EDWARD VIII, as Prince of Wales | autograph speech, 1919

EDWARD VIII, AS PRINCE OF WALES

AUTOGRAPH SPEECH REFLECTING ON THE ALLIED VICTORY IN WORLD WAR ONE

given at a celebratory dinner ("...At this dinner are gathered together, comrades in arms drawn from many nations from every part of the world, who have been engaged in a long & desparate [sic] struggle against the most powerful military combination that the World has ever known...") and concluding with a toast to Field Marshal Foch, comprising both the full speech (4 pages) and also paragraph summaries (4 pages), in total 8 pages, 4to and 8vo, [c.20 July 1919]

"...Now that the great war is over & the powerful enemies that have so long disturbed the peace of the World & menaced our freedom are finally overthrown & subdued we all rejoice top welcome here those who have shared with us the perils & sufferings of the trying & strenuous campaign & who now share with us the joy of our victory..."

This speech by the Prince of Wales, who had spent the war years in uniform, was given at a dinner in honour of British and Allied Commanders and their staffs at the Carlton Hotel, attended by about 400 people on 20 July 1919. Foch was the guest of honour and had spent the afternoon at Windsor Castle. The speech was published in The Times, 21 July 1919. The Prince probably read from the summary notes, whilst the full text of the speech is likely to have been written out for publication (and has some pencil spelling corrections in another hand).

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