f mental equipment for the government of a vast empire which,
in addition to his early travels, must have made the experience and
knowledge of Queen Victoria's successor as unique as were the conditions
and greatness of his Empire.

During the last Jubilee the Prince presided, on June 18th, as President
of the Imperial Institute, at a banquet given to the Colonial Premiers
and other representatives in London. Upon his right sat Sir Wilfrid
Laurier, Premier of Canada, and upon his left Mr. Whitelaw Reid, the
special Envoy of the United States. Amongst others present were Lord
Salisbury, Sir Hugh Nelson, Premier of Queensland, the Marquess of
Lansdowne, Lord Rosebery and Mr. Chamberlain--all of whom spoke; while
Lord Ripon, Lord Dufferin, Lord Kimberley, the Marquess of Lorne, Sir W.
V. Whiteway, Premier of Newfoundland, Lord Rothschild, Sir Donald Smith
(Lord Strathcona) the Archbishop of Canterbury and a splendid array of
other representative men in Church and State, army and navy, art and
science and literature, were also present. In one of his tactful
speeches on this occasion, His Royal Highness referred to the enormous
growth of the Colonies during the Queen's record reign and expressed the
hope that present peaceful conditions might long continue. "God grant
it," he added, "but if the national flag is threatened I am convinced
that all the Colonies will unite to maintain what exists and to preserve
the unity of the Empire." In little more than a year these words were
fully borne out by events.

But the Prince of Wales was never content to make mere speeches in
advocacy of a principle. His aid to the Royal Colonial Institute and
organization of the Imperial Institute were cases in point. When the
Imperial Federation League was formed he could only help its aims
indirectly because there were political possibilities in its platform,
but when, in 1896, the British Empire League succeeded to its place and
mission, with a broader and more general platform, the Queen and the
Prince extended their patronage to the organization. On April 30, 1900,
a great banquet was given under its auspices to welcome the Australian
Delegates who had gone "home" to discuss the Commonwealth Act, and to
recognize the services rendered by Colonial troops in the South African
war. The Duke of Devonshire occupied the chair, with the Prince of Wales
and the Duke of York on either hand, and next to them again the Dukes of
Cambridge and Fife. The