Debarred by the tradition of his House from himself entering our first line of defence, the King nevertheless--as indeed he says in his gracious Message--chose the Navy for the early education of both his sons. In other ways he has never failed to demonstrate in every possible way his love of the sea, of which indeed he has had a pretty wide experience. We have seen how often he took passage in various warships on his travels, and it will be remembered that the _Hero_, in which he returned from visiting Canada and the United States, was driven by a storm out of her course and the Royal party were reduced to salt fare. His Majesty thus early made acquaintance with the hardships as well as with the pleasant side of a sailor’s life. King William IV. once said: “There is no place in the world for making an English gentleman like the quarter-deck of an English man-of-war,” and his great-nephew, King Edward, evidently took the same view. It was in 1877 that an important step was taken in regard to the education of the King’s two sons, which had long been the subject of anxious thought and care to both their parents. It had not hitherto been the custom to send Princes in the direct line of succession into the Navy, that service being no doubt considered too hazardous. But the strong affection subsisting between Prince Albert Victor and Prince George made their father unwilling to separate them, and so in June 1877 they entered the _Britannia_ together as naval cadets. The decision significantly showed how highly His Majesty appreciated the naval service as a mental and moral training school. It will be remembered that in that eventful year, 1887, His Majesty was appointed an Honorary Admiral of the Fleet; and later on, the marriage of his daughter, Princess Maud, to Prince Charles of Denmark, who was a Lieutenant in the Danish Navy, gave His Majesty peculiar gratification. The King’s Message to the Army, contained in a special Army order, was as follows:-- “OSBORNE, _25th January 1901_. “On my accession to the Throne of my ancestors I am desirous of thanking the Army for the splendid services which it has rendered to my beloved mother the Queen during her glorious reign of upwards of sixty-three years. “Her Majesty invariably evinced the warmest interest in her troops, especially when on active service, both as a Sovereign and as the head of her Army, and she was proud of the fact of being a soldier’s daughter. “To secure your best interests will be one of the dearest objects of my heart, and I know I can count upon that loyal devotion which you ever evinced towards your late Sovereign. “EDWARD R.I.” [Illustration: THE KING AS COLONEL OF THE 10TH HUSSARS _From a Photograph by F.G.O.S., published by Gregory_] A further honour was in store for the Army, for the _London Gazette_ announced:--