Edward VII_The Last Victorian King

by Christopher Hibbert

  19 May 1910. We had a hard morning — many people trying to get in who had no right.… At 1.45 we had notice that King George and the Emperor of Germany were coming to Westminster Hall at 2.45 and that the Hall was to be closed for three quarters of an hour. The police were aghast, and said they could not be responsible for anything that might happen. So I got a taxi and went off to Buckingham Palace and met Francis Knollys coming out. He took me to the Household Dining Room where the German suite were having luncheon and [I arranged for the Emperor to go through the Star Chamber Court so that he could lay his wreath] without any stoppage of the crowd.… I received a telephone message from Probyn saying that the Queen Mother desired me to take off the label on her wreath and send it to her.… The inscription read, “For my beloved husband from his broken-hearted and lonely wife, Alix.”… A curious thing happened last night. Just as Queen Alexandra was momentarily expected, the Speaker and Arthur James and some ladies in evening dress passed into the Peers’ enclosure. One of them was Mrs George Keppel … and the Queen Mother expected every minute! An awkward situation. [Lewis Harcourt, the First Commissioner of Works], to my astonishment, volunteered to go and get rid of them, and so saved the position. Mrs Keppel walked back into the Speaker’s House: and a very great difficulty was avoided.… Queen Alexandra had her veil up and seemed perfectly calm: she looked beautiful.… I then ordered the Palace to be shut up and went to bed. Winston Churchill and a large party drew up: luckily Pom McDonnell [Sir Schomberg McDonnell, Secretary to the Office of Works] had not left and he absolutely refused them admittance. With this party was a brute of an American who pushed by and peeped round the screen, which was put to block the view, and came back grinning, saying, “I’ve seen him after all.” The Beast! … The behaviour of the crowds has been simply marvellous. People waiting patiently for hours. Hundreds passed the night in the rain. They all went by from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. quietly and reverently without intermission. Many curtsied, Catholics knelt and crossed themselves, children in arms were carried past. There was no noise, no pushing, no confusion.…

  May 20 1910 … I was in the Hall by 7.45. It turned out a gloriously fine day.… The gun carriage and escort were waiting and everything ready about 9.15. The King, the German Emperor and eight kings rode into the yard [actually seven — of Denmark, Greece, Belgium, Bulgaria, Norway, Portugal and Spain]. They dismounted and Queen Alexandra, the Empress of Russia, the Princess Royal and Princess Victoria drove up. The Queen and the Empress got out and I took them into the Hall, where the Archbishop conducted a short service. The coffin was then … carried to the gun carriage. The equerries placed the pall on the coffin. The German Emperor kissed the Queen as he handed her into the carriage. The Queen patted the neck of the late King’s charger and Caesar, the King’s dog, which was led by the Highland Piper; and my duties were over.’

  pp. 297–298 King’s consideration: Knollys, Carrington, Hardinge Papers. The King had not always been so thoughtful as a younger man. Francis Knollys told Rosebery in 1885: ‘April is [Harry Stonor’s] month of waiting and he naturally expected to go to Ireland. Yesterday, however, the Prince told me he had been thinking it over and that he thought Ellis would be more useful. I am afraid Harry, though of course he will not say so or admit it, will feel it a little. I wish the Prince would not do these things, as people who are fond of him cannot but be a little “hurt” by them.’ (Rosebery MSS., 16 March 1885.)

  Bibliography

  MANUSCRIPTS

  Northumberland Papers (Alnwick Castle) Grosvenor MSS (Grosvenor Estate Office)

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  Filmer MSS (Maidstone, County Record Office) Chilston MSS (Maidstone, County Record Office) Knollys MSS (Maidstone, County Record Office) King Papers (Cambridge, County Record Office)

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