Presented to the LIBRARY of the
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
by
ONTARIO LEGISLATIVE LIBRARY
THIS EDITION
'which has been specially prepared
for Subscribers, is not obtainable
through the general Booksellers.
CASSELL & COMPANY,
LIMITED. London New York, Toronto,
18 OF
VII.
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF
KING EDWARD VII.
THE DUKE OF CORNWALL (Heir to the Throne) and PRINCE ALBERT.
Photo ; W. U. Kirk &* Sons, Cowes, I. W.
3HT
J J
.
THE
DUKE OF
PRINCE CORNWALL
ALBERT (created Prince of Walei
and Earl of Chester June. 1910)
*
THE LIFE AND TIMES
OF
KING EDWARD VII. e
Author of "The Third Salisbury Administration," "Canada, the New Nation,"
etc. etc.
Fully Illustrated in Colour, Rembrandt Photogravure, and Black and White, including many Photographs taken by, and reproduced with the Gracious Permission of,
QUEEN ALEXANDRA
VOL. IV. ,,«,,
Ntl
CASSELL AND COMPANY, LIMITED
LONDON, NEW YORK, TORONTO AND MELBOURNE
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
corawrs
CHAPTER I.
/ ..--•'...'
FIRST ACTS OF EDWARD VII.
XPAGE
The First Privy Council — The King's Message — The Proclamation — Not " Albert " but " Edward VII." — Reasons for the Title — A Constitutional Sovereign — Parliament Assem- bles— The King's Letter to Lords and Commons — The Funeral of Queen Victoria — Solemn Moments at Osborne — " A Soldier's Funeral " — The Crossing to Portsmouth — A Notable Spectacle in the Channel— From Victoria to Paddington — A Scene of In- describable Solemnity — Arrival at Windsor — The Bluejackets Render Assistance — From Windsor to Frogmore — The King's Three Historic Letters to his People — An Empire, not a Kingdom ............ i
CHAPTER II. KING EDWARD VII. AND PRINCE GEORGE
Departure of the German Emperor — The King Opens Parliament — The State Procession — Popular Enthusiasm — The Declaration — A Reluctant Promise — The King's Speech — An Imperialistic Note — A World-Tour Projected for the Duke of York — A Royal Sailor — Reminiscences of the Britannia and the Bacchante — The Command of the Thrush — Some Fine Exploits — The Girlhood of Princess May — Her Life at White Lodge — Learning the Realities of Life — Her Initiation into Public Life — Betrothal to Prince George — A Patriotic Decision — Preparations for the Tour . . . . . . . . .13
CHAPTER III. AN IMPERIAL TOUR : INCIDENTS IN THE ANTIPODES
Some Misconceptions Dispelled — The Tour Begins — Farewells at Portsmouth — An Enthusiastic " Send-off " — The Ophir Steams Down Channel — Arrival at Ceylon — Reception by the Legislative Council— A Fine Speech at Colombo — Sights and Scenes at Singapore — Cross- ing the Line — The Duchess " Made Free o' the Sea " — Melbourne's Rapturous Welcome — A Great Levee — The Duke Opens the First Parliament of the Commonwealth — A Magni- ficent Spectacle — The King's Message — Other Functions in Melbourne — A Visit to Bris- bane— Off to New Zealand — The Party Lands at Auckland — Some Striking Speeches by the Duke— A Trip to Maoriland — Native Rejoicings — A Call at Tasmania— Events at Adelaide — Round the Coast to the West — Good-bye to Australia ...... 27
vi CONTENTS
CHAPTER IV. THE IMPERIAL TOUR: SOUTH AFRICA AND CANADA
PAGE
A Call at Mauritius— A Message from the Dead— At Anchor off Durban—" Keeping the Flag Flying "—The Arrival in Simon's Bay— Doings in Cape Town— Off to the Dominion— A Magnificent Reception at Quebec — Compliments to the Canadian Volunteers — Montreal's
Enthusiasm A Degree for the Duchess — In the Capital of the Dominion — An Inspiring
Speech by the Duke— Away to the West — Winnipeg's Welcome — A Pow-wow with the Indians — The Duke and " White Pup " — Through the Rockies to the Coast— Van- couver and Victoria — Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Royal Guests — From West to East
Homeward Bound — The King's Welcome — " A Man's a Man for a' That " — The
Guildhall Banquet—" Wake up, England ! " -49
CHAPTER V. THE KING'S ILLNESS— CONSEQUENT DISAPPOINTMENTS
The King Opens Parliament in State — Preparing for the Coronation— A Fever of Anticipation — Peace Proclaimed in South Africa — A State Service in St. Paul's Cathedral — The World Gathers in London — The Decorations in the Abbey — Queen Alexandra's Parties — Edwrard VII. at Aldershot — Premonitions of Illness — Reassuring News — The Court comes to London — The Buckingham Palace Banquet— Another Breakdown — A Decorated Metropolis — The Illness is Announced — Watching the Bulletins — Days of Anxiety ; Nights of Suspense — " Satisfactory Progress " — The King Convalescent — A Privy Council at Sea — Back at Buckingham Palace — General Rejoicings — The King's Letter — The Eve of the Coronation . . . . . . . . . . .65
CHAPTER VI. THE KING IS CROWNED
Coronation Lore — The Nature of the Oath — A Resume of the Ritual — The Scene at West- minster Abbey — Arrangement of the Dai's — The Order of the Procession — The En try into the Abbey — A Magnificent and Moving Spectacle — The Standard Bearers — Men of Power and of Might — Queen Alexandra's Procession — A Glittering Panorama of Gorgeous Pomp — How the Regalia was Carried — The Procession of Edward VII. — The Recognition Service — The Oath is Administered — The Anointing Ceremony— The King is Crowned — The Homage of Princes and Peers — " God Save the King " — A Talk about Crowns — The Romance of a Throne — The Crown Jewels and Their History . . . .81
CHAPTER VII. THE EVOLUTION OF SOUTH AFRICA : ITS EARLY STAGES
The Power Behind the Throne — Albert Edward's Part in the Policy — South African Troubles in 1877 — British Troops Defeated by Zulus — The Tragedy of the Prince Imperial — Majuba— Self-Government for the Transvaal — The Republic Grows Rich — Mr. Cecil
CONTENTS vii
PAGE
Rhodes and his Plans — The Jameson Raid: Its History, Fortunes and Failure — Mr. Chamberlain and Cape Politics — Mr. Rhodes "Faces the Music" — The Report of the Committee — How it was Received in Parliament — Boer Oppressions and Uitlander Grievances — The Bloemfontein Convention — Mr. Kruger's Claim to Independence — A High-handed Ultimatum — War Begins — Mafeking, Kimberley and Ladysmith Besieged — Buller Goes to the Front — Lord Roberts Takes the Field — The British Flag Flies at Pretoria ............... 107
CHAPTER VIII. THE EVOLUTION OF SOUTH AFRICA : PRETORIA AND PEACE
The Two Republics Annexed — A Long and Exhausting Guerilla Warfare — Lord Methuen Chases De Wet — Flight of Kruger — Lord Roberts' Proclamation — The Hospitals at the Front — Some Astonishing Statements — A Breakdown Admitted — Lord Roberts' Report — Punishing the Rebels — A Soft-hearted Policy — The Concentration Camps — An Unsatis- factory State of Things — Lord Kitchener Assumes Command — Futile Negotiations with General Botha — Further Ferocious Fighting — Peace in Sight — The Terms of Surrender — The Three Days' Conference — " The Grave of Two Republics " — Peace : and its Price — How the News was Received in London — Death of Cecil Rhodes — Some Other African Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
CHAPTER IX. SOME DOMESTIC POLICIES
Lord Rosebery's Administration — A Change of Government — A Big Unionist Majority — Mr. Balfour Leads the House — Years of Prosperity — A Talk of Old Age Pensions — The 1895 Education Bill — How it was Received — Legislation on the Land Question — The Passing of the Workmen's Compensation Act — A Big Naval Programme — Bigger Ships ; and More of Them — " Defence, not Defiance " — The Duke of Cambridge Retires — Army Reform — A Special Commission — The Military Board Established — The Coming of County Councils — Irish Local Government — A Batch of Useful Enactments — An- Educational Evolution — Moie Trouble over Armenia — South African Affairs in Parlia- ment— Five Nights of Debate — Mr. Chamberlain Hits Out — Imperialism to the Front — The Influence of Albert Edward . . . . . . . . . .169
CHAPTER X. CRISIS UPON CRISIS
Diplomatic Hostility in Europe — The Trouble in the Far East — How Japan Defeated the Chinese — The Effect in Europe — The Treaty of Shimonoseki — Intrigues and Counter- moves — Russian Designs on Port Arthur — The Boxer Rising— The "Mailed Fist" — Ger- many Acquires Territory in China — Russia Forces the Situation : and Wins — Lord Salisbury's Action — England Secures Wei-hai-wei — The Creation of "Spheres of In- fluence"— What the Chinese Thought of it — The Emperor Abdicates — Peking is Besieged
viii CONTENTS
PAGE
—The Powers Unite for the Relief — The British Alliance with Japan — Text of the Treaty — A Crisis in Manchuria — Japan Astonishes the World — Russia in Panic — The North Sea Episode — Some South African After-effects — The Samoan Incident — Settling the Venezuelan Boundary Dispute — How the Crises were Settled . . . . .193
CHAPTER XI. KING EDWARD'S FIRST TOUR
The Blockade in Venezuela — Settling the Alaskan Boundary — The King and the Housing Question — A Visit to Portugal — The Reception at I/isbon — Momentous Speeches at the State Banquet — European Feeling Thereon — A Visit to Gibraltar — King Edward's Reminiscences — Off to Malta — Another Royal Speech — Welcome to Naples — Rome's Brilliant Reception — Some Significant Utterances — The Visit to I,eo XIII — The King Arrives in France — A Cordial Greeting from President L,oubet — A World- Peace Foreshadowed — Where the King went in Paris — A New Era in International Politics — The King Returns — The French President Visits England — A Mutual Understanding Arrived At — L' Entente Cordials . . . . ....'... 227
LIST OF H/I/USTRMMIS
EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES, AND HIS BROTHER— Rembrandt Frontispiece.
King Edward's First Act as Sovereign
facing i The Funeral of Queen Victoria: Crossing
the Solent 3
The Procession Passing Through London 5 The Procession leaving Windsor Castle . 7 King Edward VII. .... 9
The Queen Victoria Memorial in London . 10 Buckingham Palace . . . . 1 1
The Memorial at Frogmore . . .12 King Edward VII. and Queen Alexandra
Leaving Buckingham Palace . . 15 Edward VII. Opens Parliament . . 16 The Houses of Parliament . . .17 The Britannia and Hindostan in the Dart 18 The Royal Galley of the Britannia . 19
Prince Albert Victor .... 20
Prince George . . . . .21
H.M. Gunboat Thrush . . . .22
The Duke of York and the Officers of the
Crescent ...... 23
Princess Victoria Mary .... 24
The Duke of York . . . .25
The Duke of York's Family in 1898 . 26 Royal Yacht Ophir .... 29
Map of the Royal Route . . .30 The Breakwater at Colombo . . .31 A Street in Singapore . . . .32
Parliament House, Melbourne . . 33
The Inauguration of Australian Common- wealth ...... 35
Opening of the First Parliament of the
Commonwealth by the Duke of York 37
Another View .....
A March Past of Cadets
Corroboree of Australian Aboriginals
Government House, Brisbane.
The New Flag of the Commonwealth
Auckland from the Sea
Scene in a Maori Village
A Maori Chief .....
Sports of the Maoris ....
Government Offices, Adelaide.
The Town Hall, Durban
The Defences of Ladysmith .
The Arrival of the Ophir in Simon's Bay
The Parliament House at Cape Town
The Ophir Lying ofl Quebec .
Main Street, Winnipeg, as it Was .
The Duke and Duchess Driving into Van- couver, B.C. . .
The Duke and Duchess at Victoria, B.C.
New Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C.
Return of the Ophir : The Royal Party at Portsmouth ....
Sir J. C. Dimsdale ....
Lord Rosebery .....
Arrival of Prince and Princess of Wales at the Guildhall ....
The Guildhall Prepared for a Banquet .
Queen Alexandra ....
King Edward VII. ....
The " Coronation " Vestibule, Westminster Abbey ......
The King's Entry into his Capital on the Eve of his Illness ....
PAGE
39
40
41 42
43 44 45 46
47 48 50 5i 52 53 54 55
56 57 59
61 62 62
63 64 66 67
68 69
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
The Decorations at St. Paul's Cathedral. 70 The Great Coronation Naval Display . 71 The Decorations in Clubland . . .72 Buckingham Palace : A Recent View . 73 The Coronation Review at Aldershot . 74 Bath House, in Piccadilly, Showing Decora- tions ... -75 A Decorated House in Piccadilly . . 75 The King's Beakers : Used at the Corona- tion Dinners ..... 7^ Outside Buckingham Palace : Reading the
Last Bulletin for the Night . . 77 The King's First Act of State After his
Illness 78
The Personnel of the Colonial Conference 79 Facsimile of Coronation Dinner Invitation
Ticket 80
The Ancient Coronation Stone, Kingston-
on-Thames . . . . -83
Facsimile of Admission Card to the Corona- tion Service ..... 84
The Procession in Westminster Abbey :
The King Enters . . . .85
St. Edward's Crown . . . .86
The Crown of a Queen Consort . . 87 The Regalia of Great Britain. . . 88 The Tower of London .... 89
The Archbishop of Canterbury Presenting
the King for Recognition . . 91 The Archbishop of Canterbury Crowning
King Edward VII. . . . -93
King Edward VII. Embracing his Son . 95 Queen Alexandra Being Crowned . . 96 Queen Alexandra's Homage ... 97 The Coronation Procession in Whitehall . 98 The Coronation Procession Passing the
Foreign Office. .... 99
The Coronation Procession : Lord Roberts
and the Beefeaters . . . .100
The King's Coach ..... 101
The King Passing under the Canadian
Arch ...... 103
The King and Queen at Buckingham
Palace on Coronation Day . . 105 The Reception of Indian Princes . .106 Cetewayq. ..^ . . - . . . . 109
The Prince Imperial Memorial on the Spot
Where He Fell . . . .no
Mr. Kruger in 1885 . . . .in
Majuba Hill . . . . . .112
Johannesburg as it Was . . .113
Lobengula .' . . . . .114
Hoisting the British Flag at Fort Hampden 115 Major Wilson's Last Stand . . .116 The Rt. Hon. Cecil J. Rhodes . . .117 The Jameson Raid . . . .119
The Raiders Taken Prisoners by the Boers 120 Mr. Rhodes and the Matabele Chiefs . 121 Dr. Jameson Passing into Prison . . 123 Mr. Joseph Chamberlain at his Desk in the
Colonial Office . . . .124
President Steyn . . . . .125 The Executive Council of the South African
Republic . . . . .127
King Edward VII. Inspects the Imperial
Yeomanry . . . .128
Scouts at Work . . . . .129 General French's Meeting with Mr. Cecil
Rhodes at Kimberley . , -131 General Sir George White, V.C. . .132 The Devons' Camp, Ladysmith . 133
General Christian de Wet . . .134 General Louis Botha . . . .135 One of the Naval 4.7 Quick Firers. . 136 Hoisting the Flag at Pretoria . 139
Lord Roberts Writing Dispatches in his
Tent .141
Indian Stretcher Bearers Under Fire . 142 At Work in the Field-Hospital . .143 General Sir Redvers Buller . . . 144 Colonel Baden-Powell . . . .145 General Louis Botha Examining Some of
his Native Scouts . . . .147 Queensland Bushmen at Rhenoster Kop. 148 Lord Methuen Rallying his Broken Forces 149 A Night Attack by the Imperial Yeomanry 151 Capture of a Boer in British Uniform . 152 Boers Delivering up Their Rifles . . 153 An Officer's "Quarters" on the Veld . 154 The Colonials Make a "Find" . . 155 Jack Hin ton's Gang : The Notorious Train
Wreckers . . . . . 157
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
XI
Prisoners of War : The Last March of
Cronje's Men . . . . .158 The Boers' Prison, Jamestown St. Helena 159 Free State Burghers Coming to Kroonstad
to Deliver up Rifles and Ammunition 161 Boer Leaders Discussing Peace Proposals
Under British Auspices . . .162 The Memorial Service in St. Paul's Cathedral 163 Peace Rejoicings Outside the Mansion
House, London . . . .165 The Proclamation Being Read at Pretoria 167 Cecil Rhodes' Tomb in the Matoppo Hills 168 Mr. Gladstone in 1895 • • • .170 Mr. G. J. Goschen . . . -171
Mr. A. J. Balfour. .... 173
Sir Wilfrid Lavvson . . . .174 Lord Lansdowne . . . . 175
Mr. Gerald Balfour . . . .176 The Duke of Norfolk . . . .176 The General Post Office, St. Martin's-le-
Grand . . . . . 177
The Bank of England . . . .177 The Old Bailey . . . .178
The New Old Bailey . . . 179
The Home Office and Colonial Office Build- ings, Whitehall . . . .180 The Foreign Office, as Seen from St.
James's Park . . . . .181
Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman . . .182 The Rt. Hon. St. John Brodrick . .183 The New War Office Building in Whitehall 185 Lord Milner . . . . . .186
Mr. Justin McCarthy . . . .187
A Hundred Years of Empire Expansion
(Maps) ...... 189
King Edward's Visit to the German
Emperor. . . . ."" -191 The Review at Spithead . . .192 Port Arthur at the Time of the Chino-
Japanese War . ".- . .194
Battle Between Chinese and Japanese Troops 195
The Fight at the Mouth of the Yalu
Kiau-Chau Bay ......
Vladivostok .
Laying the Railway in Manchuria .
The Harbour at Wei-hai-wei .
Emperor Nicholas II. of Russia
The Late Dowager Empress of China
The Late Emperor of China .
Plan of Peking .....
A Street in Peking .
The " Altar of Heaven "
Sir Claude MacDonald ....
General Kuropatkin ....
Admiral Togo .....
General Stossel .....
Shell Fire at Port Arthur
The Trawler Crane Sinking . ...
Bringing Back the Dead and Wounded to Hull
Mr. Balfour Addressing the London Cham- ber of Commerce Deputation .
The Marquis of Salisbury
President Grover Cleveland
Lord Russell of Killowen
Lord Herschell .....
The Wreck of the Maine
King Edward VII. and Four of his Grand- children, 1902 .....
The Scene of the Fashoda Incident
Mr. Chamberlain's Return from South Africa : Welcome in the House of Commons .....
The Late King of Portugal . .
Gibraltar ......
Malta
King Edward VII. . . . .
The King of Italy ....
The Meeting of King Edward VII. and President Loubet ....
King Edward VII. Arriving at the Grand Opera House, Paris.
PAGE
197 198 199 200 20 1 203 204 205 207 208 209
21 I 212
213 214 .215 216
217
219 2 2O 221 222 223 224
225 226
229
231 232
233 235 237
239 24O
f
H •f
(Pit!* *
KING EDWARD'S FIRST ACT OF GOVERNMENT. Subscribing the Oath for the security of the Church of Scotland.
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF KING EDWARD THE SEVENTH
CHAPTER i.
FIRST ACTS OF EDWARD VII.
The First Privy Council — The King's Message — The Proclamation — Not "Albert" but "Edward VII." — Reasons for the Title — A Constitutional Sovereig"n — Parliament Assembles — The King's Letter to Lords and Commons — The Funeral of Queen Victoria — Pathetic Moments at Osborne — "A Soldier's Funeral" — The Crossing to Portsmouth — A Notable Spectacle in the Channel — From Victoria to Paddington — A Scene of Indescribable Solemnity — Arrival at Windsor — The Bluejackets Render Assistance — From Windsor to Frogmore — The King's Three Historic Letters to his People — An Empire, not a Kingdom.
