THE ROYAL FUNERAL.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13167, 28 January 1936, Page 5

THE ROYAL FUNERAL.

KINC AND BROTHERS INTEND WALKING.

FIVE KINGS TO ATTEND LAST RITES.

United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, January 26

it is officially stated that whatever the weather, King Edward and his brothers will walk in the funeral procession on Tuesday. The King will wear a naval uniform. Queen Mary, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Duke and Duchess of Kent, the Princess Royal and Ear! of Harewood and their two sons, the King and Q ueen of Norway will attend a service at the private chapel at B uckingham Palace. King Edward will remain at Fort Belvedere and is not expected to return to town until to-morrow. In the meantime, a special service of motor-cycle d ispatch riders has been organised between the Palace and Fort Belvedere.

RELENTLESS HUMAN. CURRENT

FIVE KINGS AT FUNERAL. LONDON. January 26. London has never witnessed anything equalling Sundays tremendous human current relentlessly setting towards the Hall of Rufus, where, in all the loneliness of Kingship, lie the remains of King George V. Five kings will attend funeral : King Haakon of Norway King Leopold ol Belgium, King Cliristiaai •<»( Denmark, King Carol of Rumania, and King Boris of Bulgaria. Upon nis coffin, when it is lowered into the vault of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, King Edward VIII., “to whom he leaves the sceptre and the isle,” will cast a handful »»f English earth. The ex-Kaiser, who is celebrating his 77th birthday on January 27 with the greatest simplicity, in view of the British mourning, is sending a wreath of 500 golden Dutch tulips and arum lilies, with white ribbon attached, bearing, his wife’s and his initials. It is to be carried by Frederick, liis grandson. The Emperor of Japan’s wreath consists of 500 white carnations and orchids, with a ribbon of red and white. The final details of the funeral arrangements were personally settled by King Edward, who motored, tired as he was, from Fort Belvedere to Windsor, in which already uncomfortable and congested seats are selling at £6 6s apiece. Prince Peter of Greece and Rumanian and Greek Ministers attended the Greek Cathedral at St. Hophia Church. Bayswater. the interior of which was draped with black. The German Ambassador Hocseh and members of the Embassy Staff attended Ghristus Kirehe, Montpelior Place.

CLOSED HALL ANGERS CROWD. LONDON, January 27. The closing of Westminster Hall at 3.40 a.m. after the announcement that it would be open until 6 a.m. caused almost angry scenes owing to the disappointment of many people expecting to pass the catafalque with the minimum of delay in the early morning. The newcomers included several who specially motored long distances and others from the provinces who bad originally abandoned the queue to rest before going home on the early trains.

The police when the pressure grow linked arms to prevent approach to the door. A police inspector, replying to repeated appeals, declared that the doors were closed from the inside and he was not responsible.

Eventually some women and several men at 5 a.m. walked in procession to 10 Downing Street to urge Mr Baldwin to countermand the closing. The porter refused to arouse the Premier, pointing out that the Office of Works was controlling the arrangements. It is understood the ball was closed to enable the cleansing of the carpets which had become muddy by the passage of thousands of people. ERIN REMAINS ALOOF. LON J)0 N, J a nun ry 27. The Times’ Dublin correspondent says it is increasingly evident that

the Free State does not intend to participate in the Royal funeral in any way implying loyalty either to the Crown or "the Commonwealth of Nations. Even whether Mr Dulanty (High Commissioner in London) will represent the Government in the London ceremonies is not yet announced. Meanwhile, although 70 members of the Irish Bar sent a message of sympathy to Kind Edward, other members pointed out that the message was entirely private and must not be regarded as an expression of corporate feeling. The Chief Justice also explains that the suspensions of the sittings of the Supreme Court on Tuesday was due to a request by barristers desiring to attend church services. HALF A MILLION PASS BY. LONDON, January 27. The great queue ended at 3.40 a.m. by which time 306,685 mourners had entered the hall, making a total of 568,385 since the lying-in-state began. The doors were closed immediately the last queue passed in although people were still arriving. They complained they had been told the hall would be open until 6 a.m., but when refused admittance they immediately queued up to await the re-opening. CLOCK-WORK PREPA R ATIOXS. LONDON, January 26. As the day of the supreme Royal obsequies approaches, the realisation of the extent of the world-wide mourning penetrates every heart. The impressive preparations go steadily on, assuring perfection in every detail.

The majestic ceremonial of lowering the Royal coffin from the chancel steps into the vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor at 1.30 p.m. (G.M.T.) on Tuesday will coincide with the beginning of a two minutes’ silence throughout the Empire, enabling millions to participate in the crucial moment of the burial service. This necessitates exact timing of the funeral procession, for which reason the Earl Marshall and officials have supervised rehearsals at Windsor, achieving com pi ete sync hro n i sation. Through. an adjustment, the musical service can be made to ensure coincident silence with the actual burial. The procession over the entire route ill which troops will participate will be rehearsed on Monday in order that the actual observance may be carried out without a flaw in accordance with the impressive British tradition.

The funeral procession, of which sections will earlier take up their positions at various points adjacent to the route, will finally be marshalled at- 9 a.m. It starts at a wireless signal at 9.45, arriving at Paddington at 11.45. All the armed forces of the Crown, including the Dominions’ Air Forces and Navies, will be represented. All troops will be dismounted, marching at slow time to solemn music with reversed arms. A bearer party of the King s Company of Grenadier Guards will march on each side of the naval gun team drawing the coffin. The Earl Marshal precedes it, the Royal Standard of England follows, then come King Edward, the Royal Family, foreign Royalties. Queen Mary, and the Court ladies in carriages.