Evening star., 1935-05-05
BY C. PATRICK THOMPSON.

eyes, his bearded lips move,
and he wakenS with the slow
i Il calm Of an aging man who
works hard enough to need
his sleep, but takes great care Of him
self and is In fine physical trim. His
room on the second floor of the palace
looks on the great walled garden. He
can hear the early morning music OF
the birds, a gay little patter OF sound
against the vague vast undertone OF
the imperial city coming to life beyond
the confines of the park.
In other days he would be up and
out for a ride around the dirt track,
almost deserted at this hour. But now
he only occasionally mounts and rides
at a walking pace; for since that pro-
tracted illness seven years back he does
not subject his body to strain. Any
way, today he only walks in the gar
den before eating the simple breakfast
his valet serves. A long and strenu-
GUS day confrontS him.
On the 9Th day Of May. Is years
ago, he succeeded his father, King
Edward VII, as King of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire
land and of the British Dominions be-
yond the Seas, and Emperor of India
He became the keystone OF the arch OF
the worlds greatest empire. Now, and
for many days to come, he Is the CEN
trail figure in his own jubilee celebra-
ton. State banquets and State recep-
tions; also five royal courts. A radio
message to his people the world over
his deep, hoarse, deliberate voice car
ries well over the ether. Then at the
head of a solemn and respondent pro-
cession to st. Paul's Cathedral, there
on his knees to return thanks to God
Tor difficulties surmounted and dangers
averted.
Maybe Providence had something to
do with the almost miraculous man.
ner in which the British have muddled
through the major crises of King
Georges reign-the threatened civi
war over Irish home rule, the agony
of the Great War, the troubles in In
dia, the general strike, the great slump
and the politico- financial crisis. But II
is also conceivable that If the SOW
ereign during these successive crise:
had not been the man he is Britain
and her empire might have split or
the rocks Certainly the House OF
Windsor would not occupy the position
that it does today-indeed, 1t might
have vanished into the night which
has overtaken so many of Europe's
old ruling houses.
Victor Heir Apparent.
George, the second son of Queen
Victoria's heir, Edward, and Alexandra,
his beautiful Danish wife, had reached
manhood before he had any idea
that he would be King. Albert Victor,
his elder brother, was heir apparent.
Thereby hangs tale.
Queen Victoria looked with favor
on young Princess May, daughter Of
the English princess, Mary Adelaide,
and the Wurttemberger Duke Of Teck.
Princess May was taught to take an
interest in kitchens, cupboards and
the lives of the poor fthe Tecks were
poor. She did not hunt or ride;
instead she studied and read, helped
with the housework and darned her
brothers socks. She was never ill,
always punctual and kept tidy desk.
It was understood that Queen Vic
toria, who had given the Tecks an
apartment in Kensington Palace,
wanted this serious, industrious and
firm -charactered girl to marry Albert
Victor. But Albert Victor, gentle and
frail, passed from the earthly scene
in the Winter of '92, and in the
Spring of the following year Princess
May was betrothed to the new heir
apparent, George. They married that
Summer. May known as Mary after
her marriage) was 26; George was %.
They set up housekeeping in York
Cottage, the small house on the
Sandringham estate on the east coast.
None too much room as the children
came-f1ve sons and a daughter. A
gentleman of the court once told me
a story Of an incident which occurred
while he was staying at York Cottage
after George had ascended the throne
and before Queen Alexandra died. It
illuminates several angles.
King George was sitting with his
gentlemen in the drawing room after
dinner. He felt chilly and sat with
his feet in the fireplace, talking. The
Queen came in with two or three
ladies, and they sat on the outskirts,
sewing and chatting. Presently the
King looked up. Hadn't we better
have window open?"
mo-" said the Queen.
Complains Of Heat.
"But it's so damned hot, my dear"
'If you took your feet out Of the
fireplace and came and sat where I
am sitting, George, you'd feel as I
cold," retorted the Queen.
"In that case" said the King, get
ting up, 1--WE had better change
toasted and I will come back"
Queen Alexandra at that time was
living in the great Sandringham
house. A more accommodating dow
ager might have suggested to her
son: I'll move over to the cottage
and you and Mary move into the
house." But the Queen mother had
had to yield precedence to her daugh-
ter-in-law, and she hung on to that
GhSI SLEOIlSuOlO, IIlc DlS LlOuSc WlucO
to her for life by her husband. A
human situation, not confined to royal
circles.
King George has learned a lot about
politics and still more about politicians
since, in Westminster Abbey, he bent
his head to receive the crown. When
King Edward died in 1910, his son in
herited the Irish trouble, which had
been going on for a generation. That
was his first lesson.
George had been only four years a
King when the Irish home rule bill
arrived on his desk. King George was
in a dilemma. "Sign," advised the
ministers of the party In power. King
George signed.
The Ulstermen armed and prepared
to fight; the government moved in
troops and ordered up warships; the
war minister and the chief Of the i'm
perial general staff resigned.
It is anybody's guess what would
have happened next. But, just then,
an assassin in remote Serajevo shot
and killed the Archduke Ferdinand
and British political parties dropped
the Irish quarrel and united for the