THE PROCESSION AT WINDSOR.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13168, 29 January 1936, Page 6

THE PROCESSION AT WINDSOR.

SECOND EDITION

THE KING LOOKED HAGGARD. MLS UNJ'EH ST AND IN G OV ER SILENCE (Received 13.1-5 a ill.) United Press Assn.—By Electric Teleg L-aph—Copyright. L'lNl'ON .1 ami ary 28 The head of the procession arrived 35 minutes late and slowly filed through the station which was h.isliicl except for the tramp o* maiching men ixntil the Royal Artillery band halted at the foot of the platform and played the coffin to it s place beside the train The King, his brother, and other leading mourner? farmed a line from tbs gun carriage to tin. railway coach and the Queen and ladies took positions opposite then forming an aisle along which the Grenadiers reverently eat tied the ( oifin. W hen they lai ! it inside the coach the Ring looked carefully into the darkened interior, then, satisfied that all was well, escorted the Queen and his sister-in-law to their compartments. The Guard waved a flag and the train drew slowly from the platform while the massed pipers played the Highland dirge “Flowers of the Forest.” Within a few moments the train rounded the sweeping curve and was lost to view. Many eyes were dimmed with tears as they realised that their beloved King had left the capital of the Empire for the last time. SORROW AT W INDSOR. ■ (Received 11.20 a.m.) LONDON. January 28. The deep booming of the great Sebastopol Bill reverberated through the countryside as the funeral train drew into the platform, of Windsor station. The old town has never seen such crowds as gathered from, far and wide to pay their last homage to the beloved sovereign who had adopted the name of Windsor for his f&anilv. She green slopes beneath the grey walls' of the castle afforded a superb view of the magnificent cortege winding its slow way up the hill from the station. The streets were draped with purple and black and the sorrow seemed, if indeed it were possible, deeper even than at London, as, like the villagers of Sandringham, the inhabitants of the small town, of, Windsor came to know the Royal Family well ancl to regard them, as jiersonal friends. SIGNS OF DEEPEST HOMAGE. (Reecived 11.20 a.m.) LONDON January 28. Inside the gates - I the castle the great part of the route wa« lined by members and officers of- training corps from schools and universities including Oxford.. Cambridge and Eton. On the way to Windsor the funeral train everywhere met signs of deepest homage. Every sta non was crowded with people standing in silent reverence and every building displayed flags at half nil*. The great shunting yards normally noisy with activity were deserted. The cortege moved from Windsor at 1.15 and the leading escort were Guardsmen in long red cloaks The sun glittered on the helmets and drawn swords and the Sebastopol Bell continued tolling colemnly 101 times. The booming of guns marked the passage ot the minutes. MISU NDER ST AND TNG OVE R SILENCE. (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON. January 28. The late arrival of the procession led to a misunderstanding concerning the two minutes silence which was arranged to synchronise with, the actual moment then coffin was lowered into the vaults. Th e guns continued and no signal was received that fhe silence was begun and the officers commanding the Guardsmen lining the route were forced to make a, quick decision and sharply ordered the men to attention The crowds correctly interpreted this as a sign that the silence had begun and reverently observed it while the procession continued its way to the castle. A number, however, were not aware that the period of slienco had THE KING LOOKED HAGGARD. (Received 1 1 id a.m.) LONDON. January 23. Ihe King looked haggard as he walked with his hands clasped and bowed head His boots were stained with mud and no one could fail to lie impressed with the pathos of the scene. The cortege entered through the George TV. gateway of the, castle which is steeped with age-old tradition crossed, the great quadrangle near the State apartments where King George had entertained so many Ascot Parties thence passed round the Tower where- Edward ITI. founded the Order of the- Garter m 1349. When the gun carriage drew up to the. steps at St. George’s Chapel two bosuns and eight bosun., mates piped the “Admiral Ovei The Side.” The Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Bishop of Winchester and Dean of Windsor stood by to receive the coffin as it was borne across tin- threshold. The bosuns pipes spread the tidings “Admiral is aboard,” and the faces of many of the Naval officers twitched with emotion at the simple intimation that the King and Admiral was at last at rest. IN ST. GEORGE’S CHAPEL. (Received 12 noon.) LONDON January 28. The Navy’s duty done the Church receive-! ti, r . ceffin which was borne through the Nave past rows of great personages.

King Edward, limping slightly, looked neither to left nor right, except for an occasional glance at his mother who, white-faced but composed, walked on his- right hand. Behind them came the King and Queen of Norway, then the Dukes of York. Kent and Gloucester, followed by Princess Elizabeth between the Duchesses of York and Gloucester. George’s grandsons walked with the Princess Royal. Both were wearing Tartan kiits in which their grandfather loyecf to see them. The Foreign Kings, Princes and Statesmen followed in close procession which filled the whole Nave. ■ The coffin whs reverently lowered. The gold Bier, and the Royal Standard with the Imperial Crown. Orb and Sceptre was lifted off disclosing bare wood covered with pure white wreaths. The King took up his position at the head of the coffin facing the alta r and th e Q ueen at his righ t. The Royal Family grouped behind them standing motionless as the choir began the hymn “The Lord Is my Shepherd.” (Received 12.30 afm.) LONDON. January 28. The King glanced now and again lit tlie high fan roof blazoned with badges of bygone Knigs- and Knights and his eye travelled along the stalls of the Knights of the- Garter. The Queen was motionless with bowed head not shewing signs of her great grief. -She was Queenly magnificent in her restraint. It was on the Queen's instructions that King George’s favourite hymn “Abide With Me” was included in the service. So the service proceeded until the gentle voice of the Ai eh bis hep of Canterbury, clad in a cape of dark purple and silver, intoned “in the midst of life we are in death.” The King moved forward touching his mother's arm and every heart seemed to stop beating. Ail officer of the Grenadier Guards stepped forward and offered the King a silver casket from which he took earth from the consecrated ground of the Royal burial place at Erogmore, and sprinkled it upon the coffin. Slowly, silently the coir in began to sink and the King stepped back. Mother and son smiled at each other as though in comfort. Iron though the Queen's self-control was she was net allowed to stand alone while her soil was scattering earth, as the Queen of Norway moved up tc her side until her son rejoined her. The Archbishop of York prayed for the spirit of the dead King and then with a touch of mediaeval pagentry. the Garter Principal King of Arms pronounced for the last time on earth King George's sonorous titles. When the last echo died he acclaimed the new sovereign. Lord Edward VIII., concluding with *'God Save The King.’ The service was now almost ended and the choir sang the song of St. Francis “Good Be Jn My Head.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury pronounced the benediction slowly and reverently and the King escorted his mother followed by the rest of the Royal Family into the sunlight Behind rested the remains of George V. On the coffin were the colours of the Grenadier Guards and four wreaths-—King Edward's circlet of white flowers, a cross of white and crimson carnations freji. the Queen and tributes from. King George's

other children and from the King and Queen of Norway. The congregation reverently lowered their eyes as they passed the vault and they too. filed ipto the sunshine away from the last resting place of the monarch loved by bis people and honoured bv the whole world