Part 21 (1/2)
”Sunday was uneventful. On Monday the King travelled from Windsor to London. Next day the necessity for an operation became clear.” The _Lancet_ gave no reason for this sudden change in condition and it may have been the excitement and strain of the drive through cheering ma.s.ses of the London populace. ”At ten o'clock Tuesday morning (24th) the urgency of an operation was explained to His Majesty. Recognizing that his ardent hope that the Coronation arrangements might not be upset must be disappointed he cheerfully resigned himself to the inevitable. Before the actual decision upon an operation was arrived at Sir Frederick Treves took the advice of two other sergeant-surgeons to the King, Lord Lister and Sir Thomas Smith. They, as well as Sir Thomas Barlow and Sir Francis Laking, came to the unanimous conclusion that no course but an operation was possible in all the circ.u.mstances. To delay would, in fact, be to allow His Majesty to risk his life.” Such appears to have been the plain statement of this serious incident. Following the operation the course of the disease was steadily towards recovery and without serious complications of any kind. Danger at first there was and neither physicians, nor family, nor the public could feel anything like a.s.surance of recovery.
PROGRESS TOWARDS RECOVERY
The London _Times_ went out of its way to warn the people against over-confidence in the result, and the bulletins were cautious in the extreme. On June 25th the King was said to have been very restless and without sleep during the early part of the night. He was, however, free from pain, and his five physicians declared that, under all the circ.u.mstances, he might be described as ”progressing satisfactorily.” On June 26th they reported His Majesty's condition as satisfactory, his strength as having been well maintained, and the wound as doing well.
The reports of June 27th showed a normal temperature, no disquieting symptoms and, finally, a substantial improvement. On the next day the five physicians issued the following bulletin: ”We are happy to be able to state that we consider His Majesty out of immediate danger. His general condition is satisfactory. The operation wound, however, still needs constant attention and such concern as attaches to His Majesty's case is connected with the wound. Under the most favourable condition His Majesty's recovery must of necessity be protracted.” The bulletins thenceforward were regular in their statements of slow and steady improvement. On July 2d it was announced that the wound was beginning to heal; then only daily reports were issued; and finally, on July 13th, the Royal patient was taken by private train from Buckingham Palace to his yacht at Portsmouth and, during the next few weeks, while it was anch.o.r.ed or quietly cruising off Cowes, the King was steadily growing stronger and better.
The bare details of an illness such as this can give no idea of the burden of apprehension which it entailed upon millions of people, the financial losses which it meant to thousands of merchants and others in all parts of the world, the dislocation of a political, social, and general character which it involved in London, the consternation which it naturally caused in every centre in the Empire. The first effect of the King's illness was to create a new tie of sympathy between himself and his subjects. Human suffering borne so patiently during that week of concealed sickness and with such earnest determination to go through what must have come to appear the frightful ordeal of the Coronation appealed strongly to people everywhere in the Empire, while the externally dramatic pa.s.sage from preparations for the greatest of national festivities down into the valley of the shadow of death came home to the hearts of every one with peculiar force. This was particularly apparent in Westminster Abbey where the last rehearsal of the great Coronation choir, in the presence of the Bishop of London and under the musical direction of Sir Frederick Bridge, was proceeding at noon on June 24th. Suddenly, Lord Esher entered and told the sad news to the Bishop, who, in a few words, turned the service of national rejoicing into one of solemn intercession. Everywhere there were similar services and similar sudden changes. Coronation day, despite the King's kindly wish that demonstrations and functions outside of London should proceed, was turned into a season of special service and prayer in Great Britain and in the many other countries of the Empire.
A pathetic service was held in St. Paul's Cathedral on the evening of the announced illness, and the Bishop of Stepney spoke in most impressive terms. ”As the days have pa.s.sed, our thoughts and, I trust, our prayers have been centred in the King as he has moved to his Coronation watched by millions of eyes. Only yesterday we welcomed him to London with heartfelt joy. All around us is the glamour of preparation for a splendid festival. The very air is vivid with the glow of popular enthusiasm. From all parts of the earth our brethren have come to rivet anew the links which bind them to our ancient Monarchy.