NO grief in solitude is possible for one who succeeds to a Throne. The rights and .duties of Sove- reignty are immediately assumed, and the formalities of accession have to be observed forthwith. Queen Victoria expired at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, at half -past six o'clock on the evening of .the 22nd of January. On the following day the King was in London and was present at the Privy Council. The Lords of the Council had met at St. James's Palace overnight, had been sworn in, had heard " a most gracious Declara- tion " from His Majesty, and had given orders for the Proclamation of .the new Sovereign. The King himself had, on the evening of his revered mother's death, framed an announce- jnent which, before, the night 'was far advanced, 'was published in. the London .Gazette. • It expressefdi in a' ' sentence -the countless columns '.of mourning, and eulogy which came "from the printing
2 U
presses of, the Empire — of the world, indeed — before the break of day.
" This event," ran the one passage of comment in the official intimation, " has caused one universal feeling of regret and sorrow to Her late Majesty's faith- ful and attached subjects, to whom She was endeared by the deep interest in their welfare which She invariably mani- fested, as well as by the many signal virtues which marked and adorned Her character." Meanwhile, the dining-room of Osborne House was converted into a Chapelle ardente by the removal of the furniture and draping the walls with crim- son cloth. There the body was taken and the coffin placed on a dais and covered with the Royal Standard and a pall of white satin and lace. .On the coffin was placed the Crown and the crimson velvet .and ermine robes of the- late Sovereign. High silver candlesticks were set on each .side of the. bier and the Indian and Scot- tish personal attendants of the deceased
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
stationed to watch over the remains until relieved by the arrival of members of the Queen's — now the King's — Company of Grenadier Guards. There it remained until Friday, the ist of February.
At the assembly of the Privy Council on the Wednesday there were no fewer than a hundred and thirty-two Coun- cillors to do homage to the new Sove- reign. Among them were many famous men. At the head of the list is the single name, George — now His Majesty George V. The Archbishop of Can- terbury (the late Dr. Temple), Lord Halsbury (then Lord Chancellor), Lord Salisbury (then Prime Minister), Mr. A. J. Balfour (then Leader of the House of Commons), the late Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman, Mr. H. H. Asquith, the late Sir William Harcourt, the late Lord Ripon, Lord Lansdowne, Lord Rosebery, Lord Alverstone, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, the late Mr. W. H. Lecky — these are but a few of the more pro- minent Councillors. It is a melancholy list to read now. King Edward is no more. So few of those who formed his first Council have survived him ; so many passed hence in the early years of his reign. It is worthy of note that the Proclamation issued by this Council for the first time in English history described the Crown as " the Imperial Crown." " Whereas it has pleased Almighty God," runs the preamble, "to call to His Mercy our late Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria, of Blessed and Glorious memory, by whose decease the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Prince Albert Edward : We, therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this
Realm, being here assisted with these of Her late Majesty's Privy Council, with Numbers of other Principal Gentlemen of Quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of London, do now hereby, with one Voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart, publish and proclaim, That the High and Mighty Prince, Albert Edward, is now, by the Death of our late Sovereign of Happy Memory, become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lord Edward the Seventh, by the Grace of God, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India : To whom we do acknowledge all Faith and constant Obedience, with all hearty and humble Affection ; beseeching God, by Whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the Royal Prince, Edward the Seventh, with long and happy years to reign over Us." The Proclamation was the first intima- tion the Empire had that His Majesty had elected to be known as Edward VII. The reason was that the name of Albert should be exclusively associated in the mind of his subjects with the Prince Consort. It was a choice univer- sally approved, not only because of the filial motive which prompted it, but also because of the English ring of the name of Edward and its rich historical suggestiveness, reaching backward to the rugged and sturdy times when England was in the making. To the Council His Majesty made a Declaration in which he reminded his' hearers, and through them his subjects, that Edward had been the name of six of his ancestors. In resolv- ing to be known as Edward VII., " I do not," he said, " undervalue the name of Albert, which I inherit from my ever-to-be-lamented great and wise Father,
THE KING'S FIRST COUNCIL
who by universal consent is, I think, de- servedly known as Albert the Good, and I desire that his name should stand alone." The other passages of the Declaration are of simple and pathetic eloquence : —
" This is the most painful occasion on which I shall ever be called upon to address you.
" My first and melancholy duty is to announce to you the death of My beloved Mother the Queen, and I know how deeply you, the whole Nation, and I think I may say the whole world, sympathise with Me in the irre- parable loss we have all sustained.
" I need hardly say that My constant en- d e a v o u r will be always to walk in Her footsteps. In under- taking the heavy load which now devolves upon Me, I am fully determined to be a Constitutional Sove- reign in the strictest sense of the word, and as long as there is breath in My body to work for the good and amelioration of My people.
" In conclusion, I trust to Parliament and the Nation to support Me in the arduous duties which now devolve upon Me
by inheritance, and to which I am determined to devote My whole strength during the remainder of My life."
It was a subject of remark among those who were present at this Council that the man who uttered these words was not the Prince of Wales they had known, but a Prince of Wales transformed by the solemnity of death and the weight and
THE FUNERAL OF QUEEN VICTORIA: GROSSING THE SOLENT.
From the Painting by F. Chardon.
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
gravity of the responsibilities death had brought. The sentences were uttered, it was said, with a Kingly dignity and in- tense earnestness which deeply impressed them all. Here was no formal Declara- tion, but one that came unmistakably from the mind and heart of its author. Its manly and unaffected phraseology was given forth with a seriousness of mien and articulation which conveyed to its hearers an idea of a great per- sonality. Albert Edward had ceased to be " one of the subjects of the Queen," as he had liked to call himself ; in becom- ing King he had given evidence of a new dignity, a breadth and depth of charac- ter which had not before been apparent. That was the impression the Councillors carried away with them and dissemin- ated through society. Time was to prove that it was not erroneous. The King was a changed man. He had set his hand to the plough. He had formed a high and noble determination. Under the influence of a great resolve, he com- municated unconsciously to others a feeling that his aims in life, his ambi- tions, and character had undergone a mystic expansion. Throughout the utter- ance there breathes a spirit of devotion to duty. It will be noticed also that there is in it profound political wisdom. He is " fully determined to be a Constitu- tional Sovereign in the strictest sense of the word." He does not desire more than that, Monarch though he now is. He expressly excludes any wish or inten- tion to enlarge the powers of the Monarchy. Rather does he seem to welcome the limitations of English Sove- reignty. He emphasises his wish to be a Constitutional Sovereign only. No one after that could have any apprehensions
that he might use his position for personal or family aggrandisement. The Alpha and Omega of his hope and policy as King is to " work for the good and amelioration of My people so long as there is breath in My body." There is an almost painful consciousness there of his own length of days — a premonition of the risks of ill-health perhaps, a recog- nition that of necessity his reign must be short as compared with that of his illustrious Mother. .The note is struck again. The Declaration ends with it : " the arduous duties ... to which I am determined to- devote My whole strength during the remainder of My life." He was in his sixtieth year. The point of view is that of a man who knows that his end cannot be far off and is resolved to consecrate his remaining time to the discharge of his duties. That he should have defined them as he did
" the amelioration of My people " is a revelation of character in perfect harmony with his previous public activi- ties. He had no other ambition than peace and social progress. That was his programme from the outset of his reign, and to that he adhered " while there was breath in his body."
Whether Parliament is in Session or not, both Houses must assemble forth- with on the death of the Sovereign and take the oath of allegiance to the suc- cessor. On the Friday following the Council meeting King Edward sent a message to Lords and Commons : —
" The King is fully assured that the House of Lords will share the deep sorrow which has befallen «His Majesty and the nation by ' the ' lamented death of His Majesty's mother, the late Queen. Her devotion to the welfare of her country and
2U~
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
her people and her wise and beneficent rule during the sixty-four years of her glorious reign will ever be held in affec- tionate memory by her loyal and devoted subjects throughout the dominions of the British Empire."
lyord Salisbury moved and lyord Kimberley seconded the motion that " a humble address be presented to His Majesty to assure His Majesty that this House deeply sympathises in the great sorrow which His Majesty has sustained by the death of our beloved Sovereign, the late Queen, whose unfailing devotion to the duties of her high estate and the welfare of her people will ever cause her reign to be remembered with reverence and affection ; to submit to His Majesty our respectful congratulations on his ac- cession to the Throne, and to assure him of our loyal attachment to his person ; and further to assure him of our earnest con- viction that his reign will be disting- uished under the blessing of Providence by the anxious desire to maintain the laws of the kingdom and to promote the happiness and liberties of his subjects." In the House of Commons a similar message from the King was read by the Speaker, and -a similar address in reply was moved by Mr. Balfour and seconded by Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman. In both Houses eloquent eulogies were pronounced on the late Queen, and each speaker inter- wove in his remarks appropriate expres- sions of congratulation to her successor and of devotion to his person. The Addresses were voted in silence, and the Houses adjourned. Naturally, the speeches dealt with the past rather than with the new reign, and contained no striking political announcements bearing on the future relations of Crown and Parliament.
The art of the speakers was expended on tributes to the dead Queen rather than on the significant personal policy which King Edward had set before his Privy Coun- cillors. Indeed, the meaning of that was missed at the time, so full were men's minds of the greatness of their loss.
The burial of Queen Victoria was car- ried out under the direct supervision of the King ; and in this task he was, unhappily, deprived of the aid of the Heir Apparent, who was laid aside by an attack of German measles. The Queen had left instruc- tions that her remains were to be interred with military honours. She was " the daughter of a soldier " and head of the Army, and hence she desired a soldier's burial. On the morning of the ist of February, the coffin was carried from Osborne House, placed on a gun-carriage and drawn to Cowes, all the Royal mourners following on foot. His Majesty was the chief mourner, and with him were the German Empeior, the Duke of Connaught, Queen Alexandra, the Duchess of York, and other members of the reign- ing house. From Cowes the body was transported on the Royal Yacht Alberta to Portsmouth, preceded by a flotilla of torpedo destroyers and passing through lines of warships ranged in order of battle, the British fleet on the one side and the warships of other nations opposite them. The mourners followed in their yachts. The night was passed at Portsmouth, and early on the morning of Saturday, the 2nd of February, the Queen's body was landed and taken by special train to Ivondon. On arrival at Victoria it was placed on a gun-carriage and drawn through dense and silent throngs of mourners past Buckingham Palace, up Constitution Hill, and through Hyde Park
Photo : Russell.
QUECN VICTORIA'S FUNERAL: LEAVING WINDSOR CASTLE FOR THE ROYAL MAUSOLEUM. FROGMORE.
8
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
to Paddington station, and thence by train to Windsor. Immediately behind the coffin rode the King. With him were the Duke of Connaught, the German Emperor, the King of Greece, the King of Portugal, the King of the Belgians, and a number of Crown Princes. It was a cold, misty January morning. The scene was one of indescribable solemnity ; and what was more remarkable than the spectacle itself was the sorrow of the multitude. The King and his fellow Sovereigns passed almost unobserved, so intent was the gaze on the Standard-covered coffin. Never had the streets and Hyde Park contained so reverential a throng. The Jubilee multitudes were there to mourn for her with whom they had rejoiced three years before. At Windsor also there were similar scenes — and there was a moment fraught with peril, for one of the horses attached to the gun-carriage got out of hand, and the others became so restive that a spill seemed probable. The horses were freed from the gun-carriage, and the King directed that a body of bluejackets should draw the remains up the Castle Hill to St. George's Chapel. This was done. Nine years later the Navy per- formed the same melancholy office for the Sovereign who enlisted their help on this occasion. A service was held within the Chapel, and there the body remained until Monday, when it was borne to its resting-place beside the remains of the Prince Consort in the mausoleum at Frogmore.
On that day — the 4th of February- King Edward issued three historic mes- sages—one " To My People," through the Secretary of State for the Home Depart- ment ; one "To My People Beyond the Seas," through the Secretary for the
Colonies ; and the third " to the Princes and People of India," through the Secre- tary of State for India. Each was written from Windsor Castle. The first was as follows :—
"To MY PEOPLE, — Now that the last Scene has closed in the noble and ever glorious life of My beloved Mother, The Queen, I am anxious to endeavour to convey to the whole Empire the extent of the deep gratitude I feel for the heart- stirring and affectionate tributes which are everywhere borne to Her Memory. I wish also to express My warm recognition of those universal expressions of what I know to be genuine and loyal sympathy with Me and with the Royal Family in our overwhelming sorrow. Such expres- sions have reached Me from all parts of My vast Empire, while at home the sor- rowful, reverent, and sincere enthusiasm manifested in the magnificent display by sea and land has deeply touched Me.
" The consciousness of this generous spirit of devotion and loyalty among the millions of My Subjects and of the feeling that we are all sharing a common sorrow, has inspired Me with courage and hope during the past most trying and moment- ous days.
" Encouraged by the confidence of that love and trust which the nation ever reposed in its late and fondly mourned Sovereign, I shall earnestly strive to walk in Her Footsteps, devoting Myself to the utmost of My powers to maintaining and promoting the highest interests of My People, and to the diligent and zealous fulfilment of the great and sacred responsi- bilities which, through the Will of God, I am now called to undertake."
The text of the second, which was commanded by His Majesty to be sent to
THE KING'S MESSAGE
9
all Colonies and Dependencies, was in these terms : —
" To MY PEOPLE BEYOND THE SEAS,— The countless messages of loyal sympathy which I have received from every part of My Dominions over the Seas testify to the universal grief in which the whole Empire now mourns the loss of My Beloved Mother.
" In the welfare and prosperity of Her subjects throughout Greater Britain the Queen ever evinced a heartfelt interest.
" She saw with thankfulness the steady progress which, under a wide extension of Self -Government, they had made during Her Reign. She warmly appreciated their unfailing loyalty to Her Throne and Person, and was proud to think of those who had so nobly fought and died for the Empire's cause in South Africa.
" I have already declared that it will be My constant endeavour to follow the great example which has been bequeathed to Me.
" In these endeavours I shall have a confident trust in the devo- tion and sympathy of the People and of their several Representative Assemblies throughout My vast Colonial Dominions.
" With such loyal support I will, with God's blessing, solemnly work for the pro- motion of the common welfare and security of the great Empire over which I have now been called to reign."
In this second message there is an omission which the present writer ven- tured to point out at the time in a slight sketch of t^he new Sovereign. It contained no allusion or appeal to the millions of
native races in the British Possessions: " No doubt the words are chosen with the object of making the message compre- hensive, and, as it was sent to the Crown Colonies as well as to those enjoying responsible government, it is arguable that the negro and other populations were not
KING EDWARD VII.
forgotten, but are included inferentially. On the other hand, the first impression conveyed is that the message is more directly addressed to people of our own race. A rare opportunity was missed of stimulating the sentiment of loyalty in the native mind — of so playing upon the susceptible feelings, say, of the millions of negroes in various parts of the Empire that the peculiar love and veneration with which many of them regarded Her late
THE QUEEN VICTORIA MEMORIAL IN LONDON: THE CENTRAL FIGURE.
By T. Brock, R.A.
£» w[J 'i &
» '-* JJ, ' i. «*
A MISSED OPPORTUNITY
ii
Majesty should be continued to her suc- cessor. It would have been easy for the King to choose a form of words which would specifically have told his dusky subjects that he was thinking also of them. On the whole they do behave marvellously well — our occasional little wars with the less civilised amongst them notwithstand- ing— and it would have been a graceful act and, indeed, a stroke of policy to recognise their good conduct and loyalty. In mental capacity they are but as chil- dren. A few words of greeting and of praise from their new Chief would have gone straight to the hearts of millions to whom the Queen Mother they had never seen was so magical a personality that they could not realise that her death had occurred. The criticism will not seem
ridiculous to those who know how respon- sive are the subject races to appeals to their sentiments, and how important it is to inculcate in them the idea that they are as much the subjects of the English Sovereign as the whites who rule over and trade with them."
Of this aspect of the life of the British Empire King Edward had, however, no direct personal knowledge other than that acquired from contact with dusk}- visitors to England. His political perception did not carry him far enough in this instance. In framing his message to India he was dealing with matters within his personal cognisance, and the letter glows with vitality and suggestiveness : —
" To THE PRINCES AND PEOPLE OF INDIA, — Through the lamented death of My beloved and dearly-mourned Mother I have inherited the Throne, which has descended to Me through a long and ancient lineage.
"I now desire to send My greeting to the Ruling Chiefs of
BUCKINGHAM PALACE.
Photo: Campbell Gray, Ltd.
12
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
the Native States, and to the Inhabitants of My Indian Dominions, to assure them of My sincere good- will and affection, and of My heartfelt wishes for their welfare.
" My illustrious and lamented Prede- cessor was the first Sovereign of this Country who took upon Herself the direct Administration of the Affairs of India, and assumed the title of Empress in token of Her closer association with the Govern- ment of that vast Country.
" In all matters connected with India the Queen-Empress displayed an unvary- ing deep personal interest, and I am well aware of the feeling of loyalty and affec- tion evinced by the millions of its peoples towards Her Throne and Person. This feeling was conspicuously shown during the last year of Her long and glorious reign by the noble and patriotic assistance offered by the Ruling Princes in the South
African War, and by the gallant services rendered by the Native Army beyond the limits of their own Country.
" It was by Her wish and with Her sanction that I visited India and made Myself personally acquainted with the Ruling Chiefs, the people, and the cities of that ancient and famous Empire.
" I shall never forget the deep impres- sions which I then received, and I shall endeavour to follow the great example of the first Queen-Empress to work for the general well-being of my Indian sub- jects of all ranks, and to merit, as She did, their unfailing loyalty and affection."
With these letters Edward VII. inau- gurated his reign. For the present it is enough to note their Imperial range. For the first time in history a Sovereign of England had marked his accession to the Throne by a direct personal address to his subjects in Dominions oversea.
Photo: Russell. THE QUEEN VICTORIA AND PRINCE ALBERT SCULPTURE AT FROGMORE MAUSOLEUM.
CHAPTER II KING EDWARD VII. AND PRINCE GEORGE.
Departure of the German Emperor — The King Opens Parliament — The State Procession — Popular Enthusiasm — The Declaration — A Reluctant Promise — The King's Speech — An Imperialistic Note — A World-tour Projected for the Duke of York — A Royal Sailor — Reminiscences of the Britannia and the Bacchante — The Command of the Thrush — Some Fine Exploits — The Girlhood of Princess May — Her Life at White Lodge — Learning the Realities of Life — Her Initiation into Public Life — Betrothal to Prince George — A Patriotic Decision — Preparations for the Tour.
THE first public utterance of King Edward VII., after the funeral of Queen Victoria, was when, on the 5th of February, he accom- panied the German Emperor from Marl- borough House to Charing Cross, and there bade him an affectionate farewell. The second was on the I4th of February, when the King opened Parliament in person, with a stately splendour of ceremonial which had not been seen in the capital for more than a generation. Seated with him in the great gilded coach of State was his beloved Consort, Queen Alexandra, now more than ever the idol of the people. A deep and friendly interest was taken by the nation in the German Emperor. The promptness with which he left his own subjects, and his own urgent and difficult affairs, to attend the bedside of his grandmother touched the heart of the English race. His bearing at the funeral testified to the sincerity of his grief, and in various ways he had shown how deeply he sympathised with his Royal relations and their countrj'men in the loss that had befallen them. As German feeling had been markedly hostile to this country since the outbreak of the war in South Africa, his visit betokened a fine disregard for mere political considerations,
and was interpreted here as a desire to end the asperities of Anglo-German con- troversy. He seemed to offer friendship and a termination of the ill-will which the war had evoked ; and the populace responded instinctively to the inferences which were drawn from this participation in the national sorrow. Vast throngs turned out to meet him on his arrival from Windsor, and along the route from Paddington to Marlborough House he was given an ovation not less generous and cordial than he could have received in Berlin at the height of his popularity. After lunch with the King the two monarchs — uncle and nephew — drove together to Charing Cross amid the respectful acclamations of a numerous throng, who drew the happiest auguries from their unity over the grave of the late Sovereign. The grateful warmth of the German Emperor's reception was height- ened also by the consciousness that his mother, the Empress Frederick, formerly Crown Princess of England, lay stricken with mortal disease. Certainly the Emperor William must have taken back with him a vivid appreciation of the esteem of the English people for himself, and of their hope that the events which had culminated in the funeral pageant
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
from the Isle of Wight to Windsor marked the close of Anglo-German mistrust and recrimination. That hope was not to be fully realised. But the new reign opened auspiciously so far as the relations between the two Sovereigns were concerned, and the presence of the German Emperor amongst us very sensibly lessened the irritability of Englishmen at the persist- ence of unfriendly German criticism of our doings in the sub-continent.
