'Prince Harry' of 1930s opened Worcester Bridge, says Mike Pryce

ON a brisk autumn day in 1932 the royal figure to whom today’s Prince Harry is most often compared arrived in Worcester to officially open the widened and reconstructed city bridge over the Severn.

Like Harry, Edward, Prince of Wales, was dashing, handsome, an action man and fine sportsman with a twinkle in his eye that appealed to the ladies. In fact he was arguably the most popular figure in the country at the time. Also, like Harry, Edward married a divorced American, although Wallis Simpson was what was termed a “socialite” with no obvious professional skills, while Megan Markle at least had a decent acting career.

To me, anyway, the two women, both in appearance and mannerisms are eerily similar and indeed seem to have had a similar effect on the  British people, who rather took against the pair of them for stealing away the nation’s favourite son.

Of course there is a bit more to it than that, but let’s hope it ends better for Harry than it did for Edward, whose love for Mrs Simpson cost him the Crown.

Among the official welcoming party on Worcester Bridge on October 28 1932 was a man who was to play a pivotal role in the subsequent abdication of King Edward VIII.

Stanley Baldwin was then MP for Bewdley, but he also achieved the unique distinction of becoming three times British Prime Minister and was in Number 10 when Edward abdicated in 1938. As he watched the royal with the film star looks gaily cutting the ribbon before adoring crowds that day, little could Baldwin have imagined the grief that person would cause him six years later.

Read more: Pitchcroft's always pulled in the crowds

As it was the bridge reopening was a tour de force for Edward, as was the rest of the highly successful day.

He landed by plane at Perdiswell airport and was driven along a route lined by huge, cheering crowds with streets and buildings bedecked with bunting and flags.

The visit was headlined by Berrow’s Worcester Journal “The Prince Comes” and “Expressions of Traditional Loyalty”.

The Prince’s first call was at the Guildhall where he was presented with a bound Address of Welcome by Miss Diana Ogilvy, Worcester’s first woman Mayor. Next stop was the Cathedral War Memorial where he laid a wreath of Flanders poppies handed to him by Mrs Ellen Dancox, widow of Worcester First World War VC Private Fred Dancox.

Then it was to the bridge, which he opened by cutting a black and red ribbon with a magnificent sword carried by a Royalist of Charles II’s forces at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

After inspecting the bridge – widened from 24ft to 60ft – the Prince unlocked ornate bronze gates at Cripplegate Park and planted a Worcester Black Pear tree.

It was then on to Worcester Royal Infirmary to open extensions, which included a new nurses’ home, before visiting the Cinderella Shoe works, the Metal Box factory and the Royal Porcelain works.

In 1932, Wallis was still married to former Coldstream Guards officer Edward Simpson and Megan Markle’s dad hadn’t even been born.