THE NEW RULER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 45, 22 January 1936, Page 8

THE NEW RULER

ARRIVAL IN LONDON. RECEPTION AT PALACE. MOURNING PROCEDURE. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received January 22, 10 a.m. LONDON, Jan. 21. King Edward’s first public action was to order nine months’ Court mourning “from this day for His Late Most Gracious Majesty King George V, of blessed memory. The Court is to change to half-mourning on July 21 and go out of mourning on ©ctober 21.”

When King Edward VII died it' was intimated that the public, were expected “to put themselves into decent mourning.” A similar announcement is expected to-dnv. Mourning for men consists of a black tie and/or black armlet. Women may wear black, black and white, grey- or mauve. Only half-a-dozen policemen, two guardsmen, and the sentry on duty saw the King return to St. James’s Palace. As the car drew up the policeman hurried to open the door. The King, hatless, stepped out briskly and walked to the Palace, where Sir Godfrey Thomas received him. A small group of people witnessed the King’s arrival at Hendon aerodrome. Men silently raised their lmts and women curtsied. •Only a few workers on the Royal estate saw the King and the Duke of York leave Sandringham. Roth were wearing black overcoats and bowler lmts, and looked very serious. The King raised his hat in acknowledgement of the greetings as he entered his car on route to tlie aerodrome, from which he made history as the first King of England to travel by air. He carried with him draft plans for his father’s, funeral, drawn up in consultation with Queen Mary, ' and submitted them to a conference with the Earl Marshal. Lord Chamberlain, and chiefs of the fighting services, after which the announcement was made regarding Court mourning. THE ROYAL COFFIN.

The King will eventually lie in a coffin fashioned from trees cut on the Sandringham estate and made in the estate workshop. It will be taken to London on Tliursdav. escorted to Wolferton station by the Grenadier Guards, a platoon of whom, wearing grey overcoats and crepe bands, departed from London this morning. A battery of the Royal Horse Artillery will go to Sandringham to-morrow with a gun carriage to bring the coffin to London. It is expected that King George’s final resting place will be in the Roval Tomb at Windsor Castle, close to the graves of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. FATHER OF HIS FAMILY. 0 THE KING WE REALLY KNEW. BROADCASTS TO EMPIRE. The Empire mourns to-day not only a gracious Sovereign, but one who, as he best liked to be regarded, was the temporal father of the British Family. Probably no King in the whole of the world’s history held the affectionate regard of so many loyal subpects as did his late Majesty King George V—he was loved the Empire round for the charm and dignity of his personality as he, himself, impinged it upon the hearts of his people, chiefly through the unique radio broadcasts which had taken place since Christmas Day, 1932, and of which the last took place less than a month ago. The millions who have heard the voice of His Majesty at their own firesides will hold the experience as a treasured memory and regard liis passing as that of one to whom they were hound by the intangible ties of friendship. At 3 o’clock on the morning of Boxing Day, 1932—it was 3 o’clock in the afternoon of Christmas Day at Home—the Empire first heard His Majesty, when he spoke into the silver microphone in the drawing room at Sandringham . House. Speaking in "homely tones, the King said that wireless seemed to be a good omen for the Empire being linked to a closer union. “My aim lias been to serve. ■ . I am speaking from my home and from my -heart,” he declared as he greeted liis subjects and sought Divine Blessing upon them. In 1933 tlie nation was showing a measure of progress towards recovery. “A closer understanding of the problems as between ourselves” had been attained, and “problems which in the past might have raised long discussions were more and more meeting with rapid solution.” Characteristically, His Majesty urged his subjects to practise “goodwill to all people—that quality on which are founded nations and on which personal lives are laid. Jn the long run we can overcome most things that may he boating against us.” His Majesty in 1934 had witnessed a supreme manifestation of goodwill in London on the occasion of the marriage of Prince George (Duke of Kent).

“My prayer and hope is that this same spirit will become even stronger. The Avorld is still restless, but the trouble clouds are lilting. We still have our own anxieties and it Ave will meet them in the spirit of one family Ave shall overcome them. As I sit in my oivn home I

am thinking of your multitudes listening to my voice. To you all, and especially to vour children, 1 wish a Happy Christmas. . . • God bless you all,” His Majesty said. THE LAST. MESSAGE.

Less than a month ago, in a Christmas broadcast entitled “This Great Family,” King George spoke to his people for the last time in a message when he himself declared to he “very simple, but spoken from tho heart.” Those who had heard his previous broadcasts detected in his cough the indication that His Majesty’s health was not perfect—but little did the Empire dream that when tlie circuit Avas broken with the silver microphone at the conclusion of his address the King, by his devotion and affection, had more greatly impaired his health.

“Nor could I fail to respond., to the link betivccn me and my people, which I value more than I can say. I feel ibis link as I speak to you,” said the King. “I mean not so much tlie Empire alone, but as individual men, women, and children dwelling both at homo and in tlie more distant parts. . . It is good to knoAv that our family of people is united in one desire—to live at peace with other nations, the friend of all, the enemy of none. May the spirit of goodwill and mutual _ helpfulness spread and groAV. . . 1 give a Christmas message of hope and cheer. Let us prove in ourselves the quality of enduring. . . I send you all, and not least the children, my truest Christmas wishes, with those of my dear wife, children and grandchildren, adding the heartfelt prayer that wherever you are God my bless and keep you always.” *

These were the last words to his people that King George delivered.