At the opening of the first Parliament of the reign, King Edward and Queen Alexandra were acclaimed from one end of the route to the other with an enthu- siasm which must have reminded them of the year of their marriage. The people, though almost without exception retain- ing their mourning garb, used the occasion of the full State procession to throw off the gloom which had oppressed them, and to demonstrate that, however much they had loved Victoria, they loved her son and successor and his beautiful Con- sort not less. No Sovereign could have received more abounding loyalty. The reversion to the use of full State greatly pleased the populace, as did the dignified demeanour of the King and the gracious acknowledgments of their plaudits by him and the Queen Consort. A revival of the splendour of the Court — splendours to which the people had been unaccustomed for nearly half a century — was suggested by the passing of the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. Within the House of Lords the scene, as their Majesties were conducted into the Chamber, was one of stately magnificence and quaint and ancient ceremonial. Seated for the first time on the Throne, His Majesty pronounced the first speech of his reign before a great concourse of Peers
and Peeresses with a crowd of Commoners, headed by the Speaker, at the bar. Before coming to that he had, however, to repeat after the Lord Chancellor the Declaration required of the Sovereign by the Bill of Rights. It was noticeable that he did this with obvious reluctance, and in so low a tone that his voice was scarcely audible. He had desired to be free from this statutory obligation to de- nounce certain cardinal doctrines of the Roman faith, and it was understood that it was only with difficulty that the Lord Chancellor — the Keeper of the King's Conscience — had induced him to consent to recite the formula, the legal view being that there could be no escape short of an alteration of the law. That, as we shall show later on, was accomplished — chiefly because of his attitude and the urgency with which he pressed the need of change upon successive Ministries — immediately after his death. His suc- cessor was spared the denunciatory sen- tences which King Edward had disliked. That the formality was entirely alien to his mind and heart was very plainly shown when he addressed Parliament in the language of his speech, for he spoke out in a full, clear voice which reverber- ated through the Chamber. The speech opened with an allusion to the national and personal bereavement that had been suffered, and an assurance of his desire to follow the example set by " his beloved mother during her long and glorious reign." After a short review of affairs in South Africa and in China — -matters purposely excluded from this chapter — His Majesty touched upon the inauguration of the Australian Commonwealth. In the pre- vious year an Act had received the assent of the Crown federating the Colonies of
KING EDWARD VII. AND QUEEN ALEXANDRA LEAVING BUCKINGHAM PALACE.
i6
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
'
EDWARD VII.* OPENS PARLIAMENT.
The death of the Queen suspended them, and it was feared that the visit might have to be abandoned. That would have been a double disappointment, for the tour was to be extended to South Africa and Canada as a sign of the grate- ful recognition cf the Sovereign of the support the Colonies had given to the Rnipire in the dark days of the war. The Speech from the Throne ...stibwed that the arrangement was to be carried through, n o t- withstanding the new ' situation and the break the tour . would make in the
New South". Wales, 'Victoria, Queensland, home and personal life of -the Royal
.-!••.*>**. --•• . *- . - - ' • '
^Western "-Australia, and ; Tasmania; and Family. " A separation from my son,"
.Queen Victoria had decided that the open- said His Majesty, "especially at such
ing of the first Commonwealth Parliament a moment , cannot be ^otherwise than should be vperf or med for her by thej'Duke ,. deeply painful, but -I still* desire to give
of .York, who/tw^h the Duchess, would effect to Her late Majesty's wishes ; and
Federal- Government set asfdg'" -£100,000' decided' ' tfixt the visit to ' Australia shall _. for the recepjiori of_the Duke and Duqhess. not be_ abandoned, and _ shall -be extended
THE DUKE OF YORK'S TOUR
to New Zealand and the Dominion of Canada."
Exceptional, indeed, are the occasions when the House of Lords exhibits its col- lective pleasure or displeasure. Never does it show by sign or sound the feelings which utterance from the Throne may excite, but at this point of the speech there was a plainly discernible mouvement of appre- ciation. The country not less than Par- liament showed through the Press its recognition of the personal sacrifice the King and Queen were making. Within six weeks the separation had taken place and the Duke and Duchess of York were on the high seas. We shall presently describe with some detail this very remarkable tour, for its importance can- not well be over-rated either from the point of view of its effect on the diffusion of Imperialism during the reign of King
Edward or from that of its formative influence upon the mind of the present Sovereign, who, it was understood, re- turned from it an even more thorough- going Imperialist than he was when he started. But before narrating the tour itself, it will be advisable to fill in the gap left in an earlier volume by sketching the previous career of the Duke and re- calling the life story of the Duchess.
The reader will remember that at the age of twelve — in 1877 — Prince George was sent with his elder brother, the late Duke of Clarence, to the Britannia, there to be trained for a naval career. The brothers were as dissimilar in appearance as in temperament — the elder, fragile of frame, thoughtful and pensive ; the younger, though not very robust physically, full of vigour, high-spirited, with an under- current of mischievous humour. They
THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT, WESTMINSTER.
Photo : Frith, Reigate.
2 V
i8
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
THE BRITANNIA AND THE HINDOSTAN IN THE DART.
Photo: Smale, Dartmouth.
were placed in the tutorial charge of Mr. lawless, and, except for the fact that they were berthed in a separate cabin, shared the ordinary life and routine of the ship — not an easy routine by any means, for the lads were on deck at half- past six, and had to use their muscles as well as brains ; the humbler arts of seamanship were taught them — the man- agement of sailing and rowing boats, sail- making, rope-splicing, and the rest of it. Although the days of sailing vessels were past — in the Royal Navy, at all events — the training of the seaman followed the ancient practices when steam was not. Indeed, it still follows the old lines in the mercantile marine, where a training in sail for four years is a necessary qualifi-
cation for high employment in the great companies which have not owned a sailing ship, except, perhaps, for edu- cating midshipmen, for half a century. For about two years the lads remained on the Britannia, and though that vessel was stationary in the Dart — a stately element in a scene of much beauty — and the cadets were not allowed out of the estuary, they were taught to acquire the deftness and handiness and superb self- confidence of the seaman. Their course on the Britannia completed, the lads were put aboard H.M.S. Bacchante to learn their business in great waters and see the wonders of the world, especially the wide- spread British portions thereof. Prince George was just over fourteen — a lively,
THE CRUISE OF THE BACCHANTE
daring lad, with a reputation among his comrades for dash and masterfulness. They went first to the West Indies, crossed back to the islands off West Africa, rounded the Cape, went south to Australia, and thence to Fiji, Yokohama, Hong- Kong, and Singapore, and home via the Suez Canal, with an excursion ashore into the Holy I^and. Thus by the time he was sixteen Prince George had seen far more of the earth and its diverse races than had ever any Prince of the West or the East. With the lads there went Canon Dalton, who was responsible for their moral welfare ; while Mr. I/awless went as naval instructor. Prince George took to the life with a zest that was to make him one of the best naval officers of his time,
and Mr. Lawless has put it on record that he was an excellent mathematician, with the makings of a senior wrangler. Diaries were kept with much minuteness, and at the close of the cruise these were made up into a volume, which had a very large circulation in the 'eighties. The boys' entries showed a knowledge, a maturity of thought, and a copiousness and smooth- ness of style which suggest the thorough- ness of Canon Dalton's oversight of their literary exercises. The making of them was very profitable practice with the pen. Prince George, both as a speaker and writer, developed — no doubt because of insistent tutorial direction to narrate what was seen and express what was thought — a command of vigorous and
Photo : Smale, Dartmouth. THE ROYAL GALLEY OF THE BRITANNIA.
Prince George (now George V.) has the port bow oar, and Prince Albert (the late Duke of Clarence) Is the coxswain.
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
Photo : Smale, Dartmouth. PRINCE ALBERT VICTOR. The late Duke of Clarence.
facile English. " As long as they were on board ship," it is on record that Canon Dalton said, " the Princes were treated exactly like other midshipmen, and performed all the duties which usually fall to their lot. They took their turn in all weathers by day or night at watch-keeping and going aloft, at sail drill or boat duty. There was no difference, not even the slightest of any sort or kind, made between them and their gunroom messmates."
When in port they had interesting times ashore and saw many strange sights and peoples, as the book tells with much detail. Early in that cruise Prince George was made a midshipman, and in 1884 was gazetted sub-lieutenant. The fol- lowing year he was made lieutenant, and in 1889 received his first command — that of a torpedo boat. None but a man who loved the sea and was devoted to his profession would have endured the hard- ness and discomforts of life in the pitch- ing, tossing, rolling torpedo boats of
twenty years ago. It was not as though Prince George was immune from sea sickness. Every time he went afloat he suffered badly, but nothing could deter him. He became a thorough seaman, proficient at all points, as zealous in his duties as if livelihood and reputation depended wholly upon their discharge. In 1890 he was in command of a new gunboat, the Thrush, and spent a year with the North American and West Indian squadron, seeing much of the seaboard of the western hemisphere, and taking his climatic risks with the rest by going ashore in places it might have been better to avoid. But malaria and yet more deadly fevers had no terrors for him. Wherever he had an opportunity of see- ing a bit of Empire he took it, visited the Governor, talked with officials and lead- ing men, white and black, made mental notes, and added to his store of know- ledge. From photos taken of him in a setting of western tropical rivers and towns and plantations — photos long since faded in tropical heat and damp or insect- eaten so as to be almost unrecognisable — this writer ventures to hazard an opinion that if His Majesty were asked what a Boviander is he would give an answer pat. Swizzles are not unknown to him. With the architecture of an ice-house he is well acquainted. If all this is a little obscure to anyone not a Caribbean, it will serve, nevertheless, to show that at every point his training was imperial as well as naval — that he made it so wher- ever his warship took him, because he had the innate energy of mind to get knowledge for the sake of knowledge. There was then no prospect that he would be called upon to succeed to the Throne. The Navy, not kingship, was
" «x
THE SAILOR-PRINCE
21
his profession, and he seems to have been happiest and most at home when on the quarter-deck of a man-o'-war. He loved the work on the open sea, and all who served under him or above him, or were brought into professional con- tact with him, knew him as a thoroughly efficient officer who, if he had a fault, was a little over-ready in accepting rather than shirking responsibility. We find him, in 1899, addressing the cadets of the Conway training-ship in the Mersey, and telling them that he was as devoted then to his profession as when he first joined ; he would always continue to take the greatest interest in all that concerned the sea, ships, and sailors : —
" I think that I am entitled from a personal experience of twenty years at sea to impress upon you three simple quali- ties, which, I am sure, if conscientiously acted up to, will go a long way towards ensuring your success. The qualities to which I would refer are truthfulness, obedience, and zeal. Truthfulness will give those placed under you confidence in you ; obedience will give those placed over you confidence in you ; and although I have mentioned zeal last, it is by no means the least important, for without zeal no sailor can ever be worth his salt."
Here is a picture of his life aboard the Thrush. It appeared in a periodical written for the young, and is evidently from the pen of someone writing from direct personal knowledge : " An inte- resting glimpse of his character is obtained from one duty he had to undertake. Ships of the Thrush class do not carry a naval chaplain, and Prince George, as captain, had, according to the Admiralty regulations, xto read morning prayers on board after divisions each day, and him-
2 V*
Photo : Smale, Dartmouth, PRINCE GEORGE. Now George V.
self to conduct the Sunday service. In preparation for this last, he always prac- tised on Saturday evenings, with such officers and men as volunteered to take part in the singing, the chants and hymns for the next day. We are told that his favourite hymns appeared to be such well- known ones as ' Nearer, my God, to Thee/ ' O God, our help in ages past,' ' I heard the voice of Jesus say,' such as he had been wont in his boyhood to sing at home with his brother and sisters, to his mother's accompaniment on the piano ; and therefore to him, as to so many others of us, the words of the hymns had acquired an additional force and meaning from being hallowed with many recollections. The Sunday morning service he took on board ship ; in the evening, when in port, he generally attended church ashore."
The Prince obtained his promotion to the Thrush by a fine bit of seamanship during the naval manoeuvres of 1889, when he was in charge of one of the
*•
r*
22
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
torpedo boats and in a driving gale off the Irish coast succeeded in rescuing a disabled consort. After a year in the West Indies on the Thrush, he was appointed, in August, 1891, commander of the Melampus, and thereafter captain. " He never put on any side, and he never
became desirable. We have given in an earlier volume a slight account of the wedding with the Princess May ; but of her personality we have suggested little. She was the only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Teck, and was born at Kensington Palace on the 26th of May,
H.M. GUNBOAT THRUSH.
shirked his work " was the verdict passed upon him by his contemporaries in the Navy. This, then, was his life until his destinies were changed by the death of his brother, the Duke of Clarence. "Even later his love for the sea had outlet in the command of the Crescent, then one of the finest cruisers in the Fleet, in the 1898 manoeuvres.
As Heir to the Throne, marriage now
1867, " at one minute before midnight," the doctors stated in their bulletin. In Kensington Palace, two months afterwards, she was christened, the sponsors being the Queen (who was represented by the Princess Mary of Cambridge), the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and the Prince of Wales. Victoria Mary Augusta I,ouisa Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes were the names pronounced by the Archbishop of
BIRTH OF PRINCESS MAY
Canterbury. " She really is," wrote her mother, in 1868, " as sweet and engaging a child as you can wish to see ; full of life and fun, and as playful as a kitten ; with the deepest blue eyes imaginable, quantities of fair hair, a tiny rosebud of a mouth, a lovely complexion (pink and
ing only two bottom ones, which she cut without any trouble the last week in January ; but the top ones are just beginning to show themselves, and I hope will soon be through. I short- coated her late in the autumn, and she looks a perfect picture in her frocks, pina-
Photo: Russell. THE DUKE OF YORK (NOW GEORGE V.) AND THE OFFICERS OF THE CRESCENT.
white), and a most perfect figure ! In a word, a model of a baby ! You must amiably overlook a mother's fond con- ceit in her child when reading the fore- going passage, which doubtless is over- drawn, tho' I must say ' May ' wins all hearts by her bright face and smile and pretty endearing ways. She is wonder- fully forward for her age in all things save one — her teeth, at present possess-
fores, and sashes. Her Papa is in a quiet way thoroughly devoted to her, and she quite adores him, tho' her Mama is her pet playfellow ! But a truce to ce radotage de mere, and let me turn to other subjects."
The Duchess of Teck's letters are full of her at this period, and she seems ever to have held a premier place in her mother's heart.
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
Queen Victoria lent the White Lodge, in Richmond Park, to the Tecks, who had to sustain the dignity of Royalty on an income which was ever insufficient ; and here the young Princess grew into girl- hood. Queen Caroline had lived in the
personally attended to her training in the graces of character. The leading motive of her own life outside her home was that of charity and helpfulness to those less fortunately placed, especially to the least fortunate of the poorer
house, and Queen Victoria had occasion- ally used it, while in 1867-68 it had been occupied as a week-end resort by the Prince of Wales. The child was early initiated into philanthropic work, and the Duchess kept her free from gaieties and the excitement of social life. Her education was committed to governesses, who made her proficient in various lady- like accomplishments, while her mother
classes, and we find the Princess, while still a child, perplexed by the disburse- ment of her personal charities and having access to the homes of the poor. Mr. Carr Glynn, the vicar of Kensington, was responsible for her religious instruction, and in common with all English princes and princesses her education in the Scrip- tures was thorough and systematic. We read of her as a child in the com-
PRINCESS MAY'S GIRLHOOD
pany of the vicar making the round of parochial calls among the poor. In this and other ways she acquired a knowledge of the realities of life as these are exhibited to the almoners of Royal persons. At the age of thirteen she accom-
seen her galloping about Richmond Park, alone or with her younger brothers, in the middle 'eighties. In 1885 she was confirmed, and in the following year attended her first drawing-room, besides being present with her mother at the
panied her parents on a visit to Italy and made a stay with them at Florence. She had a natural gift for languages, and in early girlhood could converse in French, Italian, or German as fluently and correctly as in English. In the use of the needle she was an expert, and she was given a full training in all the arts of housewifery. She was a capital horse- woman, and many a reader must have
opening of the Tower Bridge by the Prince of Wales. She figured also among the Royal group present at Queen Victoria's inauguration of the Colonial Exhibition. For some years she was constantly in her mother's company on public occasions, and on the innumerable charitable quests in which the Duchess engaged, and she thus obtained a very varied knowledge of life in low quarters as well as high. Her
26
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
short engagement to the Duke of Clarence, which began in December, 1891, was un- happily terminated by his death in the following January, and for a year the Princess was little seen outside her own family circle. On the 3rd of May, 1893, it was announced that she was betrothed to the Duke of York. The proposal was made at Sheen I/>dge, which for some time had been occupied by the Duke and Duchess of Fife. It was a happy thought which led Princess May and her mother to decide with regard to the trousseau that all the silk should come from England, all the flannel from Wales, all the tweeds from Scotland, and every yard of lace and poplin from Ireland. A garden party was given by the Duke and Duchess of Teck at White Lodge, to celebrate their daughter's engagement, when the pro- spective bride — now the Queen of England
— thanked all the guests for their gifts, and was as simple, gracious, and un- affected as she had ever been.
With the details of the marriage we are not here concerned. On the 23rd of June, 1894, the union was blessed by a son — Prince Edward, now the Prince of Wales — and three other children, two boys and a girl, came by 1901, at which time the eldest was a lad of six and a half, and the youngest was running about. The separation from their young family this Empire-tour imposed could not have been less painful than that of King Edward from his son and heir. That the tour was made by the Duke and Duchess at that time is evidence of the subordination of their own per- sonal and family inclinations to the public duties imposed upon them by their rank and station.
THE DUKE OF YORK'S FAMILY IN 1898
Photo: Ralph- Dersingham.
CHAPTER III.
AN IMPERIAL TOUR : INCIDENTS IN THE ANTIPODES
Some Misconceptions Dispelled — The Tour Begins — Farewells at Portsmouth — An Enthusiastic "Send-off" — The Ophir Steams Down Channel — Arrival at Ceylon — Reception by the Legis- lative Council — A Fine Speech at Colombo — Sights and Scenes at Singapore — Crossing the Line — The Duchess "Made Free o' the Sea" — Melbourne's Rapturous Welcome — A Great Levee — The Duke Opens the First Parliament of the Commonwealth — A Magnificent Spectacle — The King's Message — Other Functions in Melbourne — A Visit to Brisbane — Off to New Zealand — The Party Lands at Auckland — Some Striking Speeches by the Duke — A Trip to Maoriland — Native Rejoicings — A Call at Tasmania — Events at Adelaide — Round the Coast to the West — Good-bye to Australia.
