ALEXANDRA GOES TO HER LONG HOME

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2309, 30 November 1925, Page 7

ALEXANDRA GOES TO HER LONG HOME

THE COMMON PEOPLE PAY THE! • > \ LOYAL AND LOVING TRIBUTES WORLD-WIDE MEMORIALS TO THE MEMORY OF GOOD QUEEN MOTHER (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Per Press Association) , (Received Sunday, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 28. Queen Alexandra’s funeral in its way, despite a lack of ordered show and colour, was the tribute of the common people. Perhaps the most abiding of to-day’s sad memories is that from daybreak in chilling winds, through a heavy snow storm, a bitter evening and far into the night, the pilgrimage to the flower-decked Abbey shrine continued. A queue four abreast stretched for two miles away into the thick mist, advancing step by step.

• Women’s Tribute To Good Woman. Many women, unable to endure the cold, fainted. Ambulances were in attendance and kept busy. More man threequarters of the patient waiters were women. By midnight sixty thousand had passed the catafalque, of whom forty thousand were women, mostly middle-aged or elderly, many of them poorly dressed and illequipped to meet the rigours or the bitter weather, London Mantle of White. , London was practically white with sixteen hours of frost and by nine o’clock In the morning tho cloudilecked sky. became an ominous grey, and from the dull canopy came in a thickening fall a white mantle, which gave a gorgeous touch to tho loved Queen’s funeral. The cold literally gnawed into one's bones, yet nobody abandoned a vantage point and few even raised umbrellas. The whole line or tho procession was wedged between masses of the mourning public who derived some warmth from tho density of their packing. They at least were at liberty to move frozen feet but the less fortunate troops stood like snowshrouded statues. Quite a number o t them fainted from sheer cold, and that hundreds of women were similarly affected is not surprising, because crowds of them formed the first line of tho human avenue from soon after dawn. An unceasing vigil had been kept all night at St. James’s by the yeomen of the guard and gentlemen-at-arms. The atmosphere in the tiny chapel wa s heavy with tho fragrance or the white lilies and roses upon the altah The coffin was borne to the gun carriage by a party of Grenadiers, and as they moved with slow and reverent step the Bishop of London recited two short prayers. The Sorrow of a King. King George, sad-faced and careworn, with head bowed, walked immediately behind the casket, and as the coffin was placed on the gun carriage all tho Royal mourners stood at salute. Thou along the snowcovered roads Alexandra was borne to the Abbey, tho snow serving to muffle the sound of footsteps. “All Alone and Very Lonely.” Sir John Foster Fraser, describing the Abbey scene, says he saw Alexandra smiling with grandmotherly delight at Princess Mary’s wedding and constrasted that scene with the one now of the King standing a little way from other men but very near his mother. He never moved or lifted his head but just stood amid the mighty congregation of a nation in mourning bidding the longest of farewells as though he was all alone and very lonely, which Indeed he was. The Prince of Wales stood In wistful sadness behind his father. The three queens meanwhile stood within the altar rails, Mary so heavily shrouded in-mourning that few recognised her when she entered. The superb service was marked ny many manifestations of emotion, but the whole congregation seemed to find voice when the hymn "On the Resurrection Morning,” chosen by the King himself, was sung. When all was over tho King stood a long time beside the coffin before he turned and joined hia sons. When Women Wept. Thg crowd entered the Abbey two abreast and the time allowed was very short, the policemen’s sharp “hurry on, please” being necessary In order to allow all to enter. Often women wept as they bowed and many dropped flowers beneath, and In the shadow of the coffin. Evensong was held in another part of the Abbey, music adding reverence to the people's homage. At a late hour it was arranged that the Abbey be open until six o'clock on Saturday. Upon the Queen’s own-flag bearing the arms of England and Denmark rested blossoms of pink and white forming a cross, while almost covering the chancel rails were wreaths from Europe’s sovereigns. There were great masses of others, but the tributes of the humble found a place also. Globe Girdled With Grief. The newspapers print messages of scenes of inhuming throughout the world. Cities as far apart as Paris and Pakla joined with the Empire

constituting a girdle of grief around tho whole earth. The theatres, cinemas and principal resorts closed for the day, while thousands of people-stood shivering In the cold to catch a glimpse of the procession. Thousands ’ listened to a special commemoration service held at Canterbury Cathedral and broadcasted throughout England. Trainloads) of Flowers. An idea of the quantity of floral tributes is gained from a Paris message reporting an unprecedented shortage of roses, violets and carnations, whole trainloads having been sent to England to meet the enormous demand. Those remaining in Paris were retailed at fifty per cent, above usual prices. The Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden, the Crown Prince of Roumahla, the Priuc? of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York, Princess Mary and Vlsqount Lascelles dined with their Majesties at Buckingham Palace lost evening. The Arrival At Windsor. The arrival of tho motor hearse with Alexandra’s coffin at Henry VIII gate, Windsor, at 8.30 this morning was witnessed by only few passers by, thus showing tho regard for the King’s wish for privacy and a minimum Interruption of business. Their Majesties motored rfom London and entered unobserved on tho Old Windsor side of the castle, upon which the Union Jack flew at the top of the staff, till in accordance with custom the Royal Standard was substituted to denote that the King had arnvecr. The coffin, still bearing the King’s wreath, was taken into the Memorial Chapel, whore, in the presence only of the Royal family and members .of the household, the Dean of Windsor read tho committal prayers ana the choir sang tho Anthem “How. Blest are They” and the hymn ‘Now the Labourer's Task is O'er.” Then the casket was lowered into the tomb where it will remain till the sarcophagus In St. George's Chapel is icady to receive Alexandra’s and Edward’s coffins. Memorials Abroad And At Home. Reports from the Continent state that memorial services were held wherever there was a British community. One of the most touching remembrances on the Continent was a gathering In St. Alban’s Church, Copenhagen, where the Queen, Crown Prince, Royal family, cobinet ministers, and diplomats were present, after which a salute of sixty guns was nred. Almost every hamlet in Britain had its special service simultaneously with the Abbey’s striking ceremony, villagers at East Parish Church Perth were moved by a beautiful rendering of “Ave Maria” and discovered the singer was Tetrazzini, who was a warm friend of the Queen motner. It was noticed that tbe Admiralty flaig in Whitehall alone was not half masted and it is explained the flag is governed by the same regulations as the admiral’s flag at sea and is never lowered day or night except on the death Of the reigning monarch. The King’s Consolation. The King, in a message “To My People,” says: “In my groat sorrow I am helped by the flood of sincere and generous sympathy reaching me from every quarter of the British empire and indeed from all parts of the world. “While I am deeply grateful for these expressions) of goodwill I also rejoice that my beloved mother enjoyed the constant and warm affection of my people. It is such a proof of allegiance to rny throne and family that has given me confidence and strength in the many anxious day s I have liad to face in the past fifteen years." His Last Task. Canon Westlake, who arranged the allotting of, the 3600 seats In the Abbey and participated In the service in the morning as well as at evensong, died from Heart attack at his house in the Cloisters.