A ROYAL VISITOR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22024, 5 August 1933, Page 17

A ROYAL VISITOR

KING FEISAL IN LONDON CITY HOSPITALITY. (From Oue Own Correspondent.) LONDON, June 23. Ex-Kings are not infrequent visitors to London, but during the past week London has had a reigning monarch 1 as a guest. King Feisal, who arrived from Ostcnd, was met at Dover; by the Duke of York. Destroyers accompanied the Irak King across the Channel. King George welcorned his royal visitor at Victoria Station, and drove with- him in state to Buckingham Palace, An hour after ms arrival at the Palace, King Feisal and hia suite left in motor cars to lay a wreath of Flanders poppies on the tomb -of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey. The wreath bore the inscription, “From H.M. King Feisal, in honoured memory of his comrades-in-arms in the Great War. The simple ceremony, at the wish of King Feisal, was informal. Visits were afterwards made to members of. the royal family, and then Ins Majesty proceeded to St. James’s Palace, where he received addresses of welcome from deputations representing the London County Council and the City of Westminster. , _ In the evening the King and Queen gave a State banquet at Buckingham Palace in honour of their guest.- A guard of the King’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard was on duty.. After the banquet the King proposed the health of his guest, and King Feisal replied. ENLIGHTENED RULE. In 1 the course of his speech. King George 8E ‘‘ d i need not assure your Majesty of the close and sympathetic interest with which I have watched the brilliant advance made by Irak under your Majesty s enlightened rule, and it is a pleasure to me to feel that your country’s progress has been sustained and assisted during the last 1/ years by the friendly co-operation of our respective Governments. It is my earnest hope, as I know it to be the wish of your Majesty, that these close and fruitful relations will be maintained and strengthened in the future, to the enduring advantage of both countries.” Replying, the King of Irak said: “I am happy to have this opportunity to express to your Majesty my owm gratitude and the gratitude of the Iraqui nation for the sympathy which your Majesty has always shown for the welfare of my country, and also to voice my high appreciation of the valuable guidance and assistance which, during the past decade, my country has constantly received from your Majesty s representatives in Irak. . , . “It gives me special pleasure to assure your Majesty of the sincere friendship of the people ,of Irak for the people of Great Britain, and I am confident that this friendship will strengthen and deepen with the passage of time.”

GUILDHALL LUNCHEON. On the following day the visiting king drove in state from the palace to the city of London. He was received at Guildhall by the Lord Mayor, and at a Court of Common Council he was presented with an address of welcome. Atter the ceremony he was entertained at luncheon. ' Tr . „ . , During his visit to the city King FeisaJ gave every evidence of his deep appreciation of the warmth of London’s welcome. The reception in the library was a scene of rich colour —a scene such as no other capital can furnish. The pictuje was made up of the uniforms of the fighting services, the levee dress ot Cabinet Ministers and others, the varied uniforms of the Irak suite, and the robes of the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and counCll Among the guests was Sir Thomas. Wilford. A great compliment was paid to New Zealand when the High Commissioner was announced. Sir Thomas, of course, is not known in the city, bdt as representative of the Dominion he received very hearty applause as he made his way from the announcer to the Lord Mayor.

ONE OF THE HIGHEST VIRTUES. King Feisal, replying to bis toast, said: “ It is a very great privilege and pleasure for me to be received to-day as an honoured guest by the Lord Mayor and Corporation of this great and histone City of London, whose prince y hospitality is justly famous throughout the world. . , , “Among the Arabs. he continued, “hospitality is esteemed as one of the highest virtues, and if this estimate of its moral value be well founded, then assuredly the City of London must be counted one of the most virtuous ns well as one of the richest cities of the world; a combination of qualities which is as rare, perhaps, as that union of thrift and enterprise which has always been the characteristic of the great merchants of this city. You have referred,* my Lord Mayor, to the friendship of the people of Great Britain for the people of Irak, and I am happy to be able to assure you that my people in Irak most cordially reciprocate this good will. — (Cheers.) This friendship between the two countries was born out of common sacrifices and has been nourished by the rapid development of mutual interests, “My country has received much help in the past from Great Britain, and looks confidently for further help in the future, and 1 know that she will not look in vain. We need your help to develop the vast latent resources of our country, and the City of London, the birthplace of so many merchant adventurers, has never failed to appreciate the opportunities which are open to enterprise in distant lands—(Cheers.)

“The nations of the world are now gathered together in London to seek remedies for their economic ills, and 1 am confident that they will succeed. I am sure, too, that, with the co-operation of tlie city. Iraq will be able to make her own contribution to that restoration of commercial prosperity which we all so urgently desire. It is in this spirit of optimism that I raise my glass to drink to the good health and happiness of the Lord Mayor and Corporation and to the glory and prosperity of the wonderful Cits' of London.”—(Cheers.)