Prince of Wales.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 9, 30 August 1911, Page 53

Prince of Wales.

IN’VI>TITLRE AT C ARNARVON GASTLE. SPLENDID CEREMONLAL. WELSHMEN S WILD ENTHUSIASM. CARNARVON, July IX All eyes to-day have been on Carnarvon, the rugged castletown right away in the west, where the young Prince of \V4les has been invented as such with an almost medieval pomp and ceremony. The day has been one of blazing golden sunshine, with not a cloud to inar the blue of the sky. not a ripple to disturb Ihe reflections in the bay. and not an incident to spoil the flawlessness of a ceremony so effect ire that none of ns who saw it will ever forget its picturesque significance. Within the castle what a picture! Would that I could dip my pen in some fairy ink and write you one half the magnificence of it all. for I doubt me my powers are too feeble to show it you as I saw it fr<?m my place within the upper courtyard. The position was perfect; high up so that a breeze from the Straits a hundred feet below, and behind the stone wall that sheltered from the fiercest rays, played about one. and in such a spot that nothing that went on in the courtyard below could escape one’s notice. To reach my comfortable cranny I clambered up stone steps innumerable that must, assuredly, have figured in some tale of my youth, so familiar were their treacherous, slippery ways with dark low cloisters leading from one to the other, and giving, through slits in the wall, peeps of sea. land or wall below. Into these cool darknesses many of us slipped, during the day. to escape the broiling sun. Closed in by the grey walls (stretching apparently to the cloudless sky) were some twelve thousand people, and when it is said that all that vast crowd could watch the entire investiture some idea of the size of the courtyard and the perfection of the arrangements for the day may be imagined. The three acres space was carpeted from end to end with green doth, and towards the eastern end there was a raised dais shaded by a silken canopy of green and white stripes, surmounted by a golden statue of St. David. AIT around the walls were tiers of seats, green and white also, and under the battlements on every side were shields bearing the heraldic devices ’of the many titles possessed by the boy who Is many times a prince. Upon the dais three throne-like chairs awaited their occupants. The one in the centre held G.R. embroidered on its back, that on tire left M.R., and that on the King's right a double E. Before the King's chair was the green velvet stool on which the Prince would kneel to give allegiance. The courtyard was cleared, and thousands of beautifully gowned woirfa, of men gay with orders and medals many colour.-1 uniforms, judges, l?i~hops. academic ct Uliritics. sheriffs, and many other brightly-gowned guests took their places on their stands till we seemed at la>t ;o be in a marvellous human garden. «o beautiful, bright, and rich was the picture. The Welsh Choir. But now a more pk-ture'que note than anv there was added, for the oak gates admitted the Wel-h Choir—a ho-t of sweet singers clad in the national costume. Over the moat they < ame in couples, then, at the foot of the dai-. separated ami wended thc.r way in scarlet single lines to their places on the strand which held th? King and Queen's < hairs. It was a kind arrangement that this choir of angel \ui- < - h -u’.l -ing our waiting time a a ay, lor t » h* ar -weet WcUh -h.c 1- than whom, it their be-t, there are perhaps no bett.-r ringing Welsh - - ■- a ■- - t worth going a long pay to hear. A • , lendid \\ <I h Laud pas station*,! in another part of the (' >urt\ ■. <l, ami .» ■ oi luctoi stati n •! 011 tl were men singers there, too. in plenty, but justice compels me to say that they looked cbirnsy and extraordinarily ordinary be le •he bright*' lul women h*.-i. Neverth<d< 'S their singing pas * x pusitcly tuneful. Notabilities ha 1 now arrived in plenty, and very soon it s<a mv I there wasn’t au unoccupied niche unj uhvie, and a

