The King's Double.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 March 1910, Page 4

The King's Double.

4 TRYING EXPERIENCES OF A SCOTTISH LANDOWNER. The death took place at Innerwick recently of Mr Richard. Hunter, the Laird of Thurston, who was known as the King's double. He was an extensive landowner in Haddingtonshire, and owing to his extraordinary likeness to the King, he at various times ; passed through some trying experiences. Mr Hunter travelled much on the Continent, and it was mainly then , that the embarrassing errors were made. Commenting on these mistakes, Mr Hunter would remark that it could not be always pleasant to be a king, for be never enjoyed being taken for his Majesty. He was staying once at the Hotel Regina in Paris, and his apartments were put under a special guard, evidently with the intention of warding off iniquisitive visitors. One evening when he entered a noted Paris restaurant the band struck up tho National Anthem, and the occupants of .the tables rose and bowed as he passed in. At different Continental resorts he frequently found himself sufrounded by admiring crowds, and the difficulty of explaining the mistake was very largely added to by the unwillingness of people to believe that he was not really the King. Mr Hunter took considerable interest in agricultural shows, and as his Majesty is also keenly interested in prize cattle, the word very often went round the show that the King was present when he was not. The crowd had simply mistaken Mr Hunter for his Majesty.