PRINCE EDWARD ASCENDS THE THRONE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 4600, 23 January 1936, Page 3

PRINCE EDWARD ASCENDS THE THRONE.

THE KING’S FUNERAL

TO TAKE PLACE ON TUESDAY. It is officially announced /that his late Majesty King George will lie in state in Westminster Hall from Thursday till Tuesday, when the funeral will take pace at St. George’s, Windsor, after a full State procession from Westminster to Paddington Station. Headed hy Piper Major Forsyth, / the late King’s piper, playing alament, the body of King George was borne in the darkness and falling sleet from Sandringham House to the village church on a hand bier, escorted by Grenadier Guards. Estate workmen in corduroy breeches and leather jackets will keep watch to-night. , London, January 22.

Edward VHI was this morning proclaimed King of England at St. James’s Palace. Yesterday afternoon, before the Privy Council, hetook the Oath of Accession.

lAt yesterday’s meeting of the Privy Council, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, as Lord President of the Council, informed the assembly of King death and the accession of King Edward. The council requested the Archbishop of Canterbury .to acquaint King Edward with what had taken place in the chamber. The King then walked 50 yards across the Ambassador’s Court to iSt. James’s Palace, where the iCouncil was being held. His Majesty wore a Guards scarlet tunic and all his orders. He looked tired, but his head was high and his step assured as he strode through the Guard of Honour, whose crepedraped colours were now for the first time lowered in salute to the new head of the Army. The Duke of York wore a naval uniform, and the Duke of Gloucester Hus_sars’ levee dress. Many naval and military officers, including Field-Mar-shall Sir William Birdwood, attended the King.

The doors of the council chamber were flung open. An official announced, “His Majesty the., King.” The Archbishop of Canterbury and Mr. MadD'onald entered escorting King Edward by the hand. Councillors bowed low and listened attentively to the King’s speech. The King, addressing the Council, said:—r

“The irreparable loss the British Commonwealth of Nations has sustained by the death of his Majesty, my beloved father, has devolved upon me the duty of sovereignty. I know h/w mueh you and all my subjects, with, I hope I may say, the whole world, feel - or me in my sorrow, and I am confident in the affectionate sympathy which will he extended to my dear mother in her overpowering grief. When my father stood here 26 years ago he declared that one of the objects of his life would be to uphold constitutional government. In this I am determined to follow my father’s footsteps and work as he did throughout his life for the welfare of all classes of my subjects. I place my reliance upon the- loyalty and affection of my peoples throughout the Empire and'upon the wisdom of their Parliaments to support me in this heavy task. I pray that God will guide me to perform it.”

ENDLESiS 'STREAM OF

MESSAGES,

The messages from all over the world pouring in to London are seemingly endless. Next to England, France is probably the most devastated by the hews, which came as a very great shock, as it had' been fervently hoped that King George’s robust constitution would again bring him to health, “England’s mourning is our mourning,” stated the Government spokesman. “The French nation does not forget.” The same note is sounded in the Paris Press, which declares that France considered King George to be almost part of herself. It recalls how His Majesty commanded his troops on the soil of France.

EUROPEAN ROYALTIES TO ATTEND FUNERAL.

The Royal funeral will be attended by the King and Queen of Norway, the Kangs of Denmark, Bulgaria and Belgium, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, the Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden, Crown Prince Paul of Greece, Prince Nicolas and other Rumanian dignitaries, Me. le Brun, President of France, and M. Laval, the Prime Minister, if he has not resigned, American,' Portuguese, and other Ambassadors, Baron von Neurath, possibly General Goering and Pi’incess Juliana, y ,

.MESSAGE}-FROM QUEEN MARY,

The Governor-General, Lord Galway, received the following cablegram yesterday from her Majesty Queen Mary “I am deeply touched by the message of sympathy you sent me from the Dominion of New Zealand. Please express to one and all mv heartfelt gratitude for their sorrow in my great loss ”

PRIME MINISTER CANCELS ENGAGEMENTS.

Full mourning for 'the late King George V will be observed officially until after the funeral next Tuesday by the Prime Minister, Hon. M. J. Savage, who has cancelled all social engagements. It. was announced yesterday that, although the Prime Minister had agreed to present the cup to the winner of the principal race at the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting, wjiich opens to-day at Trentham, Mr. Savage had now decided not to attend £he faces,

“KING NEVER DIES!”

“The King is dead. Long live King Edward VHI.” Technically the death of the King is known as the demise of the Crown. The moment that breath leaves the body of a Sovereign, the Heir-Apparent becomes, ipso facto, the reigning Monarch of the British Commonwealth of Nations and possessor of all the titles, and dignities of the deceased Sovereign. “Immediately on the national death,” says Blackstone, “the King survives in his successor.”

