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

rHE FUNERAL.
SCENES IN ST. GEORGE'S AND THE
MEMORIAL CHAPELS.

On Saturday morning a considerable crowd of spec-
tators assembled at the principal platform of the Great
Western Railway Station, Paddington, to witness the
departure of the special train conveying a large number
of mourners—over one hundred, in all, to Windsor,
to attend the funeral, of the late Prince Leopold.
The space in front of the Royal entrance was roped
off, and here the distinguished comp!my began to
gather shortly after half-past nine o clock. Many
officers of State were there, as well as Cabinet
Ministers. Field and other officers were present in
various military dresses, some wearing white satin
shoulder knots. Almost the first personage to arrive
was the Archbishop of Canterbury, and he was
quickly followed by the Lord Chamberlain, Sir
Stafford Northcote, Sir Richard Cross, the Marquis
of Salisbury, Sir William Harcourt, the Duke of West-
minster, the Marquis of Hartington, Earl Granville,
Lord Methuen, Lord Colville of Culross, Lord C. Bruce,
Lord Kensington, Lord Sydney, Lord Brooke, Mr.
Walter Long, M.P., and others. The Grand Duchess
of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in deep mourning, Precisely
at five minutes past ten, the train, which was made
up of four saloon and three first-class carriages,
steamed out of the station, timed to reach
Windsor at ten minutes to eleven; and to return,
leaving Windsor at 2.25 p.m., arriving at Paddington
at three o'clock.

Though scarcely less balmy than Friday, the
morning of Saturday was at Windsor more clouded
and the sky looked threatening and rain-charged,
quite in keeping with the solemn occasion which was
bringing so many distinguished mourners together
within the walls of Windsor Castle. The members of
the Royal family who attended the ceremonial
of Friday, remained at the castle during
the night, including the Duchess of Al-
bany. During the morning the preparations
for the funeral had caused much bustle about the
Castle. The coffin, with the remains of the de-
ceased Prince, remained in the Albert Memoial
Chapel during the night, on a bier placed in line with
the cenotaph Of the deceased duke's father; and a
detachment of sixteen men of the Duke of Albany's
eaforth Highlanders was told off'to watch the chapel,
a corporal and two soldiers taking watches of two hours
•each at a time. They only withdrew when the officials of
the Lord 'Chamberlain's department entered upon the
•duties of the day. One of the last incidents con-
nected with the disposal of the coffin was the 'taking
.of a photograph as it rested on the bier under its
crimson pall. At ten o'clock a few privileged specta-
tors were permitted to take their stand in the Lower
Castle-yard to witness the funeral procession as it
passed on from the Albert Memorial Chapel through
the yard to St. George's Chapel. Between
nine and ten o'clock the Lower Ward was a
scene of some bustle. The detachments of
Foot Guards and police who were to be stationed
about the Castle paraded there, and marched off to
various parts demanding their care. Those who had
obtained tickets of admittance to the precints of St
George's Chapel, began to arrive and to submit their
cards and themselves to the jealous scrutiny which
the constables and officials had evidently been warned
to show. The Upper Ward of the Castle was cut off
from all observation. On the top of the Round
Tower the Royal Standard floated at the mast-
head, . a matter of some comment to those not aware
of the fact that it is only on the death of a
Sovereign it is displayed at half-mast there. As time
wore on the stream of arrivals increased in volume,
several of the distinguished visitors bringing with them
beautiful floral mementoes. At ten o'clock the Duchess
of Albany drove down through the Norman Arch
from the private apartments to the Memorial Chapel.
She was received, as may well be supposed, with every
mark of sympathetic respect as she entered to pay her
pious visit to the remains of her husband. She
stayed but a very short time, and then hurried back
`o her apartments.
At an early hour the Eton. T. Ponsonby Fane,
Cimptroller, assisted by Mr. George T. Hertslet,
Mr. F. W. Jennings, Mr. Alfred Hampton, and Mr.
H. Hertslet, the chief officers of the Lord Chamber-
lain's department, under the Earl of Kenmare, all
Df whom were attired in black and gold uniform,
completed the preparations in the choir of St.
3eorge's Chapel for the funeral ceremonial.
The whole of the extemporised way from the
•west door of the nave, fronting the Horse Shoe
Cloisters, to the choir steps was draped with
black, the dodo being similarly treated and lievedl
•with festooned white hangings. The floor of thechoir
and the cushions of the stalls of the Knights of the
Garter were also enshrouded with black cloth. Upon
the right of the choir, between the foot of the Ccm-
rnunion steps, almost close to the east end of the Gar-
ter stalls, and directly under the Royal closet, the
windows of which were hung with black and white
curtains, were six oak library chairs, cushioned with
'black cloth. They were arrangedlin two rows, three in
. each. That for her Majesty Almost touched the
.stalls, and that immediately behind it was reserved for
,the Princess of Wales, the remaining four being for
lthe other Princesses of the Royal family. The
upper seats of the stalls of the Knights of the
'Garter, the seats running from opposite the altar,
were occupied by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the
Bishop of Manchester, the Duke .of Grafton, the
Marquis of Salisbury, Sir Stafford Northcote, Lord
Methuen, Sir R. Cross, Sir Patrick 'Grant, and Lord
Colville, the other stalls being allotted.to the invited
mourners, including the Corps Diplomatique. Rising in
the centre of the choir facing the altar, and within about
three yards of the chairs occupied by the 'Queen and
Royal family, was the bier for the reception of the
remains, a simple eosstruction of light-framed iron-
work, furnished on the-top with movealale rollers on
wheels to slide the coffinslong to the lift, by which at
a give't signal the coffin, could be lowered to the sub-
terranean passage running from beneath t. George's
Chapel, under the cloister, to the Royal Vault con-
taining the remains of the,deceased membars.of ate
Queen's family.
The Queen was accompanied by their Royal High-
nesses the Princess of Wales, the Princess Christian
of Schleswig - Holstein, the Princess Louise,
Marchioness of Lorne, the Princess Beatrice, the
Grand Duchess of Mecklenburea-Strelitz, and the
Princess Frederica of Hanover.

