The Washington times., 1936-01-29
BY JAMES FRANCIS

right approach of those who mis-
take bad taste for courage, q BIZ
orapher may and perhaps should
state, in so many words, that
there was a time when Edward
of Wales had his fling. 1t was
the time, perhaps 10 years ago,
when he was mixing work and
play and day and night with
equal guSto. But specific
though gradual change was tax
ing place through the years.
Less play in Piccadilly, more
work on the housing and recon
struction projects of Kensing-
ton: more time at York House
for study Of political and indus
trial conditions and the demands
of his official position.
Learned His Job
He had settled down, in effect,
to a program of quiet but effec-
tive service. He had learned his
LOB" and now he was going to
act it, with the result that he was
coming to the throne of England
with none of the Intellectually
of George, his father: some of
the rare camaraderie of Edward,
the grandfather, and more than
3 touch of the old Victoria.
He could be imperiouS when he
chose and the contrast with his
established paternalism toward
the subjects of the crown prob
ably endeared him all the more.
In a phrase, he came to hold
the respect of his people, where
once he largely held their lmagi-
nation.
Through BY 1928
To a wartime subaltern who
had been grousing about detail
work in camp and that "it looked
like I'll spend all my life super
vising," the prince quietly said:
you're lucky. spend all
mine being supervised"
But that was long before the
world tours, the craftsmanship"
the playboy period. BY 1928 he
had left these definitely and IRE
vokably behind him, clinging only
to the comfort of his matrimonial
freedom-and even the scare they
all got In 1928 couldn't disturb
that.
Edward of Wales was in Africa
at the time, but when notified
that his father was i'll, he acted
with characteristic dispatch and
decision Travelling by plane,
steamship and motor, he raced
the 5000 miles in IA days.
Then he jumped in and took
over the ailing George VS. duties,
working tirelessly until the King
was ready to take up the demands
of state again. Thereafter, Ed
ward P's" career noticeably
stressed less of the spectacular.
Went to Work
He gave up SteeplechaSing-
after being hurled over the neckS
of 26 horses. He played golf in
his leisure moments, put in busy
days at York House, starting in
variably at 10 a. M, and alto
gether went through the behavior
of the average business man, even
to driving his own tWo-Seater and
letting himself in with his own
latch-key.
But he never gave up AIS bache-
lorhood and now, indeed, is Eng
lands bachelor King" its first in
more than 800 years.
Just why the now Edward VIII
has never married is both an in.
triguing subject to the public and
an irritating one to mothers with
eligible daughters. Some say that
he fears the danger of inbreeding
among royalty; others hint of
"secret love-" one legend having it
that he met the lady on one of his
Canadian tours.
There is also the theory that,
with the line of succession so well
established through his brothers
and their children, he ilal merely
obeyed the dictates of a heart as
yet untouched. This sou DIS most
romantic, but not quite so plauSi-
bic as the idea that Edws / VIII
is man who fancies his freedom.
Early in the game, his mother,
the now Dowager Queen, had her
eye upon Grand Duchess Olga,
daughter of the Car, and Victoria
Luise, daughter of the Kaiser. The
mother was all for a royal mate
for David"
Later, the gossips linked his
name with the PrincesseS Irene,
Catherine and Eugene, of Greece:
Crown Princess Juliana, of Hol-
land, and the Princess Ileana, of
Rumania, among others.
On the non-royal side, there was
much talk originally of Edward
p" and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-
Lyon. But the latter married Ed
wards brother, Albert, and became
the Duchess Of York, while re-
naming Edwards favorite in the
royal family.
Not of Royalty
He is said to call her Queen
Bess" and is almost equally fond
of her elder daughter, the Princess
Elizabeth.
In the same way, the goSsips
were stilled when Brother Henry
married Lady Alice Douglas-Scott
and Brother George married the
Princess Marina, of Greece. Both
names had been guardedly linked
with Edwards.
The fact is that his closest
women friends have not been royal
and. fredtIentlv mt even ~ the