Prince Louis of Battenberg

Leslie Ward ('Spy') depicts Prince Louis of Battenberg in full Royal Navy flag-officer's undress uniform: double-breasted dark coat with gold aiguillettes at the left shoulder, four gold sleeve rings marking his vice-admiral's rank, a cluster of medal ribbons on his chest, and a telescope tucked under one arm as he leans against a ship's rail. The caption — 'He was born a Serene Highness but has lived it down' — is typical Vanity Fair double-edged wit, acknowledging the awkwardness of a German-born prince who made himself a career Royal Navy officer. The 'lived it down' barb points at ongoing Establishment unease with his Continental origins, an unease that would explode in 1914 when anti-German pressure forced his resignation as First Sea Lord despite an exemplary record.