MOVING SCENES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22351, 24 February 1936, Page 12

MOVING SCENES

SAILOR KING'S BURIAL LAST RITES AT WINDSOR SUCCESSOR'S SAD FILIAL DUTY [l'ltOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT] By Air Mail LONDON, Feb. 1 In the new Royal vault beneath the Chancel of St. George's Chapel, Windsor, now rest the earthly remains of King George V., near to his parents— King Edward VII. and Queen Alexandra —and his brother, the Duke of Clarence. St. George's was a favourite place Of worship of tho late King as well as being the home of tho Most Noble Order of the Garter. Those assembled in the chapel for tho committal service were first made aware of the approach of the cortege by the distant throb of the drums outside. The escort and the band inarched"past the west door and the bluejackets drawing the gun-carriage came to a halt directly before it. A few moments more and the'coffin, still surrounded by the Insignia of Crown and Orb, was borne up the steps. Immediately behind walked King Edward with Queen Mary, and behind them again the Royal Princes and the mourners in due order as prescribed by precedence. The choir moved forward at the head of the procession, singing, without music, the moving and uplifting sentences to Croft's music, "I Am the Resurrection and the Life," saith the Lord," and "I know that my Redeemer liveth." People who could see the new King were struck by his set face from which all the boyish and nervous glow of the Prince of Wales had vanished in a few brief days, and by Queen Mary, erect, stately and infinitely sad. Slowly, clergy and choir mounted the Chancel steps, slowly the choir swyng to the right inside the Chancel, and slowly tho bearers placed the coffin on the purplecovered bier at the foot of the steps loading to the Sacrarium. There followed a pause, while the eight guardsmen bearers, lifting the Crown, Orb, and Sceptre, carried them to the small dais prepared on the left of the altar steps. Queen Mary's Composure The Queen walked with a closelyrolled umbrella in her right hand, but without support. Slowly she moved forward, keeping pace with the King. Behind them were King Haakon and Queen Maud of Norway, with the three Royal Dukes at the back. King Edward and his mother stood motionless behind tho coffin. Behind them, right to the west doors, stood the long line of Kings, Presidents, Princes, and leaders of nations. Suddenly the choir, whose exquisite unaccompanied singing was heard far beyond the confines of St. George's Chapel, broke into the Psalm of comfort, "The Lord Is My Shepherd," set by Sir Walford Davies. As the last note died away the Bishop of Winchester moved to the foot of the coffin, and in a clear voice read the lesson from Revelation, with its solemn assurance "there shall be no more death." Again the choir took • up the service with the King's favourite hymn, "Abide With Me." King Edward's Last Acts Now that the moment of final farewell had come, Colonel G. E. C. Rasch stepped forward and handed to King Edward a company colour of the Grenadier Guards. The King took it and spread it with care upon the coffin, smoothing a slight fold as he did so. On it were laid four wreaths — Queen Mary's red and white carnations, a circlet of white carnations, chrysanthemums, and lilies, from King Edward, pink and white carnations from the King and Queen of Norway, and white carnations and lilies of the valley from King Edward's brothers, sister, and brother-in-law. Then the deep tones of the Archbishop of Canterbury uttered a reminder of the frailty of man, which precedes committal of the body to the earth. While all hearts were wrung for the new King at that moment, the Archbishop of Canterbury pronounced the committal, "Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust," but. "in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life. ' Earth Sprinkled on Coffin Slowly, the coffin began to sink beneath the floor of the chapel into the vault below, travelling on a handpropelled lift. Sir Derek Keppel approached the King and tendered a burnished silver bowl. King Edward took from it a little earth brought from the Royal burial ground at Frogmore. While the archbishop's voice continued, "Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of His great mercy to take unto Himself the soul of our dead Brother here departed . . . the King slowly, sadly, sprinkled his father's coffin with the earth. Each movement he made was careful and measured. After he had thrown the earth, he remained for a fraction of a second with his arm outflung aßove the coffin. Soon the coffin, with its burden of flowers, their blooms quivering slightly in the descent, reached the floor level. An instant more and it was invisible.

The Sailor King had gone to his last resting place.