History Of The "Prince Of Wales Lodge."

last member of the " House of Hanover who joined the Craft during the last century , viz ., 1796 . 13 . —H . E . H . Albert Edward , XXIII . Prince of Wales , was initiated at Stockholm by His Majesty the King of Sweden , in the year 1868 , and subsequently

joined the various degrees of what is known as the " SAvedish Eite ; " thus making the third Prince of Wales , within a century and a half , who has been content for a time to " figuratively represent a seeming state of poverty , " and learn the lesson of charity so aptly taught in our Masonic ceremonies . In 1870 the rank of Past Grand Master Avas conferred

—according to custom—on His Eoyal Highness ; and on the 28 th of April , 1875 ( as we all rejoice to remember , who took part in that grand assembly ) , the " Heir Apparent" to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland was installed , in the Eoyal Albert HallLondonby the

Pro-, , Grand Master , the Earl of Carnarvon , the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England , the oldest and largest Grand Lodge in the world ! After all , what could possibly have been better for the real interests of the Fraternity than the

resignation of the Marquis of Ripon , as M . W . G . M . —much as Ave regretted the event—and the succession of H . E . H . the Prince of Wales' ! We merely stop noAv to say that H . E . H . as W . M . of the " Apollo University Lodge , " Oxford , the " Eoyal Alpha Lodge , " and , lastly , of the

" Prince of Wales Lodge" from 1874 ( and Ave hope for many years to come ) , has exhibited , in a marked degree , his preference for the science and art of Freemasonry . Long may the Craft flourish under his Eoyal sAvay ! 14 . —H . E . H . Arthur William Patrick

Albert , Duke of Uonnaught , was received as an Entered Apprentice , under the Mastership of his brother , H . E . H . the Prince of Wales , in the Lodge of the " Prince of Wales , " on March 24 th , 1874 , and in the presence of the M . W . G . M . the

Marquis of Eipon , and other Grand Officers . H . E . H . the Duke of Connaught received the Second Degree on the 28 th of April in the same year , and became a Master Mason a year afterwards ( 27 th of April ) . 15 . —H . R . H . Leopold George Duncan Albert ( Prince Leopold ) , the youngest

Prince of the United Kingdom , became a student of Freemasonry on entering the "Apollo University Lodge , " Oxford , on the 1 st of May , 1874 , and subsequently as W . M . of that Lodge ( 1876 ) , and no \ v as Provincial Grand Master of Oxfordshire , has taken a lively interest in the Avelfare of the Craft , subject , alas , to occasional draAvbacks from weakness of health .

For " fifteen Princes " of Great Britain and Ireland , from 1737 to 1874 , to have been candidates for the mysteries and privileges of Antient Free and Accepted Freemasonry , and , what is more , to have generally taken an active part in the official and ceremonial observances of the

Craft , renders any further attempt to defend our time-honoured Society from the attacks of bigots and fanatics wholly superfluous . H . R . H . George , Prince of Wales ( afterwards George the IV . ) , was Master of the Prince of Wales Lodge from 1787 until

1820 , the Deputy Master throughout that period being Sir Samuel Hulse . The " Constitutions " provide that , on a Prince of the Royal blood becoming the W . M . of a Lodge , a Deputy Master shall be appointed who can officiate as W . M ., and when out

of office has all the privileges of a P . M . The same laAv prevails in England Avith respect to the Pro-Grand Master , who is appointed whenever a Royal brother is elected M . W . G . M . The title formerly was Acting Grand Master . Colonel the Right Hon . Samuel Hulse , AVIIO was subsequently

made a Knight , entered the Foot Guards in 1761 , cnmmauded the 1 st battalion of his regiment at the siege of Valenciennes , and served during the rebellion in Ireland . In 1789 he received the rank of Lieutenant General , and in 1 S 03 that of General . He was engaged in the expedition to the

Helder , and ill 1 S 20 became Governor of Chelsea Hospital . Seven years before his decease he Avas promoted to the rank of Field Marshal , and during bis eventful career held various offices in the Eoyal Household . Our distinguished brother

was Provincial Grand Master of Surrey , and apparently , also , of Kent ( in 1815 ) , and a warm supporter of the Prince of Wales Lodge , of Avhich he was first D . M . The Chevalier Bartholomew Euspini , Dentist to the Prince of Wales , was most remarkable for his generosity and benevolence ,