King Edward's Funeral

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 262, 25 May 1910, Page 5

King Edward's Funeral

A GREAT PROCESSION. The Last Sad Rites.—Witnessed By a Million Persons. The last sad rites in connection with the burial of King Edward VII. concluded on Friday, when, after lying in state in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament, London, the coffin was carried in solemn procession through the streets of London to Paddington station, whence it was conveyed to Windsor and there buried in the Royal vaults in St. George's Chapel.

There was an 'imposing scene .Buckingham Palace Yard as the various Royalties assembled. After a short service the coffin was placed on a gun carriage and the procession started', its head being one and a-half miles away. There was profound silence along the entire route, the crowd being deeply touched at the sight of the riderless charger, followed by a stalwart Highlander in in the Royal Stuart's tartan, and by the impressive funeral marches. It is estimated that a million people saw the procession. Silence prevailed everywhere, only broken by the solemn tolling of bells and the boom of the minute guns. The bands of the Household Cavalry headed the procession to Paddington, followed by detachments of the territorial and colonial troops, including ;he King's Colonials, and representa;ives of the Australian and New Zeaand forces, with all branches of the irmy, concluding with the Household Cavalry and the Royal Artillery. Then 'ollowed the marines, naval and miliary attaches, deputations of officers :rom Continental armies and navies, ?ield-Marshal Lord Kitchener, Sir Evelyn Wood and Lord Roberts, the irmy Council, the Board of Admiralty, Sing Edward's aide-de-camps, the English Boyal Princes, the Duke of Norfolk (Premier Duke) and other Then came King George, with ;he Kaiser on his right and the Duke >f Connaught on his left. They were 'ollowed by the principal members of ;he King's suite and then came a no;able array of Kings and Princes walkng three abreast and including King rlaakon of . Norway, the King of Greece, the King of Spain, the King )f Bulgaria, the King of Denmark and ;he King of Portugal. After these followed the Foreign Princes and then in twelve carriages ;he Queen Mother Alexandera, the various Royal Queens and Princesses ind the High Commissioners for the Dominions. There was a great purple irch at Paddington, surmounted by a :rown, inscribed "Farewell." The ;rain was the same as was used at Victoria's funeral, and the engine was heavily.draped in purple and vhite. Windsor was densely crowded. Che coffin on its gun carriage was kawn by bluejackets, through High street and the Great Park. The coffin vas received at the west door of the Chapel Royal by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishop of Winchester and other officials. ' The Droeession preceded the coffin. King Ceorge led the Queen Mother by the land and the Kaiser followed with the Dowager Empress Marie on his right irm. After singing Psalm 90 and several hymns the Bishop of Winches;er read the lesson and the Dean of Windsor the sentence "I heard a voice ! rom Heaven." The Archbishop of Canterbury read the prayers. Then followed the Benediction and the playng of Beethoven's "Funeral March n A Minor." While the Archbishop >f Canterbury was reading "Earth to iarth," the coffin was lowered into the rault. After the Benediction King Ceorgeand Queen Alexandra knelt side )y side at the graveside and took a ast look at the coffin and then retired ;o the chapter room. The Royal nourners followed and then the entire issembly passed through the choir and ;ook a farewell at the coffin jjrave. As the coffin left Westminster Hall ■.very train and all vehicles in London [topped for two minutes and at one >'clock the whole traffic of the Kinglom ceased for ten minutes.