The Life of King Edward VII
the Princess had visited that much-troubled country and many untoward
events had occurred since then. The proposal for another visit was not
popular with a section of the Irish press and politicians, but when it
was evident that the generous instincts of the Irish people were going
to make the occasion a demonstration of kindly feeling, if not of
loyalty after the English fashion, they changed their attitude and
recommended a "dignified neutrality." Even this advice was very largely,
however, lost sight of in the eventual result. On April 9th the Royal
couple, accompanied by Prince Albert Victor, arrived at Kingstown amid
the usual decorations and crowds and accepted an address of welcome. In
Dublin the address was presented by the City Reception Committee instead
of by the Lord Mayor and Corporation. An important clause in this
document to which the Prince made no reference in his cautious reply was
as follows: "We venture to assure you that it would be a great
gratification to Her Majesty's loyal subjects in Ireland if a permanent
Royal residence should be established in our country." A visit was paid
at the conclusion of these proceedings to the Royal Dublin Society and
the Agricultural Show.
Later in the day the Prince, attended only by his eldest son and without
notice of his intention, visited some of the poorest parts of the city
and saw for himself the condition of the people. It soon became known,
however, that he was amongst them and hearty cheers were given him
wherever the people caught a glimpse of their visitor. On the following
day thirty different addresses were received from various public bodies
and in replying to them the Prince said: "In varied capacities and by
widely different paths you pursue those great objects which, dear to
you, are, believe me, dear also to me--the prosperity and progress of
Ireland, the welfare and happiness of her people. From my heart I wish
you success and I would that time and my own powers would permit me to
explain fully and in detail the deep interest which I feel not only in
the welfare of this great Empire at large but in the true happiness of
those several classes of the community on whose behalf you have come
here to-day." The next event was the laying of the foundation stone of
the new Museum of Science and Art. The route was densely thronged, the
houses beautifully decorated and the cheers of the people enthusiastic.
An appropriate speech was made and then the Prince and his wife and son,
accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant and Countess Spencer, drove to the
Royal University where they were received by the Chancellor, the Duke of
Abercorn, and the Honorary degree of LL. D. bestowed upon the Prince and
that of Doctor of Music upon the Princess.
Succeeding incidents of the visit were a brilliant Levee at Dublin
Castle; a Drawing-room held by the Princess of Wales; a state ball given
by the Lord Lieutenant, which was a great success; a visit to the Arlane
Industrial School; an enthusiastic reception at Trinity College from a
great and representative gathering; the presentation of new colours to
the Cornwall Regiment, then stationed in Dublin, with a speech--as on
most of the other occasions mentioned--from the Prince. On April 13th
the Prince and Princess started for Cork and on the way thither, at
Mallow, there was some attempt at a hostile demonstration. An effort of
the same kind was made at Cork but was nullified by the cordial
hospitality of the masses of the people. The Royal visitors left Ireland
on April 17th well satisfied with the general loyalty and courtesy of
their reception.
HIS PART IN THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE
In two of the great events which characterized the closing years of the
Victorian era and his Mother's reign the Prince of Wales took a
prominent and most important part--the Queen's Jubilee of 1887 and the
Diamond Jubilee of ten years later. Upon no other occasion has his
actual executive ability been better tested than in the latter event.
Few, perhaps, can adequately realize the immense amount of work which
devolved upon, or was assumed by, the Prince in this connection. He
undertook many of the functions; he was present with the Queen at all
the events of a busy, crowded week; he directed most of the detail and
guided the complicated etiquette and procedure of the occasion; he
personally controlled the arrangements for the splendid procession
through the streets of London; he overlooked the plans for the service
in the Abbey and for the protection of the massed multitude in the
streets; he received and entertained many of the Royal personages who
came from abroad. In both of these great events the Prince of Wales
appreciated the new and peculiar significance added to the formal or
popular British celebrations by the presence of Colonial leaders and
troops and visitors. He had, in fact, to stamp the Imperial character
and standing of these great demonstrations.
CHAPTER XI.
The Prince and His Family
The home life of the Prince and Princess of Wales was never an
absolutely private one. It was lived in the light of an almost ceaseless
publicity. Not that the actual house of the Royal couple was, or could
ever be, unduly invaded; but that every visitor was a more or less
interested spectator and student of conditions and that every trifling
incident, as well as the more important matters, of every-day life were
remembered, repeated, or recorded as they would never be in an ordinary
household.