And now come the tidings that this King is laid low with sickness and that the great day has been postponed. We are bewildered. We cannot realize, except in imagination, the dislocation of the life of a whole Empire.” Meanwhile, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York had asked their clergy to hold intercessory services on June 26th, and Cardinal Vaughan, for his Church, had given similar orders. ”The finger of G.o.d,”
he wrote to his clergy, ”has appeared in the midst of our national rejoicing and on the eve of what promised to be one of the most splendid pageants in English history. This is in order to call the thoughts of all men to Himself. The King's life is in danger. Danger being imminent, let us have immediate recourse to the Divine mercy and by public prayer seek His Majesty's recovery.” The Chief Rabbi held special Jewish supplications and the Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales telegraphed to Sir Francis Knollys their hope that it might please G.o.d to spare the King's valuable life so ”that he may rule for many years over his devoted people.”
Telegrams of inquiry and sympathy poured into the Palace, the Departments of the Government, and the Guildhall, for days after the eventful incident of the operation. On the day that should have witnessed the stately splendour of the Coronation, St. Paul's Cathedral was the scene of a solemn service of intercession for the recovery of the King. The Bishops of London and Stepney, the Archdeacon of London and Canons Holland and Newbolt were the officiating clergy and with them were the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and a dozen other Bishops.
The Lord Mayor of London was present officially and the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Teck. So were the special missions of France, Spain, Germany, Mexico and other countries, the Hon. Whitelaw Reid and Mr. Choate, the American Amba.s.sador. Lord Selborne, Lord Cadogan and Mr.
Ritchie represented the Cabinet while the Premiers of Canada, Australia, Cape Colony, Natal, New Zealand, Western Australia, and South Australia, with the Sultan of Perak, the Rajah of Bobbili, Sir Jamesetjee Jejeebhoy, and others represented the Colonial and Indian Empire. A large number of the leaders in the public, social and general life of the country were also there. At the same time a similarly impressive service was held in Margaret's, Westminster, the official church of the House of Commons, attended by the Lord Chancellor and Speaker, the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Devons.h.i.+re, Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, Lord and Lady Londonderry, and many members of both Houses of Parliament. A mult.i.tude of other churches held intercessory services at home and abroad on this day--notably, perhaps, one arranged by the National Council of Free Churches and held in the City Temple. Orders were given by the heads of all kinds of denominations in all kinds of countries to pray for the King on the succeeding Sunday and, in most of the great Colonies of the Crown, that day was specially set apart for the purpose.
EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY
Meanwhile, the messages continued to pour in from Governments as well as individuals or inst.i.tutions. General Sir Neville Lyttelton for the Army in South Africa, Lord Hopetoun for the Government and people of Australia, Sir Edmund Barton, the Premier of Australia, the Legislature of New South Wales, the Governors of the other Australian States and New Zealand, the Governors of Fiji, Gambia, Cape Colony, Mauritius, Bermuda, Newfoundland, and Gibraltar, the Administrators of Sierra Leone, Seych.e.l.les, Ceylon, Hong-Kong and Wei-hai-Wei, the Governor of the Straits Settlements and the Premier of Natal sent despatches of sympathy and regret. In the United States much kindly feeling was expressed. Papers such as the New York _Commercial-Advertizer_, _Tribune_ and _Post_ were more than kindly and generous in their regrets; others were merely sensational. The President hastened to cable an expression of the nation's sentiments and, at Harvard University on June 25th, said: ”Let me speak for all Americans when I say that we watch with the deepest concern and interest the sick-bed of the English King and that all Americans, in tendering their hearty sympathy to the people of Great Britain will now remember keenly the outburst of genuine grief with which all England last fall greeted the calamity which befell us in the death of President McKinley.” Prayers were also offered up for His Majesty in the Senate and House of Representatives. Germany was largely silent in its press but outspoken and warmly sympathetic in the person of its Emperor. Austria was more than friendly and at Rome a Resolution pa.s.sed unanimously through both Houses expressing earnest wishes for ”the prompt recovery of the head of the State which has long been Italy's best friend.” The French press was moderately sympathetic and dwelt upon King Edward's love of peace, while the leading Russian newspapers paid tribute to the same elements in his character and laid stress upon his high qualities as a man and a Sovereign.