ON Friday afternoon, the I5th of March, 1901, the Duke of York, in the uniform of a Rear- Admiral of the Fleet, and the Duchess, clad in deep mourning, drove in semi- state from York House, St. James's, to Victoria, there to entrain for Ports- mouth and join the vessel which was to carry them to the distant dominions of the King. The roadway was lined with a dense crowd, who gave the illustrious couple a cordial send-off. Prince George — not then Prince of Wales, a distinction deferred until his return from the tour — had not thus far impressed the popular imagination. While Victoria lived her grandchildren were dwarfed by her com- manding personality. Such space as her figure did not fill in the public mind was occupied by the Heir Apparent and Royal personages of her own generation. The second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales had spent more years of his life afloat than ashore, and though in naval circles few were better known, to the mass of the people he was comparatively unknown. His secondary place in the line of succession after his father, and the circumstances of his career, isolated
him from the nation, who had, indeed, fewer opportunities of seeing him than their kinsmen in distant possessions of the Crown. The death of his brother brought him into prominence for the first time, and there arose a flood of rumour and speculation about him which was mysteriously mischievous, and had called for an authoritative denial ; but this correction of a vulgar misconception did not serve to dispel suspicion, and by many he was regarded with a certain coldness and reserve. His marriage in 1893 brought him still more conspicuously before the public eye, and though it was the subject of much national gratification, the atti- tude of the democracy towards him, and of a considerable element in high society, was lacking in enthusiasm. The birth of Prince Edward set the tide of public interest and feeling in his favour, and as almost every year brought an addition to the nursery at York House, and the Duke and Duchess became better known to the people, any coldness that had been felt towards him diminished and cordiality increased. The gossip of the boudoir and the streets died away for lack of evidence, and the myth of a Mediterranean romance,
27
28
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
which had been so presented as to convey an injurious imputation on those supposed to be concerned in it, ceased to obtain credence. The spectacle of the happy family life of the Duke and Duchess, and the interest taken in the little group of young children with whom they were so frequently seen, contributed to the final dispersal of the prejudice which had been excited among the credulous ; and when Royalty is concerned, the credulous are a host, for there has probably never been a time when romances have not been in- vented about Princes. English society, at any rate, has not been free from them since the days of Elizabeth — not to go farther back. Their currency in later times is probably attributable not less to the outburst of popular passion against the monarchy in the seventeenth century than to the cause given for malicious gossip by the Court in the Georgian era. Be that as it may, the legend about Prince George and a romance at Malta while he was serving in the Mediterranean arose and lived and died, and until it died did unquestionably prejudice him in the minds of the hasty and delay his inheritance of popularity. But with the beginning of the tour the last vestige of misunderstanding disappeared, and the departure of the Duke and Duchess was made to serve for a demonstration of regard and of atonement. Moreover, the public had been steadily educated in Imperial thought during the preceding decade, and had begun to appreciate the essential great- ness of the idea of a unified Empire, and of the part the Crown could take — was taking by despatching the Duke of York on this mission — in the consolidation of the self-governing communities of the Empire into an organic whole. It thought
of the Crown as the symbol of unity, and it rejoiced to see the Heir to the Throne and his consort sacrificing their personal ease and comfort in order to advance that vague but still clearly intelligible thing, " the Imperial idea." Hence the good wishes of the nation went with the Duke and Duchess with a heartiness that caused them much gratification. The mood of the country was well expressed by the Lord Mayor of London in a message of good-will and farewell, to which the Duke of York responded by saying that the knowledge that he had the sympathy and affectionate regard of his fellow-country- men caused great satisfaction and comfort to himself and his wife.
On the journey to Portsmouth the Duke and Duchess were accompanied by the King and Queen, the Duke of Connaught, and several of their near relations. At Portsmouth there assembled many members of the Government, prominent among them the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, one of the earliest and strongest exponents of the cause of Imperial unity, which he had not at that time complicated by his " Tariff Reform " propaganda, and whose reputation had in the previous year been greatly enhanced by the skill with which he had carried the federal movement in Australia to finality in the British Parlia- ment.
The vessel which was to carry the Duke and Duchess and their suite was the OpJiir, a famous steamer of the Orient line, and before she sailed a luncheon was given on board. At this function King Edward VII. asked the company to drink success to the trip which his son and daughter-in-law were about to make, and reminded the company that this voyage
THE OPHIR LEAVES ENGLAND
29
was at the express wish of Queen Victoria. The journey was undertaken in honour of the federation of the Australian Colonies, and in recognition of the share which all self-governing Colonies had taken in the war.
The Duke of York in his reply expressed his thanks at being entrusted with so important a mission. The parting fare- wells, although they took place in private, were so affecting that every member of
salute. For miles along the sea front, both on the Gosport and on the Ports- mouth side, and on to Portsea and South- sea, were crowds of spectators watching with interest the procession formed by the two vessels and the escorting cruisers and destroyers.
At last the Alberta turned to go back ; King Edward VII. made the signal " God speed," to which the Duke replied from the Ophir, " Many thanks ; goodbye."
the Royal Family present betrayed some trace of emotion. Shortly after four o'clock the signal was given, and the Ophir steamed away from the jetty. The Duke and Duchess were on the fore bridge. Military and naval bands played " Rule Britannia."
The King and Queen, with their daughters and other members of the Royal group, had meanwhile gone on board the yacht Alberta, in which they followed the larger vessel for the first few miles of the voyage. Standing in a group on the tiny bridge, they waved a final goodbye, whilst the guns of Nelson's old flagship, Victory, and those of modern ironclads together thundered forth a Royal
vSo the Royal couple departed on their momentous Imperial tour.
At Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, and Suez there were agreeable incidents which need not here be recounted. Ceylon was the first important possession reached ; and here the Duke and Duchess had a reception, alike from Europeans and Cingalese, which was remarkable both for its fervour and the Oriental picturesqueness of its setting. Here, also, the Duke gave the first of the many admirable, pointed, and at times quite eloquent speeches, which were to make the tour a memorable event in the history of the Empire. Royal oratory is seldom inspiriting. Not even a sycophant could say that the House of Brunswick
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
had thus far produced a man with any conspicuous mastery of English speech or the art of forcible appeal to the political imagination of an audience, though the Duke of Albany, had he lived, might have become a master of eloquence. German, not English, had been the mother tongue of the family, and only in their private
speeches had a vitality no conventional and courtly phraseology could have pos- sessed. They were the vivid and sponta- neous output of a vigorous mind which had grasped the meaning of the intellectual work to be done during the tour, and responding to the scenes and influences of the moment was not afraid of erring by
MAP OF THE ROYAL ROUTE.
letters did they seem to lose the fear of " letting themselves go," and then with results which, in a literary sense, were often amusingly odd. But the Duke of York had not for naught written under Canon Dalton in the years of his youth, or associated with men of the sea through- out his manhood. The salt of the ocean was in his blood ; the directness and courage of the sea-faring class inspired and shaped his utterances. Hence, his
'V^
Isfci
freedom in self-expression. The speeches show a determination to make the best use of the opportunities of stirring up thought within the Empire. There is in them a certain subtle quality of leader- ship. Clearly it is a man who speaks, not a vocal automaton repeating words prepared by others to conceal poverty of thought. The reader will see as this chapter proceeds to the culminating point of a speech which produced a
RECEPTION AT CEYLON
profounder effect upon the mind of the Empire than any other utterance since the death of Queen Victoria what reason there is for writing in this strain. The first address to which the Duke replied on landing at Colombo was from the Legislative Council of Ceylon — a body representative of every race and class. The Duke knew Ceylon. He had been
of its relics of ancient days. I thank you for the assurances of your sympathy in the joys and sorrows experienced by my family in the past. I know how our late beloved Sovereign deeply appreciated your expressions and outward proofs of such sentiments, and in more recent times Her Majesty realised with admiration and gratitude that spirit of patriotism and self-
THE BREAKWATER AT COLOMBO, CEYLON.
Photo : Sheen, Colombo.
there in 1882, and he appreciated exactly the right note to sound : —
" I sincerely thank you, the members of the L/egislative Council and representatives of the people of Ceylon, for having renewed to-day that loyal and hearty welcome accorded to me nineteen years ago, and for extending your generous greeting to the Duchess. We rejoice with you that during our voyage to Australia it is possible to visit your beautiful island. We look forward with pleasure to some personal acquaintance with its people — varied in race but united in loyalty — to the charm of its lovely scenery, and to the interest
sacrifice which gave the flower of your manhood to defend the Empire's cause in South Africa. It is this sympathy, this readiness to share in the common burden, which forges the links in the chain which it is hoped may ever unite the countries of His Majesty's dominions. It will be a pleasure to me to communicate to the King and Queen the loving and respectful homage of his loyal subjects in Ceylon so feelingly expressed in the words of your address."
To the Chamber of Commerce the Duke gave impression to an idea which, though far from new, showed how strong
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
A STREET IN SINGAPORE.
Photo : Lambert, Singapore.
was his grasp of the commercial con- ditions of the age : —
" We live in an age of competition. The struggle between nations is one, not of arms but of trade ; and it is to the Cham- bers of Commerce, the eyes and ears of our national commercial system, that we turn for help and guidance. They it is who can collect and promptly distribute information, stimulate the home manu- facturers towards meeting the wants of the home consumer, watch over and pro- tect their local interests, and bring to the solution of the vast and complex problems of international trade their knowledge, experience, and counsel. I am confident that, realising your great powers, you will ever exert them to further the well-being not only of the community you represent, but of the Empire at large."
Note the deft turn of the last sentence — the investment of the whole speech with
the exact political significance of the tour. It was as an apostle of Empire that the Duke went on his mission ; and a study of his many speeches — there were consider- ably over a hundred in all from the time he arrived at Malta until he left New- foundland— will reveal the skill with which he worked in " the Imperial idea " at every stage of his journey.
Singapore was the next possession touched. Here also he had been before. British, Chinese, Moslem, Malay, were known to him. He had not met the Sultans of the Peninsula and the isles, or anchored in the magnificent harbour of Singapore, or wandered about its quays and commercial quarters, or in the Chinese and Malay districts of the town, without understanding the problems of commerce and of government on which the prosperity of the Straits depends. Of these his speeches show a clear and
GROSSING THE LINE
33
tactful appreciation. A man trained to statesmanship could not have done better. A Colonial Minister would probably not have done so well. One can imagine with what admiring satisfaction and pride the Colonial Secretary must have read these speeches as he followed the progress of the Duke ; and one need not imagine, for it is common knowledge, that among governors and lesser officials engaged in Colonial administrative work in countries not yet under the full representative system they were welcomed with that sort of enthusiasm which an able man ever feels when unexpected ability is exhibited by others in a sphere of action or thought peculiar to himself. We write thus not to flatter the present Sovereign. Far from that. Flattery would be as im- pertinent to him as it would be nauseating
to any reader endowed with common sense. We write it in order to bring out into strong relief the very remarkable fact that in George V. we have at length a Sovereign who really knows what the British Empire is, and has a clear under- standing and a firm grip of those secondary problems of Empire which are presented by communities of mixed races, such as those at Singapore and in the native Sultanates now ripening for development. The passage of the Ophir from the Straits Settlements to Melbourne brought the Duke of York to close quarters with the two main purposes of the tour — the opening of the first Parliament of the Commonwealth and the recognition of Colonial aid during the war. Native troops, it will be remembered, volunteered for service from Singapore and other
Photo : Sears, Melbourne.
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, MELBOURNE.
2 W
34
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
tropical possessions, but it was wisely decided to limit the acceptance of offers to those from the white communities. The line had to be crossed on the way, and high festival was held as usual, the seamen of the Ophir and her escorting squadron of warships having a glorious time play- ing the part of Father Neptune and his family and retinue. Great canvas tanks had been rigged up on deck, and with all due ritual the Duke and his suite and everyone else, notwithstanding that the Duke and others had crossed the line before, were lathered, shaved with a bit of hoop iron, toppled over into the tank, hustled about there and thus made Freemen of the Sea. Mr. Joseph Watson gives a laughable account of these doings, which none seems to have enjoyed more than the Duke, who shared keenly in whatever fun there was going at any time, and ever proved himself a jolly and com- panionable shipmate. " For the Duchess and the other ladies of the party," says Mr. Watson, " a less trying ordeal had been ordained. They were christened by Father Neptune with water from a silver bowl, which had been thoughtfully provided for this contingency. Having in courtly phrase expressed the pleasure it afforded him to renew his acquaintance with His Royal Highness, Neptune turned to the Duchess and said : ' I am also very pleased to make your acquaintance. Will you allow yourself to be christened ? ' Her Royal Highness replied in the affirmative, whereupon the old sea-dog, waxing timid for probably the first time in his roystering history, proffered the baptismal bowl to the Duke, who, however, only answered, ' Oh, do it yourself ! ' The Sea King sufficiently overcame his nervousness to dip his fingers in the bowl
and with great circumspection just touch the forehead of his future Queen, thus christening her ' a woman of the sea.' Her Royal Highness was therefore now the first British Princess to receive the freedom of Neptune's kingdom."
Melbourne gave the Royal visitors a wonderful welcome. On arrival they were met by the Governors, Premiers, Minis- ters, and other representative men of all the States of the Commonwealth. The military escort for the drive through the city was composed of troops from each State — all mounted rifles and artillery, with a contingent too from New Zealand, which had not joined the Commonwealth and, later in the reign of King Edward, was to be given the status of a Dominion to herself. People had come from all parts of the Continent, and Mr. Joseph Watson — who to this writer's knowledge has seen all the great gatherings in the British Empire these twenty years past — estimates that there were no fewer than half a million spectators of the Royal progress. At one point of the route thirty- five thousand children were massed. They sang an ode of welcome to the tune of " God bless the Prince of Wales." Thus did the local poet spread his pinions :—
One joyous song of welcome
Resounds from zone to zone, To Great Victoria's Grandson,
The Heir to Britain's Throne ! One land, one loyal people,
Our Royal Edward's sway, But he approves our crowning
Australia's Queen of May ! And ever through our welcome
The echoes sweetly ring : God bless Queen Alexandra !
God save our noble King !
There was a great levee at Government House on the day after the arrival, and
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
it was reckoned that the Duke shook hands with as many as four thousand people, from Ministers to stockmen and humble storekeepers. Half a hundred addresses were presented in a batch after- wards and mercifully " taken as read."
"It is with the utmost pleasure," said the Duke, " that I have received your loyal and dutiful addresses, and I accept with sincere satisfaction the assurances which they contain of your unswerving devotion and attachment to the Throne and person of His Majestjr the King, my dear father, to whom I shall make known without delay the sentiments to which you have given expression. I am deeply touched by the references to the mournful event which has so recently plunged the whole Empire into grief and mourning, the death of my beloved and revered grandmother the Queen. Her Majesty's great qualities and wise rule have proved an inestimable blessing to the people over whom she reigned for over half a century, and have left a noble example to her successors for all time. I thank you for the good wishes for the health and happiness of the Duchess of Cornwall and York and myself which your addresses contain. I regret that the short space of time at our disposal will prevent us from becoming as well acquainted as we should wish with the interior districts of this favoured land. I join with you in the hope that the journey which we have undertaken may not only be fraught with much pleasure and interest to ourselves, but may also have the effect of promoting in no small degree the unity and solidarity of the King's dominions. The happiness which I enjoyed during my former visit to Australia in company with my dear brother is ever fresh in my memory. I
rejoice to find myself amongst you again, and that on this occasion the Duchess accompanies me. I wish to take this opportunity of assuring you how truly our hearts have been moved by the splendid and enthusiastic reception accorded to us on our entry yesterday into this city — an outward testimony, indeed, of that loyalty and devotion to the Throne to which your addresses have given such unfailing expression. It is my earnest prayer that Divine Providence may be with the people of Australia in all their undertakings."
" Unity and solidarity of the King's dominions " — that is the keynote of the Duke's utterances. Among his other occu- pations in Melbourne was the presentation of war medals to some five hundred troopers returned from South Africa. There was a reception at the Parliament Buildings of everyone of the population of Victoria who had any social claim to a card of invitation, and another at Govern- ment House on the 8th of May, the eve of the opening of the Federal Parliament. This gathering was Federal in its character, and was attended by politicians and visitors from all the States, Mr. (after- wards Sir) Edmund Barton, the first Commonwealth Premier, and several of his Ministers appearing in gorgeous official suits for the first time. The rule for mourning was relaxed on this occasion for " very young girls." Nearly every lady present had, it appears, chosen thus to regard herself. The Duke and Duchess and their suite entered in State, and after staying some time on a dais in the centre of the ball-room, passed up and down the lines of guests exchanging salutations. Never in the history of Melbourne had there been so brilliant a
37
gathering. The morrow — the gth of May — was the day for the central act of the tour, the opening of the Federal Parlia- ment. Apart from the pageant in the streets — which were packed with people who had come from every quarter of the Continent and Tasmania, and were decor-
Duchess of York, with Lord Hopetoun and other important personages on the dai's. " God Save the King " was sung by the vast assembly, led by the massed military bands, on the entrance of the Royal party, the Duke, in rear-admiral's uniform, wearing the Garter and Orders.
OPENING OF THE FIRST PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA BY THE DUKE OF YORK, MAY. 1901.
ated with a lavishness no city in that region of the world had known — the scene of this momentous ceremony was the spacious Exhibition Building, an ideal place for the purpose. Here the representatives of the New Parliament gathered, with the Judges, the Bishops, the Mayors, and other representative people, who, of course, brought their wives and daughters. On photographs of the interior show the Duke and
2 W*
The Senate was assembled in the central court of the building, the House of Repre- sentatives in a side aisle. In accordance with ancient Parliamentary usage, Black Rod was directed to require the presence of the House of Representatives, and these gentlemen, led by Mr. Barton, the Premier, having reached the scene and taken their places, there was a religious service begun by the singing of " All people that on earth do dwell " and com-
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
prising special prayers, which were read by Lord Hopetoun, the first Governor- General of the Commonwealth. There is no Established Church in Australia, and no denomination could be given preferen- tial treatment by being asked to officiate. The singular spectacle was therefore offered of a religious service of State attended by Bishops of the Church of England who had no share in the service other than as participants on an equality with the humblest dissenting minister or layman. Lord Hopetoun having prayed for a special blessing on the Federal Parliament " now assembling for their first Sessions, and having led the assembly in the Lord's Prayer and pronounced the Benediction, the Commission to the Duke was read — the Letters Patent being in the same form as used by the Sovereign when opening the English Parliament through Commissioners. This done, the Duke of York spoke thus, every word being clearly articulated : —
" Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentle- men of the House of Representatives, —
" My beloved and deeply lamented grandmother, Queen Victoria, had desired to mark the importance of the opening of this the first Parliament of the Common- wealth of Australia by granting to me a special Commission to open the first Session.
" That Commission had been duly signed before the sad event which has plunged the whole Empire into mourning, and the King, my dear father, fully sharing Her late Majesty's wishes, decided to give effect to them, although His Majesty stated on the occasion of his opening his first Parliament that a separation from his son at such a time could not be other- wise than deeply painful to him.
" His Majesty has been pleased to con- sent to this separation, moved by his sense of the loyalty and devotion which prompted the generous aid afforded by all the Colonies in the South African war, both in its earlier and more recent stages, and of the splendid bravery of the Colonial troops. It is also His Majesty's wish to acknowledge the readiness with which the ships of the special Australasian squadron were placed at his disposal for service in China, and the valuable assistance ren- dered there by the naval contingents of the several colonies.
" His Majesty further desired in this way to testify to his heartfelt gratitude for the warm sympathy extended by every part of his dominions to himself and his family in the irreparable loss they have sustained by the death of his beloved mother.
" His Majesty has watched with the deepest interest the social and material progress made by his people in Australia, and has seen with thankfulness and heart- felt satisfaction the completion of that political union of which this Parliament is the embodiment.
