Read it through once

On May 5th, 1879, the Prince of Wales presided at the annual banquet of the Cabdrivers' Benevolent Association. On May 23, 1880, he presided at a dinner in aid of the funds of the Princess Helena College and the result of his patronage and the careful speech delivered was a total donation of £2000, to which he contributed his customary one hundred guineas. On June 17th of the same year he visited the new Breakwater and Harbour at Holyhead and, during the visit, there were loyal demonstrations on sea and land and a banquet attended by gentlemen representing most of the leading English and Irish railway companies. During the same month the King of Greece visited England and the Prince had an opportunity of returning some of the many hospitalities which he had received from His Majesty and of presenting him to the Corporation of London at a great banquet of welcome. As Duke of Cornwall he also laid the first stone of Truro Cathedral in this month. Writing of this and other functions on June 18th the _Times_ declared that the representative duties of British royalty were heavier than the private functions of the hardest-worked Englishman. "In these scenes and a hundred like them a Prince's function cannot be discharged satisfactorily unless he be at once an impersonation of Royal state and, what is harder still, his own individual self. He must act his public character as if he enjoyed the festival as much as any of the spectators. He must be able to stamp a national impress upon the solemnity yet mark its local and particular significance."