On the Sunday following the serious stage in the King's illness the metropolis was the scene of many special services. At Marlborough House Chapel, Queen Alexandra, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal family were present in the morning, together with a crowded gathering of members of the Court and old friends of His Majesty. Bishop Randall Davidson of Winchester preached a sermon of eloquent retrospect--a picture of the events of the past few days and weeks. Almost from his seat on a great throne their Sovereign had pa.s.sed to a hushed sick-room; during a crowded week the people had pa.s.sed from bouyant expectancy to crus.h.i.+ng disappointment, from loyal admiration of a splendid occasion to personal sympathy with a stricken King. At the Chapel Royal the Bishop of London preached and drew a lesson of humility from the tragic event, while in St. Paul's Cathedral the Bishop of Stepney preached to an audience which included various Indian Chiefs and King Lewanika of Barotze. Mgr. Merry del Val, the Papal Envoy to the Coronation, addressed a gathering at the Brompton Oratory attended by Sir Wilfrid and Lady Laurier and Mr. Justice Girouard of Canada, Sir Nicholas O'Conor, British Amba.s.sador at Constantinople, Lord Edmund Talbot, Lord Walter Kerr, first Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Howard Glossop and Lord Clifford of Chudleigh. The Reverend Bernard Vaughan, at the Warwick Street Roman Catholic Church, dwelt upon the great loyalty of his people to the Throne and declared that much might and should be done by Roman Catholics ”to build up and consolidate an Empire where every man could breathe the air of freedom, claim his share of justice and practice his religion in peace.”
Amongst the special incidents of the day were prayers for King Edward in all the princ.i.p.al towns of Greece as well as in the churches of Athens and prayers and sermons upon the subject in many of the churches of New York. On July 3rd Cape Town was brilliantly illuminated as an expression of pleasure at the King's recovery. Four days later the Prince and Princess of Wales visited Grey's Hospital and His Royal Highness in speaking to the inst.i.tution, for which the King had done so much when Heir Apparent, referred to the occasion as the first on which he had been able to attempt an expression of the unbounded grat.i.tude which they all felt for ”the merciful recovery of my dear father, the King.” He spoke of the important work undertaken by the Hospital and then proceeded: ”I wish to take this first opportunity to say how His Majesty the King, the Queen, and whole of our family have been cheered and supported during a time of severe trial by the deep sympathy which has been displayed towards them from every part of the Empire. And I should like to say that we who have watched at the sick bed of the King fully realize how much, humanly speaking, is due to the eminent surgical and medical skill, as well as to the patient and highly-trained nursing which it has been His Majesty's good-fortune to enjoy”.
CHAPTER XXIII.
The Coronation
In the middle of July it was announced that the Royal patient had recovered sufficiently to be able to fix a date once more for the Coronation ceremony and that, with the advice of his physicians, August 9th had been decided upon. Many of the events surrounding and connected with the central function originally proposed for June 26th had already taken place by special wish or consent of the King. Deeply regretting the disappointment of his people and keenly thoughtful, as he always had been, for the feelings and antic.i.p.ations of others, His Majesty had specially ordered the carrying out of two incidents of the Coronation festivities upon the date arranged--the Dinner to the London poor and the publication of the Coronation honours. In both cases much disappointment would have followed delay though it would necessarily have been different in degree and effect. On June 26th, as already decided upon and expected, the Honour List was made public and the names of those whom the King desired to especially compliment were announced.