" The King is satisfied that the wisdom and patriotism which have characterised the exercise of the wide powers of self- government hitherto enjoyed by the Colonies will continue to be displayed in the exercise of the still wider powers with which the united Commonwealth has been endowed. His Majesty feels assured that the enjoyment of these powers will, if possible, enhance that loyalty and devo- tion to his Throne and Empire of which the people of Australia have already given such signal proof.
" It is His Majesty's earnest prayer that this union, so happily achieved, may,
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
A MARCH PAST OF THE CADETS.
By Permission of the Proprietors of " The Australasian," Melbourne.
under God's blessing, prove an instrument for still further promoting the welfare and advancement of his subjects in Australia and for the strengthening and consolidation of his Empire.
" Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentle- men of the House of Representatives, — It affords me much pleasure to convey to you this Message from His Majesty. I now, in his name, and on his behalf, declare this Parliament open."
Below the dais was a little table with an electric button. As these last words were uttered the Duchess pressed the button, and thus communicated to the King in London the fact that the Par- liament was opened. Amid a fanfare of trumpets, the din of cannon, the shouts of the multitude within the building and the still greater throngs outside, the
Federal Parliament came into being. A telegram had been handed to the Duke. He announced that it was from the Sovereign, and read it out — slowly, and at the top of his voice : " My thoughts are with you on the day of the important ceremony. Most fervently do I wish Australia prosperity and great happiness." Again the plaudits broke out. The Duke forthwith sent a reply which read : —
" I have just delivered your Message, and in your name declared open the first Parliament of the CommonwTealth of Australia. I also read your kind tele- gram of good wishes, which is deeply appreciated by your loving Australian subjects, and was received with great enthusiasm. Splendid and impressive ceremony, over twelve thousand people in Exhibition building."
A STIRRING SPEECH
The Parliament began its business that afternoon, when a message was received from His Majesty's Government in Lon- don. " His Majesty's Government," it read, " welcomes the new Parliament that to-day takes its place amongst the great Legislative bodies of the British Empire. They feel confident that it will be a faith- ful interpreter of the aspirations of a free and loyal people, and they trust that its deliberations will promote the happiness, prosperity and unity of the whole Con- tinent of Australia."
Of the reviews, the processions, the concerts, and other gatherings which the Duke and Duchess attended there is no occasion here to say more than that for ten days Melbourne was given over to spectacles and festivities and made high holiday. The Duke became a sort of public orator, and made several speeches.
One of the best was that delivered to the boys of the public schools of Victoria. Congratulating the prize-winners, he re- marked that the unsuccessful were some- times forgotten : —
" We cannot all be winners. I would say to them, take courage ; and, to all, do not relax your efforts. L,et both success and failure serve as a stimulus to new endeavours, for this is an age of keen competition, intellectual and physical, and we look to you, the rising generation, not only to hold and keep what your fore- fathers have bequeathed to you, but to push ahead, ever striving to promote what is good and what is beneficial to the cause of civilisation and moral and material progress. Public-school life develops in many ways characteristics which conduce to national greatness. From it we learn discipline, whether in the class-room or
GORROBOREE OF AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS.
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
in the playing field. It generates manli- ness, courage — which begets truthfulness — esprit de corps, and the faculty of stick- ing together, the combination of which qualities, whether in men or nations, must tend towards pre-eminence. You whom I address will, please God, remember
forget that the youngest of us have our responsibilities, which increase as time goes on. If I may offer you advice, I should say, be thorough ; do your level best in whatever work you may be called upon to perform. Remember that we are all fellow-subjects of the British Crown.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, BRISBANE.
longest the stirring historical events of the past days, and many of you may by your lives and example influence the growth and development of the Common- wealth whose birth you have witnessed. Keep up your traditions ; think with pride of those who, educated in your schools, have become distinguished public servants of the State, or who have fought, or are still fighting, for the Empire in South Africa and China. May your lives be happy and prosperous, but do not
Be loyal, yes, to your parents, your country, your King, and your God."
It was a spirited bit of oratory, and had a tremendous effect on its audience and throughout Australia. Here was a Prince who had ideas and knew how to express them. In democratic Australia, peopled at a time when thrones were tottering and kings and princes were derided by the disaffected as a useless excrescence on the body politic, sheer intellectual ability in a Prince was something more
ARRIVAL AT NEW ZEALAND
43
than had been expected. Queensland was the next State visited by the Duke and Duchess. An outbreak of plague being reported from Brisbane, the original plan of proceeding in the Ophir was can- celled lest the disease should attack the men of the squadron and the crew of the Royal yacht. The journey was made by train overland — a trying journey of some thirteen hundred miles across great tracts of desolate primeval bush. Several days were spent in Queensland, and there were reviews and recep- tions and junketings of various kinds. One of the chief events was the laying by the Duke of the foundation-stone of the new cathedral of the Church of England. Leaving Brisbane on the 24th of May, the Royal party went by train to Hawkesbury, where the birth- day of the Duchess was spent — an event remembered in all parts of the Commonwealth, as was shown by a stream of congratulatory telegrams, among them one from the Federal Ministry. At Hawkes- bury they found the Ophir, which entered Sydney Harbour on the morning of the 27th of May. The landing was made the occasion for a spectacular display rivalling that of Melbourne, and the population gave the Royal visitors a tremendous ovation. There were reviews, receptions, concerts, presentations of medals to soldiers home from the war, spectacular displays iji the harbour, inspections of cadets, and so forth ; and the Duke,
who, by the way, celebrated his thirty- sixth birthday on the 3rd of June, which was proclaimed a public holiday, made several speeches. On the 6th of June, a month having been spent in Australia, the Ophir and her squadron steamed to
THE NEW FLAG OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.
New Zealand. Auckland was reached on the nth of June, and the Duke and Duchess were met in the harbour by the Premier, the late Mr. Seddon. The city gave them a fine ovation, and the street scenes and incidents of Melbourne, Bris- bane, and Sydney were repeated, but with a new element, the Maori. Again the Duke made several speeches. One illus-
44
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
Photo : Winkelmann.
AUCKLAND FROM THE SEA.
trative passage will suffice to reveal once more the political mind of the Duke :—
" I look forward to making known to His Majesty how strong I have found the feeling of common brotherhood and readi- ness to share in the responsibilities of the Empire, and earnestly trust that the results of my journey may be to stimulate the interest of the different countries in each other, and so draw even closer the bonds which now unite them together. I am indeed touched by your feeling allusions to the great life and cherished memory of our late beloved Queen. Her Majesty, ever mindful that New Zealand was the first new possession acquired after her accession, watched with thankfulness and satisfaction the courage and persever- ance of its early pioneers, its steady
development and progress, and the growth of a good understanding between the two races, and before the close of her glorious reign she was proud to know they were living together harmoniously, and vying with each other in loyalty to the Throne. On behalf of the Duchess and myself, I thank you warmly for your kindly expres- sions of greeting and good-will, ample proofs of which we have seen in to-day's brilliant and enthusiastic reception. Though we have now reached the farthest point from home, I am certain that nowhere does the heart of the people beat more warmly towards the Mother Country. You have testified to this in your acts, and it is with true satisfaction that I come here expressing to you those feelings of gratitude so keenly entertained by our ever-lamented Sovereign, and
A WORD TO THE VETERANS
45
equally shared by His Majesty the King, for the noble manner in which New Zealand hastened to place her gallant sons in the forefront of the battlefields of South Africa. You have the proud satis- faction of knowing that from these islands has been despatched a force which, in proportion to population, was larger than that from any other of His Majesty's Colonies. Many, alas ! have not returned to receive the loving welcome of their fellow-countrymen. To their families I would ask to offer my sincerest sympathy. May some comfort be found in the thought that their names are added to the nation's roll of fame — for each one, trooper or officer, has given his life in the noble cause of duty. I rejoice to learn that your country is prosperous, and that trade and commerce flourish. I feel confident that in these days of keen competition your responsible authorities will do all
in their power to maintain and promote the best commercial interests of the Empire."
At a gathering of New Zealanders, veterans of England, and soldiers who had come back from chasing the Boer over the veld, the Duke made a speech of much felicity — an impromptu utterance, for he had not been expected, and had looked in at the luncheon as an addi- tion to his programme for the day. It shows how admirably he can speak on the spur of the moment if the occasion is such as to set his mind aglow : —
" I am proud to think that I meet here to-day not only you fine old soldiers, who, after serving your Queen in various cam- paigns, chose your homes in New Zealand, but also your sons, who, inheriting the gallant spirit of their fathers, and keen to emulate their deeds, have, when their turn came, cheerfully given their services
SCENE IN A MAORI VILLAGE.
46
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
in defence of the old flag." (Prolonged cheers.) " Yes, I say I am proud to be addressing two generations of soldiers. I admire what my friend Mr. Seddon would call your ' continuity of policy.' There is nothing like a chip of the old block — when one knows that the old block was hard, of good grain, and sound to the core — and if in the future, when- ever and wherever the mother hand is stretched across the sea it can reckon on a grasp such as New Zealand has given in the present — well, I think you will all
A MAORI CHIEF.
agree with me that the dear Old Country can look ahead with confidence. It was a most pleasant duty to me to present, on behalf of the King, the South African medals to those I see at the other end of the hall to-day. May you live to wear the decorations as long as, I am glad to see, your seniors here present have worn theirs. May every blessing be given to you all — soldiers old and young. I will now ask you to drink the toast of the veterans, and also those troopers who have returned from South Africa." A few days later the Duke and Duchess
went to Rotorua and there held a great reception of Maoris, who presented an address compact of loyal sentiment, expressed in language quaintly picturesque and figurative in the translation, and, no doubt, a fine example of the prose- poem in the vernacular. The Duke rose to the occasion, as he ever did. His reply, which was translated as he pro- ceeded, excited enthusiastic approval among his auditors, who punctuated each phrase with cries of approval. We give the text, as translated by Mr. Carroll, the Minister of Native Affairs :—
" To the Chiefs and Tribes of the Isles Aotearoa and Waipounamu : Greeting. The warm words of welcome which you have spoken to the Princess and myself have gladdened our hearts. From the far ends of the earth, over the wide seas, we have been sent by the great King, my father, to hear and behold in their own beautiful land his children, the Maoris. The great Queen, whom your fathers knew and loved, and for whom you mourn with us and with all the nations and races under the mana and^majesty of the Empire, had, before she passed to her rest, decreed us to visit her peoples beyond the seas to tell of her gratitude for the aid of their brave young men in the cruel war unto which she, who ever loved and worked for peace, had been driven. Proud and glad was the great Queen that the sons of her Maori children, eager with love and loyalty, longed to stand side by side with their brethren in the field of battle. The King, my father, though his cup was full of sorrow, and the part- ing with us, his children, was added to its bitterness, would not endure that her wish should pass unfulfilled, and I come in her name and on her behalf to declare
'tflltftttt .
WITH THE MAORIS
47
to you the deep thankfulness of his heart for your loving sympathy in his loss and for the noble and tender words in which you speak your reverence and love for her memory. The words of the Maoris are true words — the words of a generous and chivalrous people, who are ready to make good with the hand the promise of the lips. To receive }~our pledges of loyalty, and to learn, through me, that
sacrifices we have made in order to see your chiefs and you face to face in your beautiful country. Of our brief visit to Maoriland, we shall carry with us last- ing memories of the loyalty and love and the generous kindness of the Maori people. May peace, prosperity, and every blessing abide with you and yours for ever."
At the conclusion of the speech the
SPORTS OF THE MAORIS.
you have here renewed your oath of allegiance and confirmed the act of your fathers, who gave all to Queen Victoria and her successors, will give joy to my father's heart, and will fill him with strength and courage for the great work that lies before him. The heart of the King is warm to his peoples in New Zealand. He rejoices to see them dwell together in peace and friendship, and prays that they may continue to be united and to strengthen each other in the works of peace, in striving for the common good, and in aiding him to keep one and united the many people under his sway.\ If our visit helps to that end we shall be glad, and count as nought the
Maori warriors chanted in native tongue a song greeting.
New Zealand was left on the 27th of June, and after a rough passage the O^hir and her squadron sighted Tasmania on the morning of the 2nd of July. At Hobart, the capital, the Duke and Duchess were received with the usual heartiness and passed through lines of mounted infantry and arched and gaily decorated streets to Government House, where there was a State dinner, followed by a recep- tion, which gave the elite of the Colony the satisfaction of making the personal acquaintance of their future Sovereign. The 4th of the month was the anniversary of the wedding of the Duke and Duchess,
. ft»r
48
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
and was a day of much social activity. The Duke laid the foundation-stone of a memorial to the Tasmanian dead in South Africa, and turned the occasion to excel- lent account.
At Adelaide the Duke was the recipient of the degree of 1,1,. D. The University undergraduates enlivened the proceedings by topical verse. The chorus of one song ran : —
The good young Duke of York
Has brought his Duchess fair, And all who see will say, ' How well
The Duke and Duchess pair. ' His very new degree — gree — gree
Is not his first, say I, For when he left old England's shore,
He took his JI.A.-Y.
The Ophir next stopped at Albany, whence they went by rail to Perth, the capital of Western Australia, where the
Duke laid the foundation-stone of a memorial to men who had fallen by Boer bullets or disease. " Nothing was more cheering during the anxious days at the close of 1899," said the Duke, " than the eagerness of the citizens of Australia to see the Mother Country through the dif- ficulties confronting her in South Africa. This determination to take part in the defence of a great Empire indicated a fresh starting-point in your history, so appropriately inaugurated with the new political birth of the Commonwealth. As Sir Conan Doyle said ' throughout the whole of the South African army there was nothing but the utmost admiration for the dash and spirit of the hard-riding sons of Australia and New Zealand, and that, in a host which held many brave men, none were braver than they.' '
GOVERNMENT OFFICES. ADELAIDE.
Photo : Gall, A delaide.
CHAPTER IV THE IMPERIAL TOUR: SOUTH AFRICA AND CANADA
A Call at Mauritius — A Message from the Dead — At Anchor off Durban — "Keeping the Flag
Flying" — The Arrival in Simon's Bay — Doings in Cape Town — Off to the Dominion A
Magnificent Reception at Quebec — Compliments to the Canadian Volunteers — Montreal's Enthusiasm — A Degree for the Duchess — In the Capital of the Dominion — An Inspiring Speech by the Duke — Away to the West — Winnipeg's Welcome — A Pow-wow with the Indians —The Duke and "White Pup" — Through the Rockies to the Coast — Vancouver and Vic- toria— Sir Wilfred Ivaurier and the Royal Guests — From West to East — Homeward Bound — The King's Welcome — " A Man's a Man for a' That " — The Guildhall Banquet — " Wake up England!"
A USTRALIA was left on the 26th /% of July for Mauritius, which was •*• •^~ reached after a nine days' voy- age. Here the sad tidings awaited them of the death of the Empress Frederick ; and just before the arrival of the Ophir there also died an aged and dis- tinguished Mauritian, who left a courtly message which none but a man of French origin could or would have framed in the hour of death. " Convey to the Duke," it ran, " my intense regret at not being privileged to live to welcome him." From Mauritius the Ophir passed to South Africa, and anchored at Durban. The war was supposed to be over before the death of Queen Victoria. When the tour was planned the idea was that the Duke and Duchess would share the rejoic- ings of peace, and sound a welcome note of racial reconciliation. The war was still going on, though it was soon to near its end. The fact that the strife had not closed deprived the Royal visit of the significance it would otherwise have had. There were brilliant scenes at Durban and Pietermaritzburg, the colonial mili- tary element predominating. Many ad- dresses were presented — one by Mr. J.
2 x 49
Farquhar, Mayor of Ivadysmith, who held that office during the investment. This gave the Duke — in the parlance of South African politics — a capital " jumping-off place." " Among your addresses," he said, " is one which is surrounded with a special interest, for it speaks on behalf of the people of Ladysmith. Up to the later days of 1899, the name of that little town was scarcely known outside the limits of this Colony, but from the 2nd of Novem- ber of that year it became day by day the very centre of interest and of anxious concern in the eyes of the whole Empire. Rigorously invested during 118 days, it heroically and with dogged resolve ' kept the flag flying,' and resisted the attacks of the enemy, of hunger and disease, while the outside world looked on with breath- less suspense — at times hardly daring to hope — at the repeated gallant attempts to bring relief. It was the stubborn defence of that outwork which stayed the advance against the capital of your country, and in thanking the people of I,adysmith for their loyal address I can confidently give expression to the undying gratitude of their fellow-subjects for the noble manner in which they shared with their
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
brethren-in-arms the glorious defence of that ever-memorable siege. We are very glad that during our long and interesting journey it has been possible for us to visit the Colony of Natal, and here in its capital to open your new Town Hall that takes the place of the original building, the foundation-stone of which was laid by my lamented uncle, the Duke of
Photo : Middlebrook, Kimberley. THE TOWN HALL. DURBAN.
Edinburgh. Moreover, I am proud to come amongst you to testify to that pro- found feeling of admiration which thrilled the whole nation at the ready self-sacrifice with which the manhood of the Colonies rallied round the old flag in the hour of danger, and in doing this I am fulfilling the wish of my dear father, the King, who, keenly sharing those national sentiments, was determined, if possible, to give effect to the desire of her who from the first followed with deep sympathy, interest, and satisfaction the efforts gallantly achieved and the sufferings nobly borne
by the people of Natal in defence of the Empire. In this cause you gave of your best, and here, at the heart of the Colony, the thought comes home with increased intensity, how few amongst those whom I am now addressing have not suffered and made sacrifices on account of the war. We offer our deepest sympathy to all who sent their dear ones to the front, never to return. These sacrifices have not been in vain. Never in our history did the pulse of the Empire beat more in unison ; but the blood which has been shed on the veld has sealed for ever our unity, based" upon a common loyalty, and a determination to share, each of us according to our strength, the com- mon burden. It is our fervent hope that peace may soon be restored throughout the con- tinent of South Africa, and that Natal may continue to advance along her former paths of progress, happiness, and pros- perity."
As it was not deemed desirable that the Duke and Duchess of York should enter the theatre of war at this critical juncture, Johannesburg came to them in the person of a Commissioner with an address. Lord Kitchener also popped up in 'Maritzburg, from somewhere on the veld beyond the passes of the north and west, where the Boer leaders were drawing the British columns hither and thither, and there were notable
THE OPHIR IN SIMON'S BAY
military displays, with much giving of Victoria Crosses, Distinguished Service Orders, and the like. The Zulu chiefs also gathered in the capital and gave mimic displays of their martial prowess and loud vocal assurance of their fealty. On the 1 8th of August, the Ophir anchored in Simon's Bay. Cape Town gave the Duke
the speedy termination of which the whole Empire prays. During this time you have had to make grievous sacrifices. Numbers have patiently suffered trials and privations, while many of the flower of your manhood have fallen in the service of your King and country. To all who have been bereft of dear ones by the war
THE DEFENCES OF LADYSMITH.
Photo : Caney, Durban.
and Duchess a loyal reception, and there were public engagements of the character previously described. Perhaps the most important event was an indaba of native chiefs, who brought lavish presents of skins and weapons and native ornaments. The Duke's speeches in the Colony were few and tactfully appropriate to the scene and the time. " I greatly deplore," a typical passage reads, " the continuance of the lamentable struggle which has so long prevailed in South Africa, and for
we offer our heartfelt sympathy and condolence. May Time, the great healer, bring them consolation and soften the bitterness of their losses. That South Africa may soon be delivered from the troubles which beset her is our most earnest prayer, and that ere long the only struggle she knows will be eager rivalry in the arts of peace and in striving to promote good government and the well- being of the community."
After South Africa — Canada. Escorted
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
across the Atlantic by four splendid cruisers, the Ophir and her squadron anchored beneath the heights of Quebec on the night of the I5th of Septem- ber. This was the third time the Duke
THE ARRIVAL OF THE OPHIR IN SIMON'S BAY.
