History Of The "Prince Of Wales Lodge."

in 1743 . If correct , the fact was overlooked by Preston . 3 . —An " occasional lodge " was formed at the Horn Tavern , Westminster , in which H . E . H . the Duke of Gloucester , was initiated on the 16 th February , 1766 , Lord Blaney , M . W . G . M ., being the W . M .

who presided , and who was most active in the discharge of his duties . 4 . —H . E . H . the Duke of York was admitted into the mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry while abroad during the same year ( 1766 ) , but exactly when and

how Ave cannot find in our notes . 5 . —In 1767 , H . K . H . Henry Frederick , Du'ke of Cumberland , Avas received as a member of our ancient and honourable Society , at an emergent Lodge convened at the Thatched House Tavern , St . James

Street , London , under the Mastership ( pro tempore ) of Colonel Salter , the then Deputy Grand Master of England . H . E . H . was Grand Master from 1782 to 1790 . ( In consequence of these three princes , brothers of His Majesty George III , becoming Freemasons , it was resolved by the members of the Grand Lodge on tho 15 th April , 1767 , "That each of their

Eoyal Highnesses be presented with an apron , lined with blue silk , and that in all future processions they do rank as Past Grand Masters , next to the Grand Officers , for the time being . " ) 6 . —H . E . H . William HenryDuke of

^ , Clarence , when Lord High Admiral , Avas initiated ! in the "Prince George Lodge , " since defunct , at Plymouth , on the 9 th MaTch , 1786 , Avhilst sojourning in that nei ghbourhood . By the decease of George IV ., His Eoyal Highness became His

Majest y William IV ., in 1830 , and before then acted as Deputy Grand Master of England . 7 . —On the 6 th February , 1787 , H . E . H . George Augustus Frederick , XXII ., Prince of Wales ( afterwards George IV . ) , Avas lv

as made a Mason at still another occasional Lodge , convened at the Star and Garter Tavern , Pall Mall , under the aus-Pices of H . E . H . Duke of Cumberland , MW . G . M ., who acted as W . M . ; H . E . H . * e Prince of Wales Grand Master

was « i succession to H . E . H . the Duke of Cumberland , from 1791 to 1812 , when on assuming the dignity of Eegent , the office was considered vacant , and H . E . H . became

Lodges , but especially so to our next royal notice . 10 . —H . E . H . Augustus Frederick , Duke of Sussex , was admitted a member of the " mystic tie" in a Lodge at Berlin , 1790—probably 1798—and certainly for appreciation of the principles of Freemasonry , a

ruler of the Craft , and for many years its most distinguished exponent , H . E . H . Avas tho Prince of Masonic Princes . As Deputy Grand Master in 1812 , and M . W . G . M . from 1813 to 1842 , it is simply impossible to adequately describe a tithe of the numerous fraternal deeds of

that truly Eoyal Brother . 11 . —H . E . H , William , Duke of Gloucester , "first saAV the light" before the Pedestal of the W . M . of the Brittanic Lodge , on the 12 th of May , 1795 ; the Earl of Moira ( aftenvards the Marquis of Hastings ) , acting Grand Masterbeing

, the holder of the gavel on that occasion . 12 . —The King of Hanover ( then Ernest Augustus , Duke of Cumberland ) . ivas the A 2

Patron . As George . IV . His Majesty accepted the title of Grand Patron from 1820 , and a similar honour Avas conferred upon the Fraternity by His Majesty William IV . graciously continuing the same title , as also did H . E . H . ' Albert

Edward , the Prince of Wales , until his election as M . W . G . M ., in 1874 . 8 . —The Brittanic Lodge ( now No . 33 ) , is the only Lodge which has had the honour of initiating two members of the Eoyal Family into Freemasonry . H . E . H .

Frederick Duke of York Avas admitted in due form therein on the 21 st November , 1787 , and at the Grand Lodge held on the 28 th of the same month , the pleasing event Avas communicated to the Craft , Avhen a similar presentation and position

Avere conferred on H . E . H . to those already noted , and likeivise on the folloAving Princes , most of whom joined the '• ' Prince of Wales" Lodge . 9 . —On the 10 th February , 1790 , itAvas stated in Grand Lodge that H . R . H .

Edward , Duke of Kent , had been regularly initiated into Masonry , in the Union Lodge at Geneva . FeAV Princes have done more for the Craft than this Eoyal Brother , for to him , as M . W . G . M ., of the " ancients " ( for the month of December only , 1813 ) , we are much indebted for the blessed union of the two Grand