The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-01
DUKE OF EDINBURGH.
The Good-Looking, Greedy Son
of Queen Victoria.
ARMS TATTOOED LIKE ASAILOR'S
When He Was . Boy the People Loved
Him and Hated His Brother-The
Situation reversed Now.

LONDON. Oct. 1e-Tspecial Correspon-
dence. A common idea prevails that
princes are very much OF one pattern,
without any individuality TO speak OF, but
this is quite mistake as regards the Duke
of Edinburgh. He is one of the least ordl-
nary men living. People who have had
opportunities of studying him all his life
say they don't know him yet. The fact is
nature and fortune have We'd with one
another in making him as unlike other
men as possible. His very birth gave him
a most peculiar position. Being the sec
ond son of the queen and the Prince Con-
sort, he was born heir TO the Duchy of
SAKE Coburg-Gotha, the succession TO
which had been renounced by his father
on his marriage 10 the queen. and
which his elder brother, the Prince OF
Wales, cannot inherit because he is heir
apparent to the British crown. This made
him a sort of foreigner from his cradle. and
all through his life he has been much
more attached to the wealthy and beauti-
full German principality, of which he will
one day be ruler, than to his own country.
Yet, when he was a boy. he was the dar-
ling of the English people. who at that
time had most unreasonable prejudice
against the Prince of Wales. Pictures of
curly-haired child, in broad straw hat and
man-o'-wsr's mans dress, marked "Our
Sailor Prince" were in every cottage. as
well as in every mansion; and, until they
were quite grown up, wherever the two
brothers appeared together in public, il
was the lad in the naval uniform that got
all the smiles and all the cheers. The
Prince of Wales had the reputation
then of being an insufferable
prig and disgustingly mean. while
Prince Alfred got credit for all the open
hearted and open-handed qualities of the
stage blue-jacket. Both estimates were
probably founded on nothing at all, and
in after years the sapient British public
completely reversed them; but there was
time, nevertheless, when so much faith
was put in them that many worthy people
seriously believed the Prince of Wales
would be set aside and little Alfred would
succeed to the throne of Alfred the Great.
Meanwhile he had managed TO pick up
splendid education; speaking four or five
languages, one as well as another. but al
ways preferring German; playing several
instruments really we'll. and the violin
much better than many professionals, and
displaying an ardent love of art and
no small talent in painting. At the
same time he was a thorough sea-
man-much more like a iack-tar than
an officer-a sailor from love of the sea
and of the sea life. Wherever there was
foreign service and hard work 10 be done,
he was ready 70 go and do it. on exactly
the same footing as any other young fel-
low in the fleet. Rather inclined to be ex-
treme in everything, TO drain every cup to
the dregs, he overdid the sailor business
tremendously. He tattoed his arms with
anchors and mermaids, wore great silver
rings, never put on gloves, even at ball,
and became SO swarthy from exposure in
all chimes that his face and hands were al
most as dark as mulatto's. He also in
dulged TO wild excess in the recreations of
the forecastle. He drank rum or porter.
or any other coarse liquor that happened
70 be handy, in his tender moments
he scorned the bellies of the drawing-room,
and lavished his attentions on Poll or
Sail or any other blooming" damsel that
would have been proud to have a bosun's
mate in tow. When his ship was in port
on his various cruises, and all sorts of en-
tertainments were given in his honor, il
was impossible TO keep him at Government
house, or any of the grand residences, after
9 or 10 o'clock. He always managed TO
slip away. and only his most trusted ship
mates knew where to find him, with the
fiddle going, the bowl allowing and the
lass that loves a sailor. He used 70 excuse
this debauchery on the naive ground that
it amused him and did nobody else any
hsrm-and cost very little-whereas
princes with taste for refined dissipation
got themselves and others into scrapes
spent q fearful lot Of money and had A
precious dull time. Just ST this stage
OF his career, when, except for his
strict devotion TO duty aboard ship. his
brother officers were half ashamed TO as
sociate with him. the throne OF Greece be-
came vacant and was offered TO him. A
more laughable commentary on monarchy
could hardly be conceived The prince
however, knew perfectly well what was
best for himself. He firmly believes in
promoting the happiness of the greatest
mum ber-that is. No. land, having q
very snug little throne OF his own an pro,.
pectu. and not having yet sown half his
wild oats, he promptly declined 10 be
king of Greece. His brother-in-lav
Prince George Of Denmark, a poor but
honest youth, went in his place. and. 10
the surprise Of everybody. has made 8
very good thing Of il.
Prince Alfred was always uncommonIy
close in money matters. He manaeed 10
| save a good deal out Of the fairly liberal
allowance which the queen made him
when youth. But in 1880, when he rot
his dUkedom. parliament granted him
1l5.0lQ year, payable from the day when
he came OF age, and ever since then he has
rolled up wealth al such a rate that he is
now by far the richest member of the
royal family, except the queen. At his
marriage with the Grand Duchess Marie
o. Russia, only daughter OF the Gar Alex
ander IL, his parliamentary grant was in
creased 10 t22,Co4 a year in addition 10 a
grant OF $1,000 year 70 his wife. who. on
her part, brought MIN a fortune from Rus
sla OF something Ike &2lo GO in al. Ever
since then the duke has been constantly
employed IN the best paid berths in the
navy and his official income from all
sources has alone been sufficient ID place
him n easy circumstances. He has now
settled down a. home as commander-in.
chief az DevonpOrt. where his paw and
allowances foot up 70 $500 year. be-
sides very line government house 70 live
N and plenty Of minor pe-ouisites. HIS
position meanwhile Is not such as 10 call
for any large expenditure, and as matter
OF fact he spends very little more than
other naval officers OF the same rank. He
has 8 large household" that Is. coD-r
officials Of one sort or another. attached -
him or the duchess: but nanv Of them
are unpaid or are paid out OF public funds
"A'4e those who are paid BY the duke re-
celve very moderate salaries.
This +h-iF---azz