Ftom Maxicells " With the 'Ophir' round the Empire."
had been in Canada ; for the Duchess it was the first. Indeed, until this tour she was not a widely travelled woman, never having been out of Europe. The landing was made on the following day, and the reception was magnificent. Re- plying to the Address of the Municipality, the Duke delivered himself of a passage which approaches eloquence : —
"It is my proud mission here in the ancient and historic capital of Canada, hallowed as you say by the struggles of nations and enriched by the blood of heroes such as Wolfe and Montcalm, to come among you as a token of that feeling of admiration and pride with which the King and the whole Empire have seen the sons of the Dominion rallying round the flag of their common allegi- ance. They have fought to secure for their fellow-sub- jects the same freedom and liberty which they in the past have secured and vindi- cated for themselves. The blood of your gallant sons has not been shed in vain, for posterity will never forget that of the Canadians was recorded their magnificent tenacity in attack, and that to them the credit was imme- diately due that the white flag on the anniversary of Majuba Day fluttered over the Boer lines at Paardeberg. May we not take to heart the belief that the blood shed by your fathers in 1775 and 1812 weaves fresh strands in the cord of brotherhood that binds together our glorious Empire ? I rejoice to hear that the depression from which your city and port have so long suffered has now passed away, and I earnestly trust that in the future pros- perity may crown the enterprise and industry of its citizens."
From Quebec the Royal party- travelled to Montreal, where there were great doings,
Photo: Barnard, Cafe Town.
THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE AT CAPE TOWN.
54
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
THE OPHIR LYING OFF QUEBEC.
From Maxwell's " With the ' Ophir' round the Empire."
among them the conferring of the degree of Uv.D. on the Duchess of York. " The Duchess," says Mr. Watson, " looked charming in her crimson academic robes, and the reception which both men and government graduates gave Princess May, Duchess of York, L,L,.D., was something to be remembered." Passing to Ottawa, the capital of the Dominion, the Duke and Duchess drove in State to the Parlia- ment House. Here the Duke made one of the most notable speeches of the tour. We quote a salient passage : —
"It is especially gratifying to me to meet you here on the threshold of the building, the corner stone of which was laid by my dear father. Standing here in the capital of Canada, in the shadow of this noble pile, it is impossible, without a feeling of pride, to reflect how far short of the actual results were the hopes and aspirations of that day, now more than forty years ago. Ottawa was then but
the capital of two provinces, yoked together in an uneasy union. To-day it is the capital of a great and pros- perous Dominion, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, the centre of the political life and administration of a contented and united people. The federation of Canada stands pre-eminent among the politi- cal events of the century just closed for its fruitful and beneficent results on the life of the people concerned. As in ancient times by the union of Norman and Saxon the English nation was produced, so by the federation of Canada the two great nations which form its population have been welded into a harmonious people, each contributing its best service to the public well-being. Creditable as this achievement is to the practical wisdom and patriotism of the statesmen who founded the union, and who have since guided its destinies, it is no less honourable to the people on whose support they had to rely, and who have in a spirit of mutual toleration and sym- pathy sustained them in the great work of union. This spirit is no less necessary than it was in the past, and I am confident that the two races will continue, each according to its special genius and oppor- tunity, to aid and co-operate in building
ACROSS A CONTINENT
55
up the great edifice of which the founda- tions have been so well and truly laid. Of the material progress which has been made since federation was accomplished, the proofs are apparent on every side, and I rejoice to know that the unexampled prosperity of this the first year of the century has crowned the abundant years you have recently enjoyed. May we not believe that this feeling is shared by your fellow-subjects throughout the Empire, now united as it never was before, and becoming more and more conscious and appreciative of those ties of common interest and sympathy that bind it to- gether— more than ever determined to hold fast and maintain the proud privi- leges of British citizenship ? "
From Ottawa a special train took the Royal party across the prairie to Winnipeg. The great Western city, which yesterday was not, and whose growth and future importance are conditioned only by the use to which millions of unpeopled acres may be put in time to come, erected arches of grain in their honour and gave
them a tumultuous welcome. The Duke touched the chord of local pride with consummate skill. •" During our long and memorable journey to the extreme eastern and thence to the far western limit of our vast Empire, we have seen everywhere many and varied proofs of its steady and certain progress, both material and political ; but I doubt whether, in the whole course of that experience, a more striking example is to be found than in the comparison of the Fort Garry of our childhood with the Winnipeg of to-day. Here, as you say, ' a village hamlet in a solitude,' broken only by the presence of the passing hunter and the fur trader ; to-day the busy centre of what has become the great granary of the Empire and the political centre of an active and enterprising population in full enjoyment of the privileges and insti- tutions of British citizenship. I rejoice that we have come among you at a time when we can join in the congratulations of your fellow-subjects on the year of unprecedented prosperity which you are
MAIN STREET, WINNIPEG, AS IT WAS.
From a Photo supplied by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
THE DUKE AND DUCHESS DRIVING INTO VANCOUVER. B.C.
From Maxwell's " With the ' Ophir' round the Empire."
enjoying, and we pray that the years to come may show no diminution of the prosperity or of that energy and deter- mination which have ever distinguished the pioneers and settlers of this province." That is exactly the way the Winni- peggers like to be talked to. The Duke of York everywhere proved himself a bold colourist. He knew the liability of the settler to regard himself as a superior breed of man ; as he is, indeed, by comparison with the weakling who hugs the chains of wage-slavery in Europe until he is too old to shake himself free and take the
chance of life or death on the frontiers of civilisation. To this frame of mind the Duke appealed with copious flattery. Wherever he went he told the colonists what splendid fellows they were, what magnificent things they had done, what a glorious country was theirs. We are not criticising that line of thought. Far from it. There is statecraft in it — a wise and deep policy. It prepared the soil for the seed which it was the purpose of his journey to sow. It helped to rally the democratic communi- ties of the oversea dominions to the idea of an Empire knit together by loyalty to the English Crown. No Prince — no monarch to be — had ever spoken to the British be- yond the seas as the Duke of York had done. The political effect in the Dominions was great — how great the future alone can show, pos- sibly the near future — for on King George V. now lies the task of directing the transformation of Imperial aspirations into the reality of an organic Constitution which shall itself be Imperial in fact.
From Winnipeg the tour was continued westward. Regina was visited on the 2 yth of September, and Calgary the next day, the night having been spent at Banff. Near Calgary — on the plains of Shaganappie — one of the most interest- ing and picturesque incidents of the tour in the Dominion took place, in the great gathering of the Indian subjects of the
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IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
57
Empire. There assembled in the shadow of the towering Rocky Mountains repre- sentatives of many tribes — Blackfeet and Crees, Sarcees and Bloods, Piegans and Stonies — awaiting the arrival of the great white chief from over the seas.
It was a novel and inspiring spectacle as the party drew near the tents of the camp, to see these erstwhile bloodthirsty enemies of the whites spring forward to greet the Duke — splendid of physique, noble of mien, with their long black hair interwoven with nodding plumes, and their muscular bodies painted and ochred in grotesque designs and adorned with clothing of many colours.
A moment of tense silence, during which "White Pup" of theBlackfeet/'Running Wolf " of the Piegans, and others were presented to the Duke and Duchess, was followed by terrific cheering, after which the Duke made a speech, and a war-dance by the " braves " concluded the ceremony.
From Calgary the tour proceeded further west until British Columbia was entered, a stay of a day being made at Vancouver on the Pacific slope of the Rockies. The next day saw the most west- ward point of the tour reached, when the Royal party crossed the water to Vancouver Island for a few hours in Victoria. At the landing stage they were met by Sir Wilfrid L,aurier and visited, among other places, the Chinese quarter. The
night was passed in the city, and next day, amid cheers, the first steps of the homeward journey were taken. The Duke had three days' shooting at Poplar Point before reaching Ontario. London, Niagara, St. John, Halifax were visited, and on the 25th the tour ended in New- foundland— in bad October weather, with driving rain and snowstorms. It had lasted seven months. Yet the mental energies of the Duke were not exhausted. Witness this extract from the last speech of his on Colonial soil : —
"It is a great pleasure to me to find
THE DUKE AND DUCHESS AT VICTORIA, B.C.
From Maxwell's " With the 'Ophir ' round the Empire."
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
myself among you again after a lapse of eighteen years, a pleasure which is shared by the Duchess, who has looked forward with interest to her first visit to a Colony whose history extends so far back, and occupies so prominent a position in the annals of the Empire. As you are aware, your Colony was the first part of his dominions visited by my dear father, the King, during his tour forty-one years ago. It was his especial wish that, prolonged as our absence from home has been, we should not omit a visit to your shores, where he was certain we should receive a loyal and cordial welcome. The warmth and kindness of your greeting have more than justified our expectations, and we thank you most sincerely for the reception which you have given us. It is specially gratifying that this address should be presented by one who, as a member of the guard of honour, took part in the reception of my father many years ago, and who since that time has borne so large a part in the government of this Colony. We cannot but feel that much of the generous enthusiasm with which we have been received everywhere through- out His Majesty's dominions is due to the deeply seated love and reverence for the memory of our late beloved Queen, whose name will live for ever enshrined in the hearts of the people, to whose welfare her whole life was devoted. I thank you for your strong assurances of loyalty and devotion to the Throne and person of His Majesty, to whom I shall have much pleasure in conveying them. Situated as you are without any provision for local defence, you were unable to give the public a significant proof of your loyalty which was furnished by other parts of the Empire in sending contingents of
troops to fight side by side with the regular forces and win laurels on the battle-fields of South Africa ; but you have shown in other ways no less helpful that the feeling which animated them also animates you, and that so far as your ability and opportunity extend you are ready and willing to accept the responsi- bilities attaching to you as members of the Empire to which you are proud to belong. Having so nearly arrived at the close of the long journey which will form one of the most memorable and interest- ing chapters in our lives, we join in your expression of gratitude for the Divine protection which has guarded us through- out. Our hearts are full of thankfulness for the abundant personal kindness and affection which have been shown to us, and for the display of that strong feeling of pride in our institutions and our Empire which the tour has afforded us. If further proof were needed of the strength and enduring nature of that feeling, it is furnished by our reception here to-day by a people whose history for more than 300 years is one of con- tinuous unbroken attachment, through many trials and difficulties, to the nation from which they sprang, and whose loyalty is still as staunch and their devo- tion as true as it was in the days when their forefathers fought the great Armada in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. That every success may attend you, that happiness may remain in your midst, and that prosperity may rest on your land, is my earnest desire and heartfelt prayer."
Amid the rush of life and the press of events in England, the home population had missed the political significance of the tour. Few at home realised that the
6o
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
tour had revealed Prince George in a new capacity — that it showed that he had undergone a development of mind and character which gave him, by intellectual right, a place among the statesmen of his generation. Outside the Navy next to nothing had been known about him ; and what became public knowledge through men who had served with him afloat was believed with polite reservations. Every Royal personage who ever walked a quarter-deck or rode a charger at a review was a model officer, of the highest professional attainments, capable of taking a fleet into action or command- ing an army in the field as the case might be. That was the literary and journal- istic convention about Princes — is still the convention, and perhaps always will be. It was the convention about Prince George. In the main it chanced to be true. He was a capable officer. During this tour he proved himself to be some- thing much more. He disclosed himself as that rare thing — certainly rare among Princes — a man of ideas. He asserted himself as a being with a brain and a tongue, who had taken upon himself the high duty of declaring and interpreting an Imperial ideal to a generation sorely in want of higher ideals than that of money getting. The public began to be proud of the Duke of York, and to look forward with eagerness to his home- coming. It was the Duke of York himself who extended this pride, and he did it by a speech which rang like a clarion call through the Motherland. The speech was made at the Guild- hall at a welcome-home banquet given by the Lord Mayor and Corporation. After a rough voyage across the Atlantic and a stormy run up the Channel, the
Ophir arrived in Yarmouth Roads, Isle of Wight, on the ist of November. The King and Queen, with Princess Victoria, and the four children of the Duke and Duchess, went out in the Royal yacht to meet the travellers, and there was a happy reunion aboard the Ophir. Amid the salutes of the Home Squadron, the vessels passed through Cowes Roads to Portsmouth Harbour, and forthwith the Royal party took train to London, reach- ing Victoria Station on the afternoon of Saturday, the 2nd of November. There was a great crowd at the station and on the route to the Palace, and the Duke and Duchess were given a tumultuous welcome. The banquet was a brilliant affair. In the meantime the Duke had been made Prince of Wales, and it was as Prince and Princess of Wales that they appeared in the City. An appropriate address was presented, and the Lord Mayor — Sir Joseph Dimsdale — proposed the toast of the health of the Prince and Princess. It was honoured with unusual heartiness. Then came the Prince's reply. It surprised and delighted its hearers as. the next morning, it surprised and delighted its readers. It was the now famous " Wake up, England ! " speech. It was a wonderful oration, of unusual length, delivered with a descriptive power that not only compelled attention but also charmed by its grace and power. The concluding sentences were : —
" To the distinguished representatives of the commercial interests of the Empire whom I have the pleasure of meeting here to-day, I venture to allude to the impression which seemed generally to prevail among their brethren across the seas that the Old Country must wake up if she intends to maintain her old position
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LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
Photo : Elliott & Fry. SIR J. C. DIMSDALE.
of pre-eminence in her Colonial trade against foreign competitors. No one who had the privilege of enjoying the experi- ences which we had during our tour could fail to be struck with one all-prevailing and pressing demand — the want of popu- lation. Even in the oldest of our Colonies there were abundant signs of that need — boundless tracts of country yet unex- plored, hidden mineral wealth calling for development, vast expanses of virgin soil ready to yield profitable crops to the settlers. And all this can be enjoyed under conditions of healthy living, liberal laws and free institutions in exchange for the over-crowded cities and the almost hopeless struggle for existence which, alas, is too often the lot of many in the Old Country. But one condition, and one only, is made by our Colonial brethren, and that is, send us suitable emigrants. I would go farther and appeal to my fellow- countrymen at home to prove the strength of the attachment of the Motherland to
her children by sending to them only of her best. By this means we may still further strengthen, or at all events pass on unimpaired, that pride of race, that unity of sentiment and purpose, that feeling of common loyalty and obligation which knits together and alone can main- tain the integrity of our Empire."
The nation marvelled. Here, evidently, was a Prince of no ordinary calibre — a man of bold and far-reaching ideas who had things to say and the courage to say them, and from whom, in due time, con- structive action might reasonably be expected.
Good oratory provokes good oratory. Among the company were two of the most stimulating and polished orators of our time — the late I/ord Salisbury and lyord Rosebery, still happily in the prime of his powers, which are never exhibited to finer advantage than when the British Empire, in whose ultimate federation his faith is sure, gives him cause for speech.
Photo : Jetrard. LORD ROSEBERY.
THE GUILDHALL BANQUET
To I^ord Rosebery fell the toast of " The Colonies." With instinctive disregard of a word which across the seas is disliked as suggestive of a status of inferiority under the Crown, he toasted " The Britains beyond the Seas." The tour, he thought,
George I. and George II. ran over to Hanover as often as they could, in the spirit in which a city merchant visited his country villa. George III. never went out of England ; neither did William IV. ; while George IV. never went farther tha i
ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES AT THE GUILDHALL.
was the most illustrious ever chronicled in history. He let his imagination and his historical memory — and both are spacious and vivid — play about the past. English monarchs of other days had neither the means nor the wish to travel. There was no Empire to travel in. Queen Elizabeth journeyed in England alone. James I. crossed and recrossed the border.
the State of Hanover. Queen Victoria travelled, but could not satisfy an aspir- ation of her life to visit in person the outlying portions of her Empire. Edward VII. had visited Canada and India, but it was for the Duke of York to make the circuit of the Empire, " and to come back and meet with his reward from his Sove- reign— the title of Prince of Wales — in
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LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
recognition of his splendid work." Lord Salisbury, then Prime Minister and at the summit of his fame as a statesman, reminded his auditors that the nation had at that moment many enemies, not very reticent in the expression of their opinions ; but the tour had shown that we possessed in the support of our distant kinsmen an approval and a sanction which made the contempt and censure of other nations of little moment. Other nations were not the judges of our conduct, nor would our proceedings be modified in deference to their opinions. " What we look to is the opinion of those of our own kin who belong to our own Empire. We have received from all portions of the Empire
an indication that we have lost nothing in the opinion which they hold, either of our tenacity or the justice of our claims. We owe largely to the Prince and Princess of Wales the summoning forth of that expression of opinion at a critical time." Mr. Chamberlain was also among the speakers, his chief point being the pro- gress of the Colonies and their eager claim to be regarded as joint heirs and partners of the glories and responsibilities of the British Empire. The entire press of the Kingdom — of the Empire — took its tone the next morning from the speeches at the banquet. The Prince of Wales was acclaimed by countless pens not only as Prince but also as Man of Ability.
THE GUILDHALL PREPARED FOR A BANQUET.
A rcher, Kensington-
CHAPTER V THE KING'S ILLNESS— CONSEQUENT DISAPPOINTMENTS.
The King Opens Parliament in State — Preparing for the Coronation — A Fever of Anticipation — Peace Proclaimed in South Africa — A State Service in St. Paul's Cathedral — The World Gathers in London — The Decorations in the Abbey — Queen Alexandra's Parties — Edward VII. at Aldershot — Premonitions of Illness — Reassuring News — The Court comes to London— The Buckingham Palace Banquet — Another Breakdown — A Decorated Metropolis — The Illness is Announced — Watching the Bulletins — Days of Anxiety; Nights of Suspense — "Satisfactory Progress" — The King Convalescent — A Privy Council at Sea — Back at Buckingham Palace — General Rejoicings — The King's Letter — The Eve of the Coronation.
WITH all the pomp and magnifi- cence of full State, King Edward VII. opened the Second Session of his first Parliament on the i6th of January, 1902. The feature of the Speech from the Throne on that occasion was a reference to the tour of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The King expressed his conviction that their visit to the oversea Dominions had served to " rivet more closely the bonds of mutual regard and loyalty by which the vigour of the Empire was to be maintained." Both on the way to the Houses of Parliament and on the return journey to Buckingham Palace the King, who was accompanied by Queen Alexandra, was acclaimed by enthusiastic crowds, who regarded the opening of Parliament as a prelude to the splendid spectacles of the forthcoming Coronation. In this great event, which had been fixed for the 23rd of June, there was extraordinary interest. None but the very aged had seen a Coronation, and as the spring passed the topic absorbed the public mind. There was but one draw- back to the joyful expectations of the nation. The war in South Africa still dragged on, 'and peace was not in sight. But in April negotiations were opened, 2 Y
and on the 3ist of May peace was signed. The day was a Saturday. The news was known in London on Sunday, and there was an outburst of national rejoicing which culminated on the following Sunday in services of thanksgiving in all the churches of the land. At St. Paul's Cathedral there was a State service, attended by the King and Queen, other members of the Royal Family, and great officers of State and distinguished and representative persons. A Te Deum was sung to music specially composed for the occasion by the late Sir Arthur Sullivan — the last completed work that came from his pen ; and a short sermon was preached by the Bishop of London, the late Dr. Creighton. The text was from Psalm xxix. : " The Lord will bless his people with peace." The last words of the sermon, viewed in the light of what a few days was to bring, seem almost prophetic. They contained a warning lest in " the softer days of peace " we should forget " the lessons we have been taught in the stern school of war " ; and the Bishop ended with a hope that these lessons might be " deepened and not blunted by the blessing of peace." By this time the preparations for the
66
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
Coronation were well advanced. London was thronged with visitors from all parts of the Empire and from every State in the world ; and day and night the air resounded with the blows of hammers in every street along the line of the proposed route. London was in process of decora- tive transformation for the finest spectacle of modem times, for it had been arranged that on the day after the Coronation, be- cause of the shortness of the route to and from the Abbey, the King and Queen
QUEEN ALEXANDRA.
