MARLBOROUGH HOUSE 



However, he played the only role left to him to perfection. He 

 became the recognized ruler of society the leader of the world of 

 iashion, and the Queen's accredited representative at the cere- 

 monial opening of public buildings, the laying of foundation stones, 

 and so forth. 



He performed all these often tedious duties with exceptional 

 grace and bonhomie, always saying and doing the right thing at 

 the right moment ; and pleasing everyone concerned by his 

 geniality, charm of manner, and accessibility, also by his intelligent 

 interest and quickness of observation. But to a man of the 

 Prince's parts and ambition, the position, with its strictly limited 

 prerogatives, could not have been satisfactory. 



These pages, however, are not the place in which to comment 

 on the anomaly, that, for a generation, debarred the heir to the 

 throne from all knowledge of passing events and their possible 

 trend, except through channels equally open to the humblest of 

 his future subjects. 



But whatever Queen Victoria's reasons may have been, the 

 Prince's tact and discretion never failed him. He accepted the 

 situation with as good a grace as possible, contenting himself with 

 cultivating, on his own initiative, the most friendly relations with 

 foreign ambassadors, and winning golden opinions in continental 

 countries, particularly in France ; thus laying the foundation of 

 the great work of his life, the famous entente, which has had such 

 far-reaching results. 



In July, 1870, Delane, the famous editor of the Times, happened 

 to be dining at Marlborough House when he received the first 

 intimation of the outbreak of war between France and Germany. 

 There could be no question as to the feelings of his Royal host on 

 the occasion, for, from the time when in 1855, as a mere boy, the 

 Prince had first visited France, he had cherished a warm regard for 

 the country and its people. The sympathies of his mother were 

 on the opposite side, and the relations between the Queen and her 

 heir, must therefore, have been often strained. But they were 

 never severed ; nor was there any cessation of intercourse, nor 

 active hostility on either side, as had been the case with two previous 

 Princes of Wales ; Albert Edward's tact and good temper smoothed 

 over the rough places ; and on the celebration of the Prince and 

 Princess's silver wedding in 1888, the day after the death of the 



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