BELGIUM MOURNING

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1935, Page 7

BELGIUM MOURNING

BRUSSELS SOLEMN CITY SHOPS DRESSED IN CREPE SADDEST TASK FOR KING CHILDREN IN IGNORANCE By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 12.50 a.m. Brussels, Aug. 30. Queen Astrid’s body was conveyed from the railway station in a motor hearse through the city which was dressed in crepe. All shops were shuttered and the yellow and black national flags were furled so that only the black was visible. Troops lining the route wore mourning badges and the colours were draped With crepe. There were immense crowds, even greater than those that witnessed King Albert’s funeral or Queen Astrid’s own wedding procession. King Leopold did not accompany the cortege. He had left the train at a suburban station and motored to the palace to await the arrival of the body. With his arm in a sling, his fingers ’bandaged and plaster over his eye, he looked fixedly ahead. Burgomaster Max, the Diplomatic Corps and Government officials were present at the station when the funeral train arrived. Soldiers transferred the plain white oak coffin to the hearse. Bugles sounded the Last Post as the cortege slowly passed to the palace, where the body was placed in the same room, draped with black and silver and filled with white flowers, where King Albert’s body lay in state. Tire King stayed alone for several minutes. His saddest duty is still ; to come, for his children do not yet know that their mother is dead. It is understood that King Leopold wishes personally to break the news to the two elder Ones.