Front the Miniature by Alyn Williams.
should make a triumphal progress in full State through the chief thoroughfares north and south of the river. Amid the turmoil there were daily arrivals of Royal- ties from other lands, of troops from India and the Dominions, of foreign envoys and their suites. The festivities were to extend from the 23rd of June to the 5th of July, and they were to include State dinners, Court balls, and garden parties, a naval review, and military spectacles. Every city and hamlet spent lavishly to cele- brate the occasion. The King announced his intention of giving a dinner to the
poor of London, to the number of half a million, while Queen Alexandra invited ten thousand maids-of-all-work to a tea. Throughout the land similar entertain- ments were organised, and provision was made by which the Poor-law and prison populations should have some share in the rejoicings. The King took an active interest in the preparations, and was busily employed in them throughout May and early June. Meanwhile, Westmin- ster Abbey had been made ready for the historic service. " The west front," says Mr. W. J. Loftie in " The Coronation Book of Edward VII.," " was effectually screened and disguised. As at the Coron- ation of Queen Victoria, a huge temporary portico was erected. This timber building was contrived as much to protect the church and the exterior of the chamber called ' Jerusalem ' as to furnish robing rooms, places of rest and retreat for the assembled officials, the episcopal digni- taries, the ministers and nobles, and especially the ladies destined to take part in the functions of State within. We could perhaps have wished that a struc- ture so ephemeral should have looked what it really was — namely, a shed. But the deceptive piece of scene-painting which gave us instead a handsome imitation of Gothic domestic architecture on the site of the old Almonry, in which four cen- turies ago William Caxton set up his press, was not wholly amiss. It enabled the clergy, in fulfilling the first of nineteen separate rubrics or parts of rubrics in the day's services, to ' assemble outside the west door of the Church and await the approach of Their Majesties.' The Royal entrance was at the north-western corner, and opened into a beautifully decorated hall, hung with costly tapestries, from
THE DECORATIONS IN THE ABBEY
which access was had on one hand to a series of retiring and robing rooms, and on the other to the west door of the nave.
" Within the Church much care was taken to select and adjust the hangings. The patterns were chosen the year before, and the fabrics were in process of manu- facture during the whole winter. Various appropriate colours were employed to produce a gorgeous effect, but it seemed as though the prevalent hues were shades of blue, ranging from purple. The Tudor rose with a quiet blue background was largely employed, while gold borders and resplendent banners, bearing the arms of the kingdom, everywhere enlivened the walls. For the first time, it may safely be asserted, since the reign of James I. at least, the upholsterer had not had his way. The hangings, to use the technical term, were not ' draped.' There was no fringe made on bobbins. The splendid fabrics were disposed rather as tapestry than as upholstery. The so-called Gothic style in such things was scrupulously adhered to, and for the first time, ap- parently, the Abbey was decorated in accordance with ecclesiastical taste.
" The magnificent carpet in the nave was made at Worcester. The deep mandarin blue of the ground formed an admirable foil to the gold and scarlet of the moving figures which passed and re- passed on its surface. The Order of the Garter furnished the motive of the design, the motto, Honi Soit Qui Mai y Pense, being worked in together with Tudor roses, oak and bay leaves, shamrocks and thistles, and other badges and devices, including, with perhaps a new significance, the African lotus. The thick velvet pile of that part of the carpeting which covered the space immediately in front of the altar
was of a darker shade and plain. It was calculated that the whole space to be covered was no less than 725 square yards. " The traditional arrangements for a Coronation were, nevertheless, in nowise changed. The historic chair, together with the second chair, in which the first Queen to sit was Mary, the consort who reigned with William III., were placed facing the communion table — or what, for convenience, we may call the altar. The
KING EDWARD VII.
From the Miniature by Alyn Williams.
two chairs described as ' before ' and ' below ' the two thrones, were ready with their desks and faldstools. The space on which they all stood was raised, as at the time of the Jubilee Thanksgiving in 1887, on a few shallow steps, sufficient to bring the King and Queen, with the great officers of State surrounding them and bearing the Regalia, to a higher level than the peers and peeresses who were nearest. Beyond were the seats in the transepts. In one very important par- ticular, however, the arrangements for the seating of so great a multitude differed
68
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
THE "CORONATION" VESTIBULE. WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
from those in use on former occasions. In all the pictures of the coronations of former Kings we see a long slope of seats in tiers, facing westward and rising almost directly from above the reredos behind the Holy Table. These seats must have formed a kind of roof to the chapel of Edward the Confessor, and have sloped up, past and over the chantry of Henry V., into the apse of the triforium at the far east end of the church. On this occasion there were no seats to eastward of the chancel. The retiring rooms for the King and Queen were erected in the chapel of the Confessor, and at either side of his shrine ; but it is understood that special Royal injunctions forbade any disturbance of monuments or any adaptation by temporary removal for the enlargement of the very limited space available."
On the 1 2th of June the King and Queen drove to Westminster Abbey and inspected
the completed work. All was in readiness. On Monday, the i6th of June, there was to be a review at Aldershot, attended by the King and Queen and the Royal and dis- tinguished guests who were to be present at the Coronation. The King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived in the camp on the previous Saturday afternoon. May had been a month of treacherous cold and much rain. June opened with but little improvement. Saturday was a bad day. At night there was a grand military tattoo, and the Royal party and their guests were serenaded by the troops. But rain fell in torrents, and there was a high wind. The King had braved the weather with his guests and the troops, and on the Sunday morning it became known that he was indisposed. The newspapers of Monday reported an attack of lumbago, but in the camp more alarming rumours were circulated,
DISTURBING PREMONITIONS
69
for the Queen attended morning service alone. The King remained within the Royal pavilion all day ; and it was felt that his attack of lumbago must be sharp indeed to keep him from church in the morning. On Monday the review was held, and the King did not appear, being represented by the Queen. The weather was unusually bad, even for a wet day at Aldershot, and though it was recognised that the King did wisely in keeping within doors, there was much apprehension on his account. After the review the King and Queen returned, as had been arranged, to Windsor Castle. Reassuring reports were circulated. It was Ascot week. Would the King be able to attend ? Greatly to the disappointment of the race- goers— a larger and more brilliant con- course than had ever been seen— the King was unable to go ; but ominous infer-
ences that might have been drawn from his absence were checked by the news that he had driven out from Windsor to meet the Queen and the Royal Family on their return from the course. The preparations for the Coronation went on apace. The King had had a chill from which he was recovering. That he had almost recov- ered was inferred from the fact that on Sunday the 22nd he was present at morn- ing service with the Queen and the Royal Family in St. George's Chapel, Windsor On Monday, " the Monday before the Coronation," as it was called, the King and Queen left Windsor Castle in an open car- riage and drove to the railway station. At Paddington, which was gaily decorated, and where immense crowds had assem- bled, His Majesty took his usual kindly notice of the railway officials, and, accom- panied by the Queen, drove through the
THE KING'S ENTRY INTO HIS CAPITAL ON THE EVE OF HIS ILLNESS.
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LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
two miles of applauding people and the waving of endless banners to Buckingham Palace, which was reached in brilliant sunshine. The most contradictory accounts of the short drive appeared. According to one the King never looked better, and acknowledged his people's greetings continually. Others reported that he was pale, wore muffling, and lay back. In short, the fact of the removal from Windsor was in itself reassuring to any who were vaguely anxious about His Majesty's health.
Next morning the daily papers were exuberant in their congratulations. One spoke of the happy omen offered by " that Queen's weather " for which King Edward's mother was famous. Another said that " London was radiant," which,
indeed, it was. The leading organ in particular was full of congratulations. Here, too, " omens " were considered favourable. " The temperature rose, the sun shone out, and summer became more of a reality than it had been for many weeks." Perhaps it was this improve- ment as much as anything which raised the spirits of Londoners. The days of darkness and dampness were forgotten at once. As the same paper confidently prophesied, " There is no fear that the completeness and splendour of the service in the Abbey may be marred by any untoward incident, such as could not be wholly excluded from the region of speculation a few days ago."
The grounds for this certainty and exultation were very slight. The improve-
THE DECORATIONS AT ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL (SOUTH SIDE).
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LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
ment in the weather had affected men's minds. True, it was reported that the physicians had pronounced their Royal patient to be a great deal better. The pain from which the King had suffered, whether it took the form of lumbago or was symptomatic of a much more serious affection, had subsided during the week. The first day of convalescence
sojourn at the Castle. It does not need the list of the services, the music, the visitors, the drive, the cheering crowds, to show us that the invalid's strength must have been sorely taxed.
But on the Monday morning no fresh illness was apparent. Their Majesties duly reached London in the afternoon, as already mentioned, and, with a brief
THE DECORATIONS IN CLUBLAND.
— that is, the Sunday — had been passed at Windsor, when, we read, the public were admitted in the afternoon to the East Terrace of the Castle to hear the band, and " many thousands of persons availed themselves of the privilege, and the terraces and gardens were thronged." A special Coronation March, composed by a Windsor organist, having been presented to the King, was performed by the band under the windows of the private apart- ment?. This is a specimen of the quiet and rest which, we were assured, so greatly benefited the King during the few days'
interval, the Coronation festivities pro- ceeded. A dinner at Buckingham Palace was preceded by the reception of the Russian Grand Duke, the Austrian Arch- duke, the Duke and Duchess of Aosta, and five or six other representatives of foreign potentates. The dinner was attended by seventy guests, a list of whom appeared in the Tuesday morning papers.
It has always been asserted by our foreign visitors, as well as by those of our own nation who are experienced in such recondite matters, that a State dinner of the English Court is the most magnificent
74
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
function of the kind in the world. The table groans with gold plate. The china is gay with the rarest paintings. Flowers, foliage and fruit, the tribute of all climates, vie with the glass and the linen in reflect- ing the sunlike brilliance of the electric chandeliers. In short, the scene, without the guests and the attendants, is that which
Greece, an Imperial Prince from Japan and another from Corea, the nephew of the King of Ethiopia, the brother of the Shah of Persia, and the sons of the Princes of Montenegro and Monaco. The Royal Family of England, the descendants and relations of Queen Victoria, were largely represented, and such a gathering has
THE CORONATION REVIEW: COLONIALS MARCHING PAST QUEEN ALEXANDRA
AT ALDERSHOT.
children picture to themselves as Fairy- land ; and when it is enhanced by the presence of gorgeous uniforms, splendid dresses, shimmering diamonds and spark- ling jewels, it needs only the addition of beauty and rank and ancient names to make it all that can be done to attain a magnificent result.
Here were the envoys • of the royal families of Europe. Each monarch sent his nearest of kin. Here were the heirs of Russia, Austria, Italy, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Portugal, Sweden, Belgium, Wurtemberg, Bavaria, Roumania, and
probably never been seen at any time in the world's history assembled at such a function.
The morning papers omitted one fact — the giver of the feast was absent !
In happy ignorance of this the populace thronged the streets to see the final touches put to the decorations for the morrow. The throngs were so great that in the principal thoroughfares in the West End vehicular traffic was almost impossible. At noon a rumour spread that the Coronation was postponed. The King was ill — alarmingly ill. By half-
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THE CORONATION POSTPONED
75
past twelve the Palace gate bore the following announce- ment :
June 24th, 11.15 a.m. — The King is suffering from perityphlitis. His condition on Saturday was so satis- factory that it was hoped that with care His Majesty would be able to go through the Coronation ceremony. Yesterday evening a recrudescence became manifest, rendering a sur- gical operation necessary to-day.
(Signed) LISTER, THOS. SMITH, FRANCIS LEAKING, THOS. BARLOW, FREDERICK TREVES.
This news spread consterna- tion far and wide. The pro- vinces, all parts of the Empire indeed, were affected by it as well as I^ondon. Foreigners, of whom many thousands had come over to witness the festivities, have since expressed their surprise at the calmness with which England re- ceived the news. Englishmen, an the other hand, had never seen their countrymen so deeply moved. The crowds by the railings of Buck- ingham Palace watched silently for news or spoke in low, hushed tones.
During the day three other bulletins were issued, and while they reported that His Majesty had successfully passed through the ordeal of a most serious operation, they made no attempt to disguise from his subjects that his life was in grave danger. The last con- cluded with the words : "It will be some days before it will be. possible to say that the King is out of danger."
BATH HOUSE IN PICCADILLY SHOWING DECORATIONS.
" One most touching scene enacted that Tuesday morning must not be passed over," says Mr. W. J. Loftie. "In Westminster Abbey the choir was assem- bled for a complete rehearsal of the music to be performed on the Thursday. Many of the officials, those who had to take their part in the processions, young peers and others who were to act as pages, the
A DECORATED HOUSE IN PICCADILLY.
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LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
bishops who were to read the service, the military bands and the bandmasters, together with the organists, Sir Frederick Bridge and Sir Walter Parratt, all these were assembled and the brass instruments had just concluded a preliminary flourish of trumpets, when the news of the King's alarming condition was brought by I/ord Esher. A moment's whispered consulta- tion, and the Bishop of I/ondon, who, like the rest of the clergy present, was in plain black morning dress, without robes, stepped forward, and said :
THE KING'S BEAKERS: USED AT THE CORONATION DINNERS.
From a Photograph supplied by Messrs. Doulton.
' I have to make the sad statement that, in consequence of the illness of the King, the Coronation is postponed.'
" After an instant's pause he added : ' We will hold a short service.'
" In the consternation which spread from face to face the effect of the an- nouncement was discernible, but the Bishop's subsequent proposal — ' We will hold a short service ' — seemed to relieve the tension. The Bishop of Bath knelt at the lectern immediately, where he was to have sung the Litany on Thursday ; behind him knelt the Bishop who had
spoken, the venerable Dean of Westminster close by, with the Archdeacon, the sub- dean, two or three canons, and, by chance, the Speaker of the House of Commons and some members of his family.
" As the words of the great intercessory prayer were poured forth by the Bishop, the choir answering in the grand old music, so impressive, so familiar, so soothing, everyone thought with deep earnestness of the King, and the successive sentences seemed at each response to gather new meaning and to express as nothing else could have done the supplications of the people. After the last ' Amen ! ' of the lyitany came the trembling voice of the aged Dean, invoking a blessing on the kneel- ing throng, which by this time included many of the workmen engaged in the Abbey, who, when the order was given to cease work, joined in the petitions" for succour to the Royal sufferer."
The happy moment when the medical men could, even condi- tionally, use the phrase, " Out of danger," seemed long — but, considering the seriousness of the case, it was in reality soon — in coming. Public feeling had been very greatly moved, as we have seen. Not a few people never left the railings which enclose Buckingham Palace during the first night of anxiety. The successive bulletins were eagerly scanned, and by way of relieving the public tension it was arranged that every postal telegraph office throughout the kingdom should exhibit the latest news in the window.
On the morning of the 25th the first news was good, and the last at night was : " The King continues to make satisfac-
ANXIOUS.. MOMENTS
77
tory progress." At ten o'clock on the morning of the 26th, when the doctors had visited their patient, it was reported that His Majesty had passed a better night and had enjoyed some refreshing sleep. That evening the temperature became normal, and before mid- night the King was said to have passed ' a fairly comfortable day, the strength being well main- tained.' The only symp- tom of uneasiness was in the pain caused by dressing the wound, and this was gradually diminished day by day till the evening of the 27th (Friday), when the doctors were able to pronounce His Majesty's condition satisfactory : " The King has had a comfortable day and has made substantial improve- ment."
On the 28th, at their morning visit, they found reason to describe the situ- ation as follows :
" The King has had a good night, and his im- proved condition is main- tained. We are happy that we are able to state that we consider His Majesty to be out of im- mediate danger. The general condition is satisfactory. The operation wound, how- ever, still needs constant attention, and as much concern as attaches to His Majesty is connected with the wound. Under the most favourable conditions His Majesty's recovery must be protracted."
This news was everywhere received with the deepest satisfaction, and the next day's report, being equally favourable, gave occasion for thanksgivings in most places of worship.
By the express wishes of the King the
OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE: READING THE LAST BULLETIN FOR THE NIGHT.
Coronation dinners to the poor of L/ondon were given as arranged, but the festivities throughout the country were in general postponed. On the 5th of July the King was described as out of danger, and on the I5th, accompanied by the Queen, he was taken to Portsmouth and put on board
THE KING'S FIRST ACT OF STATE AFTER HIS ILLNESS.
Hi» Majesty at the Privy Council on board the Victoria and Albert, the Prince of Wales (George V.), the late Duke of Devonshire, and the late Lord James of Hereford being present.
THE KING'S RECOVERY
THE COLONIAL CONFERENCE HELD UNDER THE PRESIDENCY OF MR. CHAMBERLAIN
AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE.
1, Sir Albert Hime (Natal); 2, Sir Edmund Barton (Australia); 3. Mr. Seddon (New Zealand); 4, Sir Wilfrid Laurier
(Canada) ; 5, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain (the Colonial Secretary) ; 6, Lord Onslow ; 7. Sir Gordon Sprigg (Care Colony) ;
8, Sir Robert Bond (Newfoundland) ; 9, Sir John Anderson ; 10, Sir M. F. Ommaney.
the Royal yacht, which anchored off Cowes. Here he made a rapid convales- cence, and on Saturday, the 26th, was able to hold a Privy Council on the yacht. At this Council he signed a proclamation appointing Saturday, the Qth of August, for the Coronation. On Wednesday, the 6th, the King and Queen returned from the Solent to lyondon and passed through the dense and cheering crowds to Buckingham Palace. On Friday, the 8th, the morning papers contained an autograph letter from His Majesty, issued through the Home Secretary, who appended a semi-official note to the effect that it " represents the personal and spontaneous expression of His Majesty's feelings and was entirely
conceived and written by him." in the following terms :
It was
To MY PEOPLE, —
On the eve of my Coronation, an event which I look upon as one of the most solemn and important in my life, I am anxious to express to my People at Home and in the Colonies, and in India, my heartfelt appreciation of the deep sympathy which they have manifested toward me during the time that my life was in such imminent danger.
The postponement of the ceremony, owing to my illness, caused, I fear, much inconvenience and trouble to all those who intended to celebrate it ; but their disappointment was borne by them with admirable patience and temper.
The prayers of my People for my recovery were heard ; and I now offer up my deepest gratitude to Divine Providence for having preserved my life and given me strength to fulfil the important
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LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
duties which devolve upon me as the Sovereign of this great Empire.
(Signed) EDWARD R. AND I. Buckingham Palace, 8th August, 1902.
The morning of the gth broke fine and the day was glorious. Of the mighty crowds, the gaily decorated streets, the marshalling of the wonderful procession, its passage from the Palace to the Abbey and from the Abbey to the
Palace, nothing need here be written. What our illustrations fail to suggest to the minds of those who did not witness the spectacle, words would fail to convey. Never did a sovereign on his way to be crowned receive a louder or more heartfelt expression of a nation's loyalty and affection. Of the service itself a full account must be given in the next chapter.
REDUCED FACSIMILE OF THE COLOURED INVITATION TICKET TO THE KING'S DINNER.
(By permission of Messrs. Hudson & Kearns.)
CHAPTER VI THE KING IS CROWNED
Coronation Lore— The Nature of the Oath— A Resume of the Ritual— The Scene at Westminster Abbey— Arrangement of the Dais— The Order of the Procession— The Entry into the Abbey —A Magnificent and Moving Spectacle— The Standard Bearers— Men of Power and of Might- Queen Alexandra's Procession— A Glittering Panorama of Gorgeous Pomp— How the Regalia was Carried— The Procession of Edward VII.— The Recognition Service— The Oath is Ad- ministered—The Anointing Ceremony— The King is Crowned— The Homage of Princes and Peers— "God Save the King"— A Talk about Crowns— The Romance of a Throne— The Crown Jewels and Their History.
