ROYALTY IN REALITY

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 4, Issue 3, 1 September 1925, Page 4

ROYALTY IN REALITY

PRINCE HENRY Soldier and Sportsman NOT SO MUCH IN THE PUBLIC EYE AS THE PRINCE OF WALES AND THE DUKE OF YORK, PRINCE HENRY IS THE SPORTING MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. FROM HIS BOYHOOD HE HAS BEEN A GREAT LOVER OF HORSES AND HE HAS NOW ACHIEVED HIS IDEAL AS A CAVALRY OFFICER PRINCE GEORGE The Family Favourite AS THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY, IT IS NATURAL THAT PRINCE GEORGE SHOULD BE THE OBJECT OF SPECIAL AFFECTION, BUT, APART FROM THIS CONSIDERATION, THE PRINCE HAS “WINNING” WAYS AND ENDEARING QUALITIES WHICH MAKE HIM EXCEPTIONALLY POPULAR WHEREVER HE GOES. HE HAS RECENTLY JOINED THE CHINA SQUADRON AS A NAVAL OFFICER

TIME was when younger princes only “dabbled” in careers. They had their nominal attachments, their honorary rank in the Navy, their colonelcies in the Army, and their ornamental positions in the learned societies. And there they were content to leave serious interests. Queen Victoria changed that. She was determined to put an end to the notion that a prince need neither toil nor spin. The mere performance of casual public duties, such as the opening of exhibitions and memorial halls was not to be allowed to pass as a career, although, so far as the heir to the Throne was concerned, the mul-

tiplicity of engagements might be such as to make a career in the Services impossible. As a consequence of Queen Victoria’s decision, we have to-day a King who is a perfectly competent Naval officer, and we have, in the Duke of Connaught, a soldier of genuine distinction. fess than a "Private ' I 'HE tradition thus initiated is A continued to-day. Prince George is a Naval officer, and Prince Henry a captain of Hussars. Somewhere in the War Office are filed away the confidential reports on Prince Henry, made by the commanding officers under whom he has served. They are made out on exactly the same regulation form as is used for other Army officers, and, doubtless, with the same frankness. If we might glance at these, we should find that the Prince began his military career as a cadet in the Officers’ Training Corps at Eton. It may be taken for granted then, that Prince Henry knows the drudgery of the ranks, with its eternal button polishing, rifle cleaning, and “fatigues.” From the Eton O.T.C. the Prince went to Sandhurst. Here he experienced all the ups and downs of the very strict course of training given in that military academy. By sheer merit, he rose to the rank of cadetsergeant. In the course of his duties as a non-commissioned officer, he once overlooked some minor task. A soldier who neglects a duty is usually brought before his company or commanding officer and charged with the offence. That is precisely what

happened to the King’s third son. He was paraded before the Commandant and admonished for his neglect. Passing out of Sandhurst in 1919, he was gazetted to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps as a second lieutenant, and joined the Second Battalion at Portsmouth. The Duke of Connaught, who is very fond of the young prince, had much to do with the choice of regiment. The Duke himself is an old “Green Jacket,” and was. anxious that his regiment should have this promising young soldier. Dure of the paddle A SUBALTERN in an infantry regiment gets very little riding, and to Prince Henry this was the one thing lacking from his life in the Rifles, for he loves a horse. At an early age he took to riding, and caused his Royal parents no little anxiety by his daring, but the boy’s natural aptitude was unusual, and he soon gained the knack to “fall on his feet.” After nearly a year with his regiment, there came the opportunity of taking a course of cavalry training with the 13th Hussars at Aldershot. With visions of a lot of hard riding, Prince Henry seized the opportunity, and, with this mounted corps, he spent several happy weeks. Those who knew how much he enjoyed his training with the cavalry, were not surprised to learn, a few months after his return to his regiment, that the Prince wished to transfer permanently to the mounted arm of the Service. He craved riding, and riding he was to have with a vengeance. The

