“I sincerely say that I do take a great interest in all that is connected with agriculture. I may call myself a colleague of many of you present as a farmer on a small scale, and I only hope that I may never have occasion to be a pensioner of this institution. It is impossible, I think, for any British gentleman to live at his country place without taking an interest in agriculture, and in all those things which concern the farmers of this great country. The very backbone of the country, the best recruits of the Army and Navy, come from the agricultural districts. We know that our commercial and agricultural interests depend upon the valour and efficiency of our land and sea forces.”
On this occasion the King added a toast which had been most ungallantly omitted from the list—that of “The Ladies,” and in proposing it he said:—
“We have been honoured on this occasion by fair ladies, and I think it would be very wrong if we were to separate without cordially drinking their health. We see especially how much the comfort, well-being, prosperity, and happiness of farmers and agriculturists depend upon a kind wife to cheer them by the fireside at the end of their day’s work, and to lighten by female influence the load of difficulties.”
Though naturally His Majesty will now be unable to devote so much time to the interests of agriculture as he did when Prince of Wales, yet he has no intention of giving up the breeding of stock. It is understood that Her late Majesty bequeathed to him the magnificent herds of shorthorns, Jerseys, Devons, and Herefords established by the late Prince Consort at Windsor on the Shaw and Flemish farms which he started there. Prince Albert, indeed, revived the interest of the Royal Family in agriculture, which had lapsed since the death of “Farmer George.” Queen Victoria also had some very good stock on the home farm at Osborne, while at Abergeldie Mains Her Majesty kept a magnificent herd of pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus cattle. These, without doubt, her successor will keep up.
To those who study the King’s personal nature and character, no apartment at Sandringham can be more interesting than the library, or rather that section of the libraries, for there are three, which is specially appropriated to His Majesty. The fittings are those of the cabins used by the King on board the Serapis during his voyage to and from India. The blotting-books and the tables and chairs are all covered in dark blue or green leather, and on each the Prince of Wales’s feathers and monogram are stamped in gold. A glance at the shelves shows what are the King’s literary tastes and preferences. He is evidently intensely interested in the history of his own country, especially what may be called the history of our own time. Several shelves are entirely devoted to works dealing with the Indian Mutiny, including the official reports, memoirs, histories, and even novels. The King always buys every new work connected with the public or private administration of his Eastern Empire. Special attention has also evidently been paid to the Crimean War, and there is a rich collection of Colonial histories and documents. But most of the standard works of reference are to be found in the first library, a fine apartment, often used as a writing-room and reading-room by visitors.
The second library is really the Equerries’ room. It is there the Gentlemen of the Household are often to be found. Here are gathered together French and English works of reference and classics, and a splendid collection of county histories. Novels and memoirs are not neglected, and no week passes, when the King and Queen are in residence, without a large consignment of British and foreign books finding its way to Sandringham.
The King transacts much of the business connected with the Sandringham estate in a pleasant morning-room. There he receives at stated times the bailiffs and others concerned in the management of the estate, and, as he farms himself over 1000 acres, he has much to do in the way of supervision.
Sandringham can boast of one of the finest private billiard-rooms in England, and it is one of the very few country-houses where there are bowling alleys. The King and his children are very fond of the old-fashioned English game of bowls.
In 1891 the entire roofing of the main building of Sandringham House, together with all the rooms and their contents on the two upper floors, was destroyed by fire. The bells of the various churches in the district clashed out the alarm. Gangs of men and women speedily set to work to clear the principal lower rooms of their furniture and rare, valuable, and interesting contents. Queen Alexandra was staying with the Empress of Russia, and the King was also away at the time. The amount of damage done was about £15,000. That portion of the house which was destroyed has been rebuilt in a thoroughly fire-proof fashion, with iron and concrete floors and roofs; and the opportunity was taken of making many additions to various portions of the house, in fact about eighteen rooms were added. It is very characteristic of the King that, by his orders, the general works were all carried out by local tradesmen.
One of the most interesting departments of Sandringham Hall is the stables, which contain a great number of carriages. There are Russian sledges, only used in the coldest weather; a Hungarian snow-carriage, lined with rose colour; Norwegian carioles; a smart American buggy, painted bright yellow; a truly beautiful gold inlaid jinricksha, sent to the King from Japan, which is for show rather than for use; a char-à-banc, presented by the late Duke of Sutherland; and, it need hardly be said, every kind of ordinary two- and four-wheeled vehicle now in general use, from the modest Norfolk cart to the stately landau; while by the big coach is to be seen the charming miniature four-in-hand presented by His Majesty to Queen Alexandra just before his departure for India.