View source for HRH Cuddles

{{Newspaperbox 
|Title= HRH Cuddles
|image= [[Image:md-1947-03-24.png|400 px]]
|Start= March 24th, 1947
|End= August 2th, 1947
|Strips= 114 (19 weeks)
|Writer= [[Lee Falk]]
|Artist= [[Phil Davis]]
|Preceded= "[[The Brass Monkey]]"
|Followed= "[[Wolf Valley]]"
|}}
'''"HRH Cuddles"''' is the 43th Mandrake [[daily story]]. 
The story was written by [[Lee Falk]] and drawn by [[Phil Davis]]. 
This story exists in two variants, one made to span four newspaper columns, the other to span five. The five-column variant is cropped in the lower part. 
There is also a three-column variant, but it is similar to the five-column variant divided into two rows.

== Plot Summary ==
One day the doorbell rang. Left on the doorstep Lothar found a tiny baby. When Narda arrived she found a locket on the babys neck, etched the name "Narda". It was Narda's locket, when she was a little girl. Then suddenly, a glint of metal at the window, someone try to shoot the mysterious baby. 

Mandrake and Lothar manage to captive the unknown assassin, and some hypnosis (thought-image projection) shows the parents of the baby; an unknown girl and Segrid, Nardas brother. Ahna, the childhood nurse of Narda, told our friends the mysterious story.  

Prince Segrid was hurt in the war, and at the hospital he falls in love with his nurse Connie and they secretly married. After a year a son was born, Cuddles. Since Segrid had married a communer he renounce the throne. That very night the King died. 

The Black Duke had a daughter, Una, and he wanted her to marry the King-elect Segrid. When he learns of Segrid's secret marriage, he put Segrid in a tower prison and orders Connie and Cuddles destroyed. Connie escaped while Ahna and Cuddle run away to find Narda in US. 

Our friends went to Cockaigne. Mandrake found the Black Duke while the others stays in a little summer shack. 

Mandrake convince the Black Duke that he could talk Segrid and Una to marry today, if Segrid could be masked during the ceremony. But when the groom took of the mask to kiss the bride, it was Paul behind the mask. 

After Segrid's coronation Narda remember that she had seen Connie, hiding as a scrubwoman in a cafe in a nearby village. 
The Black Duke became exiled and the people in Cockaigne for the first time could see their young and happy royal family.
 
===Appearances===
<div style="float:left; width:50%;">
'''Recurring characters'''
*[[Mandrake]]
*[[Lothar]]
*[[Narda]]
*[[Segrid]]
*Connie, wife of King Segrid
*''Cuddles'', Douglas Edward Peter Albert George, Baron of Philo, Duke of Elmspring, Earl of Zane. 

'''One-time characters'''
*Ahna, Narda's old nurse, now nurs of Cuddle.
*The Black Duke, general of the army
*Una ''the unlovely'', daughter of the Black Duke.
*Pierre, the leading beauty expert in Cockaigne.
*Paul, the butcher boy -in love with Una.
*Orville, owner of the cafe "Red Lion".

</div><div style="float:right; width:50%;">
'''Locations'''
*New York
*[[Cockaigne]]
</div><br clear="all">

==Behind the scenes==
===Title===
*The title for this story is taken from the strip of March 24, 1947 (Beginning: HRH Cuddles)
===Real Life References=== 
*[[Constance Falk|Connie]] (Lee Falk's wife was Constance "'''Connie'''" Falk)
*Cuddles, 
**Douglas 
**[[Eleanor Alina Epstein|Edward]] (Grandfather of Lee Falk was '''Edward''' Allina)
**[[Constance Falk|Peter]] (Grandfather of George Lilienthal was '''Peter''' William Lilienthal)
**[[Eleanor Alina Epstein|Albert]] (Lee Falk’s stepfather was '''Albert''' Falk Epstein)
**[[Constance Falk|George]] (Father of Connie was '''George''' Lilienthal), 
**Baron of [[Constance Falk|Philo]], 
**Duke of [[Constance Falk|Elmspring]], 
**Earl of [[Constance Falk|Zane]] (Connie came from '''Elm''' Street farm near Duncan Falls, '''Philo''' and '''Zanesville''' are nearby).
===Mystery===
*In this story it is told that Narda renounced the throne of Cockaigne and her brother became heir and later, when his father died, he became king-elect. 
**It has previously been said that Segrid is Narda's older brother. In Cockaigne Prince Segrid should be born the heir apparent according to both the principle of firstborn son ''(agnatic primogeniture)'' and firstborn child ''(absolute primogeniture)''. If Segrid became the heir apparent after Narda renounced the throne two possibilities arise: 
***Narda is older than Segrid.
***the monarchy of Cockaigne practicing the principle of firstborn daughter ''(matrilineal primogeniture)'' as heir apparent.

