The Life of King Edward VII
the capitals of countries and provinces and islands all around the globe
was a more or less stately and ceremonious function, and the
Proclamation itself was couched in phraseology almost as old as the
Monarchy. "We, therefore, do now with 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." At the ceremony in
London, Dublin, Liverpool, Derby and other cities, immense crowds
assembled and "God save the King" was sung with unusual heartiness.
Meanwhile, following his address to the Privy Council, the King had
returned to Osborne with the Duke of Cornwall and York, and there he
found the German Emperor awaiting him. The latter had come post-haste
from Berlin and been in time to see the Queen before she passed away. He
had now decided to stay until after the funeral and thus to tender every
respect in his power to the memory of his august grandmother. Parliament
had been called immediately upon the King's Proclamation, and it met
hurriedly and briefly on January 24th to enable the members to take the
oath of allegiance while, all around the Empire, similar proceedings
were taking place in Courts and Legislatures and Government buildings.
On the following day Parliament met in brief Session and the Marquess of
Salisbury in the House of Lords and Mr. A. J. Balfour in the Commons
read a Royal message: "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 her people and her wise and
beneficent rule during the sixty-four years of her glorious reign will
ever be held in affectionate memory by her loyal and devoted subjects
throughout the dominions of the British Empire." In moving an address of
mingled sympathy and congratulation, in reply, Lord Salisbury spoke with
sincere and weighty words as to the qualities and power of the late
Queen, her position as a constitutional ruler and her "steady and
persistent influence on the action of her Ministers in the course of
legislation and government." Upon the position of the new Sovereign the
speaker was explicit: "He has before him the greatest example he could
have to follow, he has been familiar with our political and social life
for more than one generation, he enjoys a universal and enormous
popularity, he is beloved in foreign countries and foreign Courts almost
as much as he is at home, and he has profound knowledge of the working
of our institutions and the conduct of our affairs."
The motion was seconded by Lord Kimberley as Liberal Leader in the
House, and spoken to by the Archbishop of Canterbury. In the Commons Mr.
Balfour referred at length to the great reign and character of Queen
Victoria and to the Sovereign's influence upon public affairs. "In my
judgment the importance of the Crown in our Constitution is not a
diminishing but an increasing factor." Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, the
Opposition Leader, seconded the motion, dealt with the late Queen's
personal character, referred to Queen Alexandra as having long reigned
in the hearts of the people, and paid high tribute to King Edward: "For
the greater part of his life it has fallen to him not only to discharge
a large part of the ceremonial public duty which would naturally be
performed by the head of the State; but also to take a leading part in
almost every scheme established for the national benefit of the country.
Religion and charity, public health, science and literature and art,
education, commerce, agriculture--not one of these subjects appealed in
vain to His Majesty, when Prince of Wales, for strong sympathy and even
for personal effort and influence. We know how unselfish he has been in
the assiduous discharge of all his public duties, we know with what tact
and geniality he has been able to lend himself to the furtherance of
these great objects."
The tactful and obviously sincere language of the King's address to his
Council had, meanwhile, won the warmest and most loyal commendation in
all parts of the Empire--the unanimity of approval being extraordinary
in view of the diversity of peoples and interests involved. Other
messages which followed from His Majesty were of the same statesmanlike
character. To the Army, on January 25th, he issued a special message, as
Sovereign and as constitutional head, thanking it for the splendid
services rendered to the late Queen and describing her pride in its
deeds and in being herself a soldier's daughter. "To secure your best
interests will be one of the deepest objects of my heart and I know I
can count upon that loyal devotion which you ever evinced toward your
late Sovereign." On the following day the Navy received a message of
thanks for the distinguished services rendered by it during the long and
glorious reign of the late Queen and concluding with these words:
"Watching over your interests and well-being I confidently rely upon
that unfailing loyalty which is the proud inheritance of your noble
Service."
An incident followed which once more showed the tactfulness of character
so desirable and important in a Sovereign. The presence of William II.
of Germany in England, at this particular period, was creating much
discussion abroad and his evident friendship for the King, whom he had
just made an Admiral of the German fleet and with whom he had been
having prolonged conferences--in company on one occasion with Lord
Lansdowne who had been hastily summoned to Osborne--increased this
interest. On January 28th the situation was accentuated by the
announcement that the German Emperor had been made a Field Marshal in
the British Army and his son, the Crown Prince, a Knight of the Garter.
In personally conferring the latter honour King Edward made a brief
speech in which he expressed the hope that the kindly action of the
Emperor in coming to London at this juncture and his own presentation of
this ancient Order to the Prince might "further cement and strengthen
the good feeling which exists between the two countries."