The promotion of the Earl of Hopetoun to be Marquess of Linlithgow, was well deserved by his services as Governor-General of Australia and the creation of Lord Milner as a Viscount by his work in South Africa. A number might almost be called personal honours. Sir Francis Knollys, the veteran and efficient Private Secretary became Lord Knollys; Lord Rothschild and Sir Ernest Ca.s.sel, old friends of the King when Prince of Wales, were made members of the Privy Council; Lord Colville of Culross, Chamberlain to the Queen Alexandra since 1873, was made a Viscount; Sir Francis Laking and Sir Frederick Treves, the well-known surgeons, and Sir Thomas Lipton, the King's yachting companion upon more than one occasion, were created baronets; the Earl of Clarendon, Lord Chamberlain to the King, and General the Right Hon. Sir Dighton Probyn, so long the faithful official of his Household, were given the G.C.B.; Viscount Esher was made a K.C.B. General H. R. H. the Duke of Connaught, brother of the King and Commanding the Forces in Ireland, was made a Field Marshal, and H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, was created a General.
CORONATION HONOURS AND INCIDENTS
In the more general list every rank and profession was represented--the Army and the Navy in honours conferred upon a large number of officers; Art in the creation of Sir Edward Poytner as baronet, and the knighting of Sir F. C. Burnand and Sir Ernest Waterlow; Literature in the knighting of Sir Conan Doyle, Sir Gilbert Parker and Sir Leslie Stephen; Medicine and Surgery in the same honour conferred upon Sir Halliday Croom, Sir Thomas Fraser, Sir H. G. Howse and Sir William Church; Science in the person of Sir Arthur Rucker; Music in that of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford; Architecture in that of Sir William Emerson; the Stage in that of Sir Charles Wyndham, The Colonies were amply honoured.
Australia saw knighthoods bestowed upon Sir E. A. Stone, Sir J. L.
Stirling, Sir Henry McLaurin, Sir A. J. Peac.o.c.k, Sir Arthur Rutledge, Sir John See, Sir A. Thorpe-Douglas, Sir N. E. Lewis. In New Zealand, Captain Sir W. Russell-Russell and Sir J. L. Campbell received their knighthoods. Sir John Gordon Sprigg of Cape Colony, received a G.C.M.G., as did Sir Edmund Barton of Australia. In Canada, Sir D. H. McMillan, Sir F. W. Borden and Sir William Mulock received the K.C.M.G. The King also announced the establishment of a new Order of Merit, restricted in numbers and for the purpose of special Royal recognition of distinguished and exceptional merit in the Army and Navy services, and in Art, Science and Literature. The first list of members included Lord Roberts, Lord Wolseley, Lord Kitchener, Lord Rayleigh, Lord Lister, Lord Kelvin, Admiral Sir Henry Keppel, Mr. John Morley, Mr. W. E. H. Lecky, Admiral Sir E. H. Seymour, Sir William Huggins and Mr. George Frederick Watts.
A very important event connected with the Coronation--though not exactly a part of it--and which proceeded in spite of the King's illness, at his earnest desire, was the Colonial Conference composed of General Lord Grenfell, Sir J. W. Ridgeway, Sir W. J. Sendall and Sir William McGregor representing the lesser Colonies, Protectorates and Military posts and the Premiers of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Natal, Cape Colony and Newfoundland. It was called by Mr. Chamberlain, largely as a result of so many Colonial leaders being in London at this time, and partly because of negotiations between Australia and Canada looking to a discussion during the Coronation period of such questions as trade relations between the Commonwealth and the Dominion, the establishment of a fast mail service, the organization of a better steams.h.i.+p service between Canada and Australia, the establishment of a line of steamers from Australia to Canada _via_ South Africa, and the position of the Pacific Cable scheme. The Conference met a few days after the King's illness was announced and proceeded to discuss these and other questions in secret session during the next few weeks.
