The Clothing Warehouse Over Which the Prince Presides. MANY UNIFORMS.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 229, 19 November 1887, Page 2

The Clothing Warehouse Over Which the Prince Presides.

MANY UNIFORMS.

I alluded recently to the increase in the number ef. his uniform* which the recent gazetting of the Prince of Wales as an Admiral of the Fleet would entail, and hazarded a guess as to what that total number must be at the present time. It would seem that my figures need to be considerably increased, and that the full total of unforms — naval, military, civil and miscellaneous, including, of course, those pertaining to tho various orders of knighthood the Prince holds — cannot be less than 100. This may seem a startling fact to some ot my readers, but I may remind them that of military, militia, and volunteer uniforms his Royal Highness has, or should have, thirty-nine. Most people are aware that he is Colonel-in-Chief of each v of the three regiments of Household Cavalry, of the Tenth Hussars, and of the Rifle Brigade ; but it is not so generally known thai, he is also honorary Colonel of eleven East India regiments, including the Sixth Bengal Cavalry, the Guides Corps and the Second Goorkhas. Of commissions in militia and volunteer regiments he holds seventeen in all, and, as everyone knows, he is honorary Colonel of the Pomeranian Hussars (Bluchers Own), as well as a Field Marshal in the German army. Among the Prince's more miscellaneous uniforms may be reckoned those attaching to his office as Lord of the Isles (if, indeed, this office entails even this sartorial responsibility), High Steward of Plymouth, Doctor of Music, Grand Mason of Freemasons, Elder Brother of Trinity House, Commodore of five yacht clubs,. President of the Society of Aits, Governor of the Charter House, and Bencher of the Middle Temple. Thus it • will be seen how easily a three-figure total may be reached ; and granting that in a liberal percentage of cases no uniform has ever to be worn, there must be still a sufficient number of varied costumes left to constitute in themselves a very large wardrobe and' one needing the most systematic care In the method of its arrangement. I have doubts, however, whether the suggestion of a kind of Mme. Tussaud's devoted entirely to the exhibition of the Prince of Wales in his various uniforms would be a popular show, even if admirably carried out. It is well to remember the m,oi'al of the saying, / i \Tovjour'} pedrkc," which, being translated freely, means it is possible to have too much even of a good thing. — " London Figaro/* - >% j