1920: “Inane Maories danced & made weird noises at me!!”

April 24, 2020

By AHNZ

Today in New Zealand history, 24 April, 1920, The Prince of Wales visited New Zealand on a tour of about a month. At the time, and for years after, we thought he really loved us and enjoyed his time. Little did New Zealanders really know what a future king’s private thoughts are while performing his regal duties.

Our future Edward VIII would later abdicate, leaving his younger brother to take over despite concerns for the clarity of this king’s speech. Edward much preferred the attraction of an American socialite divorcee and married her, Wallis Simpson, rather than stick to the family business. This is not at all unlike his family’s descendent today, Prince Harry. Edward’s tastes were the same when he came to New Zealand too. The object of his admiration in 1920 was Freda Dudley Ward, an English socialite married to another man. She would be a double-divorcee herself but in 1920 that was still in the future.

“they are the most revolting form of living creatures I’ve ever seen!! They are the lowest known form of human beings & are the nearest thing to monkeys.”- Edwards remarks about Australians on the next leg of his tour after he left us

The Prince’s confidential letters to his mistress were obscured to history but turned up in 1996. The finder, Rupert Godfrey, promptly published the diary into a book that has particular interest to we New Zealanders. Here are some of the things our future King had to say..

April 25, 1920, Government House, Auckland ‘‘Well here we are arrived in New Zealand . . . the mere thought of the programme they insist on my carrying out is staggering as we really are in for a bloody awful month angel & Christ only knows how far gone towards insanity we’ll all be at the end of it when we go to Australia!!

[Governor General] Liverpool…is a proper —- (4 letters darling one you know what I mean!!) and no mistake and how he’s lasted 7 years as G.G. I can’t tell you!!

I had to attend an Anzac Day returned men’s service . . . to commemorate the first day N.Z. troops went into action when they landed on Gallipoli…it depressed me which was the last thing I wanted.

the Liverpools are the absolute limit . . . he is too hopelessly pompous & impossible …he infuriates us so much that we just long to do him in..so angry to have my job bitched by other people, darling, particularly by hopeless —-’s like…[the New Zealand Governor General.]

April 27, 1920, Grand Hotel, Rotorua . . . Just back from a desperate little party…had my first proper glimpse of N.Z. not that I’m in the least bit thrilled..stink of the sulphur is too revolting for words then came a pompous dinner party..I loathed it!!

April 28, Grand Hotel, Rotorua To-days stunts although terribly boring and irritating…I had to go through long & tedious Maori ceremonies…inane Maories danced & made weird noises at me!!… revolting me by kissing my hand when I shook hands with them all & two of the betas infuriated me by trying to kiss me…

The railway strike is the main topic of conversation . . . I think they are using me & the upsetting of my tour as a weapon against the Government to try and force the Premier’s hand tho old Massey won’t soften!!

I long more and more to chuck this job & be out of it all & free for you sweetie…

May 1, HMS Renown, Auckland . . . suddenly had a phone message from old Massey at Wellington to say the whole railway strike is off…

May 2, HMS Renown, Auckland ..Oh it’s a most hopeless & thankless and artificial job this one of Prince of Wales and I’m only kept alive by YOU . . . I’ll shoot myself the minute you stop loving me sweetheart

May 4, Imperial Hotel, Wanganui Such a pompous address beloved but it’s really a miserable hole…

May 7, Government House, Wellington . . . party here tonight I loathed it & was so bored. Christ how sick I am of the type of women one meets out here and they absolutely get on my nerves and none of them can dance for nuts or hardly any!!

May 8, Government House, Wellington …another cruel day..Christ how I loathe it and hate it as I do anything unreal and artificial as this fearful existence (it’s not a life) is!!

…it is a rotten way of seeing a fine country like N.Z . . . Returned soldiers and shrieking people & school children are all that I shall remember of my visit beloved though I might add drunkinos as half the men are overflowing with scotch at most of the places I’ve been…

May 11, Dawson’s Hotel, Nelson We have just returned from the most pricelessly funny party that one could imagine, there wasn’t a single woman who had the least idea how to dance…tried to lug those wads of hamfaced women around

May 12 Keller’s Hotel, Hokitika …the wretched women were too revolting for words in fact it was a proper rustic or village crowd, though it’s the mileu we’ve been living in ever since Wellington…

May 14 Christchurch Club, Christchurch Hideous girls but the half dozen I struck all had some idea of dancing which was a relief. But these NZ women really are too amazingly plain and unattractive for words sweetie and their powers of conversation nil.

May 20, Dunedin I really think that Dunedin is the most enthusiastic city of all in N.Z. though… mostly returned men & their families & then lots of next of kin which is always sordid and pathetic!!

May 22, HMS Renown, Lyttelton But if His Magesty [The King] thinks he’s going to alter me by insulting you he’s making just about the biggest mistake of his silly useless life; all he has done is to infuriate me & make me despise him & put me completely against him & I’ll never forgive him for insulting you as he has!!. God! Damn him!

 

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Image ref. Prince of Wales with Premier William Massey; From the scrapbook of Mr Willian Boulton of Pauatahanui

Ref. 2017: Meghan & Harry

Ref. Letters From a Prince: Edward to Mrs. Freda Dudley Ward 1918–1921, R. Godfrey (1988); Amazon

Ref. Letters from a Prince; Sunday Star Times, 2007; Pressreader

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