remarkable picture only awaited its principal figures. .Suddenly a greater noise shocked one’s ears. It was the heavy.thud of a gun, echoed 21 times from Coedhelen Hill, where once the wizard Merlin stood and waved his wand to eonjure up the spirits of the glens and pools. Fl' e Prinee of Wales was near at hand. Then came another interval when we, within, knew that an address was being presented to mm in Castle-square, and then suddenly above the Eagle Tower there was run up on the slender flagpole the standard of the Prince of Wales the six bars of "God Save the King" tJ .which he is entitled were played, and then ‘-God Bless the Prince of' Wales.’’ and we knew that the little midshipman was entering his robing chambers. Now another interval, and then suddenly bands blared the National Anthem, up stood the scarlet choir, off came the men’s helmets and hats, to our feet wot we all, for the King was coming.. ° A fanfare was sounded from the trumpets on the battlements and there came into view before us four gentlemen ushers. their gaily-clad heralds that we all love and know in London—Bluemantle J m suit ant and Rouge Croix Pursuivant —looking just like the knaves in a pack of cards. The King and Queen Arrive. Now followed h ork Herald and Richmond Herald and a large company of plain clothes Welsh celebrities sheriffs Lieutenants of Welsh counties, and what not. Then some eighteen Welsh Peers and the Secretary of State for the Home Department Mr. Winston Churchill), the 1-n-st Lord of the Admiraltv i Mr’ Reginald McKenna), and the Constable ot Carnarvon Castle f Mr. Lloyd George, Fhen the Norroy King of Arm-, the t larenceux King of Arms, the Peers to bear, later, the Prin e’s Insignia, the ! 1 b. \ ns, the I : ( hamberlain, in robes of crimson ?r >--ed wit a white and ermine cape, the Earl -Marshal, and then, in crimson robes also Earl Beauchamp, bearing aloft the ■>)■■■- >wor,l of <tate. the K ng- in A Imiral’s uniform and Qitee i Mary, 1 , .king ver stately tn pale blue silk and la ... wit . diamond orders glittering on her breast and i hi- trimnied with white pltunes,"arrived. Prim es- \ n ~. >f ( naught walked behind. V\i;l cheers rang out from twelve taroats, the King ind Queen ? ?kno " le Iging t em by - ihite an I smil3ng . ‘ ’w, the chairs on the lais very 1 " ■' n - great in dux . - come. A- a nod from the King. th.. E.i;’ Marsh >l, the Duke of Norfolk. st 1 into the sunlight before the dais in his dignified robes of office, and his voice could be heard in all corners of tiie great courtyard: By command of the King." He .-riel Summon the Prince!" Then, as a’ stately procession of peers departed t > do the King’- bidding, we waited in tense silence, the King giving us the -ignal to resume our seats. Only a few moments passed before we all sprang to oar feet. The air was filled with mu.-i--trie Welsh choir sang "God B'e-s the Prin-e of Wales” as none of u.- had ever heard it before, and there came be*ore l, s such a picture that a lump ■ omes to the throat even now to think back upc-h is. - lucre pa--. 1 before us a pro , n o f druids—are we not in the land where Drilldry is honoured and no mere name belonging to the last? de Arclilrni,; and Deputy Di ; 1 , m .. first, the AreL- lruid such by of -laving made the best oration of the year. Clad in flowing robes of white *a..n an i gold, w.th a gold an i w’dre »tole about- hU neck (thi> dru d iw a minister >, a "olden chain above that, and witn his glowing satin heal-vlress bound with a chaplet of oak-l-»aves. he looked an ancient and honourable figure indeed. Behind him walked the officers of the Gor-eld druids. i n flowing robellle ° r l'»okinj like Arab Now ame. in bright trappings. Carnarvon Pursuivant and Fitza’an Pursuivant. Rouge Dragon Pursuivant ant Port ulliw Pursuivant, the Chester Herald. the <i irter King of Anns bearing the Letter* Paten , I»rd Mostyn bearing the Mantle, the Farl of Fowi.s with the upon a cushion, the Marquis of Anglesey with another cushion hoi ling the coronet. Lord Dynevor. with a cushion hearing . the-ring, and the Duke of Beaufort with the Golden R<»d upon a cushion.

