THE KING'S LAST GUARD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 860, 5 July 1910, Page 3

THE KING'S LAST GUARD.

. LETTER FROM LONDON. Miss E. Richmond, now in London, sends to .her friends an interesting account ol the lying-in-state of the late King Edward in Westminster Hall. After describing the ' queue, over four miles long, of patient mourners, the 30,000 troops encamped in Hyde Park, the park trees in their new delicate green, and gay with innumerable flowers, she goes on to describe how, on a beautiful calm evening, she was escorted by Lord Ranfurly to Westminster:— "All along the route carpenters were putting up great stands and barricades to the windows, to prevent the crowd being forced through them. All the houses and shops and clubs have put up or aro putting up purple velvet draperies, which look every dignified, and there are wreaths o£ laurel and bay and garlands everywhere. We met the little Duke of Cornwall coming back from receiving the German Emperor; there are, I believe, nine kings in London to-day. We passed through the Peers' entrance, and entered the great hall close beside the coffin. It was a solemn and wonderful sight. The coffin stood high on a crimson base, covered with the pall made for Queen Victoria's funeral, of cream-coloured velvet, and the Royal Standard, with the crown, sceptre, and orb lying on it. At the head stood four of the officers of the Household Guards, in scarlet, a"nd huge whito-plumed helmets; . their heads were bowed, and they leaned .on long At the four outer corners were the leomen of tho Guard) with their halberds reversed on which they leant, and at the corners of the coffin stood four more officers of the Guards,, with. their white-gloved ' hands crossed on their swords, and their heads bent; and at the foot one little Gurkha in green uniform, covered with medals. All were standing perfectly motionless. It was a wonderful and moving sight in the. dim evening light. As the clock struck seven the guard was changed. The officer of the relieving guard followed by the relieving corps came very slowly in with trailed' arms, and as each officer was relieved he seemed almost unable to move, the strain of keeping rigid for the half-hour of his duty liau been so great. One young one near lis we were afraid was going to faint. Ihen when all wore changed the commanding officer went to the foot of the coffin and saluted. All the time tho crowd was streaming through like a never-ending river, thousands on thousands flowing slowly by on either side from (i a.m. to 10 p.m.