The Wasp — 1891 — page 581: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The page features a portrait labeled "PRINCE OF WALES," depicting a bearded man in formal Victorian dress. The accompanying text criticizes the Prince's involvement in a baccarat scandal in London, suggesting he exercised poor judgment. The article argues this reflects negatively on the royal family and questions whether the future king should face "some unknown force" that might remove him from succession. The satire targets the Prince's moral fitness for kingship, implying that divine right and inherited authority should not shield royalty from public scrutiny regarding their conduct. This reflects late-Victorian anxieties about aristocratic privilege and accountability—a characteristic theme of *The Wasp*'s satirical commentary on prominent public figures.