THE NEW PRINCE OF WALES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 20, 16 November 1910, Page 2

THE NEW PRINCE OF WALES.

HIS EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

▼ OUTH, informing every move--41 went of his lithe frame, reflect- , I ™g itself in every merry utterance from *his lips, “has set its golden seal,” according to the Paris “Figaro,” upon the personality of his Royal Highness Prince Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Great Steward of Scotland; Duke of Saxony and Prince of SaxeCoburg and Gotha —titles now eclipsed in his new dignity as Prince of Wales. He is sixteen, says our Parisian contemporary, but he is much besides — handsome, witty, sweet-natured, modest and above all a gentleman. “He is the darling of his mother's heart, her hope

and her pride, the pledge of those dreams of her girlhood wtiiclh made her .sacred to herself as England's future Queen.” The intimacy between mother and son ■has always been elose and beautiful, symbolising to our French contemporary the striking physical resemblance they present. But the shyness and reserve of the mother are never discernible in the demeanour and conversation of the son. He makes friends readily and talks brightly. He laughs loud and long. He has a ringing voice, and deep, tender, grave blue eyes. His cheek is round and his skin is rosy. Of all his personal gifts his courtesy seems the finest. Much of the time of his Royal Highness is to be devoted to a study of his deportment in his new capacity as Prince of Wales, a study which his natural disposition lenders easy and delightful. The title of Prince of Wales is not hereditary, we are reminded by the London "Telegraph,” but is the subject of a Ires'll grant with each new reign, at the discretion of the Sovereign. Modern research has, of course, long disproved the tradition that Edward L presented hie infant lirst-born son to the Welsh nobles at Carnarvon Castle as “free from any blemiali upon his honour, and unable to speak

a word of English.” As a fact the Prine# was born in April, 1284, but was not created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester until February, 1301. It is doubtful whether his own son, afterwards Edward 111., was made Prince of Wales, and it is not recorded that the title was ever formally conferred upon Charles IL, though, when quite a child, his household and establishment were recognised as belonging to the Prince of Wales. Nor did Henry VIII. confer it upon hid only son, afterwards Edward VI. There would seem to be no reasph why it. should not be conferred upon a Princess, and there is reason 'to lielieve that it was born by Mary Tudor. The title has often been in abeyance for long periods, notably between the reigns of Charles 11. and George 11. ,

The late King Edward was certainly one of the youngest upon whom the title was bestowed, for Queen Victoria conferred it upon him on December 4, 1841, so that he was less than a month old at the time. George IV. received the title at five weeks old. The Earldom of Chester has almost invariably been granted simultaneously with the title of Prince of Wales since the reign of Henry IV. A new Prince of Wales liecomes also a Knight of the Garter, for when certain revisions were made in 1805 of the statutes of that most noble Order, it was decided that the Prince of‘Wales was a constituent in the original institution, and since then this has beea maintained. The Coronet of the Prince of Wales is mueli like the Crown, only it has no jewels, and consists of Maltese crosses and fleurs delis alternating. It has only one arch, upon which are the Orb and Cross. There arc distinctive feature# in the mantle that the Prince of Wales wears at the. Coronation, for it is doubled below the elbow and lined with ermine, with the spots arranged in diamond order, while the Parliamentary robe#

have five bars both of ermine and gold lace.

That striking resemblance between the youthful Prince of Wales and the late King Edward which most French dailies point out just now, is a source of delight in Paris, where his attachment to his grandfather’s ideals inspires hope for the future of the cordial understanding between the two nations.

It would seem, from last month’s revelations in London dailies, that the education of the lad will in some details follow the precedents set in the case of his grandfather. His appearance, his deportment and his dress have been made the theme of intsruetions to the court dignitaries not less precise than those issued by Queen Victoria when her eldest son had attained the age of the present heir to the British throne. The character of 'the Prince's relations with others is prescribed for him by his parents with special reference to their wish that he be reared a gentleman. Much space is devoted in London dailies to the kind of education a Prince of Wales ought to receive, and whut his Royal Highness may expect in the way of precept is revealed in the memorandum compiled for the benefit of his grandfather and especially commended by the present King, declares the London “News,” to the preceptors chosen for his Royal Highness of to-day. We copy from “The Quarterly Review ": “The manners and conduct of a gentleman towards others are founded on the basis of kindness, consideration, and the absence of selfishness. There can be no good manners when any one of these principles is sacrificed.

