EDWARD VIII (1894-1972)

Autograph Letter Signed (“Edward”) to Wilson Taylor at the Bath Club in Dover Street, written as a Staff Officer attached to the XIV Army Corps commanded by General Lord Cavan.

1¾ pages 8vo in pencil, together with the original official ‘On His Majesty’s Service’ envelope addressed by Edward in ink on which he written “By Messenger”. H.Q., 14th Corps B.[ritish] E.[xpeditionary] F.[orce], 1 July 1917.   

The young Prince Edward was genuinely anxious to take an active part in the First World War; the authorities however who feared his capture by the enemy eve more than his death prevented him from running into any real danger, and he spent much of the war visiting troops and acting as a general morale-raiser. In this letter to a friend he seems resigned and weary.

“Many thanks for your kind letter of good wishes for my birthday [Edward had celebrated his twenty-third birthday on 23 June] & all the nice things you said not that I deserved them in the least!! Old Hansell [Henry Hansell, Prince Edward’s former tutor] came up and lunched with me here about 10 days ago looking very fit & he likes his job tho its a case of 12 hrs office work a day!! It is splendid of him having come out & taken on the job of DADl [Deputy Adjutant General] Heaven only knows when I shall get home again & I can only hope for the best; I fear this year is’nt going to see the end of it all!! We had it very hot a fortnight ago over 90 F in our huts in this camp tho I love the heat!! Since then we’ve had it wet & cold tho it wont last I dont thing [sic]. . . .”

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