Then a sight that made the eyes of some of us fill with tears of understanding as we looked at the Queen, stately yet pale and tremulous, and Princess Mary openly anxious. The King, with his orders glittering in the sun, stood a little forward to await his son. . And who could not guess the thoughts of that father and mother awaiting theii son, to whom the ceremony must have been no ordinary ordeal. For all through he —the slim seventeen year old boy—was the central figure, all eyes were on him, for him was the whole day. And right manly did he do his part, though he was obviously very, very nervous and aware to the full of the dignity of the high offiee he assumed to-day. Such a slender, handsome youth, he ■was walking bareheaded with Lord Kenyon, the tallest leer in the realm, and the Earl of Plymouth, both in robes, and followed by a goodly company m robes and uniform. Slowly they advanced, the young Prince, with eves bent down, as if to shut away the sight of the great multitude who now filled the air with cheer upon cheer. He was in white kneebreeches and silk stockings, with the Garter glittering with diamonds below one knee, and he wore a purple velvet surcoat, lightly edged at the foot with ermine, and a soft white silk edging round the neck, which was low. The Investiture. The Prince made three obeisances before he knelt, and while the Letters Patent were read by Mr. Winston Churchill the King bestowed the various insignia as each was named. The sword, "And him our said most dear son Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, as has been accustomed we do ennoble and invest with the said principality and earldonr of girding him with a sword”; the chaplet of gold “By putting a coronet on his head”; the ring on the third finger of his left hand, “And a gold ring on his finger”; the golden verge, “And also by delivering a gold rod into his hand. That he only preside there, and may direct and defend those party to hold to him and his heirs kings of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the seas for ever.” A pretty moment was that one when the Prince kneeling and taking off his crown swore to his royal father, standing gravely above him:-—-"I, Edward Prinee of Wales, do become your liege man of life and limb and of earthly worshin, and faith and truth I will bear unto you to live-and die against all manner of folks.” Then a prettier still, for receiving the Letters Patent, the Kink placed them in the Prince’s left hand, and then holding him by the hands, raised his son and kissed him on both cheeks. Perhaps there was no more beautiful incident of the ceremony than this. The Prince had to stand now for a long time a gallant, boyish figure, with the golden rod in his right hand. His left hanu nervously twitching his ermine cape, he had to listen to a long address from the people of Wales, read by the Rt. Hon. Sir John Rhys, and Mr. Abraham, M.P., and the Arch Druid both addressed him briefly. The first word of the address was "eroesau.” the Welsh word for “welcome,” and thereafter it referred to the ancient history of the nrineipality and the position the country had taken, not only in war. but in the peaceful arts of music and literature. The Prince's Reply. Now the Prince, holding his speech on a scroll, read it, and in such a strong and beautiful voice, though it trembled at times, that it carried easily to al! of us:— “ I thank you with all my heart for your cordial welcome. And with you I wish that this may b e the first of many visits toyour beautiful country. As your address reminds me, the many links of the past, my Tudor descent, the great title that 1 bear, as well as my name David, all hind me to Wales; and to-day I can snfely say that I am in "Hen wind ly uhndan ’ (the old land of my father-). (Tremendous cheers.) ‘‘l can assure von 1 shall never forget to day as long as I live, and I hope ein-

cerely that it will always mark a happy day in the Principality as one which brought you a new friend. He is, it is true, a young friends. I am very young, but I have great examples before me. I have my dear father and my dear mother, and good friends to help me, and so bearing. j n mind our ancient beautiful saying: • Heb dduw heb ddim duw a digon’ (Without God, without anything. °God is enough.) I hope to do my duty to my King, to Wales, and to you all.” The boyish intonation of the voice that said, “I hope to do my duty,” “I am very young,” and “my dear father and mother” (and here he faltered so that our eyes went again to that dear father and mother for a moment) was touching beyond expression, and sympathetic murmurs of understanding could be heard < n all sides. So ended a simple and solemn little ser. vice, and then there followed the crowning moment of this day when the Prince in his long knight’s mantle, wearing his coronet, and carrying the symbols of his chieftainship i n Wales, was presented to the great host of the Welsh people assembled outside the eastle walls. Leaving their thrones, the King and Queen, with the young Prince between them, and preceded by the heralds and kings-at-arms, went down the steps to the dais and then up two flights of steps leading to the Norman archway of Queen Eleanor’s Tower. The King led his son by the hand, and the boy seemed grateful for that clasp. Again they walked to the King's Gate and then, a third time, to the Eagle Gate, the King at each presenting his son to the Prince’s people. Outside there had waited for hours dense crowds in patience, and now at sight of the Royal trio, the Prince so grave and youthful in his robes, the handsome mother, the slender father already loved by all, the cheers absolutely stormed the castle like some great host. Round after round of cries—wild, joyful, shrill, deep—came to us, and as the King’s Gate before us opened we could see the wondrous reception. And now came music that nearly finished the unmanning of us for the immortal strains of “Land of Our Fathers” (“Hen Wlad fy Nhadan”), that song of ecstasy and love, was sung as only the people of this land of mountains and poetry could render it. Then, after the third presentation of the Prinee to the people, the Royalties, still to the strains of the never wearisome National Anthem, entered open carriages, and, from the battlements, we watched them drive between loyal crowds and bright-clad soldiers along by the water’s edge and out of sight. Slowly we left the great grey castle, slowly made our way through narrow old streets. . It has been like a beautiful play, yet no play has ever been so beautiful, vv are no actors, but men and women w . to-day have joined in a ceremony such as has never been before, since .>e i - Prince of Wales was presented, six centuries gone by, to his subjects, a ll ' - sue as, in our lifetime, will never be agai .