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Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1919. A LEVEL-HEADED YOUNG BRITON.

REMARKING that Iho Prince of Wales, who is shortly to visit ns, will not be able lo beat his father’s record for knowledge of I lie British Empire, hut that he will he able to tMjtial - it, Mr Sydney Brooks, in I lie Sunday Times, writes an interesting character sketch of the Heir-appar-ent, in which he says;-—“The Comnumwealih of British nations —lie realises they are nations —has laid ils, spell upon him, has shown him (he size and meaning of the game, lias’sharpened his pride, and faith in the stock he comes from, has revealed lo him Britain herself from a.

new ami rat in:.':' angle. All through the limpin', wherever men lead his Ala ns am Home speech, limy will say: ‘tie umler.-lands.’ The Prince of Wales has the 'Royal gift of sett ill” up a, sympaliiel ic currenl in whalcver company he finds ■ himself. J call it a Royal gift, hut it is really a gift of nalure which Royalty has Hie privilege of displaying on a peculiarly brilliant stage. There is nothing of artifice about it. It is the re Ilex of a certain type of character and personality upon its human surroundings. Some men (o be liked have to he known. Others convey an instantaneous impression of likeahility to all who are brought within their neighbourhood. The Prince is of this category. Ho will never bid for popularity; it will always Jlow out to him abundantly. Men who have never exchanged a word with him or come within fifty, yards of him, or even set eyes on him at all, aml-who really know nothing' about him, except what they have heard or read at sixth or seventh hand, yet all like him —have it delinitely fixed in their minds, that lie is a good fellow, and feel for him an affection which is the most preem ous possession a Prince can have because it registers the instinctive judgment of the great ma,-> of his people. To attempt to dissect what is really a spontaneous tribute from the heart of the nation —and a tribute to a personality far more than to a position —is probably to end by explaining nothing. But, in this case, no explanation is needed. To meet the Prince is merely to have the opinion of him one had formed at a distance and from the outkide continned. He has escaped the usual penalty of Royalty —tjie penalty of being misjudged and misunderstood. To an extraodimtry degree the im-

age.of: him that has been stamped on the public mind agrees with the estimates of those who see him daily and know him best. One’s instant impression of the Prince is that he belongs wholly ttf the class of young Englishmen who have an inbred abhorrence of self-display. No Englishman in the land Could be freer than he is from ‘side’ or pretence of any sort. His honest, open face,' and that, (dear and’ steady gaze of his,* his whole air of clean, hardy youth, tell their own* story. The. Prince strikes one as a rather delightful mingling of boyishness and maturity. lie looks' younger than his yeafs, and. in many ways—(he rjght, ways —he is. His mannef has still something of the hesistancy of one who is naturally as shy as he is generous, who is ripening late, ami who Hmls his position in life ■not without its bewilderments. BuD of hini one can safely prophesy that experience will bring the right touch of assurance without his charm. All the omens are in his favour, but the best of them all, from the country's standpoint, as well-as from his parents’, is the true and., manly ring of his character. .No one need have any anxiety on his account. His Mansion House speech has ideas; it had distinction; it was the speech of a wholesome, levelheaded young Briton who was not afraid to say something of what ho felt, wlio had just (‘aught a glimpse of the amazing heritage that awaits him, and who was facing it, and facing the adventure of life, with candour, freshness, a studious pride, and no sort of trepid-atjon whatever.”

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MH19200219.2.5

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2092, 19 February 1920, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
701

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1919. A LEVEL-HEADED YOUNG BRITON. Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2092, 19 February 1920, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1919. A LEVEL-HEADED YOUNG BRITON. Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2092, 19 February 1920, Page 2

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