THE DUKE OF CLARENCE AS A BOY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2392, 30 August 1892, Page 3

THE DUKE OF CLARENCE AS A BOY.

The following interesting letter appeared in The Hawk, a London society journal ;—“ Having for two years been a akipmale ol pool 1 PfiufiS ICdlllfl ELIUI ITUIOQ George of Wales, I think it just possible that a few reminiscences of them may prove interesting to your readers. In January, 1877, they joined H.M.S. Britannia, an old three-deck line-of-battle ship, for many years moored at Dartmouth as a training-ship for cadets. They came over the ship’s side with their private tutor, Rev. J. N. Dalton (now a canon of Windsor Cathedral), and two elderly men servants ; the latter caused much amusement. Cadets being democratic animals, and not liking their having a servant each while five of ns shared one domestic, the attendants were immediately named the wet nurse and the dry nurse. Immediately after the quarters were dismissed we went on the upper deck, and had the extreme felicity of sending our royal pal? over the buttocks. On board the ship discipline was strict, but on shore and in the pleasure boats individual wit had the opportunity to shine. Prince George (Sprats) was naturally a festive youngster, but Prince Eddie was always fully alive to the dignity of his position, although a thoroughly good fellow in every way. We used to say to him : ‘Do you know, sir, when you come to the throne, I would very much like to be a Duke ; will you, please give me yonr royal word that you will make me one V He usually used to reply, with tho frank courtesy of boyhood’s happy days ; ‘You infernal swab ; make you a Duke! If you are not hanged first I might possibly make you a shoeblack.’ Gently seizing him by the scruff of the neck and the slack of his breeches, three or four of Her Majesty’s bad bargains would put the head of their future ruler (presumptive) under the salt sea wave ! He would come upjspluttering like any ordinary mortal under similar conditions, without even the soft answer that turneth away wrath. But the firmest nature is apt to weaken at times, and Prince Eddie would say : ‘ God help the country, but you shall all be Dukes.’ The only thing he would answer to was £ Herring,’ and both he and Prince George would have been far happier had they been allowed to mess with us and sleep in hammocks instead of having a large cabin constructed for them. They only had the same pocket-money as the rest of us—los at the commencement of the terra, and pay of Is a week, handed out by the “ paybob” on Saturdays. They, however, had the whip hand of us, as Her Majesty occasionally wrote them autograph letters of good advice. These had a regular market value. The last time I saw either of the Wales boys was in 1888, at York, where Prince Eddie was quartered with his regiment, the 10th Hussars. Ho had the same genial greeting then that he always accorded me when we were boys together.’ ’