THE PRINCE OE WALES

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1920, Page 3

THE PRINCE OE WALES

A PEN PICTURE. (N.Z. Times). Edward Windsor, Prince of Wales, is winsome, companionable. He is-slight, of medium height, with a fair boyish face crowned by hair that in some light looks golden. His Teatures are not boldly handsome, but there is an engaging frankness in the healthy, tanned countenance, an honesty that suggests good, firm character. He lrts a clear, resolute voice which takes on a ringing inflection in speech. One’s instant impression of tho Prince is that he belongs wholly to the class of young Englishmen who have an inbred abhorrence of self-display. His honest, open face and that clear and steady gaze of his, his whole air of clean, hardy youth, tell their own story. He strikes one as a rather delightful mingling of boyishness and maturity. He looks younger than his years. His manner has something of the hesitancy of one who is naturally as shy as ho is generous, who is ripening late, and who, finds his position in life not without its bewilderments.

Of him ono can safely prophesy that experience will bring the right touch of assurance without spoiling his charm. It has been said' that the Prince has the Royal gift of setting up a sympathetic current in whatever company lie finds himself. In reality it is not a Royal gift, but a gift of nature wide Royalty has the privilege of displaying in a peculiarly brilliant stage. There is nothing of artifice about it. It is the reflex of a certain typo of character and personality upon its human surroundings. Some men to be liked have to be known; others convey an instantaneous impression of likeability to all who are brought within their neighbourhood. Tho Prince is of. this category. •He will never bid for popularity, it will always flow out to him abundantly. Citizens of the Dominion have it definitely fixed in their minds that he is a good follow and feel for him an affection which is the most precious possession a Prince can have, because it registers the instinctive judgment of the great mass of the people. To attempt to dissect what is really'a spontaneous tribute from the heart of the nation—and a tribute to a personality moro than to a position—is probably to end by explaining nothing. In this case no explanation is needed. His popularity has advanced with a bound during the last two years. Thousands of people of the British Empire and of the Unitec States of America, and of Europe have been meeting him, and they have echoed the verdict given by those states men who have been watching over his upbringing—“good.” The role of the Prince of Wales in British life is to move freely among the people, serve as chairman on numerous national and charitable aid bodies, and make speeches of congratulation, and exhortation when presiding over public gatherings. Edward Windsor lias dejne all these things, and more. During the war lie was frequently in the trenches, where he met and endeared himself to countless “diggers” of the. Allied forces. And just as lie took a permanent place in the hearts of those soldier boys, so also did they have an effect upon him. The nature of that effect was revealed upon the occasion when the 1’ reedom of the City of London was conferred on him. In liis response, the Prince said lie would never regret his service overseas. “In those four years I mixed with men,” he .said; “I found my manhood.” Later, when speaking in New York, lie said:—i“The speeches made conferring on me the Freedom of the City, mentioned my war service. I do not pretend to have done as much ns any junior officer on the battlefront and no onp realises morp clearly than I how little any such, service as mine was worth compared with the splendid men who sacrificed their life and health that the demoernoy of the world might bo safe. But my four years on the battlefront taught me to know my brother officers, and the men of the Allied forces who rendered common service in the splendid cause.” To meet the Prince is merely to have the opinion of him one had formed at. a distance and from the outside confirmed. He has escaped the usual penalty of Royalty—the penalty of being misjudged and misunderstood. A diffident-, unassuming fellow’, lie is the Prince of Wales.