A Talk About Princess Alice

Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone, c1911. Image from Wikimedia Commons

A most interesting personality has the young Princess who recently became the wife of Prince Alexander of Teck.

The daughter of a Prince who was renowned for his scholastic attainments, and of a Princess who also has abilities of no mean order as well as much natural sweetness of disposition, Princess Alice has developed many of the distinguishing traits of both, and is, in fact, highly accomplished even for a Princess. In these days, when a royal personage must require an encyclopaedia knowledge of men and things, that is saying very much; but it is no more than an actual fact, for all who have had anything to do with the training of the Princess, or have been brought into contact with her Royal Highness, are agreed upon this.

If the Princess Alice excels more in one direction than another, it is as an artist. From her very earliest youth she showed a marked aptitude with pencil and brush.

Who so well able to give interesting and authentic details of her Royal Highness's art studies as the eminent painter who has been responsible for the instruction?

Mrs. Ward needs no introduction to the reading public, for her works are well known, as is also the fact that she painted much for the late Queen Victoria. She formerly exhibited continually at the various galleries, and at the Royal Academy for 30 consecutive years, and now enjoys much repute in connection with her studios. Added to this, Mrs. Ward is the widow of a Royal Academician, and is descended from a greater number of artists than can here be enumerated. To Mrs. Ward, then, the writer repaired for a talk about the studies of the Princess.

AS A PUPIL

To begin at the beginning, Mrs. Ward gave the Duchess of Albany lessons long before the Princess Alice even commenced to hold a pencil. Her Royal Highness was in the early days of her widowhood, and resumed her art studies as a pastime,

Mrs. Ward journeying to Claremont periodically for the purpose. Then came the time when the artistic tendency of the little Princess began to show itself, and here is a fact not generally known – that she received her first course of instruction solely from her mother, repairing to the boudoir each day for lessons so soon as she was through with the schoolroom routine, Mrs. Ward taking up the instruc- tion at a later period. To quote that artist's own words, "Princess Alice showed not only marked talent, but the greatest of industry and perseverance, and no pupil of mine ever worked harder or more conscientiously."

For a certain time Mrs. Ward continued to journey to the Duchess of Albany's residence, but it was presently arranged that the Princess Alice should go to her teacher's studios for a weekly lesson, in the same manner as any other student. So her Royal Highness, in charge of Miss Potts, the governess, used to take train from Esher to London, where one of the royal carriages awaited them to drive them to Chester-square. At Mrs. Ward's residence the royal student would have her luncheon, and then take her allotted seat in the studio, working assiduously with her colleagues on a common subject. Princess Alice is equally gifted with pen and brush, taking either still life or working from nature, her work showing marked adaptability, and quickness of perception.

Mrs. Ward and her daughters are in possession of some very charming letters from the Princess Alice, the later ones of which return the warmest thanks for wedding presents which have been offered for acceptance; that from Mrs. Ward being a signed engraving of her picture "Palissy the Potter."

THE PRINCESS'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

And the Princess has numerous accomplishments, which one may hear of by conversing with those who are in a position to testify. She is an excellent linguist, having studied modern languages diligently at her home and continued them on the Continent. German she is especially proficient in, having taken a continuous course both at Stuttgart and Potsdam.

At the first place she also assiduously pursued her musical studies. Her Royal Highness is a really excellent pianist, and a quick and correct reader. Of art needlework she is exceedingly fond, and numerous pretty things scattered about the Claremont rooms testify to this and also to her unfailing industry. Like her mother, Princess Alice is exceedingly well and, and in the book shelves of her rooms it may be observed that the literature is of a much more solid nature than is usually congenial to young ladies, these volumes including many German works in the original. Also her Royal Highness has many outdoor accomplishments. She is particularly fond of flowers and gardening, and it is a very pleasing trait that she has often taken bouquets to her particular friends culled from her own garden. She has a splendid seat on horseback—has had from very early days.

HER INTEREST IN LIFE

Her Royal Highness has had some good times with her fishing rod up in Scotland, but she does not go in for masculine accomplishments: she is essentially a womanly woman, gentle and kindly by nature, and thoroughly proficient in all domestic virtues.

Every member of our Royal Family must be prepared nowadays to undertake all sorts of public functions, and a very large share has fallen to the Duchess of Albany. Her Royal Highness has always taken her daughter with her, and so bazaars, guilds, and the well-known Deptford Fund have monopolised much of the Princess's time, not only in visits paid, but in the presidential work and organisation carried out at home. The Needleworks Guild, indeed, has brought very heavy duties, for not only have many garments been made at Claremont, but also the onerous work of sorting and allotting has been largely undertaken by Princess Alice.

Altogether, the royal bride may be fairly termed one of the cleverest Princesses of our Royal Family. – Launceton Examiner, Saturday, March 19, 1904