A great many of the functions surrounding and forming part of the Coronation festivities took place during the period immediately following the Coronation day, which was to have been, and these increased in number and brilliancy as the days of actual danger pa.s.sed away. On June 26th it was determined not to disappoint the twelve hundred children from Orphanages and Homes who had been looking forward for many weeks to an entertainment promised them by the Prince and Princess of Wales in Marlborough House grounds. They were according received on that day and another twelve hundred on the succeeding day, and enjoyed their feasts and games to the uttermost. On July 1st, amid perfect weather, immense and enthusiastic crowds and in the presence of Queen Alexandra and the Prince and Princess of Wales, a parade of Colonial troops took place at the Horse Guards. The route was lined by Regular troops and the Colonial force of about two thousand men was headed by General Sir Henry Trotter and the Canadian Contingent. The Duke of Connaught commanded the whole and was supported by a brilliant staff.
The Queen came first on the review ground accompanied by many members of the Royal family, and soon afterwards there appeared a glittering cavalcade headed by the Prince of Wales in general's uniform. With him were Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief, the Duke d'Aosta, the Crown Princes of Denmark, Greece, Sweden and Roumania, the Grand Duke of Hesse, Prince Nicholas and Prince Andrew of Greece, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg, Prince Akihitu Komatsu of j.a.pan, Prince Christian and Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein and two Indian Princes. After the inspection the Prince of Wales personally conferred the Distinguished Service Order, the Victoria Cross, the Companions.h.i.+p of the Bath and the Distinguished Conduct Medal upon a number of Colonial officers and men who had won them in the South African War. The parade followed and men from Canada and Australia, New Zealand, Cape Colony and Natal, Ceylon, Cyprus and many other parts of the British world filed past the Queen and the Heir Apparent--special cheers greeting the gallant Sir Edward Brabant of Cape Colony. Well might the _Times_ in its description express the keen regret of all at the absence of the King, and then add: ”Perhaps never in the whole history of the world has there been such a display of Empire power as was witnessed yesterday. Here we had men of every colour, creed, denomination and descent, all answering to the same word of command, all performing the same manoeuvre, all animated with the single object of paying homage to the head of the greatest Empire the world has ever seen.”
Meanwhile, on June 30th, some fifteen hundred Colonial officers and men and one thousand Indian troops had embarked on special transports to see the great fleet at Spithead and to obtain an insight into that mighty naval power of England which the Coronation review was to have brought before the world once more. In the evening a mult.i.tude of bon-fires around the Kingdom, intended to celebrate the Coronation, were fired to mark the King's having pa.s.sed the danger-point in his illness, and they afforded a most weird and striking effect. On the evening of July 1st a number of important festivities took place. At the Inner Temple the Colonial Premiers and distinguished visitors were banquetted. Amongst the guests were the Lord Chancellor, Mr. Chamberlain, Lord Cross, Lord Davy, Lord Macnaghten, Lord Lindley, Lord Knutsford, Lord Robertson, and Sir Edmund Barton of Australia, Sir John Forrest of Australia, Sir Robert Bond of Newfoundland, Sir Albert Hime of Natal, Sir West Ridgeway, General Sir Francis Grenfell, Sir W. J. Sendall, Sir John Carrington, Sir William MacGregor, Sir Julian Salomons, Mr. Justice Girouard of Canada, the Hon. Arthur Peters and Hon. F. W. G. Haultain.
The Premiers of Australia, Newfoundland and Natal spoke and paid loyal tributes to the King and the Empire. In his speech Mr. Chamberlain referred to Sir Albert Hime's statement that the Colonies would be glad to join the Councils of the Motherland. ”If that be their feeling, I say--and I know I speak the view of the whole of the people of Great Britain--we shall welcome them. They have enjoyed all the privileges of the Empire; if they are now willing to take upon themselves their share of its responsibilities and its burdens we shall be only too glad of their support.” The Canadian Dinner, to celebrate Dominion Day, was held the same evening; as was Lady Lansdowne's Reception. At the first-mentioned event, the speakers included Lord Strathcona, Sir Charles Tupper, the Hon. G. W. Ross, the Earl of Dundonald, Sir F. W.
Borden, the Earl of Minto, the Duke of Argyll, Sir W. Mulock and Mr.