KING'S ALTER EGO.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 794, 18 April 1910, Page 4

KING'S ALTER EGO.

now, I'RINCE OF WALES HELPS; :. HIS FATHER,. ''. / •' When the Prince of .Wales succeeds to the throne be. will be able to take up thd business of State with a far, greater degree of facility than did his; father at the time of his accession (writes the Marquise de Fontenoy in the Now York "Tribune").. For, whereas the late Queen Victoria kept' her eldest son aloof from all matters of State, retaining the reins tf government in her own hands with such a degree of exclusiveness as to almost, 6avour of jealousy, King Edward has for soveral years been associating his heir-apparent with the duties of sovereignty. Thus , the Prince of Wales visits Buckingham Palace every morning after breakfast when in town, - and remains there, for two or three, hours, occupying a room adjoining that of his father, .the doors being open between them, and attends, to matters, of routine and of detail, relieving the monarch of a largo amount of work and trouble. Moreover, in all important matters, frequently in interviews with the ° Ministers, the King calls his son into consultation. So that tho prince knows ox-, actly where tho King .stands in every pending issue and is 'thoroughly initiated _ into . all' his' father's, .viavs and .policies.

It is thanks to this that the King is able to be away from London so much. When he came to the .throne he know virtually nothing of the routine business of. his mother's government. He had never been taken into her confidence; and during the first few weeks of:his reign' waa' obliged constantly to consult' his youngest. sister,,' Princess Henry of Battonbcrg, who had been her mother's constant companion and! associate, and who knew far more about her methods of carrying ori tho duties of sovereignty than himself. , In fact, the confusion was very grout, especially in view of the sudden accumulation of arrears of business during tho fow days of tho late Queen's fatal illness. Indeed, the only matters with which the King_ was acquainted, wore the broad outlines of the foreign policy of tho Government, and this knowledge was entirely due to the fact that Mr. Gladstone, when Premier, had taken upon' himself, without the, approval, of late Queen, to give oracrtj that copies of all important dispatches reaching the Fouoigri Offico from abroad, a? well as copies of the replies thereto, aliould bo transmitted to the then Prince of Wales for his information.. Queen Victoria did not care to go to the length pi putting a stop to the practice, which was kept up by the subsequent administrations.. Kin? Edward was always grateful to Mr. Gladstone for this action on his part-, and never i neglected an opportunity of showing his | consideration and warm friendship for i the Grand Old- Man. •