It was during (heir connect on with the Bacchante that the Princes made the acquaint nee with Australia, which the Duke cf York is to revive next year, all i e ng w ell. Milsbipaien Prince Gear;,e of Wales made himse'f popu'ar everywhere he landed in the co onies by his good hurroar acd his freedom fiom aoy kii dof " airs and graces." It« as net en bim but on Prince Edward thut ! p ( pV'oakid ss tteir future sovereign, I and | o tib'y this gave h'm a sense c f I freedom which otherwise he » onld not hive EDJjyrd. Just aboit the time that he ai d "his brother were baing entertained in Sydney, the prince of Waleß was explaining to a large audience in Loadon the reason which prompted bim to decline iovitatioa that he should visit) Australia. " But though," he went on to say, " I bave not been to Australaih, I Lave sent my two sors on a visit third; and it has been' a mat'.ir of great gratficatioD, nol only to myself and-to the Princess, but to the Qieen, t) hear of th 6 kindly nc. prion thty' bav) m#t with everywhrra. They are but young, but I feel confident that tier >iiit to tbe Antipodes wi.l do them an incalculable Bm unt of good." It was plainly intended tl a*j PrinceGeorge fhculd detob 1 i> attention t ■ ; naval matters, and when th( Princes had finish d ih i 'lengthy tour in the Bacctante, h> was promoted tub-lieutenant ii 1884 in which capacity he served oi H,M S Ounadi oa the North. Ame i:au 6tatioo. Next year he pisnd hm ex-.miWon folieutenant, and iecye.l them in the Mediterranean fl e . In 1889 he w s given his first .cumm-.nd-that (f a • torpedo boa 1- ad next yerr he com mi«i nvltliefi tciaesganboabThroih aid in ter e thnneual work 1.1 a >a '.in m the North American static) . Itetarnio;. to England io 1891 he was prl-mo'ed coammd r. H f. 1 eii)isy il this year, but; haiipi'y ncvi r ri, and i i 1792 he wts ap;oi ted to thi command of the ( cruder M"lampus, exchanging this later after h=s had benn pr< moVd captain fir the corm a dc f the Crescent. Thrs his cireer h»s been marked out for bi*n.

£ut all vea changed by the expected dtit'i o' h's e'der brother the Duke cf I) r ure ml Avondale, in Janua y. f 1892, 1.1 > theparticulirs of ih s 8; d hiipj eoing th re is no need to enter, fu ih. r il o-> t*i>»t ib changed at tnietie cine of Prince George or, as 1 e had now tjcc.mo, the Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Buon Kilhrney, A naval career waa no longer open to him, and thenceforth his duty was to perform the eoclil and other femetic ns which the people n quire ii a te-ponage fo near the throne. In May, 189 ', he married his oueiD, Princess V cb> ria Mary of Teck, popnla ly and bnrpi y known as. Piiacesa May, and has bad issue sufficiently numerous to pub any doubt as to the socefsrion oit of the qufstion, In 1894 the Duke wes invited to visit Au trilin, bud ha found it impossible to gtt away from Europe. Since then his life has been mainly a succession of socialfunctions,in which be ho borne himself with dignity and aptitude. He has frequently allowed h to be known that, he has the most phasant recollections of his visit to Australia, and douttless he is not personally aveiss from the proposed journey cf next year, with the high mission of opening on beha'f of the Qieen the first Parliament of the Cjmmonwea'h o' Australia.