MARLBOROUGH HOUSE 
However, he played the only réle left to him to perfection. He 
became the recognized ruler of society—the leader of the world of 
fashion, 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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