At half-past eleven o'clock, his Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales, his Imperial Highness the Crown
Prince of Germany, his Royal Highness the Grand
Duke of Hesse, the other Royal Personages, the re-
preecntatives of absent Royal Personage:, and their
attendants, with the Gentlemen of her Majesty's
Household and others appointed to take part in
the Promssion, assembled at the Albert Xemorial
Chapel.
At half-past eleven o'clock, the Procession, having
been formed, moved down the Lower Castle Yard,
through the llorse-pboe Cloieter, _ the Wegt !loop

the C,Apel and the Nave, to the Choir of St. Gorge's
Chapel, in the following order:
Servants of his late Royal Highness.
Servants of the Queen who have been in attendance
on his late Royal Highness.
Gentlemen of the Household of his late Royal
Highness.
Mr. A. Mlle, Hon. A. G. Yorke, Capt. A. P. C.
Perceval.

Major-General Charles T. Du Plat, Equerry in Wait-
ing to the Queen, who accompanied the Remains
from Cannes. ,
The Representatives of Royal personages not pre-
sent:
His Excellency Baron Mohrenheim (their Majesties
the Emperor and Empress of Russia).
The Count Piper (their Majesties the King and
Queen of Sweden and Norway).
The Count Perponcher (their Majesties the German
Emperor and Empress, King and Queen of Prussia).
Admiral J. H. van Capellan (his Majesty the King
of the Netherlands).
His Excellency Count Schimmelpenninck van
Nyenhuis (her Majesty the Queen of the Nether-
lands).
The Count D'Oultrement (his Majesty the King of
the Belgians).
Admiral Hedemann (his Majesty the King of Den-
mark).
The Equerries in Waiting.
The Groom in Waiting. The Lord in Waiting.
Mr. R. H. Collins, C. 8., Comptroller of the
Household of his late Royal Highness, bearing the
Co.•onet of his late Royal Highness.
Major Stanier Waller, R.E., Equery to his
late Royal Highness, bearing the Insignia of his late
Royal Highness.
The Comptroller in the Lord Chamberlain's
Department.
The Vice The Comptroller The Treasurer of
Chamberlain. of the Household. the Household.
The Lord Chamberlain. The Lord Steward.
SUPPORTERS OF THE PALL.

Lord Brooke. Viscount Castlereagh.
Hon. Sidney Herbert. Lord Harris.
Mr. Walter Campbell. Hon. H. Bourke.
Mr. Raglan Somerset. ..--- Mr. Algernon Mills.
The Coffin, borne by men of the Seaforth
Highlanders.
Garter King of Arms.
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF

WALES THE CHIEF MOURNER,
Supported by his Imperial Highness the Crown
Prince of Germany and his Royal Highness the Grand
Duke of Hesse.

