It is no exaggeration to say that there are few men now living who possess better general qualifications for the difficult work of serving on Royal Commissions than the King. He is familiar with an almost bewildering variety of subjects, and possesses a wonderful faculty for almost instinctively grasping the important features and the really essential points of any matter under discussion. He is a model chairman of a committee, and, though he cannot ever display the slightest trace of personal or party feeling, it is well known that he follows with intense interest all the political and social movements of the day, and it is no secret that he is thoroughly an Imperialist.
King Edward and Queen Alexandra, with the Duchess of Fife and Lady Alexandra Duff
From a Photograph by Gunn and Stuart
The King’s work on the Housing of the Poor Commission was particularly congenial to him, for he has always shown an unaffected interest in the working classes. He has long been an annual subscriber to the Working Men’s Club and Institute Union, and is a generous donor to the Working Men’s College. Still more recently, in his reply to the loyal address of condolence presented to him by the London County Council on the death of Queen Victoria, His Majesty made a significant allusion to his interest in the problem of the housing of the working classes. In 1889, some years before the King joined the Housing of the Poor Commission, he took the trouble to go to Lambeth on business seemingly of nothing but local interest—namely, to receive a deputation of working men on the subject of providing a park for the district. His host was the late Primate, Dr. Benson, who thus describes the scene in his diary:—
“Went up to receive Prince of Wales and twelve Representative Working Men at Lambeth. The latter to read him an address on the purchase of ‘The Lawn,’ South Lambeth, for a Public Park, and its great importance to them and their children. Their chairman read a natural, honest speech; nothing could be better than the tone and line of the Prince’s answer. They were delighted by his strong shake of the hand. ‘Not the tips of his fingers,’ they said; ‘working men have feelings, and they would not like that.’ And, ‘It isn’t everybody that education refines as it has him,’ said a blacksmith. ‘When he’s king I shall be able to say that I’ve shook hands with the Crown,’ said an engine-driver. Octavia Hill, and James Knowles, and my wife were the only people admitted besides his Equerry, and Donaldson, and Phillips. It will do good, and he spoke so well.”
This incident is only mentioned as one out of many that could be cited in proof, if proof were needed, of His Majesty’s keen interest in everything that concerns the welfare of the working classes. On another occasion the King was accidentally informed that an exhibition, promoted by the working men in South London, was somewhat languishing for lack of sufficient notice, and unofficially His Majesty arranged to visit the exhibition. He went through it carefully, buying and paying for such articles as took his fancy, and the moment the fact became known, the promoters had no reason to complain of neglect on the part of the general public, who were eager to see what had interested so good a judge of exhibitions as King Edward.
Throughout the year 1893 the King was busily employed in other ways also. In March he paid a formal visit to the Public Record Office to inspect some of the priceless national manuscripts deposited there, and in May he had the satisfaction of seeing that great enterprise which he had himself originated, the Imperial Institute, inaugurated in State by his Royal Mother. It was at the Institute that Mr. Gladstone was hissed by some unmannerly persons, to the great annoyance of the King, who never concealed the strong respect and esteem in which he held both Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone.
It is interesting also to record that in March of this year the Queen, who was accompanied by her son, was received by the Pope in private audience. The interview lasted about an hour.