Offensive References to the King

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 16, 18 October 1911, Page 36

Offensive References to the King

The “Contemporary Review” is not fortunate in its references to the Monarchy. Some months ago, it may be remembered, it printed an offensive article on King Edward, and withdrew it from publication. This month it contains an anonymous article on King George in relation to the Constitutional crisis and other matters, which also is in extremely bad taste. Interlined with it are un-

gracious references to King Edward, which are much to be regretted. His late Majesty is spoken of as “a genial man of pleasure,” whose influence might have been opposed to the Victorian theory of the place of the Crown in the Constitution. King George, we are told, will return to strictly Victorian lines—“He has revived the simplicity of the early Victorian Court, and he faithfully observes the traditions of the great Queen.” The inference here is that King Edward was likely to usurp his position had he lived. The writer goes on to describe with more imagination than substance what occurred when the Conference on the House of Lords question failed.