FACTS ABOUT KINGS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 71, 2 July 1910, Page 10

FACTS ABOUT KINGS

King George was promoted to the rank of general of the British Army in June, M)O2.

King Edward VII. was the first ruler of the new dynasty, the House of SaxeCoburg. On two occasions has King George made a cruise round the world—first in 1877 and later in 1901. For the last time in more than eighty years King Edward VII. held a Court at Holyrood in 1903. King George V. is the thirty-fourth king 'who has occupied the English throne since the Norman Conquest. It was by his late Majesty's orders that the National Anthem was played considerably faster by all military bauds. During his visits to Balmoral, King Edward kept strictly to the character of a Highland laird, and always wore the kilt.

When holiday-making at Biarritz, King Edward took rooms in the ordinary way, but the furniture was reserved for him alone.

For the convenience of King Edward, three of the great railway companies combined' to build a special train for his sole use.

While shooting on the Balmoral estate King Edward on one occasion secured eight stags—a record that has aever been broken. When twenty-four days old King Edward received his first titles, being created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on December 4th, 1841. Twice when he was Prince of Wales and once after his accession did King Edward win the Blue Riband of the English Turf, the Derby. During his visit to Canada in 190S King George appealed on behalf of a young Canadian, condemned to death, and the sentence was commuted. In his boyhood King Edward was specially taught to cultivate his memory, to which he attributed the fact that lie never forgot a- face or a name. One of the many decorations instituted by King Edward was 'his Majesty's Police Medal for members of police forces and lire brigades. '-\ In his capacity as head of the British, Army our late Sovereign instituted various reforms, inducting the abolition of; the office of Commander-in-Chief. ■ One of the striking features of our. late Kind's' suite of apartments at Buckingham Palace was the doors^gj& One of the pit'ts made bv Kilirr Georffet, —thou Prmeo of Wales-t'o Canada dii'ruiy lus visit-was the chain used by "I." <l " v, »S; his eampaio-n in Cnnmla. « hen touring m Canada, King George --ihnn Pnnee of Walea-preseSted the ■Dominion with a cheqno for flo.ooo, | being England's contribution to the battlefields Reservation Fund.