THE KING'S REVIEW.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11129, 31 July 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE KING'S REVIEW.

20,000 TROOPS,

STIRRING SPECTACLE. <

INCIDENTS OF THE MARCHPAST.

VAST CROWD OF SIGHTSEERS. LONDON, June 15. Yesterday's great review at Aldershot in honor of the visit of the King. and Queen of Denmark was a brilliant sucsess that even the inclement weather failed to spoil. King Edward, who was accompanied by the Queen, drove with I his royal guests from Farnborough to Laffan's Plain, and watched the march- ! past from a royal pavilion. • A brilliant state ball was given at Buckingham Palace last night. THE MILITARY EVENT OF THE YEAR. On the mile-long stretch of Laffan's I Plain, Aldershot, 20,000 soldiers waited ' yesterday afternoon. There were black ' patches in this scarlet line where rifle . regiments stood at ease, and patches of 1 glittering light Where the fleeting sun • caught the cuirasses of the Ljfe Guards, and kaleidoscopic patches where the Lan- ■ cers eat. I The royal review in honor of the visit of the King and Queen of Denmark was the military event of the year, and for many hours before the royal party was ! ! due the roads leading to the Plain were filled with every kind of vehicle conveying spectators to the scene. Special trains were run from London, the streets I of tbe soldiers' town were thronged with ! sightseers, and the scene upon the re- | view ground resembled a crowded corner I of- Epsom Downs on Derby Day. I To meet the coming of tne guests from- ■ London' every kind of "conveyance was 'pressed into use by the military authorij ties. Brakes, chars-a-bancs, flies, and. an ominous, " queue of ambulance waggons were drawn up in the station yard. Train di ter train discharged their brilliant, passengers. Officers of every branch ; of the Navy and Army, Indian officers gorgeously equipped and armed, foreign | military attaches in strange uniforms — ; their horses awaited them and they formi ed of themselves a brilliant little caval- ,! cade.' Specially reserved enclosures had ; been roped off in the vicinityof the raised ; position at the saluting base, and one i curious feature was the "diplomats' 'tent." • i Before the arrival of the royal party | a fierce storm of wind and rain swept across the Plain, drenching the shelterless soldiers and veiling them—so heavy was the : downpour— from view. Punctually at: a quarter past three the heavy guns stationed on Coves Plateau thundered the royal salute, and a few minutes 'later General Sir John French cantered on to the .field and took up his position at the head of his troops" Then/in thv midst of; a slow moving escort/ the royal procession came'- into View. Gpntrary to expectation, King Edward and .King; Frederick were in state carriages. The, Prince of Wales, in the uniform of a British' General, and. the Duke of Connaught rode among the escort. A roar of cheering from the spectators greeted the "'breaking" of the Danish 'and British flags at the - saluting base', and as their Majesties^stepped upon the dais tlie. massed bands played the Danish Hymn. .Only the faintest -strains of 'the bands* -came -back to the royal j party, for the win^vas blowing strongly in.the opposite direction. THE BRAINS OF THE ARMY. King Edward, who looked extremely well, was wearing the bearskin of. .the Guards, anil had , put on a grey military ■• .greatcoat over his uniform. X- The royal salute given, the troops ; formed for the march-past, and with a I flourish of trumpets the massed bands of the Household Cavalry moved up to the saluting point. Then the march-past began, headed., by the general staff, a strung-out procession of mounted officers, the brains of the Army, adjutants-gene-ral, quarter-master-general, members .of the administrative staff. Then* tanned as, ever j and growing 'grey, Sir John French, riding alone, passed and saluted. The staff of the Cavalry Division passed next, then came a solid wall of the • Royal Horse Artillery, riding knee to knee. No regiment has a finer appearance on the fieTd-thjin this, whom the Czar; Nicholas described as "The Right of the line, th* Terror of the. world, and the, Pride of. the British Army. " With blue uniform, their short shell jackets ribbed with gold or yellow braid, they made an imposing picture. "Their line was perfect, and the wheels of their new quick-firing guns seemed strung on one axle. In turn the three regiments of Household Cavalry 'advanced, and were followed by the men of the Ist Cavalry Brigade. Lancers in scarlet and blue, and Lancers in blue and scarlet, and Lancers -with their pretty French grey 'facings— this was the 21st, who charged at Omdurman "-^-every squadron made a straight avenue of fluttering pennons as they saluted the two Kings. Then came something in the nature of • a shock; The Lancers "had gone by — splendidly fitted, with skin-tight tunics and riding breeches, relics of those magnificent days of war when cavalrymen in review order charged the enemy. At' their heels was another mounted regii ment. Plainly dressed to a point of dulhess, with never a standard or ensign to 'distinguish them, with plain yellow slouch hats in place of busby, and a puck. ! ering cartridge belt about their shoulders, the Mounted Infantry came past; Rifle on hip,,, the lines of businesslike soldier men walked their wiry little horses past ' the pavilion, and the two Kings stood I with theii' hands raised at the salute as i this scrap of the future army obeyed the order "Eyes right." i Band replaced band as the different ■ regiments moved up. The Royal Marine ' band played the "Blues" and the "Reds" Sist. At the head of the Royal Marine rigade rode the Prince of Wales.- : •..- - i Three times did the Prince of Wales ride down the field to meet the regiments »■ of which he js colonel-in-chief, and three ' times he saluted his royal father in the march-past. However much the Prince ■ enjoyed the "experience, his charger rei sented the excursions, and on the third occasion gave the' spectators an uncdmr foi£able three minutes. > It had been intended that his Majesty ' should in person lead the Brigade of s Guards and King Frederick the East t Kent (Buffs) Regiment, and the Danish ' monarch wore the uniform of the regi- > merit of which he is colonel-in-chief in j preparation for this. But at the last i moment this part of the programme was • abandoned, and the Duke of Connaught led the brigade, Lord Roberts, as colonel. - in-chief of the Irish Guards leading his , regiment. The greatest ap^iause of the day was 3 reserved for a battalion of gentlemen r cadets from the Royal Military College. Of all the regiments, none marched better than these boys, and nothing could have been smarter than their appearance in the field. With the passing Second Division there was a trot past of the Royal Horse Artillery and the Cavalry Brigade, and then the whole infantry line having re-formed advanced to within a . distance of the royal party, halted, and gave the royal salute," the massed" bands ' of the Brigade of Guards playing the . Danish and British National Anthems. , Ringing cheers greeted their Majesties r as they left the field, and the royal spe- \ cial left Farnborough for London at ' 5.30. • .