“A prince, particularly, should treat all around him with the most scrupulous good manners, civility, and attention.

‘‘He should return every mark of respect, not only with the most punctilious exactitude, but with an appearance of goodwill and cordiality. A salute returned with the air of its being a bore is rather an affrontr than a civility.

“A prince should never say a harsh or a rude word to anybody, nor indulge in satirieial or bantering expressions, by which the person to whom it is addressed may be low-ered. As soon as the conversation of a prince makes his companion feel uncomfortable he is sure to have offended against some of the laws of good breeding. “Punctuality is another of the duties of a well-bred gentleman; no person should ever be kept waiting, but should circumstances render this unavoidable, an apology should always be made, and regret expressed at any inconvenience that may have been incurred. “The gentlemen will hardly require to have it pointed out to them how much of these habits, so important to the Prince of Wales, may be inculcated and strengthened by association. “Not only is it desirable that they should be most courteous and kind to all around, .but they should quietly, yet steadily, mark in their manner any approach to want of civility or rudeness towards themselves; with every readiness to oblige the young Prince in what is for his benefit, they should always let him see that they maintain their self-rcspe<t, can be firm, and do not approve of any liberty being attempted with them. They should be themselves very exact in punctuality. Tlrey should never encourage, or themselves indulge in. ridicule of personal peculiarities or natural defects, children being very prone to laugh at Others, and even supposing that they thereby establish for themselves a certain superiority.”

This is not the only portion of the code prescribed for the training of the Prince’s grandfather which, it seems, has now become applicable in the case of the Prince himself. King George is said to have marked these passages of the confidential memorandum for the guidance of the gentlemen appointed to attend on the Prince of Wales who later become Edward VII.:

“A gentleman having gained the prestige in society of good address and appearance, and courteous manners, must maintain the good opinion of his companions by showing intelligence in his conversation, and some knowledge of those studies and pursuits which adorn society and make it interesting. (Mere ganws of

cards and billiards, and idle gossiping talk, will never teach this; and to a .Prince, who has usually to take the lead in conversation, the habit of finding something to say beyond mere questions us to health and remarks upon the weather is most desirable.

“Although, therefore, the Prince of Wales is to have all relaxation and recreation which is desirable (and which, indeed, is quite necessary, the gentlemen in attendance may be of great use if they can succeed by persevering example in inducing the Prince to devote some of his leisure time to music, to the fine arts, either drawing, or looking over drawings, engravings, etc., to hearing poetry, amusing books, or good plays read aloud; in short, to anything that whilst it amuses may gently exercise the mind. They must give this up if the Prinee seems at first disinclined to such pursuits. It will not be within their province to direct wliut his Royal Highness is to do; but by persevering in such employments themselves, and encouraging and assisting the Prince when he shows the disposition to join them, they may do much to lead him to what is at present so desirable, and will through life conduce so much to his happiness.”

The Queen, shy herself, and knowing how much she suffered from her timidity, had thoughts of sending Princess Mary to a boarding-school, but the plan Iras fallen through, as also that of sending tha Prince round the world next year with his brother. ■Princess Mary is not a little of a tomboy and the boon companion of her brothers. Prince Edward, asked if he relished the idea of one day becoming King, gave answer, “Yes! But 'all the same it would be a good thing if I could hand over the job to Mary. She is so Very clever, you see.” Princess Mary, then, is clever, says the British paper, from which we copy this anecdote, and, what is actually more important, has sweet manners, and makes herself liked wherever she goes. The young Prince will not remain in the Navy. Soon he must forsake the senior service for a military training. He is already a lover of outdoor life, and at five years old was quite at home nitride his pony. At ten be had his first lesson in the art of fly-fishing. He is a keen cricketer both in the College matches and the games winch take place in the "Home Park at Windsor. Hut iiis future is in the hands of his mother. She it was who personally superintended hi* religious training and she it will he, affirms the Paris “Figaro," who seen to it that no evil influence mars the effect of the education lie hu* received. It seems that he is to reign— God willing—os lad ward VIIL