The consequent proclamation in London of King Edward VIII., which marks the accession of the Prince of Wales to the Throne, will be carried, out this week with the usual ceremonial pageantry, with which the Privy Council, the Lord Mayor and aldermen of London, and other officials and dignitaries are associated. The coming of the new liege lord will be proclaimed also in all cities and towns throughout the Empire. Wherever. the Union Jack flies the proclamation will be read. The coronation will take place some considerable time later. The late King Edward VII. died on May 6, 1910, but the late King George V was not crowned until June of the following year. IN FOXTON. . The Town Hall was closed last evening as a mark of respect to the late King and the various functions arranged to be held locally that evening were cancelled. The Post Office was draped with black crepe and blinds were drawn while the Union Jack appeared at half mast with a black crepe streamer immediately above it. Flags were similarly flown from various local business premises, which were closed from 10 o’clock to mid-day to-day. This morning at 11 o’clock the Mayor (Mr M. E. Perreau) read the following proclamation from the steps of the Post Office: — “Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His mercy our Late Sovereign Lord King George the fifth, of Blessed and Glorious memory, by whose decease the Imperial Grown of Great Britain, Ireland,-and All Other of His late Majesty’s Dominions is solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Prince Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David.

“Wle, therefore, George : Vere Arundell, Viscount Galway, Gover-nor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand, Michael Joseph Savage, Prime Minister of the Said Dominion, assisted by members of both houses of the General Assembly, Judges and Magistrates, Ministers of Religion, Mayors, Chairmen and members of Local Bodies, and numerous other representatives of European and Maori citizens here present, do hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the High and Mighty Prince Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege Lord Edward the Eighth, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the seas KING, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India. “To whom we do acknowledge all faith and constant obedience, with all hearty and. humble affection beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the Royal Prince Edward the eighth with long and happy years to reign over us. “Given at Wellington in the Dominion of New Zealand this twent.vthird day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred' and thirty-six.

“(Signed) Galway, GovernorGeneral, M. J. Savage, P. Fraser, W. Nash, D. G. Sullivan, H. G. P. Mason, H. T. Armstrong, W. E. Parry, F. Jones,- W. Lee-Martin, Frank Langstone, Mark > Fagan, Michael Myers, IC.J., F. O.'ID. ?ell> A. T. Ngata. ’ “God 'Save the King.”

There was a good attendance outside the Post 'Office to hear the Proclamation and the Mayor preceded the reading by a brief reference to the death of King George, and the .loss the 'British Empire had sustained by his passing. At toe conclusion of the reading of the Proclamation, the National Anthem was sung as the Postmaster (Mr |W- R- McKenzie) removed the draping from the Union Jack, which, up to this, had flown at halfmast over the Post Office, and hauled it to the mast-head where it will remain until this evening when the mourning will be resumed until after the funeral next Tuesday. ORDER OF SUCCESSION. The Prince of Wales becomes the first bachelor King since George HI succeeded in 1760. (King George HI subsequently married, howevei\) Assuming his continued bachelorhood, it is considered that Queen Mary will remain at Buckingham Palace to act as his hostess, but she may take up residence at Marlborough House, to which place Queen Alexandra went on the death of King Edward. The order of precedence of the Royal ladies remains unaltered. Queen Mary, as Queen Mother, is still first lady of the land, then come the Princess Royal, the Duchess of York, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Kent, Princess Elizabeth arid Princess Margaret. The Duke of York becomes heirpresumptive, and next in succession is Princess Elizabeth, then Princess Margaret. There is no heir apparent. This position can only be occupied bv the Sovereign’s son or grandson. The title of -Prince of Wales lapses, since, by immemorial

custom, it is conferred only on the Sovereign’s eldest son.. It is recalled that Parliament, in 1910, increased Queen Alary’s annuity in the event of her surviving her husband from £30,000 to £70,000.

GRANDFATHER’S TRAIT,

INTERESTED IN PEOPLE. There are' certain aspects, no doubt, from which the Prince is already better known to his countrymen than any previous Heir to the Throne, said the Times in an appreciation of the new King’s qualities when Prince of Wales. He has moved among them, from boyhood on terms of easy friendship, has shared their interests,, their amusements, their generous causes in peace, their clangers and their sorrows in the years of the war. He is a familiar and highly popular figure throughout the length and breadth of the land. But those who: have known him only as the diffident boy, the gallant young soldier, the hard-riding plea-sure-loving Prince, have seen no. more than the first sketch of the picture. It is the fashion perhaps to regard him as a modern version of Prince Hal who must some day renounce his youthful companions and moderate his light-hearted impatience; but there is something more serious in the picture than that superficial view might detect. . A truer comparison, moving farther down the pages of history, marks the common recurrence of family features in alternate generations,* and sees a singular resemblance to the consistent outlook on life which was in fact held by King Edward, his namesake, and grandfather.

