Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1901 — BRITAIN'S NEW KING. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BRITAIN'S NEW KING.

'Biographical SKetch A of Edtoard VII.

The death of Queen Victoria and the ascension to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland of the Prince of Wales brings another striking personality into the ranks of the world’s sovereigns. A glance at his life’s biography will therefore be of interest, especially since he has taken the title

of Edward VII., King of Great Britain find Ireland and Emperor of India. It is as follows: Albert Edward. K. G.. K. P.. G. C. 8., G. C. S. 1., G. ,C. M. G„ P. G.. eldest son of Victoria and the Prince Consort, born at Buckingham Palace Nov. 9, 1841, received his early education under the Rev. Henry M. Birch, rector of Prestwich; Mr. Gibbs, barrister at law; the Rev. C. F. Tarver and Mr. H. W. Fisher, and having studied for'a session at Edinburgh, entered Christ Church, Oxford, where he attended the public lectures for a year and afterwards resided for three four terms at Cambridge for the same purpose. His Visit to erica. .■ His royal highness spent most of the summer of 1860 in a visit to the United States and Canada, where he was most enthusiastically received, was in 1858 gazetted to a colonelcy in the army, and joined the camp at the Curragh in June. 1861. Accompanied by Dean Stanley, the prince traveled in the East and visited Jerusalem in 1862. His royal highness is a"K. G.. a field marshal and a colonel in chief of the Household Cavalry Brigade, colonel of the Tenth Hussars,, and has t»e titles of the Duke of Cornwall (by which he took his seat in the House of Lords in February, 1863, in the peerage of England!; Duke of Rothesay. Baron of Renfrew and Lord of the Isles in Scotland, and Earl of Dublin and Garrick in Ireland, and enjoys the patronage of twenty-one livings, chiefly as owner of the Duchy of Cornwall. His Marriage to Alexandra. His royal highness married March 10, 1863, the Princess Alexandra of Denmark, by whom he has issue. The Prince of Wales became president of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in April, 1867. Towards the close of the year 1871 his royal highness was attacked with typhoid fever, and for some weeks his life was despaired of, but he slowly recovered and was able to take part in the Thanksgivfng service in St. Paul’s Cathedral, Feb. 27, 1872. He was elected Grand Master of the Free Masons in England in succession to the Marquis of Rlpon in 1874, and on April 8. 1875, was admitted to the office at a lodge held in the Albert Hall, South Kensington. On May 5, 1875, he was installed at the Free Mason’s hall as First Principal of the Royal Arch Free Masons. Visited India in 1875-7. In 1875-76 his royal highness visited India. The great interest he took in the Paris exhibition of 1878 contributed in no slight degree to render it a success. He attended the court festivi-

ties held at Berlin in March, 1883, to ’elebrate the silver wedding of the Crown Prince with the Princess Royal of England. On this occasion he was nominated by the Emperor as a field marshal imthe German army. Visit to Ireland in 1885. In 1885 the Prince, in company with

the Princess, made a tour through Ireland. In 1889, with the Princess and their sons, he visited the Paris exhibition. and in October of the same year he was present at the wedding of the Duke of Sparta at Athens. In May. 1891. he was made a grandfather by the birth of the Duchess of Fife’s daughter He was appointed a member of the Poor Law Commission in 1893. and attended its sittings with great assiduity. Otuner of Famous yacht. In the summer of this* year and in 1894 the Prince raced his yacht, the Britannica. in most of the chief regattas round the coast, and secured

many victories. He was present in April, 1894, at the wedding of Princess Victoria Melita of Coburg, and with the Princess of Wales attended the marriage of the late czar's daughter at St. Petersburg. In July, 1894, as in the Jubilee year, the Prince and Princess were present at the Welsh Eisteddfodd, on which occasion the Princess was admitted a Bard. Interest in Exhibitions. His royal highness has taken a great personal interest in all the exhibitions recently held at South Kensington, and was executive president of the Colonial and Indian exhibition opened by the queen in May, 1896. He also originated the Royal College of Music, and was the chief mover in the Jubilee scheme

some opposition, he at last succeeded in establishing in 1893. In 1888 the Prince and Princess celebrated their silver wedding. Visiting the “Russian Court. During the autumn of 1894 the Prince and Princess and the Duke of York hastened "to join the Russian imperial family at the time of the death of the late Czar, and the Prince, by the courteous attention to Russian etiquette and constant attendance at the prolonged funeral ceremonies, won the affections of the Russians to a marked degree. His Visit to the Vmted States. The people of this country were too thoroughly engrossed in a presidential campaign to pay much attention to the Prince of Wales when he came here in 1860. He was sent over by Lord Palmerston, the British premier, on a secret mission, the real purpose of which had never been divulged. No official recognition was taken of his presence but many receptions were given in his honor by society in Detroit, Chicago. St. Louis, Cincinnati, Boston and Richmond and at Washington where he was introduced by Lord Lyons to President Buchanan and' Miss Harriet Lane, and was elegantly, but privately entertained at the white house. Washington was a village “of magnificent distances” then, and the president showed the royal party over the public buildings without being incommoded by the crowds that had half frightened, half flattered them since their arrival in America. His visit in this country lasted from September 17 to October 20.

‘Danced tvith “Daughters of the Fishermen. While attending a reception in his honor at St. Johns, Newfoundland, in 1860, the Prince of Wales, now King Edward VII. of England, soon left the official circle and danced with the wives and daughters of the fishermen. The Lanciers was a new dance then, and the prince not only explained the figures to his partner but called out to the other dancers: “Now, you follow me,” “Now, forward, march.” Of course, he won all hearts. The next day he was taken through the factories in which cod liver oil is made. There is a custom that a visitor to the factories must have his boots greased by the employes and “pay his footing” in drink money, and the prince cheerfully submitted to these exactions, and laughed heartily when the dignified duke of Newcastle, the polished General Bruce and the gallant Major Teesdale were compelled to gc through the same forMalities.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, ONE OF THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCES OF EDWARD VII.