The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-06-22 00:00:00

FUNERAL OF THE LATE KING OF

HAN OVER
The Paris Correspondent of the Daily Nett's gives the fol
lowing description of the funeral of the late King of Hanover,
which took place in Paris on Tuesday :
" The obsequies of the late King of Hanover were
celebrated with truly Royal state. The hearse, drawn
by six fine black Hanoverian horses, appeared at noon
before the portico of the house, 7, Rue Presbourg, in
which the deceased had long led a quiet life, not
unvisited by esteemed friends, but making no promi-
aient figure in the great world of Paris. An
•enormous crown of flowers, artistically repre-
senting the Crown of Hanover, surmounted
the hearse. The house was hung with black,
and over the door was the Hanoverian escutcheon.
A faithful Royal household, which few could have
suspected the dethroned monarch kept about him,
were pall-bearers. Among them are cited the names
of Baron Munchausen, Baron Hondenberg, Herr
Windhorst, Baron Decken, Baron Bussehe (Grand
Hunt-man), Count Stockhausen, Baron Lampe, and
Baron Wnlfingen. All these took turns in holding
the strings of the pall during the long journey to the
Augsbourg Protestant Church in the Rue Chauchat.
"The chief mourners were the Prince Royal of
Hanover and the Prince of 'Wales. The Duke of
Aosta, and, indeed, all the relatives and friends not
Prevented by infirmity, followed the coffin on foot.
The Prince of Wales wore a field-marshal's uniform.
The Hanoverian Prince was also in uniform. The
variety of uniforms and Court dresses greatly excited
public curiosity. The cortege was at least half as long
as the Champs Elys6es, the rear not having passed
the Arc de Triomphe when the head was at the Central
Round Point. The whole line of march was flanked
by troops.
"A touching scene occurred in the chapel half an
hour before the arrival of the corpse. A dozen ladies
dressed in thick coarse mourning, the veils being
quite inpenetrable, passed along the aisle, looking
like black penitents. The publie rose as they
came. They were the widowed Queen, the Prin-
cess Royal, and their Ladies of Honour. An usher
conducted them through the vestry and up some
back stairs to a gallery prepared for their
accommodation. The little church was entirely
hung with black cloth and velvet fringed with
silver. Around the galleries the anoverian
arms, identi 'al with those of England, save that
they bear the Hanoverian escutcheon, alternated
with placards bearing the initials G. R. V. The
blaek hangings and the velvet of the catafalque
were relieved by little bouquets of flowers and ever-
greens profusely displayed. The Duo de Nemours
and the Duc d'Alencon early took their places behind
the chairs reserved for the Prince of Hanover' the
Prince of Wales and the Duke of Aosta. Lord Lyons
and the Staff of his Embassy, Prince Orloff in a
general's uniform, the Austrian and Belgian Ministers
Generals Absac and Broye, representing Marshal
MacMahon, Admiral Pothuau Marshal Canrobert,
General Fleury, and General Beartinprey, were in the
church. The crown of Hanover, resplendent with
costly jewels, was brought by a chamberlain on a
"velvet cushion and placed on The coffin.
"Fifty bearers of floral crowns of various shapes
and dimensions, and crosses made with flowers,
lined the aisle from the entrance to the cata-
falque. Many of these men, probably old soldiers
of the King, shed tears plentifully during the
service. The flowers were not, as Court chroniclers
would be apt to say, choice exotics, but the
sithplest products of the gardens and fields—roses,
lilies, violets—only they were so abundant and so
fresh that it is a wonder how they could have been got
together for the occasion. Madame MacMahon, the
Princess Mathilde, and the Princess Metternich,
concealed in deep mourning, were in one of the
galleries. The sober music of a French Protestant
church was helped out by a military band. A funeral
sermon was preached by Paster A ppia, who traced the
history of the deceased, and who repeated in Geri/lan
what the blind King said when on horseback at the
battle of Langensalza, 'I am the King, and I must re-
main under fire.'
"It was remarked that no member of the Prussian
Embassy, was present, and this is probably accounted
for by the fact that the invitations described George
V. as King of Hanover, by the grace of God."

me to detail the incident as related to me by an eye-
witness. At a cricket-match played between the Windsor
and Eton clubs on the Windsor ground an Eton boy
named Macfarlane Spong (now, I believe, residing at Carlow,
Ireland) nvide a very successful innings, carried out his
bat, and made a high score. Prinoe George, who was stand-
ing at the Pavilion, had in his hand a long beaded purse, at
the end of which was attached a gold acorn. The purse he
was swinging round, cheering Mr. Spong, when the acorn
struck him in the left eye. Assistance was promptly pro-
cured, but without avail, and the Prince lost completely the
sight of the injured eye, and finally that of the other also.