MESSAGE FROM THE KING

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21967, 16 December 1936, Page 11

MESSAGE FROM THE KING

"RESOLVED TO DO MY DUTY"

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY IN

PARLIAMENT

COMMENT BY ARCHBISHOP OF

CANTERBURY

(UNITED TRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.)

(Received December 15, 5.5 p.m.)

LONDON, December 14,

I Lord Halifax, in the House of Lords, read the following message from King George:— "I have succeeded to the Throne iri circumstances without precedent, and at a moment of great personal distress, but I am resolved to do my duty. "Sustained by the knowledge that I am supported by the widespread good will and sympathy of all my subjects, here and throughout the world, it will be my constant endeavour, with God's help, supported as I shall be by my dear wife, to uphold the honour of the realm and to promote the happiness of my people." In moving the loyal address-in-reply when the House met to take the oath of allegiance, Lord Halifax said they were accustomed to speak of the Crown as a link with all parts of the Dominions, but he thought it was more than that. Great and melancholy events had brought the Crown and the people together in a desire to share the burden which those events had imposed. Just because the Crown was so seriously founded in the affections of the people, so the Crown and the people, were together in a situation which placed a great strain on each. Lord Snell asked for a realisation of the difficulty of the speech which he had to make on behalf of the great democratic party which was not formally committed to the monarchical as against other forms of Government. He believed that it was a fundamental and unalterable principle that although the King might reign, the people, through their Parliaments, must rule. Labour had frequently illustrated its willingness to put its plans for the public good before its own apparent political advantage, and in accordance with that habit it did not intend raising a difficulty by dividing the issues which were desired to complete the transition to the new reigh as speedily as possible in order that urgent social and economic questions might be attended to. The Archbishop of Canterbury (the Most. Rev. Dr. Cosmo Gordon Lang) said that it was of immense satisfaction to him to realise that he could address to his Majesty the noble words of the Coronation ceremony with a full sense of their reality and the knowledge that they would find a response in the King's heart. The address was unanimously adopted. Resemblance to Father In the House of Commons, the loyal address-in-reply to the King's message was also- passed. The Prime Minister (Mr Stanley Baldwin), in moving the address in the House of Commons, spoke of the new King's strong resemblance in character and disposition of mind to his father. Mr Baldwin said hewould bring to his great task the same devotion to duty. Mr Baldwin said: "His Majesty, in his message, speaks of his great personal distress. I can assure the House that this is no exaggeration. - ' Mr Attlee said the circumstances under which the King succeeded, though they necessarily made his position more difficult, were but transitory. He referred to his Majesty's wide acquaintance with the Dominions and other parts of the Empire, and his close knowledge of social questions'.

QUEEN ELIZABETH HONOURED CREATED MEMBER OF ORDER OF THE GARTER (Received December 15, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, December 14. A Court circular states; “The King has been pleased on the occasion of his birthday to confer upon the Queen the title and dignity of Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.*’ Thus, for the first time in history, two ladies are members of the Order, the other being Queen Mary. It is anticipated that the Duke of Kent will be appointed a Privy Councillor shortly. He is the only one of the brothers who has not been appointed. This was the reason why he did not attend the accession councils of King George VI.

QUEEN ELIZABETH RECOVERING

LONDON, December 14. . On Sunday it was announced that Queen Elizabeth would be confined to her home for a few days with a very mild attack of influenza, which followed a slight cold. It is officially stated to-day, however, that Queen Elizabeth is distirctly better. She attended a small luncheon party at No. 145 Piccadilly to celebrate the King's birthday.