ANECDOTAL PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6496, 22 December 1881, Page 3

ANECDOTAL PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.

(Truth.) '* Consider how great he is," said Mr Bright of the heir apparent; " not Ctssar, not the crowned Macedonian reigned over so wide am empire as that which ho will one day b* soiled to rule." This is a fact which mast not Wlost sight, of in estimating the ebaraeter of the Prince, any more than the foot that he has a psdi ree of somo fifteen centuries im length, and descends (boyo/d all eovil) from such heroes as Alfred the Great and William the Conqueror. Hence it is not strange that a leading feature of the Prince's character (which immediately striker any one brought into contact with hie Boyal Higfam is) should be a strong sense of his own personal dignity. Wisely, as I think, the Prince is « stickler for etiquette, and well versed in t subtle knowledge which teaches the exact d d- r tiro on all occasions between Boy all < ■■ Mlity, [between **companionship" ■ -ndance," and so forth. All th - «<ni ■* of little use to the Prince if h< fuil -d to impress others with an adequa l - »«n»e of hie dignity > but there he has !> t, rincularly successfuL Hr Chamberlaiu is oadrrstood to have come forth from his presence a sadder and a wiser man ; and I myself knew a fervent Badiari, who also held high municipal office in one of the big northers town*, and who waited on the Prince to deliver ea address from th* Corporation of which he ns a member. The same evening be was at a dinner party where a member of Breaks' proceeded to "draw" him on Use snbfest, " How did you feel ?" With a grave rebake to this questioner's flippancy, the Bedieal Town Clerk replied that be felt he woe hi the presence of " the Majetty of <■ agland." In receiving loyal addresses, by the way, the Prince (who has an excellent memory) labours under a great advantage. Of course they are all submitted to him previously to delivery, and, partly perhaps from the similarity in one address to that of another, the Prince often knows them by heart. Generally they are presented to him and "taken ae read;" but occasionally a mayor loves the sound of hie own voice too well to let the Prince escape so easily. I think it was a Mayor >f Chester who was once reading His Boyal Highness »lengthy discourse sftoptm of nothing in particular, and who, being shortsighted, ana therefore unable to consult the actual document, forgot a sentence, paused, and looked helpless, when the Prince kindly prompted him in an undertone. The Mayor blushed, and broke into a gallop over the remainder of the oration.

The Prince is a Tory in politics, and a sort of Broad High Churchman in religion. Some time ago he presented a couple of beautiful altar candlesticks to the church at Sandringham. But the friend of the late Dean Stanley would not be likely to go too far in this direction. His Toryism, too, is of that kind which is open (on certain questions) to conviction. ' Thus the only vote be ever gave in the House of Lords was in favour of a Bill for legalising marriages with deceased wife's sitter. His brother of Edinburgh voted with him, the Duke of Cambridge being In the majority which threw out the Bill. Generally speaking, however, the Prince is good-humouredly Conservative on political questions. Cosuule Glad it ore, ha would laughingly express his doubts as to whether be should ever ascend the throne; now be takes a more hopeful view of the future. Be wss always, however, on excellent terms with Mr Gladstone; while Lord Granville is almost a personal friend of his. Apropos a€ this subject, I remember hearing the Prince address a somewhat tart liltln sp- ceh to a gentleman whose opinion he had asked on some question of the day. The gentleman replied that ha was wholly ignorant of political matters. ’*T<se,” repined the Prince, ** but not ignorant, I hope, of your duly a» a loyal subject of the Queen.” I think the question was one relating to a “Rota] ” annuity. On another occasion he jokingly asked a Radical M.P., who was wring certain extreme opinions, whether he really ! thought that u member of the Boys! iamiiy ought to drown his children when they came into the world, like young poppy dogs? The Prince, it should be remembered, is an excellent lather, and very desirous that his sons should receive a substantial education, “ and be taught to do something with their hands,” as he puls it. He is alto a good son, and sets the example of treating the Queen’s slightest wish as a command. It is out of deference to her will that he never attends hone racee on Sunday* whilst travelling abroad. Of the Prince’s literary tastes there is not mucb to be said. Like most modem princes, he is, by the mere force of circumstances, & good linguist, speaking French and German as perfectly as English. What is more, be c&n make an after-dinner speech in French, and he can joke in the same tongue. He it fond of late hours, but no matter how late he maygo to bed be rites early the nest morning. Be is a keen sportsman and,

a fair shot. At whist he plays an excellent hand. And whether the occupation b# whist, sport, or dan'icg, be enters into it with » hearty relish, which controls strangely with the hla*£ airs of the golden youths of the day. His constitution is an excellent one. Ho rarely has » day** illness, and he is a living proof that so amount of tobacco can enfeeble either mind or body. I believe that he was the inventor of the now popular drink, “lemon and soda” It has often keen said that there is no Royal road to learning. Let anyone who be* lieves this talk half an boor with the Prince of Wales, when he may perhaps ask himself whether this goody proverb is a» very true after all There is a Royal road to knowledge, though few hare the privilege of treading it. What most of us must gals from the study of books a Prince of Wales can gain from the living conversation of the greatest men of the day. from travels under the guidance of the most delightful of cicerone*, from the best place at ail, the most famous sights and shows, from early conversance with reasons of State and questions of policy, from assist* icg at, and taking part in, the mtk’Bg of hi*tory. The Prince is admirably informed on an extraordinary number cf quean ions. Of late, too, be has shown a taste and capacity for work from which one augurs that ho will scarcely ho the J?o* which certain persons have prophesied and hoped he would be. There is no doubt that on questions of foreign affairs he will insist on having a voice. HU interest in them is. of course, of a twofold nature. He is a thorough Roglishmao, and veiy enthusiastic about the necessity for the maintenance of our prestige 5 he is alto a German prince. Hi* German sympathies, however, did not carry him at far as to enable him to approve of the spoliation of Denmark ; and ho even expressed himself with unwonted bitterness on the subject. But his feeling was rather personal than political. A member of his household whospokeincautiously about the matter to tha Pnccesa received what is vulgarly called “a wigging” for his pairs. 1 may odd that the Prince is a faithful and punctual correspondent, acd can write with both humour and feeling. Mis opinions of contemporaries are certainly estressed in some of his letters with a vivacity t hat will make them excellent reading far our grandchildren, I hey would be dangerous to our generation.