OF the ritual of an English Corona- tion there has been much learned writing. Its origin is in the Old Testament, from which it was adapted by the Byzantine Caesars, in the fifth cen- tury ; but in ancient Britain, according to Gildas, the Kings were both crowned and anointed.
The late Bishop of Truro (Dr. Stubbs) when he was Dean of Ely made some research into " the crowning of kings." The oath as taken by Ethelred the Unready at the bidding of Archbishop Dunstan, he compares with that in the Pontifical of Ecgberht, and points out that it is almost in the same form.
What the Coronation Oath is now we shall see later on in the present chapter. Meanwhile we may summarise the con- tents of one of the manuscripts which contain the ritual of the coronation in its complete form. It is printed liter- ally by Mr. Legg from a manuscript in the Cotton Collection at the British Museum, and, translated, reads : —
" Here beginneth the consecration of a king:—
" Two bishops shall bring the King that is to be\consecrated from the assembly of faithful elders to the church, and the
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choir shall sing this anthem : ' Let thy hand be strengthened,' etc."
The anthem occurs in the Coronation service for Charles I., though not in the same place. At the Coronation of Queen Victoria it was not used.
" When the King is come to the church, he shall lie prostrate on the floor before the altar. Now the floor must be spread with carpets and cloths. When the anthem is finished, a Litany shall be said. And the bishops shall lie prostrate on the floor on both sides of the King elect. At the end of the Litany they shall arise. And the King elect, when raised by the bishops, shall promise to observe these three things." (Here fol- low the promises to govern righteously.) " After this one of the bishops shall address the people and ask them whether they be willing to submit themselves to this man as their prince and ruler, and obey his commands. Then shall the clergy and people standing about reply : ' We will and grant it so.' And then shall the prayers following be said by the Metropolitan and the King humbly kneeling." (Three prayers and the anoint- ing follow.)
" Then shall the Metropolitan anoint
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LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
his hands with Holy Oil, saying a prayer which begins, ' Let these hands be anointed,' etc. Then shall the Metro- politan anoint the King's head, breast, shoulders, and both elbows, saying, ' Let this head/ etc. Meanwhile the choir sings an anthem. When the anointing is completed two prayers are repeated.
" Then shall he receive the sword from the bishops and learn that with the sword the whole kingdom has been entrusted to him to govern faithfully according to his word given above, and the Metropolitan shall say, ' Receive this sword,' etc. When he has been girded with the sword he shall receive the armils in the same manner ; then the mantle, then the crown is blessed ; then it is put on his head ; then a prayer follows, and the ring is delivered, then the sceptre, the rod, an appropriate sentence accom- panying each presentation. A blessing follows.
" When the King is crowned, he shall kiss the bishops, who shall lead him with all honour to the royal throne ; and the choir sings the Te Deum. After this the Metropolitan pronounces an exhortation, ' Stand and hold fast from henceforth that place whereof hitherto thou hast been heir,' and so on, with a doxology at the end."
This is a brief account of the service which seems to have been used at the Coronation of Richard I. In all its main features this was the ancient service, and it is that which has been successively used in England since James I. ascended the Throne.
Mr. W. J. Loftie tells us that " the most serious addition to the hallowing part of the ritual is the presentation of the Bible. It was prescribed in the Act of
Parliament which regulated the Corona- tion of William and Mary, the first time the common law order, as it may be termed, of the service was fixed by statute. Before that an old manuscript copy of the Gospels was presented to the King on which to take the oath. The volume was known as ' King Athelstan's Book.' It is a very ancient manuscript contain- ing the gospel of St. John and parts of St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke. It was formerly kept in the Exchequer, in special charge of the King's Remem- brancer. During the Great Rebellion it was lost, like so many other precious things ; but, unlike the Regalia, it was not destroyed. In 1883 it formed part of the great Ashburnham Collection, and it is now in the British Museum.
As to the Bible now presented, it may be worth while to note that it contains both the ordinary books and also the Apocrypha.
The Oath itself has been subject to many variations. Under all the Stuarts before Mary II., the old wording was followed. Even James II. swore to con- firm to the people of England the laws and customs ' granted by his predecessors,' including the true profession of the Gospel established in this Kingdom.' But, strict as this wording seems at first sight, it did not long bind a King determined on evading it, and ' Act i, — William and Mary,' in its preamble, states that, foras- much as the oath had been framed ' in doubtful words and expressions,' the new form was to be as precise as possible, and the King and Queen were to promise to maintain ' the true profession of the Gospel and the Protestant Reformed Religion, established by law.' This same form was used at the Coronation of
ARRIVAL AT THE ABBEY
Queen Victoria, and the oath is that taken by King Edward."
The Coronation morning dawned ; a day of busy activity, full of momentous happenings. The focus of interest was naturally the Coronation ceremony. The scene and the service within the Abbey are well worth describing at length.
By 11.50 all was ready in the vestibule,
Through the archway under the organ only a glimpse could be obtained of the " theatre " beyond. In the choir stalls and the seats below them were foreign Ambassadors, Cabinet Ministers, Judges, Colonial Premiers, a large number of ladies, chiefly of high rank but not peer- esses, and some of the Indian princes. The choir was a good place from which
THE ANCIENT CORONATION STONE, KINGSTON-ON-THAMES.
and the head of the procession was mar- shalled at the Abbey door. The first glance into the nave showed a dense throng of those who had obtained tickets to be present. Above the side aisles were the galleries, and above the galleries was the triforium, in which the Westminster boys were assembled. All were filled with seats and hung with amber and blue silk, the carpet on the floor of the nave being dark blue with a pattern of badges, roses, shamrocks, thistles, and lotus flowers.
to observe what could be seen of the cere- monies. The " platform " was imme- diately beyond, rising five steps, with the throne — not to be confused with the old Coronation Chair — on the top, a similar throne for the Queen standing to the left on two steps, and the whole platform and steps being covered with a Persian carpet of great size and beauty, said to have been woven as far back as 1540. The platform occupied the crossing of the transepts, being under the lantern ; and
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
just beyond it — that is, to the eastward, in the space before the Communion Table —was visible the rugged back of the Coronation Chair. Two other thrones, or armchairs, each with a faldstool in front of it, stood side by side to the south of the space ; and there were seats and kneeling places for the Litany, which was not recited, beside the pulpit, which also was
To the right, in the south transept, were the seats for the peers, according to their precedence, members of the House of Commons being beyond them. In the north transept were seated the peeresses, and behind them the rest of the Commons.
" At last," says Mr. Ix>ftie, in describ- ing the event, " to those patiently waiting in the Abbey, the appearance of the Royal
CORONATION OF
THEIR MA1E8T1ES
KING EDWARD VII
AND
rOVEEN ALEXANDRA
BY COMMAND OF THE KING THE EARL MARSHAL 10 DIRECTED TO INVITE
TO
BE PRESENT AT THE ABBEY OWIKH OF WESTMINSTER ON THEl^DAYOF rVNE 1002
FACSIMILE OF ADMISSION CARD TO THE CORONATION SERVICE.
unused. A bench for the bishops was placed in front of the tomb of Aymer de Valence. Over the Coronation Chair was laid the canopy of cloth of gold, which during the anointing was to be held over the King. It afforded a gleam of positive colour, of which also the Holy Table, the regalia upon it, and the reredos behind it gave further examples. The chapel of St. Edward within, behind the altar, was roofed and hung and partitioned off with white silk.
Procession was heralded by a fanfare from the King's trumpeters, who, gorgeous in gold and blue, with velvet caps, were on the top of the organ screen. First came the clergy, then the heralds in their many-coloured coats, next the officers of the Orders of Knighthood, and after these the standard-bearers, who, as they passed in, were received at the door by the noble- men who were to carry the Queen's crown and some other parts of the regalia. A few minutes later they were followed by those
THE PROCESSION IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY: THE KING ENTERS.
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86
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
who carried the King's crown, sceptres, and swords.
" The standards were that of Ireland, borne by the O 'Conor Don ; that of Scotland, by the hereditary standard- bearer, Henry Scrymgeour Wedderburn ; and that of the United Kingdom, by the Duke of Wellington. By the special appointment of His Majesty, the Standard of England was borne by Francis Seaman Dymoke of Scrivelsby.
" Following the standard-bearers came General Sir Hugh Gough, the keeper of the Crown jewels at the Tower, who bore the two ruby rings for the King and Queen and the sword which was to be offered on the altar. Some great officers of State came next, the act- ing Lord Chamberlain, Viscount Churchill, with his page, and the Lord Steward, the Earl of Pembroke. With them were the four earls, Knights of the Garter, who were to hold the golden canopy while the King was being anointed — namely, Earl Cadogan, the Earl of Derby, the Earl of Rosebery, and Earl Spencer. Immediately after them, in the blue and . gold of a Privy Councillor, was the tall form of the Prime Minister, Mr. Balfour, accompanied by the Duke of Devonshire, Lord President of the Council. Then followed Lord Ashbourne in the robes of Irish Chancellor, with his purse-bearer and his page ; the Archbishop of York, the Lord Chancellor, suitably attended, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and, imme- diately preceding the bearers of the Queen's regalia, three heralds in their tabards.
ST. EDWARD'S CROWN.
The Earl of Gosford bore the ivory rod, Lord Harris the sceptre, and, preceded by Viscount Colville, the Duke of Roxburghe carried the Queen's crown.
" Walking very slowly, all these officials passed through the vestibule into the nave, there being no delay or pause until the platform was reached, when each took his appointed place.
" The Queen's maids-of- honour, the women of the bedchamber and the ladies-in-waiting followed the Queen herself, who was supported on either hand by the Bishops of Oxford and Norwich, both of them, like the two Archbishops, wearing their copes. Her Majesty was followed by the Duchess of Buccleuch, the Mistress of the Robes. Her train borne by six young men of rank — dressed in scarlet, with knots of white silk tied upon the right arm — and guarded by ten gentle- men-at-arms, Her Majesty proceeded slowly into the church, through the choir, and on to where, in front of the altar on the south side, were the two chairs with faldstools before them. As to the effect produced by the Queen's appearance, how she walked, how she looked, how the West- minster boys, in the triforium up aloft, greeted her, as she moved forward, with shrill cries of Vivat Regina Alexandra ! which were echoed by the choir — these things were described in hundreds of journals. For the Queen there was admir- ation and loyal love in fullest measure ; but the appearance of the next part of the procession was waited for anxiously,
THE QUEEN'S PROCESSION
while Her Majesty, passing to the north of the platform, crossed to the nearest of the two chairs in front of the altar, and having knelt for a few moments at the faldstool, took her seat, the two bishops standing by her, one on either side. Her train, eighteen feet long, was of a purple tone of red that harmonised excellently well with the imperial purple robes of the Royal Princesses and with the crim- son of the peeresses. The design with which it was embroidered symbolised the development of the Empire, and was carried out in shades of purple, gold, and green. ' At the sides of the train,' said one descrip- tive journalist, ' were two borderings of cloth of gold. The train was lined throughout with ermine with tails, and the splendid cape of ermine to correspond was fastened to Her Majesty's shoulders by cords and tassels of unbumished gold.'
" With the Queen about half of the procession had reached its goal. The Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal, in scarlet, gold-embroidered coat, with his officers, had all the time been busy putting the little army of notables in order for the march into the church. Lord Esher, who had just left the Office of Works, but was still responsible for many of the arrangements, assisted him. Some of the personages assembled were to be shown direct to their seats within, such as Ras Makonnen, the ' Ambassador of Prester John ' ; another
Ambassador, Mr. Choate, from the United \
States of America, attired in black, but
THE CROWN OF A QUEEN CONSORT.
From Sandford's " Coronation of James II."
wearing knee breeches ; Sir Wilfrid Laurier, from the northern part of the same continent, wearing with easy grace the splendid robes of the Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George ; and one after another those members of the Royal Family who were to be conducted with due formality to their places in the chancel. Another section of the brilliant crowd consisted of those who were to attend the King : and perhaps the most important of the duties of the Earl Marshal were with those to whom were entrusted the several parts of the regalia, which, in the interim, lay on a table by the western door of the nave, where they were placed when brought from the Deanery.
" Heralded by another blast from the trumpeters, the bearers of the regalia, who preceded the King, entered. The Sceptre with the Cross was borne by the Duke of Argyll, St. Edward's Staff by Earl Carrington, the Golden Spurs by Lord Grey de Ruthyn and Lord Loudoun, ' Curtana,' the blunted Sword of Mercy, by the Duke of Grafton, the second sword by Earl Roberts, and the third by Viscount Wolseley. The Marquess of Londonderry carried the Sword of State, the Earl of Lucan the Sceptre with the Dove, the Duke of Somerset the Orb, and the Duke of Marlborough St. Edward's Crown. The Bishop of London was in charge of the Bible, the Bishop of Ely of the patina, and the Bishop of Winchester of the chalice. With the Deputy Garter King-
88
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
THE REGALIA OF GREAT BRITAIN.
of-Arms, in his tabard and collar, was Sir Joseph Dimsdale, for Lord Mayors of London rank even out of their own city with the magnates of the realm, and have by long prescription been assigned this place. The Lord High Constable, the Duke of Fife, with his staff of office, closed this part of the procession.
" Immediately after the Bishops of London, Winchester and Ely came the King, supported by the Bishop of Durham on his right and by the Bishop of Bath and Wells on his left, his train borne by six young peers in scarlet and gold — the Duke of Leinster, the Marquess Conyng- ham, the Earls of Portarlington and
Caledon, the Lords Vernon and Somers, with two pages, all under the direction of Lord Suffield, the Master of the Robes. It was observed that His Majesty bore traces of his illness, but that he walked firmly and showed himself quite equal to the weight of his crimson robe and ermine cape. He wore the collar of the Sovereign of the Order of the Garter with the jewelled St. George, and the cap of purple and miniver in a circlet of gold and diamonds was on his head.
" Here it may be noted that the old patterns of the robes had been followed as far as possible. The dalmatic was of cloth of gold, woven at Braintree, Essex,
THE KING ENTERS
89
and embroidered in gold of a deeper colour at the South Kensington School of Art Needlework. The belt was of gold, but plain ; and the stole, of the same material, was embroidered with regal and imperial emblems, eagles, roses, shamrocks, and thistles, in colour, each crowned. The imperial mantle was adorned with similar devices, but larger in size, the eagles being worked in silver.
" On the King's left walked the Standard Bearer, Colonel A. Fife, and ten gentle- men-at-arms ; on his right lyieutenant- Colonel Sir H. Oldham and ten other gentlemen-at-arms. The group imme- diately surrounding or following His Majesty included the Duke of Portland
as Master of the Horse, General L,ord Chelmsford as Gold Stick, the Duke of Buccleuch, Earl Waldegrave and I<ord Belper as captains of the Yeomen and of the Gentlemen-at-Arms. With them were some great soldiers and sailors, such as Admiral Sir Michael Culme Seymour, General Sir A. Gaselee, Viscount Kitchener, Admiral Sir Edward Seymour, Lord Knollys, the King's equerries and others of the Royal Household, the procession closing with a score of the Yeomen of the Guard.
" As His Majesty walked up the nave with regal mien he bowed gravely to right and left. When he passed the choir- screen he was greeted by the Westminster
Photo : York, Netting Hill
THE TOWER OF LONDON.
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LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
boys with their Vivat Edwardus Rex ! Vivat Rex ! and when the procession came into the chancel and past the space at the crossing of the transepts the choir sang Sir Hubert Parry's setting of the beautiful and familiar English Prayer- Book version of ' The song of ascents of David ' as an anthem. Turning to the right as he entered the ' theatre/ and passing the Queen with a low bow, the King proceeded to the seat near the altar on Her Majesty's right, laying the ermine mantle and train on the seat as he sat down, after he had removed his cap and had knelt for a brief space at the faldstool. " It was just twelve o'clock as the King, having resumed the cap, stood up and turned facing the people. At the same moment the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was in front of the altar facing St. Edward's chair, said, in a loud voice, plainly heard all over the church :
Sirs, I here present unto you King Edward, the undoubted King of this Realm ; wherefore all you who are come this day to do your Homage, are you willing to do the same ?
" This part of the ceremony answered, in a somewhat shortened form, to the Recognition in the older service, when it was repeated four times from the corners of the platform. Having recited the words once, and having waited till the resound- ing cries of ' God save King Edward ! ' from every part of the Abbey, with a nourish of trumpets, had subsided, the Archbishop turned to the Holy Table and commenced the Communion Service, the choir first singing as a brief introit Sir Arthur Sullivan's ' O hearken Thou to the voice of my calling, my King and my God.' Then followed the Lord's Prayer, the opening collect, and, the command- ments being omitted, the Epistle, that
used every year in the Accession Service. This was read by the Bishop of Ely, and was followed by the Gospel from the same service, read by the Bishop of Winchester. Then the choir sang the Creed to Wesley's music, the congregation rising and facing eastwards. The sermon was omitted, and directly after the ' Amen ' the Archbishop advanced to the King, who stood up, a large crimson Bible in his hands, opened at the Gospel, and as the Primate repeated the questions of the Oath His Majesty, having first removed the circlet from his head, answered them in a firm and resonant voice.
' The things which I have herebefore promised I will perform and keep,'
was the form in which the Oath was taken, and as the words were uttered, His Majesty kissed the Bible.
" The Lord Great Chamberlain, Lord Cholmondeley, then approached bearing a silver standish, and a parchment roll being unfolded on the faldstool by two bishops, the King took the pen and signed it.
" Here, partly during the administra- tion of the oath, was sung, very softly, in unison, the old hymn, Veni Creator Spiritus, often and perhaps correctly attributed to the Emperor Charles the Great.
" After the Oath, the ceremony of Anointing came immediately. The Lord Great Chamberlain assisted His Majesty to divest himself of his robes, the sword- bearers taking their places round St. Edward's Chair, and the four earls, already named taking the golden pall from the seat and holding it over the King, while the ceremony of anointing was performed by the Archbishop of
THE ANOINTMENT
Canterbury. Canon Duckworth, the sub- dean, brought the golden vessel, or ampulla, from the altar, with the ancient spoon. The Archbishop with his fingers put some of the oil on the King's head, then on his breast, and then on his hands, making each time the sign of the cross as in baptism. During this ceremony, in-
" When the King rose to his feet, Canon Duckworth, for the Dean, placed on his shoulders the super-tunic of cloth of gold, fastened with a golden clasp. The spurs were next brought from the altar, and the Great Chamberlain touched the King's heels with them. Then Lord Londonderry delivered the Sword of State to Lord
ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY PRESENTING THE KING FOR RECOGNITION.
stead of after it, Handel's anthem, ' Zadok the Priest,' composed for the Coronation of George II. and Queen Caroline, was sung with full harmonies. The ampulla and spoon were restored to the altar, and, as the Archbishop repeated the pre- scribed collect, the canopy was taken away, and the four earls returned to their places, loud cries of ' God save the King ! ' being raised throughout the edifice.
Cholmondeley, who sent it into St. Edward's Chapel ; while the King's sword, sheathed in a scabbard of purple velvet, was handed to the Archbishop, who laid it on the altar, and repeated the collect having reference to the King's duty in the punishment of evil-doers. Then the two Archbishops, the Bishops of London and Winchester, and the two in special atten- dance came forward, the Primate saying :
LIFE AND TIMES OF EDWARD VII.
" ' Receive this Kingly Sword, brought now from the Altar of God, and delivered to you by the hands of us the Bishops and servants of God, though unworthy.'
" When the Great Chamberlain had girt the sword about the King, the Archbishop continued in the following words :
" ' With this Sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity, protect the Holy Church of God, help and defend widows and orphans, restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order : that doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue, and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life that you may reign for ever with Him in the life which is to come.' •
" Then the King ungirt the sword, which was restored to the altar, whence the Marquis of Londonderry, having