NATION'S POIGNANT GRIEF.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 20, 24 January 1936, Page 7

NATION'S POIGNANT GRIEF.

BOWED IN SORROW BY DEATH OF RULER REMAINS CONVEYED TO THE EMPIRE'S SHRINI TOUCHING BEAUTY OF SOLEMN CEREMONIAL, United Press Association.—Copyright.— Rec. 10.30 a.m. LONDON, January 23. Despite a bitter north-east wind, mourners, many of whom had travelled from distant towns, including a party of Royal tenants from Balmoral, began to line the road from Sandringham to Wolferton shortly after daybreak to pay their last tribute to His Majesty, King George, as his remains were removed to lie in state in Westminster Hall, London. Women were dressed in deep black, and most of the men were also in full mourning. Every class was represented. The road passes through thick woods, with wide grass borders which were covered with a mantle of white frpst. No muffled beat of drums, sad music or gleam of bayonets marked the King's fast journey from the little church of St. Mary Magdalene. Crowds outside the church bared their heads when the service commenced. The strains of the organ and the voices of the choir boys rang clear through the still morning air. The King conducted his mother to the front pew near the Chancel, and the remaining members of the Royal Family grouped themselves in adjoining pews. Old retainers and servants of the late King filled the body of the church. The rector offered prayers, after which the choir sang Psalm xxiii., "The Lord Is My Shepherd." The Bishop of Norwich, Dr. Bertram Pollock, read the lesson from Revelation xxi., verses 1 to 7, from the Famous old Bible in vellum, with its cover studded with precious stones. The Royal Family and the congregation knelt in prayer as the choir sang the hymn "Peace, Perfect Peace," and the service concluded with prayer by the Bishop of Norwich. Eight stalwart Guardsmen gently lifted the coffin to their shoulders and bore it to the west door. Immediately behind walked King Edward VIII. The casket was placed on the gun carriage, and as the sad procession moved to the station, "The Lament," played by Pipe-Major Forsyth, floated across the countryside. The cortege, headed by the Chief Constable of Norfolk, followed. Twelve tall Guardsmen under Captain Paisley, of the Royal Horse Artillery, with drawn sword gleaming, preceded the gun carriage, which was drawn by seven bay horses draped with the Royal Standard. KING'S FACE WROUGHT WITH GRIEF. A few yards behind walked the King, his face wrought with grief, and a yard or two behind, on either side, followed the Duke of York and the Duke of Gloucester, then the Duke of Kent and the Earl of Harewood. All seemed overcome with sorrow. Then came the dark grey coach, drawn by two grey horses, in which were seated the Queen, the Princess Royal and the Duchess of York in deep black, heavily veiled. Through the bare-headed, reverent crowds the procession passed in silence. The Duchesses of Gloucester and Kent and the Queen's ladies-in-waiting rode in the second carriage, behind which walked the tall, grey-haired Rochard Howlett, the King's valet and friend, who to-day look precedence over all the great officers of the Royal household. Then came King George's white pony "Jock" and two nurses who tended His Majesty during his illness. Lord Wigram, the King's private secretary, led the officers of the Royal Household, and the procession ended with humble tenants of the Royal Estate. / The crowd was very dense near the station, and their feelings were at breaking point when the beat of a drum heralded the solemn strains of Beethoven's Funeral March. The bearskins of the Guardsmen, silhouetted against the sky, appeared over the brow of the hill. A sharp wind blowing across the marshes from the sea met the procession as it filed down. ' The King looked at the throng now and again, and seemed to nod to some villagers. Men and women sobbed unrestrainedly, and some collapsed with grief. As the cortege entered the station yard members of the British Legion lowered their banners in salute. Guardsmen carried the coffin across a red carpet to the waiting train, in which the Royal Family immediately took their seats. The crowd broke through the police cordon and ran across the fields along the railings bordering the line as the train proceeded slowly over the first half-mile. It did not gather speed until it had passed the last of the mourners. One compartment was filled with flowers, not even the smallest tribute from the villagers being left behind. DENSE CROWDS GATHER IN LONDON. While the coffin containing the late King George was proceeding to Wolferton station thousands of Londoners were already gathering outside the Houses of Parliament, and at King's Cross they stood four or five deep on the pavements. Most business premises in the neighbourhood were draped in purple and black. Many of the people who assembled outside the Abbey for the service for Mr. Rudyard Kipling hurried to take up positions in Parliament Square, Aldwych and Trafalgar Square, other vantage points attracting early arrivals. The densest throng was at King's Cross. When the cortege appeared heads peered over every parapet, and faces at every window. The crowds were wedged on the pavements. A triple guard of honour from the Services was mounted in the station yard in order of seniority. Road-traffic at Euston had been stilled since 6 p.m., but j

when the coffin emerged to be placed on the gun carriage ot a battery ot the Koyal Horse Artillery, the silence of the crowd was almost that of death itself. King Edward was first to leave the Royal train from the saloon immediately behind the coffin. He walked alone down the platform till the Duke of York, the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester and the Earl of Harewood alighted. Then His Majesty returned to the Royal saloon, gave his hand to his mother and gently assisted her to the platform. The Princess Royal and the Duchesses of York, Gloucester and Kent joined the Royal party whom the King led along the platform. Orders rang out, the guard sprang to the salute as the Royal personages stood on the red carpet while an official emerged from the train carrying a red cushion, on which reposed the late monarch's crown. Thereafter the party returned to the black and purple coffin saloon, awaiting the removal of His Majesty s remains. Even in that brief interval, King Edward's solicitude for others prompted his reauest to the officer in charge to let the guard momentarily stand easy. Then at 2 55 the King gave the signal for the coffin to be transferred to the gun carnage. Bearers from Grenadier Guards bore the coffin past the King. Next to him stood fhe Sri of Harewood and the Duke of Gloucester, beside whom was the Queen, then he Princess Royal and the Duke of Kent, with the three Duchesses. Directly the coffin was plTced on the gun carriage, the King turned and bowed to his mother, and his brothers followed' his example and took their places behind the cortege. KW Edward walked alone ahead of the Royal mourners, then came his three U fl, c f«llnwed bv the Earl of Harewood. Punctually at three o'clock the procession moved from Xeltation! A body of mounted police headed the with the Grenadier Guards' party of bearers flanking the gun carriage on each side.