033.4111/80: Telegram

The Ambassador in Great Britain (Davis) to the Secretary of State

2612. In matter of visit of Prince of Wales, referring to my number 2456 July 3, 1 p.m., the written invitation which I delivered to him on July 3 was in the following language.

“I am directed by the President to extend to Your Royal Highness a most cordial and pressing invitation to visit the United States as the guest of the nation upon the occasion of your approaching visit to the Dominion of Canada. The President wishes me to add that Your Royal Highness may be assured of a warm welcome from the people of America and that he is moved to extend this invitation, not [only] occasioned by regard for the person of Your Royal Highness, but by the conviction that such a visit could not but further the friendly relations of Great Britain and America now prevailing in so happy and marked a degree.”

I am just in receipt of formal reply from Lord Curzon as follows:

“I am desired by His Majesty the King to say that he has received with especial gratification the invitation which you have conveyed to his eldest son the Prince of Wales from the President of the United States America to visit that country as the guest of the American Government on the occasion of his forthcoming visit to the Dominion of Canada.

It gives the King the greatest pleasure to accept this invitation for the Prince of Wales both on personal grounds and as a mark of the intimate relations that so happily exist between the American and British peoples, drawn ever more closely together by the imperishable memories of comradeship in the recent war.

The King would propose that at the close of his Canadian tour the Prince of Wales on his return from the West should accept the hospitality of the United States Government for a few days at Washington and that from there he should proceed for a further brief visit to New York before embarking at that port on his homeward journey.

At New York the Prince of Wales while the guest of the American Government ashore will live on board His Majesty’s Ship Renown in the harbor.

The Prince of Wales looks forward to these arrangements if they are agreeable to your Government with the keenest anticipation.

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To which I have responded as follows.

“I am much gratified by the receipt of Your Lordship’s communication informing me that His Majesty the King accepts for the Prince of Wales the invitation to visit the United States of America which the President directed me to convey. I shall lose no time in communicating to my Government the contents of your letter and I can assure you that the visit of the Prince of Wales is eagerly anticipated and that my Government will have the greatest satisfaction in conforming to any arrangements which may suit his pleasure. I do not doubt for a moment that it will have the happiest effect in signalizing the cordial relations which now exist between the two countries.”

In conversation with Lord Curzon I expressed the opinion that it would be inexpedient for the Prince to accept any private hospitality unless under direction of the Department of State. He agreed and said that the King was decidedly of this opinion. I understand that he will not reach the United States until the latter part of October.

Davis