Like liis grandfather, the Prince of Wales is a student' of living people rather than of the written word. A keen interest in different types of manhood, and opportunities for me«ting them immeasurably greater than those of other men of his years, have supplied the place of the text-books of political theory. It is certain at all events that he has long realised in every detail, and will always observe with absolute fidelity, the duties and the limitations of his position. It may aso be predicted with confidence, that, surveying in advance these dutie_s and these limitations, he will not content himself entirely with them, but. will seek such openings as arelegitimately his to play some individual role In affairs. Nor is it altogether unlikely that- King Edward’s long and useful influence in Europe acquired while he was Prince of Wales and distinguishing all his subsequent reign—first suggested to his grandson the rvisdom of cultivating friendship and knowledge betimes in another field.

In any case it is not without significance at this moment that the main experience, and presuniablj the personal interest of the HeirApparent should lie in the Englishspeaking world of the British Dominions and the United States. ROYAL TRAVELLER. JOURNEYS SINCE 1919. ABOUT 200,0,00 MILES. Few Royal personages can claim to have travelled so widely as the Prince of Wales. It was computed after his last visit to South America ’‘lie had covered 200,000 miles and had seen some 30 countries and territories outside Europe. ,

' Apart altogether from such purely holiday trips as his hunting expedition in Africa, and his visits to his Canadian ranch, he has made official and semi-official journeys to the most remote parts of the Empire and to foreign lands. The following list of countries which the Prince has visited since 1919—some of them more than once —gives some idea of the immense scope and variety of his travels Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Ceylon, Malta,Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Nigeria, British East Africa, Kenya, United States, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Japan, Philippine Islands, Borneo, Egypt, Tanganyika, Malaya,_W|est Indies, Hongkong 1 , Aden, British Guiana.

SA.NDR INGHAM HOUSE.

[SCENE OF LAST ILLNESS

Sandringham House, in Norfolk, is, of all the Royal residences, probably the one King George would have chosen in which to pass his last days, for it is regarded by the Royal Family as home in a special sense. The others have more the air of State residences, and are called palaces, whereas 'Sandringham takes the more comfortable title of “house,”

It was acquired by King Edward VH., then Prince of Wales, by purchase in 1861, as a shooting box and a residence where the rigid etiquette of the larger palaces could be relaxed. It is set in an estate of 7000 acres, including a park of 200 acres, the King’s private farm, and beautiful gai’dens. The Royal Family prefers a homelike 'Christmas, and always chooses to pass it at Sandi’ingham. From the drawing room King George broadcast his Christmas messages to the Empire. There, as far as possible, he used to put off the cares of State, and become an English squire, with all the squire’s interest in tenants, animals, farming and shooting. He was on the friendliest terms with the tenants ■on the estate. Visitors were received Avith delightful informality., and State etiquette was banned.

The residence is small enough for every, room to have been known, to the King and Queen. A personal in-

terest in the domestic side of the house has been taken by Queen Mary, and there she has exercised her remarkable talent as a housekeeper. The latest labour-saving devices are installed, and the domestic quarters might well be used as an object lesson in how to run a modern home. The beautiful parish church of St. Mary Magdalene, where the King worshipped while in residence at Sandringham, contains several memorials of the Royal Family. iThe Royal couple began their married life at York Cottage, a smaller house within the grounds of Sandringham, and all their children except the eldest were born there. i > —* MOURNING AND FASHION. The first six months of full mourning means that women in Court circles are required to wear complete black emsembles, including black shoes, gloves and ornaments, and little or no jewellery except diamonds.

One departure from, precedent is for the first time it is not compulsory for women to >vear black stockings. These may be gunmetal or some other sombre hue as a concession to modern fashion. The prevailing trend of fashion is uninterrupted, though formal evening dress will he less decollette than ordinarily. Evening coats will he of black velvet, chiffon, heavy crepe de chine or satin. Fur coats will be permissible.

Dozens of London women to-day bought complete outfits of mourning. . The windows in many stores are entirely redressed with black garmdnts. '

After being accustomed for the past 26 years to observing June 3 as a holiday in recognition of the birthday of the late King George, the Empire will for the extent of King Edward’s reign celebrate the King’s birthday on June 23. The new date will make it necessary for a rearrangement of many official and sporting fixtures which have already been included in lists of events. This year June 3 will fall on a Wednesday and June 23 on a Tuesday.