Their Majesties Attend Prairie Church

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 132, 7 June 1939, Page 7

Their Majesties Attend Prairie Church

WAYSIDE SETTLEMENTS CHEER ROYAL TRAIN

United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. VANCOUVER, June 5.

The special correspondent of the Australian Associated Press, in a dispatch from Sioux Look-Out, says that their Majesties attended Divine service In a little prairie church to-day. Shortly after crossing the Assiniboine river, which marks the northern limits of the Assiniboine (Stoney) Indians’ territory, the Royal train made an unscheduled stop at the little outpost portage of La Prairie, not far from the ruins of Fort Ellice, an old Hudson’s Bay post. Their Majesties picked their way carefully along a cart-rutted road to the district’s only church, a little weatherboard building, where united Methodist and Presbyterian services are held.

The* service to-day was entirely private but, while their Majesties sat in high-backed pews, congregations all over Canada listened. The sermon was based on Samuel 1., Chapter X., Verse XXIV: “And all the people shouted and said God save the King.” In order to make up time, the Royal pilot train subsequently travelled at 70 miles an hour. Their Majesties travelled in the three provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario during the week-end and were everywhere cheered by crowds which were fantastic considering that the population was often three people to the square mile. Settlers from the Hudson Bay area travelled days on the off chance of catching a glimpse of their Majesties. The crowd at Sioux LookOut to-night included children brought from the northern woods by aeroplane. Others came down the river in barges. Hundreds had not seen a train before, let alone Royalty. Mr Jack Hammell, a pioneer prospector, presented their Majesties with two gold nuggets. The King and Queen are due at Windsor (Ontario) across tho Detroit River to-morrow. KING AND QUEEN WILL VISIT BELGIUM Received Tuesday, 9.20 p.m. LONDON, June 5. The Brussels correspondent of The Times says their Majesties have accepted King Leopold’s invitation to visit Brussels in October. The date has not been fixed.