Public Apology to Duke

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 42, 12 November 1937, Page 5

Public Apology to Duke

■Press Assn.-

VICAR RETRACTS "Last Thing I Wished to Do Was Insult Him, ■ PARIS ARMISTICE STIR

(By Telegraph-

-Copyrighl )

(Received 12, 1.0 p.m.) PARIS, Nov. 11. Canon Dart, vicar of St. George's Chureh, Paris, where the Duke of Wind.sor proposed to attend the Armistiee service^ yesterday issued a statement in the course of which he said: "I would rather the Duke did not attend. When interviewed to-day, he said: "An hour before the service X was informed by the Duke 's equerry that I was not authorised to make the statement attributed to me. If the Duke attended the service he would be *•- ceived by me and by the congregatlon with all the respect due to the King'e brother, "The last thing I wished to do wm publicly to insult a man unable t# defend himself. I wish to take thie opportunity of publicly apologising to the Duke." The British Legion invited the Duke to attend a ceremony to commemorate the Empire dead and to be held st Notre Dame Cathedral. The Duke replied; " As the observance of the twOminutes silence which 1 desired to pass in cbureh with you has gone, I feel it would be inappropriate to be present this af ternoon. I hope, however, ' that you will give me the opportunity of meeting you on another oecasion." It is stated that the Duke of Windsor observed the silence in his suite at his hotel,