THE PRINCE’S SECRET

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1921, Page 1

THE PRINCE’S SECRET

(By James Hodson). “It’s very strange,” said a Scottish journalist to mo in Glasgow the other day, “I’ve been watching the Prince all day until three hours ago, and now I’m as keen to see him again as any of these thousands of people.” “I know,” said another, “I feel like that toot Every time I see him going about, winsome,aboyish, among these masses of madly applauding people I feel as if cold water were running down my back. I could cry.”

What is the Prince’s secret? v It is perfectly clear from the Scottish tour that he is everybody’s Prince here as much as ever 'he was in the Do-

minions. Women cried, “My Prince! My Prince! Isn’t he lovely?” Grey-haired business men said, “He’s a nice wee man; a great lad!” ' Shipwrights and riveters who, I was told, had been known to give cheers for Lenin and Trotsky when other distinguished visitors have passed, cheered him enthusiastically. Why is it? Some reasons are plain. He is more boyish and his face is more winning than even his pictures show. No picture can catch the sunny tint of his hair. If the Prince were not the Prince. Douglas Fairbanks and Owen Nares would have to look to their laurels. 9 * * * • The Prince has a finely resonant voice and excelled in delivery any speaker who accompanied him on the Scottish platforms. He is thoughtful and kindly. When councillors have been presented to him he will stroll over to (heir wives; he is swift to ask an old man to keep his hat on or an audience to be seated. He sees that nobody is left out. He has humour and great spirits. “That’s the stuff! That’s the stuff!” he will say in approval, or drag a local tag into his address. The essential rightness of what lie does amounts almost to genius. His initiative in offering, so soon as he saw the unemployed processions in Glasgow, to meet their accredited leaders robbed the affair at once of any possible ugliness. Many men in his position would have pretended they had not seen the processions. But you shall give a man thoughtfulness, ability, tact, and good looks and he will be a long way off being the Prince of Wales. I think il is that the sight of that slim, alert figure carrying heavy responsibilities, facing thousands of people, distinguished and rude, erudite and ignorant, wins sympathy, and that sympathy turns, when he speaks, to intense admiration of his very reah. ability, his courage. Ho is often nervous but always brave, never less than the Prince, but always modest, always, indeed, himself. Yet having said all this, his dashing love of sport has been missed. He is a f man's man as well as a woman’s or a statesman’s man. rn the Dominions lie rode horse races; in Scotland he stole away to the Clyde between engagements to race a “skimmer” driven at 50 miles an hour down the river. If you have seen him you love him; that is certain. If you have not seen him some happy moments are in store. The Prince brings joy and sunshine; that is his secret.