ordinary standard of horsemanship such as will serve an infantry officer and an occasional rider to hounds, is not good enough for a cavalry unit, and especially such a unit as the Hussars. Accordingly, Prince Henry was ordered to the cavalry school at Weedon, Northamptonshire. Who said ‘Dismount ? T THOUGHT I knew a lot about riding before I met the instructors at Weedon!” Such was the verdict of Prince Henry on his training at this exacting establishment, and it is expressive because it leaves so much to the imagination. His royal rank did not save him from the caustic tongues of the instructors. When he was thrown, he met with the usual query as to who told him to dismount, and his faults in handling his horse were pointed out to him with the customary frankness of the warrant officer. As the result of the Prince’s endurance of this very strict course of training, he is easily the best horseman in the Royal Family. He is in his clement in the hunting field, and he shows promise of becoming a brilliant polo player, if he can devote sufficient time to that difficult sport. The Prince’s heart, however, is in his work, and it is unlikely that he will sacrifice his duties, military or civil, to the pursuit of polo or hunting, much as he likes those sports. It is no secret that he would like to go overseas as a military A.D.C. to one of the Governors-Gencral, but he knows that he is unlikely to secure one of these appointments until he has attained the right standard of military proficiency.

Tallest ‘Prince SHOULD he go, he is certain to prove immensely popular, for he has that combination of dignity and the democratic manner which Britons overseas admire. He is the tallest of their Majesties’ sons, and has a smart, soldierly bearing, although, when he relaxes, one sees just a trace of that stoop which the King discloses in moments of ease. The Prince’s manner is free of any trace of affectation. In speaking in public, he has none of the nervousness of the Prince of Wales or the Duke of York. In disposition, Prince Henry is easy to get on with, and ready always to smile. He likes a good human story, and can tell one. In his repertoire is a story concerning an old coachman he met one day in the Royal stables at the Palace. The man had recently been pensioned off, owing to the decreasing use of horsedrawn conveyances, and the Prince expressed his regret that this was

necessary. The man concurred, somewhat gloomily, but added in a brighter manner: “Ah, well, Sir, I had the honour of following your greatgrandmother to her grave, and your grandfather, too, and, if I’m lucky, I may be spared to follow your father there as well 3hfis EModel AWAY from the Army, the Prince has a number of serious interests. He has very much at heart the welfare of the hospitals, and he is ever ready to sacrifice an afternoon’s pleasure or an evening’s dancing if he can do them a good turn. He takes an interest in the country-side

and will, no doubt,' develop a lively interest in agriculture as he grows older. Of the future of Prince Henry it is easier to write than of his elder brothers. Some attachment to an overseas governor-general is almost certain to fall to his lot, ■ but this will take him only temporarily from his Army career. A Royal dukedom, too, will come in the fullness of time. The Duke of Connaught’s record may be taken as the plan which Prince Henry has before him, and, if he can follow worthily in the Duke’s footsteps, the country will have a great asset in the King’s third son. May he have a life as long as the Duke’s, coupled with the same capacity for public service and quiet enjoyment. PRINCE GEORGE CJhe Gfamily favourite JUST as the Duke of York has succeeded to the official title carried for so many years by our

present Monarch, so Prince George has been honoured by the unofficial title “Our Sailor Prince.” His name is always associated with the Service he loves so well. For the Navy Prince George is destmed, not alone by the wishes of his parents, but also by his own desire. As the youngest member of the Royal Family, it is natural that Prince. George should be the object of special affection, but, apart from this consideration, the Prince has “winning” ways and endearing qualities which make him exceptionally popular wherever he goes. He has recently joined the China Squadron as a Naval officer.

His experience in the Senior Service will be different from that of his two elder brothers, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. The Prince of Wales has had a naval training, but it was obvious from the beginning of his career that his heavy and varied duties as HeirApparent would not permit of his making the Navy his career. With the Duke of York, their Majesties’ intention was different. Prince Albert, as he was, took a full course of Naval training, and would undoubtedly have continued in the Navy but for his unfortunate breakdown in health in 1916. Prince George entered the Service in 1916 as a cadet. He went through the usual qualifying examinations, and, accompanied by his tutor, the invaluable Mr. Hansell, he entered the Royal Naval College at Osborne. From Osborne he was transferred to Dartmouth, and, passing out after the customary examination, he went to sea for six months in a battleship, before being gazetted a

