THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 25, 1937.
REALLY
MR.
BOLITHO!"
By- DOUGLAS WEST
In The "Daily Mail”
ERRILY selling up and down
M Britain is Mr. Hector Boli-
for the
LAST SPRING
Thus, with reference to the then an "obsession," nor any rebuke for Prince of Wales's prolonged absen- want of caution.
It is always a matter for wonder ces abroad, he commits himself to that his character kept its shape. A these glaring antitheses: sybarite or a trifler would have
tho's "Edward VIII: His Life and Reign," published six weeks ago and remarkable for a vein of rather unctuous moralising and
been destroyed after being, hurried captious severity of its comments on about the world as the Prince has the last king.
been. But the Prince remained un- shaken. He took his place in the. It has overtaken and, except life of England, among people with inconveniently
long memories, perhaps, expunged These journeys added something any recollection of a substantially to his character without taking any- different version of the same bio thing important from-it. graphy- which appeared-a-year sago bl
-
·LAST SPRING-
The Queen's influence, was strong enough to survive the long gaps of separation. ✨ The simple relationship of mother and son was strong with them.
THIS YEAR
Even Queen Mary's infinite tact -between March 10 and June 30 The gentleness of his judgments
in the pages of the now defunct His inner spirit had remain- and wisdom could not survive these His son's friendship with periodical Leisure, and was remark- ed calm through all the adulation. gaps.
Mrs. Simpson was a perpetual grief able for Mr. Bolitho's warm and ap- parently sincere
He was not made, dizzy by to King George. praise. same sovereign.
eulogies
of the
this
THIS-YEAR-
If he values a reputation for con- He discounted his powers by turn-
Mr. Bolitho has two completely
attitudes towards regret ing from advice and playing a lone different
the sistency, Mr. Bolitho must that he ever put his name to such hand. His restlessness and super standards of life established by the sentiments. A close comparison ficial view of human, nature still. Prince after the war. between the "Intimate Life Study" debarred him from realising the dif- of last year and the largely recast ference between popularity and, re- version of the biography which was spect.: published last month reveals some very striking discrepancies. A few of them follow in juxtaposition:
LAST SPRING
7
LAST SPRING.:
These standards were in com-
How mistaken Mr. Bolitho must have been! Or must we reconcile the discrepancies in the two ver sions of his book by supposing that the author is singularly adept at trimming his sails to suit the pre- valling wind?
At Balmoral
All still closer comparison of the two versions reveals that Mr. Boll- convenient tho, having suffered a change of mind about his subject,
has made a thorough job of task of revision.
the
For example, last spring Mr. Bolitho told
us about the former the housemaid at Osborne whom Prince met on the platform of Bal moral Station, and talked to eagerly for half an hour. That has been omitted.
His knowledge was gathered too plete harmony with the aims of his dounds to the last King's credit. quickly and in choking quantities, so contemporaries. that it did not have the opportunity of growing into wisdom,
THIS YEAR
-It is a trivial incident, but it re-
Perhaps it provided too sharp contrast to Mr. Bolitho's later view that the Düke of Windsor "broke down the affection of
his household by his lack of considera-
tion.
Not that Mr. Bolitho has bother- to preserve even all appearance consistency between his second thoughts and his first-
These standards were distressing He [Edward] was in the line For some sad reason he was not of his great-grand-mother, his equipped with the power to judge to his father and to older prelates While he travelled over the and statesmen... He sought his grand father, and his father... 'He was morally brave. His conscience face of the world on waves of com- pleasure in society which was un- was his guide, not his vanity, his pliment and praise, there was a suited to the needs of the heir to inheritance, or his ambition. Many growing undercurrent of discontent, the throne. times he showed that he understood Mr. Bolitho changed his mind not the word expediency, but only about his former king and benefac- the difference between what Was tor with startling and accommodat- Blow hot, blow cold. Mr. Bolitho ing rapidity. As a young New Zea- does not attempt to deny the last lander, he made, in 1920, the friend- king's sympathy with the poor and ly acquaintance of the then Prines unfortunate. Facts of Wales during his tour of that things, but Mr. Bolitho puts a new paragement in the other. Here are distant Dominion.
interpretation upon the Duke of three examples of Mr. Bolitho's
duplicity:
right and what was wrong.
He was equipped, in perception and in knowledge, to be a leader, and not merely a great name. For himself his standards were as: rigid as those of his father.
THIS YEAR
Harassed,
unreasonable.
and
vain...
He is capable of extraordinary pettiness. He has revised isolated sentences so that praise in one ver- are stubborn sion becomes velled or
open dis
LAST SPRING
Windsor's visits to the distressed "With the Prince in New Zealand" areas. There is a marked contrast was Mr. Bolltho's first book, and between the author's eager sympathy the first step along a path which and admiration a year ago and the has brought him considerable liter- tone of sanctimonious reproach ary fame and, no doubt, a measure which he has chosen to adopt since of proft. He came to England; the the abdication. Here again the con- [At Oxford] the Prince began to Prince of Wales remembered him. trast is best shown by parallel lose his frown.
columns::
LAST SPRING
•
[Of the Indian Tour] the English- man was right in describing him
Uncertain of values in living, con-
With introductions to other mem- fused over the strength and weak- ness of human nature, and bitterly bers of the Royal Family, and ac- resentful of all interference and cess to certain private papers; Mr.
If compassion ruled his [Ed as the greatest Ambassador of his even affectionate advice, the Prince Bolitho soon established himself in
bio- ward's] heart, commonsense ruled time. became a law unto himself. He be the not barren field of royal
his head.
His balanced judg- came increasingly stubborn
and graphy.
ment and his dislike for self-pity conceited over his popularity. Every
Books on Queen Victoria, Ed- made him turn to the problems of incident of 15 years of his life had contributed to the weakness of self- ward VII, the Prince Consort, and the living as much as to the venera-
Windsor Castle added to his reputa- tion of the dead. centredness. ›
tion. It has been no secret for some King George and Queen Mary years that his work found favour shared distress and disappointment
in royal, circles.
over their son-
STARTLING KAPIDITY
Afraid of shibboletha.
THIS YEAR
THIS YEAR
The Prince tried to lose hia frown. Edward developed an obsession.
The Englishman described him about those in want. He did not as the greatest Ambassador, of his
time. consider them in relation to other ́classes, which was necessary from
LAST SPRING
Mr. Bolitho certainly did not al- the point of view of the State. He to- could not tread quietly or work cau- We were happy, but not surpris. low any feeling of obligation
wards King Edward VIII to deter tiously, which was the true and help- ed, when we saw him assume crown with confidence and power. him from a volte face worthy of
THIS YEAR
hia
the Vicar of Bray himself. He can ful way with the poor. scarcely have permitted himself a backward glance at the panegyric
inclined to resent all fetters. The public will be surprised to know that Mr. Bolitho is now writ- ing a Life of King George VI which is being submitted for official ap-
The power in his hand was, ter- which he wrote last spring, or he rible to measure, and the Govern- would not have stultified himself by Really, Mr. Bolitho!. There was proval, and they will seriously doubt ment and those who knew him well making diametrically opposite state- no suggestion last spring that the whether he is a suitable author for were keenly afraid,
ments.
then King's ardent sympathy was such a work.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.