GRIEF IN BELGIUM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 204, 31 August 1935, Page 9

GRIEF IN BELGIUM

QUEEN ASTRIDS DEATH HOW ACCIDENT OCCURRED CAR’S MAD CAREER ■ (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright] BRUSSELS, Aug. 29. The entire country is grief-stricken. Their Majesties were holidaying at their Swiss villa at Hasslihorn, at Horw Bank, Lake Lucerne. The children, .Prince Baudouin and Princess Josephine, left for Brussels yesterday. They are still unaware of the tragedy. Their Majesties departed on a motor excursion early in the morning, the King driving an open touring car with tho Queen beside him and the chauffeur in the dickey-scat. A second car followed with four members of the suite. A mile from Kussnacht the King apparently removed his attention from the road in order to glance at a map in the Queen’s hand. The car swerved, the right-hand wheels mounted the concrete kerb, and continued thus for 17 yards to a sunken transverse path. The shock evidently caused the King to lose control of the car, which swung to the right, ran 20 yards down an embankment, and collided with a tree, against which the Queen was thrown violently, fracturing her skull. The car rolled on and struck a second tree, hurling the King out and slightly injuring his arm and head. The car then plunged over a stone wall into a lake, and the chauffeur then scrambled out Peasants and the occupants of the second car rushed to the scene. The King was assisted to the side of the Queen. A priest was brought from Kussnacht with a‘doctor and said a prayer for the dying. Only when hope was abandoned did tho King permit the doctor to attend to his injuries. The identity of Their Majesties was not immediately known, as the King was travelling incognito. The Primo Minister, after holding a special Cabinet meeting to issue mourning proclamations, flew to Lu-, cerne, aud later accompanied the King to Brussels in a special train conveying the body of the Queen. Telegrams of sympathy have arrived from all over the world. The funeral will probably be held on September 3. The car was removed from the lake, /ic radiator being wrenched off. The offside of tho car where the Queen sat was completely wrecked and the body twisted and nearly torn of the chassis. Herr Hitler and the Popo have conveyed their condolences. Eye-witness’ Report An eye-witness stated that the car, travelling at 39 miles an hour, suddenly- skidded, hit a small embankment, aud rebounded against the tree. The Queeu was thrown through a window and terribly cut, her skull being fractured. The car, with the King still cling ing to the wheel, ran iuto a small field, hit another tree and overturned into a bed of reeds at the edge of the lake. As the King extricated himself, blood streaming down his face, he I looked round and saw his wife. He knelt beside her, picked hef up, kissed her, and dazedly called for help. Reports vary as to the King’s condition. Some say that he is not seriously injured, but others say that his head is injured and ho is still too dazed to describe the accident. The chief of police at Lucerne says that he has received a report that the King is seriously hurt Their Majesties’ two elder children were staying at the villa, Messages of condolence have also been received from the Italian Royal Family and Signor Mussolini. TRAGIC NEWS BROADCAST ! BELGIANS GRIEF-STRICKEN BRUSSELS, Aug. 29. News of the tragedy wirelessly broadcast stunned the Belgians. The Premier (M. van Zeeland) chartered a special ’plane and flew to Lucerne. BRITISH SHOCKED MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY. [ British Official Wireless. ) RUGBY, Aug. 29. The news of the death of Queen Astrid has deeply shocked public, opinion, and expressions of profound sympathy are extended in the Press to I ho Belgian people, by whom the Queen was deeply loved. Official nows of the accident was convoyeil by the Belgian Embassy to the Foreign Office this morning. Tho King, who was immediately informed, sent a telegram of condolence on behalf of himself and tho Queen to King Leopold. His Majesty’s Government sent a message of official condolence Io the Belgian Government, and Sir Samuel Hoare addressed a personal message of sympathy to the Belgian Ambassador in London for transmission to Belgium. The Belgian King and Queen wore returning from a mountaineering holiday and had just left tho village outside of Lucerne, which is one of tho summer residences of the Royal Family. The King had relieved the chauffeur at the wheel of the car. The cause of the accident is unknown, but the King and Queen were both thrown from the car. The King’s injuries are not serious, and his condition does not give cause for anxiety. The chauffeur and lady-in-waiting and the other occupants of tin* car were not seriously hurt. 'l’he body of the dead Queen is be ing taken Io Brussels tonight, if he has recovered sufficiently to travel, King Leopold, who is suffering from shock and has not yet been able to give an account < the accident, will accompany it.