The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-04-12 00:00:00

THE LATE
DUKE OF ALBANY.

LANDING OF THE BODY.

Friday m—ornirg, which had been selected for the
landing of the remains of the late Duke of Albany,
opened brightly. The blue sky and the warm and
brilliant sun ll3rmed a strange contrast to the sombre
appearance -of the Royal yacht Osborne, with its
mournful burden, lying moored up against the South-
Western Railway Company's jetty inside Portsmouth
Dockyard. There was just enough wind to make the
standards flutter well out from the masts, and show
the only particles of colour amid the universal black.
The draped pavilion on the jetty certainly added
to the melancholy. It is a large square with tri-
angular roof, open at both ends, entirely draped
in crape, which, however, is slightly tipped with white
and it stands near the stern of the Osborne. It
is through this structure that the coffin passed prior
to its being disposed in the funeral car. The car
itself was an ordinary railway van painted black, and
relieved by a slight blue streak around the panels, on
the centre of which there was a silver wreath
surrounding the letter "L." This opens at the ends,
and was tastefully draped throughout with crape
festooned in an artistic manner, and edged with
silver fringe. At each side there were in the centre
of the decorations silver wreaths within a wreath,
and at each corner a small white pedestal of white
cloth, upholstered with white satin. The floor was
covered with ordinary South-Western Railway mat-
ting, but in the centre there was black cloth edged
with white, and upon that again a white skin mat
with a rim of black running round it. Upon this the
coffin was placed.
Shortly after nine o'clock the special train from
London arrived on the jetty. It consisted of seven
saloon carriages, and amongst those travelling by it
were the Crown Prince of Germany, the Marquis of
Lorne, Prince Christian, and the Prince of Waldeck-
Pyrmont. On alighting from the carriages, they
were received by the Prince of Wales, who was wear-
ing the full dress of a field marshal. The Prince of
Wales, who was evidently deeply moved, shook hands
long and sadly with the Crown Prince of Germany,
who was evidently addressing words of condolence to
his Royal Highness for some minutes. The Prince
also shook hands with each of the party in turn, and
the Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont met Vs son, the
young Prince, with open arms, and kissedim warmly
on each cheek. The whole party then proceeded on
board the Osborne.

At half-past nine a detachment of the Seaforth
Highlanders was drawn up in front of the draped
sheds, and on board the Osborne a guard of Marines
was mounted with fixed bayonets. The Duke of
Cambridge and Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, on
arrival, went on board the Osborne. By this time a
large number of people who had secured tickets
from the Admiral-Superintendent had assembled on
the jetty. On the left were a n timber of naval
officers in full dress uniform, and ork the right army
officers of all ranks, thirty members of the Corpora-
tion in their robes of office, each wearing a mourning
band, and an official carrying the mace, draped.
There were also a large number of ladies present,
all of whom were attired in deep mourning. A
number of blue jackets were paraded along the whole
length of the jetty in open order.
At half-past nine minute guns commenced firing from
the saluting fort, and continued whilst the sad pro.
procession left the Osborne with their mournful
burden, and deposited it in the funeral car. This was
brought alongside the draped PaviEon, which was
shortly afterwards lined with officers of the various
services from foreign countries.
At ten o'clock when the preparations for moving
the body from the Mortaary Chapel to the funeral
car were completed, minute guns commenced firing
from the Duke of Wellington flag-ship, which lay
almost alongside the Osborne. Shortly afterwards the
Princes, attended by their suites, who had been into
the saloon, temporarily converted into a mortuary
chapel, came on deck and stood waiting, in respectful
silence, for the coffin to be brought out. Almost
immediately following them came a number of bare-
headed blue-jackets carrying the wreaths and other
floral tributes which had been sent to Cannes, and
which had been laid beside the coffin ever since it
left the Villa Nevada. Conspicuous amongst them
was the large white wreath sent by her Majesty,
bearing the inscription: "From his loving and
sorrowful mother," and the large cross of violets,
which was made by the Duchess of Albany.
At ten minutes past ten o'clock the ship's bell com-
menced to toll, and added to the already impressive
spectacle. About a dozen blue jackets then emerged
from the cabin deck, bearing the coffin, covered with
a violet pall, which was first placed upon a rest, and
was then slowly carried by the stalwart tars of thc
Osborne to the Pavilion. The sad procession was
headed by the Rev. J. C. Edgehill, chaplain of Ports-
mouth. Then followed the coffin borne by the
sailors, immediately behind the Prince of Wales, the
Crown Prince of Germany, the Duke of Cambridge,
Prince Albert Victor of Wales—who wore the dress
of a sub-lieutenant of the navy—and then the other
princes and their suites.
The moment the coffin reached the Pavilion, the
order "Present arms " was heard, and almost imme-
diately the well-worn flag of the Seaforth Highlanders
was lowered to the ground, and the regiment saluted
the remains of their once popular and deeply-loved
officer. At the same moment the band of the North
Lancashire, Regiment with muffled drums, played
the mournful strains of the "Dead March." The
whole scene was so impressive and affecting that
many of the spectators were in tears. The coffin was
at once placed on the funeral car, and the door of
the latter was left open for a few moments, whilst the
Prince of 'Wales, who was deeply affected, and his
Royal relatives stood at the edge of the raised plat-
form, and gazed wistfully upon the coffin, which con-
tained all that was mortal of the late Duke.
The Royal party then entered the saloon carriages,
which were placed in front of the funeral car. An
engine, almost covered with crape, was attached, and
the train slowly moved out of the station, the High-
landers again saluting, and the band continuing to
play the "Dead March."
Thousands of people had assembled outside the
Harbour Station to see the train pass, and as the
sorrowful procession proceeded along the jetty the
men uncovered, and the women bowed their heads in
respectful silence. The minute guns, the loud mili-
tary orders, the strains of the "Dead March," the
grief-stricken appearance of the mourners, and the
extraordinary character of the train itself, rendered
the scene probably one of the most impressive
ever witnessed in this country. The line
I for some distance skirts ,he garrison recrea-
tion grounds, in which the North Lan-
cashire and the Leicestershire Regiments were drawn
up in two lines, extending right along their ground.
The train proceeded slowly over the embankment in
front of them, and, as it did so, the entire body of
men saluted, and reversed their arms; the flags
were .also lowered, and again a number of. bands,
with muffled drums, poured forth the impressivo
strains of the "Dead March." Many thousands of
people were assembled here also and evinced the
greatest respect and sympathy for the occupants of
the train.