ROYALTY – EDWARD (PRINCE OF WALES) Papers relating to Edward, Prince of Wales, and his sporting interests, comprising: i) Autograph letter signed ("Edward") to J. Wilson Taylor ("Dear Mr Taylor") secretary of The Bath Club, thanking him for postponing the work on two squash courts so he could play ("...very presumptuous on my part... you have no idea what those games of squash mean to me just now... my only recreation & sole divertisement!!..."), offering to cover any expenses incurred for breaking the builder's contract and thanking the members for donating "...over £1,000 to my fund...", 4 pages on a bifolium, dust-staining, creased at folds, 8vo (159 x 102mm.), Buckingham Palace, [c.1914?]; with autograph envelope; and Christmas card for 1911 signed "Edward", addressed "For Mr Wilson Tailor [sic]", depicting the young prince in naval cadet uniform, dust-staining and discolouration, strengthened with old tape along fold, 135 x 104mm., 1911 ii) Typed speech with autograph corrections and additions in pencil, congratulating the participants of a public school boxing tournament on '...the splendid display of sportsmanship... I have learnt the value of that great national asset, the Public School spirit which has proved its worth time after time during these last grim years of war... self reliance, endurance, pluck, and self sacrifice, which go to build up a strong and healthy minded race...', 2 pages, typed recto only, filing hole top left, held together with a treasury tag, light dust-staining, 8vo (190 x 120mm.), [n.p.], 11 April 1919 iii) Typed acknowledgment from the Prince of Wales' office to Miss Winifred Oldfield, regretting he can not supply an autograph and a photograph, one page, dust-staining, 8vo, St. James's Palace, 30 June 1921; with typed letter signed ("Lionel Halsey") to Frank Rich ("My dear Rich"), organising the purchase of polo ponies from India on behalf of the Prince of Wales ('...H.R.H has had as much polo as he could possibly put in, and I think you will find that he has improved enormously...'), 2 pages typed recto only, dust-staining, overall foxing, rust-staining from old paper clip, creased at folds, 4to, Prince of Wales' Camp, Lahore, India, 28 February 1922 (collection) 'YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THOSE GAMES OF SQUASH MEAN TO ME JUST NOW': Papers demonstrating the importance of sport to the 'Playboy Prince'. For Edward, Prince of Wales, sport, whether it be squash, polo, golf, horseracing, swimming or even surfing was an integral part of his life both for recreation and as a means of escaping the strictures of his Royal duties. He also considered it, according to his speech given at a public school boxing tournament, as epitomising the values of Empire, fair play and Britishness. As our letter and Christmas card to club secretary John Wilson-Taylor shows, he enjoyed a long-standing relationship with The Bath Club in Mayfair. He and his brother had learnt to swim there as children, and he became a keen squash player, was a finalist in a tournament in 1920 and was still playing there during the abdication crisis. Here, rather presumptuously, he requested that building work be cancelled so that he can continue playing. During the 1920's the newspapers dubbed it 'the swagger club' after the antics of the Princes and their cohort.