Figure 1.--.

The two boys were tutored at home together. Their tutor was the Reverend John Neale Dalton. We have not yet acquired much information about him. His duties did not end when the boys began their naval cadet training. We do know that he accompanied the boys on HMS Bacchante for their trip around the world. I do not have details yet, but certainly a schoolroom must have been set up for Prince Eddy and Prince George at Sandringham. I think the princesses were tutored separately in a different schoolroom, but cannot yet confirm this. Prince Eddy apparently was virtually beyond education. Prince George appears to have been a boy of ordinary intelligence. Dalton decided, however, that the two should be kept together. This was because the primary concern was Prince Eddy who was the heir to the throne. Dalton found that he could better get Prince Eddy to focus on an assignment if Prince George was working on it also. Certainly Prince George's education was not assisted by being tutored with his brother. Dalton must have also been worried by being stuck with tutoring Prince Eddy alone which would have been a nightmare assignment. As Prince Eddy was pratically uneducatable, I have no information on subjects that he excelled in. He did learn to read and to do basic math. Prince George was a more reasonable student and displayed some aptitude for mathematics. One concern of Queen Victoria and the boys' parents was that the boys made no progress in foreign languages. This was important at the time for royalty

Reverend Dalton

John Neale Dalton was educated at the Blackheath school. We have not yet acquired much information about him. His duties did not end when the boys began their naval cadet training. We do not know if he accompanied the boys to Dartmouth for their tarining on HMS Britania. We do know that he accompanied the boys on HMS Bacchante for their trip around the world. I do not know what his relationship was with the boys either at Sandringham or on the Bacchante. As a tutor, Dalton was not a conscpicuous success, but this may have been more the boy's fault than his. Their mother felt bad that the boys, especially Prince Eddy, did not seen to show any graditude. She assured Dalton that they would when they grew up. [Battiscombe, p. 162.] As a reward for his efforts, he was subsequently appointed to be Cannon of St. Georges chapel in Winsor castle--a prestigious post.

School Room

I do not have details yet, but certainly a schoolroom must have been set up for Prince Eddy and Prince George at Sandringham. I think the princesses were tutored separately in a different schoolroom, but cannot yet confirm this.

Routine

Alix did not see the time in the schoolroom with Reverend Dalton as a great priority and one report suggest that she was apt to burst into the schoolroom with some diversion for the boys.

Subjects

As Prince Eddy was pratically uneducatable, I have no information on subjects that he excelled in. He did learn to read and to do basic math. Prince George was a more reasonable student and displayed some aptitude for mathematics. One concern of Queen Victoria and the boys' parents was that the boys made no progress in foreign languages. This was important at the time for royalty because with all the marriages with foreign royal families that a knowledge of some of these languages was needed to speak with your relatives. Conversations with other soverigns and foreign officials also served an important diplomatic purpurpose. The Queen complained that the only foreign languafe they knew was Danish, which presumably they learned in the nursery and during trips to their grandparents. But as Denmark was of no real importance in European politics by the late 19th century, this was dismissed. Their father who had been a problem student himself actually was an accomplished linquist, as was their mother and grandmother Queen Victoria. Interestingly, Alix in letters to Dalton stressed the importance of language instruction, but complained of the choice of books--a novella by Dumas. [Battiscombe, p. 161.] Dalton was probably a bit surprised as Alix herself was not well read and getting the boys to read anything was a struggle so he had chosen an action packed book that he hoped would appeal to the boys.

The Boys

Prince Eddy

Prince Eddy apparently was virtually beyond education. Dalton reported an "abnormall dormant condition" in Eddy's mind. Had he not been the heir to the throne, nearly in other boy would have been described in a less charitable way. It is likely that his premature birth was a factor, but no one knows precisely what the problem was. He was described him as dull-witted, perhaps even retarded, maybe even autistic. Autism perhaps may be an overstatement, because he has bee described as a boy with very pleasant manners, meaning that he was reacting with others. One observer, Sir Henry Ponsoby, suggested that he Eddy may have been hearing impaired, which could have explained some of his learning difficulties. [Battiscombe, p. 162.] What ever the cause, Prince Eddy was a hopeless, apathetic student without any intelectual curiosity or academic abilities. Eddy constantly failed in all the subjects presented to the boys. Dalton was unable to keep the boy's attention on any assignment for more than a few minutes. He was constantly outdone by his younger brother, Prince George. Dalton decided, however, that the two should be kept together. This was because the primary concern was Prince Eddy who was the heir to the throne. Dalton found that he could better get Prince Eddy to focus on an assignment if Prince George was working on it also. [Ibarra] Certainly Prince George's education was not assisted by being tutored with his brother. Dalton must have also been worried by being stuck with tutoring Prince Eddy alone which would have been a nightmare assignment.

Prince George

Prince George appears to have been a boy of ordinary intelligence. His interests were much more inclined toward sports than academic studies. He did, however, show some ability in mathematics which was later to be of some assiastance to him as anaval cadet. Their mother Princess Alexandra seems to have thought that Dalton did his best with the boys. She stressed to him the importance of teaching them to be obedient and civil to everyone. She particularly stressed that she did not want them to be "toadied". [Battiscombe, p. 140.]

Sources

Battiscombe, Georgina. Queen Alexandra (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1969).

Ibarra, Jesus. "Prince Albert Victor Christian Edward, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (1864-1892)," internet page accessed June 24, 2002.

Created: July 2, 2002
Last updated: July 2, 2002