The Life of King Edward VII
his favourite dog "Caesar"; King George followed, riding between the
German Emperor and the Duke of Connaught, all clad in brilliant uniforms
with a long and unique line of nine Monarchs, Princes of great States
and special Ambassadors and Imperial representatives. They rode in the
following order:
The Duke of Connaught, King George and the Emperor William.
King Haakon of Norway, King George of Greece, and King Alfonso of Spain.
King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, King Frederick of Denmark and King Manuel of
Portugal.
Prince Yussof Zvyeden, the Heir Apparent of Turkey, King Albert of
Belgium and Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of
Austro-Hungary.
Prince Sadanaru Fushimi of Japan, Grand Duke Michael of Russia, the Duke
of Aosta, representing Italy, the Duke of Sparta, Crown Prince of
Greece, and the Crown Prince Ferdinand of Roumania.
Prince Henry of Prussia representing the German Navy, Prince Charles of
Sweden, Prince Henry of Holland, the Duke of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha, the
Crown Prince of Montenegro and Crown Prince Alexander of Servia.
Prince Mohammed Ali, Said Pasha Zulfikar, Watsen Pasha of Egypt and the
Sultan of Zanzibar. Then followed the Princely and Ducal representatives
of a dozen German States, the members of the British Royal family, the
Duc D'Alencon, and Prince Bovaradej of Siam.
The mounted group was followed by twelve State carriages. The first was
occupied by the Queen-Mother, Alexandra, and her sister the Russian
Dowager Empress Marie, the Princess Royal and the Princess Victoria; the
second carriage contained Queen Mary of Great Britain, Queen Maud of
Norway, the Duke of Cornwall, heir to the British Throne, and the
Princess Mary; the next four carriages carried Royal ladies and
ladies-in-waiting; the seventh carriage contained Prince Tsai-Tao of
China and his suite; the eighth carriage was shared by Special American
Ambassador Theodore Roosevelt, M. Pichon, French Foreign Minister, and
the representative of Persia; the ninth carriage was occupied by Lord
Strathcona, High Commissioner for Canada, Sir George Reid, High
Commissioner for Australia and William Hall-Jones, High Commissioner for
New Zealand.
The train to Windsor contained a funeral car upholstered in purple and
white silk with a catafalque on which the casket was placed and around
it were grouped the near members of the Royal Family and eight
Sovereigns of Foreign States. From Windsor station to the Castle the
procession formed in the previous order except that the Royal mourners
walked while sailors drew the gun-carriage to the famous home of
Britain's monarchs and to the entrance of the historic St. George's
Chapel. Here, where King Edward was christened and married and shared in
so many stately functions, the final religious ceremonies were performed
by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. While the coffin rested on a
purple catafalque before the altar, which was almost buried in floral
emblems, and minute guns boomed and bells tolled, the briefest service
of the Church of England--at Queen Alexandra's request--was proceeded
with and the body slowly, reverently, lowered into the vault. A prayer
was then uttered for the new King and the Benediction pronounced by the
Archbishop of Canterbury.
What can be said of the day elsewhere? A full record would fill many
volumes. In Canada, in Australia, in South Africa, in New Zealand, in
Newfoundland, in all British countries and territories, there was a
great similarity of solemn and popular demonstration. Everywhere
factories and financial institutions and commercial establishments
closed their doors. Wherever that was impossible in Canadian factories
work was stopped at a certain stage in the funeral ceremonies and every
man stood in silence, with bared head for the time arranged; on all the
great railways of Canada at the moment when the King's body was lowered
into his grave, and for three minutes, everything stopped, every kind of
work ceased, every one of at least 40,000 men stood in reverent silence.
Military parades took place with muffled drums and passage through long
lanes of silent people, in Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Chatham, London,
St. Catharines, Kingston, Woodstock, Ottawa, St. Thomas, Winnipeg and
Victoria, and other places. Memorial services were everywhere held; in
Ottawa, Vice-Royalty and the Ministers took part in a great open-air
ceremony in front of the Parliament Buildings, with troops and massed
bands and superb drapings, to still further emphasize the solemnity of
the occasion. Toronto had 100,000 people attend a similar service under
the auspices of the Government in front of its Parliament Buildings and
so with other centres. It may be added here that besides Lord
Strathcona, Canada had as representatives at the funeral ceremonies Hon.
A. B. Aylesworth, Minister of Justice; Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court; Hon. C. Marcil, Speaker of the House of
Commons; Hon. S. A. Fisher, Minister of Agriculture; Sir D. M. McMillan,
Lieut.-Governor of Manitoba; Mayors Geary of Toronto, Sanford Evans of
Winnipeg, and Guerin of Montreal.
