A Talk About Princess Alice

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