Between the time of the King's accession and the funeral of Queen
Victoria, on February 1st, the press and public of the Empire were busy
taking stock of the great loss sustained and measuring the character and
possibilities of the new Sovereign. There was, in both connections, a
curious and striking unanimity, as may be inferred from what has been
already stated. A few expressions of authoritative opinion about the new
King may, however, very properly be quoted here in addition to the
references made in Parliament. The London _Times_, on the day following
the Queen's death, spoke of the long training undergone by the Prince of
Wales, of his wide experience and his acquaintance with the ceremonial
functions of Royalty. "Endowed as he is with many of the most lovable
and attractive qualities of his mother--with warm sympathies, with a
kind heart, with a generous disposition, and with a quick appreciation
of genuine worth--the nation is happy in the confidence that, in spirit
as well as in form, it may count upon the maintenance of that conception
of Royalty which is the only one which most of us have ever known. To
these qualities the King adds perfect tact, wide knowledge of men and
the business virtues of method, prompt decision, punctuality and great
capacity for work."
KINDLY AND LOYAL WORDS
Speaking on January 24th at the City Temple, the Rev. Dr. Joseph Parker,
Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, spoke of the
King's great opportunities and personal powers. "As Prince of Wales he
has played a difficult part with strict sagacity and unfailing
good-nature. He is a man of great compass of mind. Let us welcome him
with our warmest appreciation." From across the Atlantic came the voice
of the Prime Minister of Canada, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, in his eloquent
speech in Parliament on February 8th: "We have believed from the first
that he who was a wise Prince will be a wise King, and that the policy
which has made the British Empire so great under his predecessor will
also be his policy." From the still more distant Melbourne, Australia,
came the kindly and loyal words of the _Argus_ on February 1st: "In the
eyes of his subjects, near and far, he is clothed with the kindliness,
the tact, the sympathy with social progress, the practical intelligence,
the political impartiality, and the keen sense of duty he displayed
during the many years in which he helped his mother in the discharge of
the Royal tasks. His people know that he possesses the amiability, the
dignity, the clear vision and the industry which befit the occupant of a
most exacting as well as exalted position." From all over the world came
testimonies of similar feeling, and within British dominions the
opinions and tributes everywhere partook of one quality--that of trust
and confidence in the new Sovereign.
During this first week of his reign the work which devolved upon the
King was tremendous. The signing and consideration of necessary
documents which had been delayed during the illness of the Queen was
alone a serious task. The slight sickness of the Duke of Cornwall and
York detached him from the help which he might have given in many ways,
and the presence of the German Emperor increased the burden of
discussion and of questions to be dealt with. The King also took charge
of the large and complicated arrangements connected with the funeral
ceremonies and supervised the immense variety of details with his usual
business-like ability and energy. This great function, which eclipsed
the Jubilee in solemn splendour and exceeded any demonstration in
history in its unquestioned weight of public sorrow, commenced on
Friday, February 1st, when the remains of the Queen were removed from
Osborne to the Royal yacht _Alberta_.
The coffin was carried by Highlanders and blue-jackets, followed by the
King, the German Emperor, the Duke of Connaught, the German Crown
Prince, Prince Henry of Prussia, Prince Christian, the Duke of
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Arthur of Connaught, Prince Charles of
Denmark, Prince Louis of Battenberg, and then Queen Alexandra and the
Princesses. The _Alberta_ passed across the Solent to Portsmouth,
through a long and continuous avenue of saluting warships, and was
followed by another vessel with the Royal mourners on board. The members
of the Lords and Commons were on vessels placed amongst the warships.
On Saturday the body of the late Sovereign was brought from Portsmouth
to the metropolis and borne with solemn state to Paddington station
through millions of black-garbed, silent and mournful people, and
between lines, along the entire route, of thirty-three thousand Regular
troops and volunteers. It was followed by the King, the German Emperor
and the Duke of Connaught, riding abreast, the Kings of Portugal and
Greece, forty Princes representing every Royal House in Europe,
seventeen representatives of the Colonies, a long array of Ambassadors
and foreign representatives, the Queen, the Princesses, the King of the
Belgians, the Duke of Cambridge, Lord Roberts, Lord Wolseley. The coffin
was taken by train to Windsor where, in St. George's Chapel, the funeral
service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of
Winchester. The actual interment took place on Monday afternoon in the
Royal Mausoleum of Frogmore, where the remains of the great Queen were
laid in death beside those of the husband whose memory she had so long
cherished in life.
These prolonged obsequies--the most splendid and impressive in