HOME LIFE OF THE ROYAL COUPLE
Memoirs of British statesmen, leaders in art, or literature, or
religion, or the Army and the Navy, teem with references, during forty
years, to the life of the Heir Apparent and his wife at Sandringham or
Marlborough and, without exception, they convey the impression of honest
domestic happiness and unity. Gossip during that long period there had
been, of course; unpleasant inuendoes had been uttered in a small and
unpleasant section of the press; peculiar and, for the most obvious
reasons, impossible stories had been cabled from time to time across the
Atlantic; but they were patiently borne by those who were the easy
victims of silly statements and they were more than controverted by the
tributes published from men who have lived on terms of intimacy with the
Royal family and whose death lifted, occasionally, the seal of secrecy
from their natural reserve and made the expression of their opinions and
experiences possible.
The steady growth of the Prince and Princess in popular favour and the
fact that even the most irresponsible or unscrupulous purveyor of news
to such sheets as Mr. Labouchere's _Truth_ had never dared to reflect
upon the Princess of Wales' beauty of character and life sufficed long
before the accession of His Royal Highness to the Throne to kill even
the surreptitious stories which always float upon the surface of society
regarding persons in Royal positions. In this connection may be quoted
the interesting reference to the subject made by Mr. G. W. Smalley, the
well-known American writer who for so many years acted as London
correspondent of the New York _Tribune_. He was dealing, under date of
January 17th, 1892, with the premature death of the young Duke of
Clarence and, after referring to the freshness of affection which
prevailed throughout the Royal family, he proceeded in these words: "It
is known to be strong and pure in all three generations--indeed there
are now four--which together make up the Royal family of England. * * *
The domestic traditions were followed just as faithfully at Marlborough
House as at Windsor. The Prince of Wales's has been not merely a good
but a devoted family. The Princess, whose whole life has been beautiful
is in nothing more beautiful than in her love for her children. She
passed from the bedside of her second son whose life she helped to
save--they say that Prince George never rallied till his mother returned
to nurse him--to the bedside of her first-born by whose grave she has
now to stand."
Sandringham Hall in Norfolk was the real home of the Royal couple and it
was there that the children of their marriage spent much of their
younger days and received much of the training which was to fit them for
lives of more or less public duty and the responsibilities which go with
public position. Marlborough House, in London, was the social centre,
the official environment, the public residence, of the Prince and
Princess of Wales. But the former place was always the one where they
liked to be, where the heart of the Princess always rested with most
interest and affection, where the enjoyment of the comforts of country
and home life came with most force to the Prince and to his children.
Around Sandringham the grounds and woods and park were not allowed to be
spoiled by art--the latter was used in just such a degree as would help
nature. The house, or palace, was concealed from view until the visitor
was quite close to it and its home-like simplicity has always been a
much-described quality. There was no elaboration of decoration, or
straining after an appearance of stately luxury. Comfort seemed to be
the aim and it was most certainly attained. The hall was designed
somewhat after the style of the old-fashioned banquetting halls, the
various rooms were arranged for convenience and comfort, the decorations
were beautiful without being gorgeous, the objects of interest, ornament
and curiosity in the drawing-rooms and elsewhere were, of course, simply
countless.
Above the porch in front of the Hall was the quaint legend: "This house
was built by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Alexandra his wife, in
the year of our Lord 1870". The place was originally purchased for
L220,000--saved from the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall by the Prince
Consort's management--but further large sums had to be spent in order to
make the mansion comfortable and the estate the model which it
afterwards became. The former was practically rebuilt in 1870 but not
until every cottage or farm-house on the property had been first
rebuilt, or repaired. The house contained, particularly, the great hall
or saloon decorated with trophies of the chase in all countries and with
many caskets of gold and silver containing some of the addresses
presented to the Prince from time to time; the dining-room with its high
oak roof and great fire-place, walls covered with tapestry given the
Prince by the late King of Spain and a side-board covered with racing
and yachting prizes in gold and silver; the chief drawing room with
hangings of dull gold silk, furniture brocaded in soft red and gold,
large panel mirrors and quantities of exquisite Sevres and Dresden
china; the conservatory where tea was often served; a great ball-room
and handsome billiard and smoking rooms. The boudoir of the Princess has
been described as a dream of grace and simple beauty and everything
about the place was arranged with a view to combining comfort with charm
of appearance. The hundred servants employed in or out of the house had
everything that could make their lives pleasant and happy.
EDUCATION OF THE ROYAL FAMILY
Amidst these surroundings the sons and daughters of the Royal couple
were brought up. Upon the education of the boys the Prince of Wales
utilized his own knowledge of life as well as the traditions of his
father's training of himself. He is said to have believed that the study
of men and the ways of the world had not been sufficiently considered in
his own case and that he wished his sons, while escaping the
nervousness, constraints and adulation which surrounded the Court,
should also avoid the sycophancy and flattery which might be expected in
their cases at a public school--even of the highest. He therefore