In other parts of the Empire similar scenes occurred. Throughout South
Africa the most solemn memorial services were held and attended by vast
congregations. There were scenes of heartfelt sorrow and hundreds of
magnificent wreaths were deposited on the statue of the King at Cape
Town. Funeral services were held throughout India, the Hindus joining in
the services in a remarkable manner. All military trains were halted for
fifteen minutes. In Australia the Governor-General and all the Ministers
assembled on the great tier of steps at the Parliament Buildings,
Melbourne, in the presence of perhaps the most solemn assembly ever
gathered together in that country. For a long space there was a reverent
silence and the crowd then sang the National Anthem. The day was
observed as a day of mourning in Sydney, bells were tolled from noon to
sunset, and salutes of sixty-eight minute guns fired in the afternoon.
A hundred thousand persons attended the memorial service in Centennial
Park at Wellington, New Zealand. Services were general throughout that
Dominion while every outpost of the Empire flew the Union Jack at
half-mast and paid a tribute to the dead Sovereign's memory.
Thus there passed away and was buried a great King, a man of
whole-souled, genial and honourable type, a character rich in graces
granted to few in this world, a ruler who combined intellect with heart
and knowledge with discrimination, a Briton who could love and believe
in the greatness of his own country and Empire without antagonizing the
legitimate pride and aspirations of other nations, a diplomatist made by
nature's own hand to soothe international acerbities and embody the
ideal of peace in an age of preparation for war.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The New King and His Imperial Responsibilities
In assuming the burden of his great position and manifold duties King
George V had the disadvantage of succeeding a great monarch; he had also
the advantage of having been trained in statecraft, diplomacy, and the
science and practice of government, by a master in the art. He was young
in years--only forty-five--strong, so far as was known, in body and
health, equipped with a vigorous intelligence and wide experience of
home and European politics and, what was of special importance at the
time of his accession, instinct with Imperial sentiment and acquainted,
practically and personally, with the politics and leaders of every
country in the British Empire--notably India, Canada, South Africa and
Australia. He was not known to the public as a man of genial temperament
but rather as a strong, reserved, quiet thinker and student of men and
conditions. Great patience and considerable tact, common sense and
natural ability, eloquence in speech and fondness for home life and
out-door sports, he had shown as Prince of Wales or Duke of Cornwall. He
spoke German, French, and, of course, English with ease and accuracy; he
had seen much service in the Royal Navy and was understood to be
devotedly attached to the wide spaces of the boundless seas; his Consort
was beautiful, kindly, and graceful in bearing, with a profound sense of
the importance of her place and duties and a sincere belief in the
beneficence and splendid mission of British power.
The Prince of Wales became, of course, King at the moment of his
Father's death; on May 7th His Majesty met the Privy Council, signed
the proclamation relating to his Accession and accepted the oath of
fealty from the Lords and gentlemen assembled. To them he delivered a
brief address expressive of his personal sorrow and sense of his onerous
responsibilities: "In this irreparable loss, which has so suddenly
fallen upon me and the whole Empire, I am comforted by the feeling that
I have the sympathy of my future subjects, who will mourn with me for
their beloved Sovereign, whose own happiness was found in sharing and
promoting theirs. I have lost not only a Father's love, but the
affectionate and intimate relations of a dear friend and adviser. No
less confident am I of the universal and loving sympathy which is
assured to my dearest Mother in her overwhelming grief.
"Standing here, little more than nine years ago, our beloved King
declared that so long as there was breath in his body he would work for
the good and amelioration of his subjects. I am sure that the opinion of
the whole nation will be that this declaration has been fully carried
out. To endeavour to follow in his footsteps, and at the same time to
uphold the constitutional government of these realms will be the earnest
object of my life. I am deeply sensible of the heavy responsibilities
which have fallen upon me. I know that I can rely upon the Parliament
and on the people of these Islands and my Dominions beyond the Seas for
their help in the discharge of these arduous duties and their prayers
that God will grant me strength and guidance. I am encouraged by the
knowledge that I have in my dear wife one who will be a constant
helpmate in every endeavour for our people's good."
This speech, delivered with obvious feeling and indicating a real
understanding and appreciation of his late Father's character and
career, made a most favourable impression upon the Council, the Nation,
and the Empire. It was followed by others--all showing tact and a clear
grasp of the fundamental conditions of the time and of his new
responsibilities. To the British Army King George issued the following
Message: "My beloved Father was always closely associated with the Army
by ties of strong personal attachment, and from the first day he entered
the service he identified himself with everything conducive to its
welfare. On my accession to the Throne I take this earliest opportunity
of expressing to all ranks my gratitude for their gallant and devoted
service to him. Although I have been always interested in the Army,
recent years have afforded me special opportunities of becoming more