CAME THE SUN.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13168, 29 January 1936, Page 5

CAME THE SUN.

I,OXI H>N, January 28. The sun broke through the heavy mass of clouds as George V. started his last journey from the historic hall in Westminster. A solemn silence lell on the waiting crowds broken only by the tolling ot Big Ben and the distant boom ol' the minute guns. The troops and naval ratings along the entire route reversed arms and stood with bowed heads. At the first beat of the muffled drums the enormous cortege moved slowly forward. Every head in the crowd was bared while orders flashed from the leaders of the procession over a mile away.

Ricked men of the Grenadier Guards bore the coffin from Westminster Hall into the place in the yard where the Kings and statesmen of Europe were assembled. The coffin was still draped with the Royal Standard which covered it at Sandringham. The frown, orb. spectre and insignia of the Garter lay along its length, yet the beauty of the Queen’s cross of red and white flowers seemed more striking than all the jewels of England. A KING AND HIS MOTHER. Behind the coffin came the King with his mother. His features were set and his face pale. He stood at the salute while the guardsmen placed the coffin on the gun carriage. The Queen was motionless with eyes downcast. A little to the rear stood the Queen of Norway, the Princess Royal, the Duchess of York aucl then the three Royal brothers at the salute like the King. Neither the King nor his brothers moved until the Queen was seated in her carriage. Then his Majesty turned on his heel and took up a position behind the lloyal standard-bearer. His brothers formed in rank two yards behind after which came the foreign Kings and Princes re splendent in gorgeous uniforms, perhaps the most conspicuous being King Zeid of Iraq in a. white headdress and gold and brown robes. The solemn strains of Handel’s “Funeral March,*’ played by the massed bands of the Guards heralded the procession’s entry into Whitehall. Wireless signals ensured that the foremost section was simultaneously moving up St. James street. As it passed the Cenotaph the King paid homage to the* Empire’s dead, his right arm sweeping round with palm outward in the naval salute His lips were pressed tightly together and his head was erect. WIDOWED QUEEN’S R EG A L BEARING. Every woman in the vast crowd leaned forward to sec tlic Queen,

murmur of sympathy greeting the passing coach wherein Queen Mary sat erect looking straight before her with that regal bearing which she has not lost for a single moment during her great sorrow. After the Queen with the Duchess of York and the Princess Royal the crowd watched with respectful attention the seemingly endless cavalcade of illustrious men and women, many of whom were known throughout the world.

Sir James Parr represented New Zealand in the procession and also at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

•Seven carriages bore the Royal and other ladies after which came the members of King George’s household, members of foreign delegations and foreign Army, Navy and Air Force attaches, brilliantly uniformed. The police escorts and Royal Horse Guards wound up the procession.

Meanwhile the foremost sections were entering Piccadilly. Every branch of the fighting forces, among which were detachments from the Dominions, was represented. Field Marshals, Admirals of the Fleet, Air Marshals, the entire Army and Air Councils and the Board of Admiralty were conspicuous figures. The Royal servants watched the cortege from the low roof of Marlborough House.

The melancholy swirl of the pipes was heard faintly in the distance as the coffin passed up St. James street into Piccadilly. The King still walked with a firm step with head bowed.

The high-pitched lament of the ’massed pipers suddenly changed to the grave beauty of the Skye folk song, “Carry Bory Born be King,” and the thoughts of the crowd flew to the slim and lonely figure of Edward \ 111. Non© of his subjects ever before had seen bis face so grave as though not merely luourning the loss of a beloved father but conscious of the solitude imposed by the burdens of kingship.

BIG BEN STARTS PROCESSION. The obsequies were heralded by the boom of Bag Ben, which was tolled <0 times at intervals of a minute as a passing bell, it was the first time it was thus tolled since the funeral of King Edward. Its .strokes synchronised with the salute of 70 guns fired by the Royal Horse Artillery in St. James’ Park. Among them irarched representative's of nearly 30 famous regiments and corps—foot, horse and guns—of which King George was Colonel-in Chief. Ihe Navy and Air Force were also represented. Many bands marched in the procession but much of the music was supplied by the combined pij>e bands of the Scottish regiments with which King George was connected. These immediately preceded the coffin, playing laments, including “Flowers of the Forest. which was King ‘George’s favourite air.

The final rites occupied four hours from the time the cortege moved from Westminster Hall at 9.45 a.m. The procession passed before the cenotaph, thence through the Horse Guards’ parade past Marlborough House, then St. James street to Piccadilly and Hyde Park corner, which Was* reached at 10.45 10,42 a,m. Thus the coffin traversed thoroughfares along which King George frequently drove on State occasions, and many which saw the triumph of his jubilee and birthday processions. The cortege then entered Hyde Park and passed along Edward road and arrived at 11.45 a.m. at Paddington, which was also draped in black and purple. A SCENE OF SPLENDOUR. Early in the procession walked officers representing foreign navies, armies and air forces, many leaders of British fighting services, including Sir John Salmon. Field Marshals Sir Philip Chetwode, Lord Milne, the Earl of Cavan and Sir Claude Jacob, Admirals Earl Beatty, Sir Roger Keyes, -53 of King George's aides-de-camp, 16 commandants of his Royal regiments, representatives of the merchant navy. The youthful Catholic Duke of Norfolk, the hereditary Earl Marshal, who was responsible for the arrangements for the procession and funeral, clad in his scarlet uniform of office, headed the immediate 1 unera l cortege. He was followed by captains of the Gentlemen at Arms, the King’s Bodyguard and Yeomen ol the Guard in their historic char-

acteristic* uniiorms. Alter them marched Field-Marshal Sir William Bird wood, as Goldst-ick-in-Waiting, then the King's personal servants.

Then, contrasting with the blue, gold and scarlet, the waving plumes and shining helmets of the Royal officers appeared the plain dark blue* of the naval gun team drawing the gun carriage, flanked by the bearer party of tall Grenadiers and a quadruple rank of his Majesty’s equerries.

The coffin was covered with the Standard, on which were the I mpeTrrrt— n and regalia, the King’s, QueefT'~Mii£v’s and the Duke of York’s wroathsUGAfter that was borne a crepe-draped Royal Standard and then King Edward walking alone, followed by the Duke of Kent, the Duke of York and the Duke of Gloucester walking abreast, after whom were the principal Royal male mourners, English and foreign, in-t-hiding five kings, 23 princes, whose varied uniforms, head-dresses and glittering orders recalled courts of almost the whole of Europe and many of Asia.

Queen Mary was accompanied by Queen Maud, the Princess Royal and representatives of 35 foreign Powers, followed by Indian princes, the Dominions’ High Commissioners and finally seven carriages containing Royal ladies and their suites, followe 1 in turn by the Lords-in - Waiting of the Kiiig's and King George’s household and another host of foreign ministers.