The visit of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan to South Africa generated much publicity. This has always been the case when royalty visits the country. When the Prince of Wales came to Potchefstroom in June 1925 as a part of his extensive tour to the country, the inhabitants of the town eagerly anticipated the visit.

Edward, Prince of Wales, known to his family as David (1894-1972), was later notorious for his relationship with the American Wallis Simpson, his abdication as king of England and marriage to the twice-divorced Mrs. Simpson.

“The Herald splashed itself over with the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1925, thanks to the able work of the energetic sub-editor, EH Jenkins, who brought out big issues with illustrations and ‘all the news’.” This is according to CV Bate, founder of the Potchefstroom Herald who wrote about it in his memoirs in 1938.

The visit of the Prince of Wales to Potchefstroom in 1925 prompted the Herald to pull out all the stops and publish a Souvenir Issue on 19 June, a few days before his visit.

Even though the Prince was only expected to visit Potchefstroom on Monday, June 22nd, 1925, the Herald started reporting on his visit on 20 February with a discussion on the program for his visit to Potchefstroom. The town council also voted that the amount of £100 be set aside for the Prince’s visit.

From 28 April, when the Prince was due to arrive in South Africa, the Herald weekly reported on his progress through the country. The editorial of 28 April gushed: “That South Africa is the last of the Dominions to be favoured with His Royal Presence does not in any way detract from the importance of the occasion, neither will it mitigate the fervour of the Prince’s reception. And South Africa itself will emerge from the Royal tour with added prestige in the eyes of the World.”

 A photograph of the Prince was published on 1 May 1925, with a report that he had landed in Cape Town “and was accorded a magnificent welcome.” On 5 May his itinerary was published. He was to travel from Cape Town to the Southern Cape and Lake District and then through the Karoo to the Free State, Natal, the Lowveld, Northern Transvaal, Pretoria and then to Potchefstroom. He then would go to Johannesburg, the far Western Transvaal, Bechuanaland, Rhodesia, through Vryburg to Cape Town.

In Cape Town, his right wrist swelled so much that in the latter part of his stay, he had to shake hands with his left hand. He accepted a small live rabbit from a girl in Cape Town.

Shortly before he arrived in Potchefstroom the town council had a lengthy discussion on whether shops should be closed or open during his visit. It was agreed that the shops would be closed from 9.30 am to noon.

The matter of where the children of the town should meet the Prince resulted in a lengthy discussion. On 29 May a map of the Royal Route in Potchefstroom appeared.

On 9 June it is reported that it has been resolved that the children should be in the Park (where the Kenneth McArthur stadium and Olën Park are now situated).

The Prince arrived in Potchefstroom by Royal Train shortly after 10:30 on 22 June, was greeted by dignitaries at the station, escorted to the Golf Links, visited the Experimental Farm (Agricultural College), where he amongst other activities, planted an oak tree. He then visited the Old Fort, the President Pretorius Memorial, and then left for the station, through the Park, where he was met by the school children.

Miss Lorna Bate, daughter of the editor, presented the Prince at the Fort with a specially bound copy of Colonel Winsloe’s story of the Siege of Potchefstroom in the war of 1880-1881.

One of the children, later Prof Fritz Potgieter, who was part of the crowd that met the Prince, sixty-three years later, in the “80 Jubileumuitgawe” of 1988 wrote about the experience:

All the schools were closed for the day and even the children from the farm schools were brought to town. They were issued with small Union Jack flags to wave.

“We yelled until our throats were hoarse as he passed. Only later we realised that the man with the red gown and the pirate’s hat, whom we thought was the Prince, was the mayor! The Prince was the mousy one with him, whom we did not even notice!”

The Herald reported that the Prince wore “mufti”, plain ordinary clothes.