== Signifiant covers ==
<gallery>
Mtm-edmal-08.jpg|[[Image:mini_argentina.gif]] Argentina
Gibi1340.jpg|[[Image:mini_brazil.gif]] Brazil
Mandrake20saber.png|[[Image:mini_brazil.gif]] Brazil
Mandrake266rge.png|[[Image:mini_brazil.gif]] Brazil
Mandroi131.jpg|[[Image:mini_france.gif]] France
Mandroi132.jpg|[[Image:mini_france.gif]] France
Super Albo 004.jpg|[[Image:mini_italy.gif]] Italy
Special Mandrake-FS 177.jpg|[[Image:mini_italy.gif]] Italy
Special Mandrake-FS 178.jpg|[[Image:mini_italy.gif]] Italy
Special Mandrake-FS 179.jpg|[[Image:mini_italy.gif]] Italy
Comart36.jpg|[[Image:mini_italy.gif]] Italy
Mandrake FP 008.jpg|[[Image:mini_nz.png]] New Zealand
Mandrake FP 009.jpg|[[Image:mini_nz.png]] New Zealand
Mandrake FP 178.jpg|[[Image:mini_nz.png]] New Zealand
Miller-mtm-04.jpg|[[Image:mini_uk.gif]] United Kingdom
ClassMandSeries2hrhcuddles.jpg|[[Image:mini_usa.gif]] USA 
ClassMandSeries2hrdcuddles1.jpg|[[Image:mini_usa.gif]] USA 
ClassMandSeries2hrdcuddles2.jpg|[[Image:mini_usa.gif]] USA 
</gallery>

== Reprints ==
This story has been published in the following publications:

=== [[Image:mini_argentina.gif]] Argentina ===
*"Persecución siniestra", [[Mandrake el mago 8 (Edmal)|''Mandrake el Mago'' #8]] (1960)
*"Persecuciõn Siniestra", [[Libro de Oro - Mandrake el Mago 5|''Libro de Oro - Mandrake el Mago '' #5]] (1963)

=== [[Image:mini_belgium.gif]] Belgium ===
*"(no title given)", [[Story 262|''Story''# 262]] to [[Story 282|''Story''#282]] (1950)

=== [[Image:mini_brazil.gif]] Brazil ===
*"Segrid, o Rei Eleito", [[Mandrake, o Mágico 20|''Mandrake, o Mágico'' #20]] (1972)
*"O Duque Negro", [[Mandrake 266 (RGE)|''Mandrake'' #266]] (1978)

=== [[Image:mini_france.gif]] France ===
*"Le duc noir" & "La reine disparue", [[Aventures et Mystères 131|''Aventures et Mystères'' #131]] & [[Aventures et Mystères 132| #132]] (1951)
*"Le chancelier de fer",[[Spécial Mandrake (Mondes Mystérieux) 49|''Spécial Mandrake'' #49]] & [[Spécial Mandrake (Mondes Mystérieux) 50| #50]] (1967)
*"Le chancelier de fer", [[Mandrake le Magicien - L'intégrale 7 (Soleil)|''Mandrake le Magicien'' L'intégrale #7]] (1995)

=== [[Image:mini_italy.gif]] Italy ===
*"Il cancelliere di ferro", [[L'Avventura|''L'Avventura'']] (1948)
*"Il cancelliere di ferro", [[Super Albo 4 - Mandrake (Fratelli Spada)|''Super Albo'' #04]] (1962)
*"Il cancelliere di ferro", [[Special Mandrake 177 (Fratelli Spada)|''Special Mandrake'' #177]], [[Special Mandrake 178 (Fratelli Spada)|''Special Mandrake'' #178]] and [[Special Mandrake 179 (Fratelli Spada)|#179]] (1966) 
*"Il cancelliere di ferro", [[New Comics Now 41|''Mandrake - New Comics Now'' #41]] (1981)
*"Il cancelliere di ferro", [[Mandrake 36 (Comic Art)]] (1994)

=== [[Image:Mini_nz.png]] New Zealand ===
*"HRH Cuddles", [[Mandrake the Magician 7 (Feature Productions) |''Mandrake the Magician #7'']], [[Mandrake the Magician 8 (Feature Productions) |''Mandrake the Magician #8'']] and [[Mandrake the Magician 9 (Feature Productions) |''Mandrake the Magician #9'']] (1950)
*"HRH Cuddles", [[Mandrake the Magician 177 (Feature Productions)|''Mandrake the Magician'' #177]], [[Mandrake the Magician 178 (Feature Productions) |''Mandrake the Magician'' #178]] and [[Mandrake the Magician 179 (Feature Productions)| ''Mandrake the Magician'' #179]] (1958)

=== [[Image:mini_spain.gif]] Spain ===
*"El Canciller de Hierro", [[Mandrake 1 (Euroclub Magerit)|''Mandrake'' #1]] (1997)

=== [[Image:mini_sweden.gif]] Sweden ===
*"H.K.H. Cuddles", [[Mandrake 2/1963 (Formatic Press)|''Mandrake'' #2]] (1963)

=== [[Image:mini_uk.gif]] United Kingdom ===
**"H.K.H. Cuddles", [[Mandrake the Magician 4 (Miller)|''Mandrake the Magician'' #4]] (1959)

=== [[Image:mini_usa.gif]] USA ===
*"HRH Cuddles", [[The Classic Mandrake Series (second series)/ Episode: "HRH Cuddles" (Pacific Comics Club)|''The Classic Mandrake Series (second series)''/ Episode: "HRH Cuddles" (Pacific Comics Club)'']] (2015)
*"HRH Cuddles", [[The Classic Mandrake Series (second series)/ Episode: "HRH Cuddles - Part I" (Pacific Comics Club)|''The Classic Mandrake Series (second series)''/ Episode: "HRH Cuddles - Part I" (Pacific Comics Club)''and The Classic Mandrake Series (second series)/ Episode: "HRH Cuddles - Part II" (Pacific Comics Club)|''The Classic Mandrake Series (second series)''/ Episode: "HRH Cuddles - Part II" (Pacific Comics Club)'']] (2019)


[[Category:Daily stories|HRH Cuddles]]