KING OSCAR'S DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 118, 11 February 1908, Page 8

KING OSCAR'S DEATH.

' After an ilWss' lasting many weeks; King Oscar II of Sweden, the doyen of European, monarchs, passed peacefully and painlessly away at Stockholm at 9.15 on the morning .of \Decembor 8. Tho condition of His' Majesty had been declared on • the, .previous day, so that the news of his death !was' not unexpected, but the blow which has fallen upon Sweden in tho demise, of a monarch so beloved by his subjects is none the less severe. ■ A meeting 'of;. Cabinet 1 Ministers' was hastily convened,' and; took place at the Palace, where the Premier read the death certificate.-.. Shortly afterwards : the Premier read the text of tho Constitutional! Oath, which the ne\y King, who succeeds to the throne "under the title of Gustaf V, repeated in a firm voice. Tho royal Princes having-taken tho. oath, the King stepped forward'and embraced the : Crown Princo and then his younger brothers. After a .few minutes' ■ interval tho Premier approached His Majesty and placed tho for-, mal resignation of the Cabinet before him.' The King immediately replied by asking tho Ministers to retain their portfolios. The Ministers were then sworn in by Count, Hamilton. . King Gustaf V, at noon of tho 9th, accompanied- by the royal princes, his. suite, and! tho officers of the goneral staff of the army, ;reoeivod the homage of tho troops garrisoned in the capital, who. were drawn up in a semicircle around tho palace.' His Majesty addressed tho troops, saying that it was his firm conviction that' they would always be ready to follow him when of the country required them to do so. On his return to tho palace, tho King was greeted by. largo crowds with hearty cheering.