HRH Cuddles

HRH Cuddles
Start date:	March 24th, 1947
End date:	August 2th, 1947
# of strips:	114 (19 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"The Brass Monkey"
Followed by:	"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

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".

Locations

• New York
• Cockaigne

Behind the scenes

Title

• The title for this story is taken from the strip of March 24, 1947 (Beginning: HRH Cuddles)

Real Life References

• Connie (Lee Falk's wife was Constance "Connie" Falk)
• Cuddles,
  • Douglas
  • Edward (Grandfather of Lee Falk was Edward Allina)
  • Peter (Grandfather of George Lilienthal was Peter William Lilienthal)
  • Albert (Lee Falk’s stepfather was Albert Falk Epstein)
  • George (Father of Connie was George Lilienthal),
  • Baron of Philo,
  • Duke of Elmspring,
  • Earl of 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

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  Argentina
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  Brazil
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  Brazil
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  Brazil
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  France
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  France
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  Italy
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  Italy
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  Italy
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  Italy
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  Italy
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  New Zealand
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  New Zealand
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  New Zealand
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  United Kingdom
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  USA
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  USA
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  USA

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "Persecución siniestra", Mandrake el Mago #8 (1960)
• "Persecuciõn Siniestra", Libro de Oro - Mandrake el Mago #5 (1963)

Belgium

• "(no title given)", Story# 262 to Story#282 (1950)

Brazil

• "Segrid, o Rei Eleito", Mandrake, o Mágico #20 (1972)
• "O Duque Negro", Mandrake #266 (1978)

France

• "Le duc noir" & "La reine disparue", Aventures et Mystères #131 & #132 (1951)
• "Le chancelier de fer",Spécial Mandrake #49 & #50 (1967)
• "Le chancelier de fer", Mandrake le Magicien L'intégrale #7 (1995)

Italy

• "Il cancelliere di ferro", L'Avventura (1948)
• "Il cancelliere di ferro", Super Albo #04 (1962)
• "Il cancelliere di ferro", Special Mandrake #177, Special Mandrake #178 and #179 (1966)
• "Il cancelliere di ferro", Mandrake - New Comics Now #41 (1981)
• "Il cancelliere di ferro", Mandrake 36 (Comic Art) (1994)

New Zealand

• "HRH Cuddles", Mandrake the Magician #7, Mandrake the Magician #8 and Mandrake the Magician #9 (1950)
• "HRH Cuddles", Mandrake the Magician #177, Mandrake the Magician #178 and Mandrake the Magician #179 (1958)

Spain

• "El Canciller de Hierro", Mandrake #1 (1997)

Sweden

• "H.K.H. Cuddles", Mandrake #2 (1963)

United Kingdom

• "H.K.H. Cuddles", Mandrake the Magician #4 (1959)

USA

• "HRH Cuddles", 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)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)