The Life of King Edward VII
operation would have made the result fatal; that the King's one anxiety
had been not to disappoint the millions who would be in London and the
millions who would look on from abroad during the long-looked for event.
The story of the illness as it developed was made known by the _Lancet_
on June 27th. It seems that on Friday June 13th His Majesty had gone
through a particularly arduous day and next morning was attended by Sir
Francis Laking who found him suffering from considerable abdominal
discomfort. In the afternoon he felt better and went to Aldershot where
the unfortunately wet and cold weather at the Tattoo caused a distinct
revival of the trouble in the early morning accompanied by severe pain.
Sir F. Laking was sent for and in turn telegraphed Sir Thomas Barlow. On
the 15th, the Royal patient had a chilly fit but on Monday returned to
Windsor and bore the journey well. Two days later he was seen by Sir
Frederick Treves who found symptoms of perityphlitis. These, however,
gradually disappeared and on Saturday, the 21st, His Majesty was
believed to be on the road to rapid recovery and to be able to go
through the Coronation ceremonies.
"Sunday was uneventful. On Monday the King travelled from Windsor to
London. Next day the necessity for an operation became clear." The
_Lancet_ gave no reason for this sudden change in condition and it may
have been the excitement and strain of the drive through cheering masses
of the London populace. "At ten o'clock Tuesday morning (24th) the
urgency of an operation was explained to His Majesty. Recognizing that
his ardent hope that the Coronation arrangements might not be upset must
be disappointed he cheerfully resigned himself to the inevitable. Before
the actual decision upon an operation was arrived at Sir Frederick
Treves took the advice of two other sergeant-surgeons to the King, Lord
Lister and Sir Thomas Smith. They, as well as Sir Thomas Barlow and Sir
Francis Laking, came to the unanimous conclusion that no course but an
operation was possible in all the circumstances. To delay would, in
fact, be to allow His Majesty to risk his life." Such appears to have
been the plain statement of this serious incident. Following the
operation the course of the disease was steadily towards recovery and
without serious complications of any kind. Danger at first there was and
neither physicians, nor family, nor the public could feel anything like
assurance of recovery.
PROGRESS TOWARDS RECOVERY
The London _Times_ went out of its way to warn the people against
over-confidence in the result, and the bulletins were cautious in the
extreme. On June 25th the King was said to have been very restless and
without sleep during the early part of the night. He was, however, free
from pain, and his five physicians declared that, under all the
circumstances, he might be described as "progressing satisfactorily." On
June 26th they reported His Majesty's condition as satisfactory, his
strength as having been well maintained, and the wound as doing well.
The reports of June 27th showed a normal temperature, no disquieting
symptoms and, finally, a substantial improvement. On the next day the
five physicians issued the following bulletin: "We are happy to be able
to state that we consider His Majesty out of immediate danger. His
general condition is satisfactory. The operation wound, however, still
needs constant attention and such concern as attaches to His Majesty's
case is connected with the wound. Under the most favourable condition
His Majesty's recovery must of necessity be protracted." The bulletins
thenceforward were regular in their statements of slow and steady
improvement. On July 2d it was announced that the wound was beginning to
heal; then only daily reports were issued; and finally, on July 13th,
the Royal patient was taken by private train from Buckingham Palace to
his yacht at Portsmouth and, during the next few weeks, while it was
anchored or quietly cruising off Cowes, the King was steadily growing
stronger and better.
The bare details of an illness such as this can give no idea of the
burden of apprehension which it entailed upon millions of people, the
financial losses which it meant to thousands of merchants and others in
all parts of the world, the dislocation of a political, social, and
general character which it involved in London, the consternation which
it naturally caused in every centre in the Empire. The first effect of
the King's illness was to create a new tie of sympathy between himself
and his subjects. Human suffering borne so patiently during that week of
concealed sickness and with such earnest determination to go through
what must have come to appear the frightful ordeal of the Coronation
appealed strongly to people everywhere in the Empire, while the
externally dramatic passage from preparations for the greatest of
national festivities down into the valley of the shadow of death came
home to the hearts of every one with peculiar force. This was
particularly apparent in Westminster Abbey where the last rehearsal of
the great Coronation choir, in the presence of the Bishop of London and
under the musical direction of Sir Frederick Bridge, was proceeding at
noon on June 24th. Suddenly, Lord Esher entered and told the sad news to
the Bishop, who, in a few words, turned the service of national
rejoicing into one of solemn intercession. Everywhere there were similar
services and similar sudden changes. Coronation day, despite the King's
kindly wish that demonstrations and functions outside of London should
proceed, was turned into a season of special service and prayer in Great
Britain and in the many other countries of the Empire.
A pathetic service was held in St. Paul's Cathedral on the evening of
the announced illness, and the Bishop of Stepney spoke in most
impressive terms. "As the days have passed, our thoughts and, I trust,
our prayers have been centred in the King as he has moved to his
Coronation watched by millions of eyes. Only yesterday we welcomed him
to London with heartfelt joy. All around us is the glamour of
preparation for a splendid festival. The very air is vivid with the glow
of popular enthusiasm. From all parts of the earth our brethren have
come to rivet anew the links which bind them to our ancient Monarchy.
