Marlborough House from the South-West
Photograph by Ralph, Dersingham
The King’s study at Marlborough House, where none but his intimates are admitted, looks like the room of a hard-working man of business. He works at an old-fashioned pedestal desk-table, exactly resembling the one used by his father. The desk portion of the table shuts with a spring, and can only be opened with a golden key, which the King always wears on his watch chain.
When he was Prince of Wales the King only accomplished the immense amount of work he did by the most methodical organisation. Almost every hour of his day was mapped out for him. First came his private correspondence, which was very considerable. Then from ten to half-past ten was spent in talking over and dictating replies to the letters already sorted by Sir Francis Knollys. Immediately after, the Comptroller of the Household discussed with him the arrangements for the day. Often before lunch he had to receive a deputation, or to act as chairman of some committee, frequently held in Marlborough House. Luncheon was served at 2.30, and the King and Queen often entertained parties of their relations who were up in town for the day. Except when he was travelling, the King rarely had a free afternoon, for even on the rare occasions when he had not to visit some public institution, to lay a foundation-stone, or to declare a building open, and so on, there were endless social duties to which no one could attend but himself, such as weddings, race meetings, reviews, and receptions. Certain public functions were almost always attended by both the King and the Queen—for example, the Horse Show at Islington, the Royal Military Tournament, and the trooping of the colour.
No one can realise how much his merely social duties cost the King while he was Heir-Apparent. The invariable cheerfulness and courage with which he went through what must have soon become a terribly monotonous round, year after year, are the more admirable when it is remembered that it was actually made the basis for the assertion that he was excessively devoted to mere amusement. An American writer who had brought the charge but, having discovered his error, had had the honesty and manliness to admit it, was rewarded by receiving a letter from the Prince’s Secretary in which occurred the following:—
“The Prince cannot help feeling that you are a little hard and unjust upon him in your book; he says unjust because you evidently wrote about him without knowing his real character. There are many things which he is obliged to do which the outside world would call pleasures and amusements; they are, however, often anything but a source of amusement to him, though his position demands that he should every year go through a certain round of social duties which bore him to death. But, while duly regretting those social pleasures, you pass over very lightly all the more serious occupations of his life.”
