THE "UNCLE OF EUROPE."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 387, 12 May 1910, Page 8

THE "UNCLE OF EUROPE."

KING EDWARD'S RELATIONS. EVERY EUROPEAN MONARCH. An irate German once called King Edward "The Uncle of Europe." An article in the Daily Express a few years ago showed how he was related to every other Europeon monarch:— '•The links which bind our Sovereign more or less ciosely to almost every Royal House in Europe are due, in the first instance, to the ramifications of the House of Coburg - Gotha; second, to the marriages made by his two elder sisters, and by the brilliant alliances of many of Ms nieces; and third, to his own marriage with the daughter of a Sovereign who was himself called the 'Grandfather of Europe.' BELGIUM AND PORTUGAL.

"By virtue of the Saxe-Cobu»g-Gotha blood in the King's veins, he is second cousin to the present King of the Belgians, and second cousin once remoTed to the King of Portugal; while, owing to the marriages of the late King of the Belgians with the daughter of Louis Philippe and of the Due de Nemours with a Princess of Gotha, he Is closely connected with the Orleans family, and again through the Comte d'Eu, son of the Due de Nemours, with the family of Braganza. BRAZIL AND SPAIN. "It may be remembered that the eldest son of the Comte d'Eu has been attracting some notice by his efforts to effect, in virtue of his mother a gentle sort of 'coup-de main' in Brazil. Another Gotha-Orleans marriage—that of the recently-deceased Princess Clementine with Prince Augustus—renders King Ferdinand, the King of Bulgaria, another second cousin of the English King." "In 1845, when the famous 'Spanish marriages' controversy nearly embroiled England 'with France, and alienated for some time their respective rulers, Lord Palmerston sharply recognised 'the advantages to be derived from a SpanishGotha alliance, and although his move was check-mated then, a far happier and more direct bond between England and Spain has been recently and permanently forged. GERMANY, GREECE AND RUSSSIA. "The marriages of the late Empress Frederick and the late Grand Duchess of Hesse have given to the King as his nephews and nieces the rulers, present or prospective, of Germany, Greece and Russia, besides strengthening the ties otherwise made with the important and wealthy houses of Mecklenburg-Schwcrin and Hesse-Cassel. Only one important marriage—that with the heir-presump-tive to Roumania—is to be credited to the late Duke of Edinburgh, and this has been overshadowed lately in gravrty by the wedding which will cause the Duke of Connaught's daughter to mount the throne of Sweden, while of even more vivid interest is the election of the King's daughter to the supreme position in Norway. THE QUEEN'S RELATIVES. "King Edward's own marriage has brougM him into nearer relationship and more constant touch with the Czai of Russia, and with his own wealthy and important relative, the Duke of Cumberland, who may also be regarded as a factor in Austro-British conditions. A former tie which existed 'was broken by the tragic death, without male issue, of the Crown Prince of Austria, whose consort was King Edward's second cousin. "A further link-up with the Royal Houses of France and Portugal is to be found in the fact that Queen Alexandra is sister-in-law to the daughter of the Due de Chartres, while the marriage of the present King of Denmark with the fabulously wealthy Swedish Princess, served for many years as a flesh-and-blood bond between two countries which have many interests in common. "Indeed, the King of Italy suggests himself, at first sight, as one of the lew monarchs with no kinship to his monarchical brother of England; but it may be remembered that the Queen of Italy's sister-in-law, who will reign over Montenegro, and who was born a Princess of Meeklenburg-Strelitz, has English blood in her veins, and very strong English sympathies fn her breast. She is, moreover, closely related to our future Queen.

MONTENEGRO AND. SERVIA. "Through this indirect connection with the picturesque, if politically parwnu, House of Montenegro, it is even possible to bring into the enclosure of British connections the present ruler of Servia. "The Queen of Holland has for her first cousin, one of the most popular of the King's nieces, the wife of a British officer, Princess Alexander of Teek. "Lastly, an interesting, if now politically unimportant, relationship with the Bonaparte dynasty was distinctly to be observed in the person of the late Princess Mathilde, whose mother, through her descent from Frederick Prince of Wales, was second cousin to Queen Victoria." ROYAL COGNOMEN.

Although the English Royal Family rarely .pay* any attention to press accounts of its doings, it is said that Queen Alexandra through Miss Knollys has signified a wish that Prince Edward of Wales should not be mentioned m the papers as "Prince Eddie." As a. matter of fact, though it is popularly supposed that lie is thus known in the Royal Family, that is not 'the case. He is always called David by his mother, and indeed by all his relatives; never Eddie, as that name is almost sacred in the Royal Family and living Prince. It was the favorite name of the Queen for the late Duke of Clarence, and as such he was always addressed; so though Eddie would be the natural diminutive of Edward, Queen Victoria always called her great-grandson David or Davie, and so he has been since known to his intimates at home and at college. Little Prince Albert rejoices in the extraordinary nickname of ''Lobster." He was christened that when he went to Osborne on account of the effect of the sea air upon his extremely fair skin. His comrades having small regard for his dignity ;is a grandson of the King called him '"Lobster" at once, and it has stuck to him, a- schoolboy nicknames do.

A YEAR'S WORK. These facts and figures illustrate in striking fashion the enormous amount of work got through by King Edward in a. year:— 43 places visited (Great Britain 28, abroad 15). 140 audiences with Ministers, Ambassadors, ete. 8 Privy Councils. .

10 public meetings and unveilings. 14 State banquets. 12 military and naval reviews and in•pactions. 0 visits to exhibitions, etc. 4 Courts. 3 Levees. 12 visits to race meetings. 42 visits to theatres. 1 special tea party. 1 special garden party. 50,000 letters and documents.