And now come the tidings that this King is laid low with sickness and
that the great day has been postponed. We are bewildered. We cannot
realize, except in imagination, the dislocation of the life of a whole
Empire." Meanwhile, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York had asked
their clergy to hold intercessory services on June 26th, and Cardinal
Vaughan, for his Church, had given similar orders. "The finger of God,"
he wrote to his clergy, "has appeared in the midst of our national
rejoicing and on the eve of what promised to be one of the most splendid
pageants in English history. This is in order to call the thoughts of
all men to Himself. The King's life is in danger. Danger being imminent,
let us have immediate recourse to the Divine mercy and by public prayer
seek His Majesty's recovery." The Chief Rabbi held special Jewish
supplications and the Chairman of the Congregational Union of England
and Wales telegraphed to Sir Francis Knollys their hope that it might
please God to spare the King's valuable life so "that he may rule for
many years over his devoted people."
Telegrams of inquiry and sympathy poured into the Palace, the
Departments of the Government, and the Guildhall, for days after the
eventful incident of the operation. On the day that should have
witnessed the stately splendour of the Coronation, St. Paul's Cathedral
was the scene of a solemn service of intercession for the recovery of
the King. The Bishops of London and Stepney, the Archdeacon of London
and Canons Holland and Newbolt were the officiating clergy and with them
were the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and a dozen other Bishops.
The Lord Mayor of London was present officially and the Duke of
Cambridge and Duke of Teck. So were the special missions of France,
Spain, Germany, Mexico and other countries, the Hon. Whitelaw Reid and
Mr. Choate, the American Ambassador. Lord Selborne, Lord Cadogan and Mr.
Ritchie represented the Cabinet while the Premiers of Canada, Australia,
Cape Colony, Natal, New Zealand, Western Australia, and South Australia,
with the Sultan of Perak, the Rajah of Bobbili, Sir Jamesetjee
Jejeebhoy, and others represented the Colonial and Indian Empire. A
large number of the leaders in the public, social and general life of
the country were also there. At the same time a similarly impressive
service was held in Margaret's, Westminster, the official church of the
House of Commons, attended by the Lord Chancellor and Speaker, the Duke
and Duchess of Devonshire, Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, Lord and Lady
Londonderry, and many members of both Houses of Parliament. A multitude
of other churches held intercessory services at home and abroad on this
day--notably, perhaps, one arranged by the National Council of Free
Churches and held in the City Temple. Orders were given by the heads of
all kinds of denominations in all kinds of countries to pray for the
King on the succeeding Sunday and, in most of the great Colonies of the
Crown, that day was specially set apart for the purpose.
EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY
Meanwhile, the messages continued to pour in from Governments as well as
individuals or institutions. General Sir Neville Lyttelton for the Army
in South Africa, Lord Hopetoun for the Government and people of
Australia, Sir Edmund Barton, the Premier of Australia, the Legislature
of New South Wales, the Governors of the other Australian States and New
Zealand, the Governors of Fiji, Gambia, Cape Colony, Mauritius, Bermuda,
Newfoundland, and Gibraltar, the Administrators of Sierra Leone,
Seychelles, Ceylon, Hong-Kong and Wei-hai-Wei, the Governor of the
Straits Settlements and the Premier of Natal sent despatches of
sympathy and regret. In the United States much kindly feeling was
expressed. Papers such as the New York _Commercial-Advertizer_,
_Tribune_ and _Post_ were more than kindly and generous in their
regrets; others were merely sensational. The President hastened to cable
an expression of the nation's sentiments and, at Harvard University on
June 25th, said: "Let me speak for all Americans when I say that we
watch with the deepest concern and interest the sick-bed of the English
King and that all Americans, in tendering their hearty sympathy to the
people of Great Britain will now remember keenly the outburst of genuine
grief with which all England last fall greeted the calamity which befell
us in the death of President McKinley." Prayers were also offered up for
His Majesty in the Senate and House of Representatives. Germany was
largely silent in its press but outspoken and warmly sympathetic in the
person of its Emperor. Austria was more than friendly and at Rome a
Resolution passed unanimously through both Houses expressing earnest
wishes for "the prompt recovery of the head of the State which has long
been Italy's best friend." The French press was moderately sympathetic
and dwelt upon King Edward's love of peace, while the leading Russian
newspapers paid tribute to the same elements in his character and laid
stress upon his high qualities as a man and a Sovereign.
On the Sunday following the serious stage in the King's illness the
metropolis was the scene of many special services. At Marlborough House
Chapel, Queen Alexandra, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other
members of the Royal family were present in the morning, together with a
crowded gathering of members of the Court and old friends of His
Majesty. Bishop Randall Davidson of Winchester preached a sermon of