midshipman. Now, of course, Prince George is a lieutenant, on service in foreign waters, and thus his feet are well set upon a ladder, and his heart is in his work, for he has taken well to the life of the Navy. Just Qeorge BY the express wish of the King, Prince George receives no peculiar privileges. He takes his share of the rough work, and is subject to the same disciplinary code as any other young naval officer. In the mess he is known as “P.G.” to most, and as “George” to a few. In short, his rank makes absolutely no difference;

he leads the ordinary life of a young naval officer, save that his Royal rank ■ prevents him from joining in some of the more boisterous fun and “ragging” that goes on among junior officers. Naturally, it is hard for a young fellow to be denied the recognised methods of letting off steam, but there are obvious reasons why definite limits should be set to the lessconventional recreations of a Prince. Still, like his eldest brother, Prince .George is a high-spirited young fellow, and is “game” for any legitimate adventure. When his ship is in port, he will go ashore with his fellow-officers and join in the harmless fun of the evening with all the zest of a healthy fellow in the early twenties. Sometimes these exploits are written up in an exaggerated way by foreign correspondents, and misleading impressions are conveyed to those who do not know his nature. The Prince is very popular in society. He is debonair, good-humored, and sociable. His description of “the

family favourite” is a true one; He “mixes” well, and, on an: informal occasion, he can make himself very useful at the piano. Prince George is the musician of the Royal Family, having a very good “touch,” a good ear, and ability to read at sight. He has an extensive repertoire of dance music at his command. C'finishing his Education WITH duties taking them away so frequently, the King’s sons rarely find themselves together in town for any length of time, but not long ago, the Prince of Wales

and Prince George were in the happy position of seeing a good deal of each other. The Prince of Wales took the opportunity of “showing him round,’' and of making his youngest brother acquainted with the places worth knowing. Together they visited theatres and a few clubs, and, as the brothers’ tastes coincide, there is no doubt that the younger prince enjoyed these eveivngs just as much as his mentor. Until a few years ago Prince George was much with his father and mother. They took him, as part of his training, to many of the functions in which they participated, and, when he had no engagements, he dined at Buckingham Palace with his parents. Now, however, that period is ended, and the Prince being largely master of his own leisure, few things please him more than to join his eldest brother for an evening about the town. The two princes, immaculately attired, and laughing heartily, were, at one t : me, quite a familiar sight in the stalls or boxes of those theatres where the more intimate revues are staged. Prince George has a keen sense of humour, a fact which may, or may not, be the only basis of a good story which went the rounds during the last London season. The story goes that the Prince was accosted by an American who had, by some means, obtamed access to Buckingham Palace. Unaware of the young man’s identity, the trans-Atlantic visitor asked him a question, and the Prince, though realising that the man was a trespasser, entered into the spirit of the situation, and undertook to show him round. So successful was Prince George in imitating the manner of the

orthodox “guide,” that, on parting, the American slipped a tip into the Prince’s hand, remarking that, with the present insecurity of thrones, his job as a flunkey might not last much longer, “so take my advice and look out for another.” J-fates a Cfiuss T N manner, the King’s youngest son -*■ is free from any trace of affectation, and hates any over-stress’ng of his Royal rank. When he was operated on for appendicitis a few years ago, he expressed the hope that there would not be “any rotten fuss about me.” This trait was manifest when he was presented with the Freedom of the City of London. He reminded his hearers that he belonged to what was known as the “Silent Service,” and his modest address of thanks was one of the briefest on record. It was, nevertheless, a most appropriate speech, and showed unmistakeably the breezy manner of the naval officer. When, for a joke, a party of which he was a member, visited a palmist’s establishment in the Isle of Wight, during Cowes Week, Prince George resolutely refused to allow the “seer” to look into his future. He is quite content to leave that to Providence, but there is little doubt as to where his hopes lie. The three younger sons of our King and Queen have each been contributed to one of the three branches of the defensive forces, and the son who has chosen the Navy gives great promise of being worthy of both his family and of the Service to which he belongs. A better ambition than this he could not have.