The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-30
HEIR OF KING EDWARD
PRINCE GEORGE MAY BECOME
RULER OF GREAT BRITAIN.
Second Son of the New Sovereign
Fond of the Sen and Was Given
Naval Training.

the second son of the new King and Queen
of Great Britain-Prince Albert Victor, the
eldest son, having died Jan. ii. 1892 at the
age of eighteen-is the heir apparent. Up
to his grandmother's death he was Duke
Of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Kill
larney. Since his fathers succession to the
throne the Duke of York succeeds to the
titles and dignity of the Prince of Wales
and heir-direct to the throne.
Comparatively little is known to the
world at large about his tastes. his daily
life and his character. He is a sailor,
having joined the navy within few days
Of attaining his twelfth year, and sailors
| are proverbially modest. Significant of the
| man is the well-authenticated fact that,
when he was asked some time ago for his
favorite motto, he replied: England ex-
poets every man to do his duty This is
very forcibly illustrated by the fact that
when it became advisable, some few years
ago. for reasons of state, that he should
visit Ireland. he lived up to the duty i'm
piled in his favorite motto, despite the
fact that both he and his wife were over
whelmed with anonymous letters threaten
ing them with speedy end if they car
ried out their intention. The trip to Ire
land was made. and proved such a sue
cess that it was seriously discussed i'm
mediately afterward whether it would be
| wise to create the Duke of York Prince of
Ireland, and make the title a permanent
one for the eldest son Of the Prince OF
| Wales
Prince George had an early training prac-
tically identical with that of his eldest
brother, but even in the nursery Prince
George made 1T quite clear that he was
determined to be a sailor. He was never
so happy as when listening to the thrilling
stories told him by the rector of Sandring-
| ham, who had been naval instructor to the
Duke of Edinburgh, the princes uncle and
late reignins Duke of saxe-Coburg and
years old his father had decided that he
should be trained for the navy, very wisely
directing, however. that the princes gen.
eral education should not be neglected.
TRAINED IN THE NAVY.
Prince George entered the navy June g.
| 1877, joining the Britannia at Dartmouth.
He was treated exactly as his fellow. naval
cadets on board the training ship, which he
Quilted two years later, leaving a good
| record, and having made himself very pop
ular both among officers and men. After
| nine months cruise he became a full
fedged naval officer.
Like his father, Prince George has seen
| a good deal of the world, partly because
| his calling as a sailor compelled him to,
| but mostly because he is fond Of traves.
He served on the North American station
| fer some time and subsequently in the
| channel squadron. The future King never
| lost an opportunity of seeing something of
| the vast British colonies, and it is well
known that he shares all his fathers inter-
| est in Greater Britain.
Physically Prince George always had
| the best of health until early in the '9Os,
| when, while on q visit to the Duke of
q cd n FL
| bic form of typhoid fever. Scarcely had
| his parents recovered from the keen
| anxiety which was felt on his behalf be-
| fore they We're called upon to lose their
| eldest son and heir. The princes naval
career necessarily cut short, and he
| being still single. there was much discus
| sion as to the succession in the event of his
| death, the other children of the Prince Of
| Wales being girls.
There is a good deal of misconception in
| the popular mind as to the line of success
sion to the British throne. The crown de-
| scends to the nearest heir of the last wear
| er. be that\heir male or female-daughters
| being, of course, postponed to sons; and
| thus in the event of the death of the Duke
| OF York and all his children and their sur
viving issue, the crown would pass to the
Duchess of Fife, and afterward descend
| from her to her infant daughter, the Lady
Alexandra Duff, always SuppoSing that a
| son was not born to her in the meantime.
In that case the son would naturally take
precedence.
| There are certain personages in the sue
| cession to the throne who would obviously
from motives of public policy. never be al
| lowed to ascend 1.-THE German Emperor,
| for instance-but foreign nationality or the
| itself vitiate their right. Parliament could,
| and in the case of the throne passing to
| foreign sovereign undoubtedly would, bar
| the claim.
female member of the royal family has
| "renounced'' her right of succession
| Neither the act Of settlement, under which
| the crown devolves, nor any other act
makes provision for remuneration upon any
| ground whatsoever.
| Few people are aware that all the mem
| bers of the British royal family are, con-
| stitutionaily speaking commoners until
| they are formally admitted to the House of
| Lords. There was some discussion as to
| what title Prince George should be given
| and 1t was finally decided that of all the
| royal dukedoms that of York which dates
| from the reign of Edward III, would be the
most suitable. In fact, this title had al
| ways been allotted to the second son of the
sovereign until the traditional custom was
broken by Queen Victoria, who created her
second son Duke of Edinburg.
MARRIES MARY OF TECK
The engagement and marriage of Prince
George and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck
are still very fresh in the recollection Of
| most suitable In fact this title had al
ucSltCu tHdl lliS SOilS SliOuiu, IL IL were pos
sible, marry princesses who had been
brought up in the United Kingdom, and he
was exceedingly pleased at his own sons
choice.
| The marriage which took place July 6.
| 1898, aroused immense enthusiasm When
she married the present Princess of Wales
| was a woman young in years but old in
| sorrow. The whole world knows of the
death, on the eve of his marriage. of her
| first affianced, the Duke of Clarence, elder
1 brother of her present husband. few
/ years later came the death of her mother
| the kindly and lamented Duchess of Teck
! to whom she was more like a sister than a
| daughter, always accompanying her on her
many missions of mercy
| The Princess of Wales was born Nav 26
| 1867, and her early life was passed i'm the
| apartments at Kensington Palace where
| she and her three brothers were born
| Princess May, as she was called in the
| family instead of Mary. her baptismal
| name led an uneventful life until she was
1 fifteen years of age, when a few years
| were spent in foreign travel with her
| parents. The winter sojourn was in Flor
| ence, where the princess studied under
| Italian masters and developed her artistic
/ tastes Returning to England the princess
clearly showed that her own pleasure really
! home.
In one respect the new Princess of Wales
| sets an example TO the philanthropic wom-
| en- of the world. She is not content with
| merely relieving distress and poverty. but
| endeavors to seek the cause of the evil
| and lends her influence to the various
| schemes for remedial social reform,