His Highness the Prince Christian of Schleswig-
Holstein, K.G.

His Serene Highness the Reigning Prince of Waldeck
and Pyrmont, G.C.B,
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, K.G.
His Royal Highness the Prince Albert of Victor of
Wales, K.G.

His Highness the Prince Christian Victor of Schles-
wig-Holstein.
His Serene Highness the Prince Edward of Saxe-
Weimar, K.C.B.

His Serene Highness the Prince Louis of Battenburg.
His Highness the Prince Francis of Teck.
His Highness the Maharajah Duleep Singh, G.C.S.I
The Marquis of Lorne, K.T.
His Royal Highness the Prince Philip of Saxe-Cobur
Gotha.
His Serene Highness the Hereditary Prince of
Waldeck and Pyrmont.
Attendants on the Royal Personages.
In attendance on his Royal Highness the Prince of
Wales: The Lord in Waiting the Lord Suffield,
K.C.8., the Groom in Waiting Mr .A. Penys
Cockerell, the Equerry in Waiting Colonel Arthur
Ellis, C.S.I.

In attendance on her Royal Highness the Princess
of Wales: The Chamberlain to her Royal Highness,
the Lord Colville of Culross, K.T. ; the Lady in
Waiting, the Countess of Morton.
In attendance on their Royal Highnesses the Prince
and Princess of Schleswig-Holstein : Equerry in Wait-
ing, Major the Hon. C. G. Eliot; Lady in Attendance,
Miss Loch.
In attendance on her Royal Highness the Princess
Louise, Marchioness of Lorne: Equerry in Waiting,
Major A. Collins; Lady in Attendance, the Lady
Sophia Macnamara.
In attendance on her Royal Highness the Princess
Beatrice: The Lady of the Bedchamber in Waiting
to the Queen. In waiting on her Royal Highness, the
Hon. Lady Biddulph.
In attendance on his Royal Highness the Prince
Albert Victor of Wales: Captain Stephenson, R.N.,
C.B.
In attendance on her Royal Highness the Princess
Frederica of Hanover: Lady in Waiting the Hon.
Mrs. C. G. C. Eliot. _ _ . _ _ _ _

In attendance on his Royal Highness the Duke of
Cambridge: Equerry in Waiting, Colonel A. H.
Stephens.
In attendance on his Imperial Highness the Crown
Prince of Germany and Prussia.—Captain von Kessel,
Captain von Oldekop. Equerry in Waiting to the
Queen, in waiting on his Royal Highness, Lieutenant
Colonel the Hon. W. H. Carrington, M.P.
In attendance on he. Royal Highness the Grand
Duke of Hesse.—Gentlemen in Waiting. General
Von Westhrweller.

In 'attendance on her Royal Highness the Grand,
Duthess of Meeklenburg-Strelitz.—Gentlemem. inWait-
ing, Von Gravenitz, lady in Waiting, the Lady
Caroline Cost.

In attendance on his Royal Highness the Prince
Philip of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.—The Baron
d'Ablaing de Geissenburg.
In attendance on their Serene Highnesses the
Reigning Prince and Hereditary Prince Waldeck and
Pyrmont.--Colonel von de Wense, Dr. Mohlmann.
Previous to the ceremonial the Very Rev. Randall
T. Davidson, the Dean of Windsor, assisted by Mrs.
Davidson and the Rev. Canon Courtney, proceeded
to St. George's 'Chapel and disposed the various
wreaths upon the steps of the altar. These included
a cross from the Duchess of Wellington, a wreath
from the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards; a wreath
of white camellias, eucharis, white roses, and lilies .of
the valley, from the Empress Eugene; a wreath ,of
arum lilies, white roses, violets, foliage, from the
bridesmaids of the Duchess of Albany; a wreath of
white tea roses, from the Australasian colonies; an
immense wreath of arum lilies, violets, and •eucharis,
from Esher; an anchor of violets and vehiteroses, from
the President and officers of the Royal Nayal College,
Greenwich; and wreath and cross of ,euebaris white
roses and lilies of the Talley from the Dean and
Chapter of St. George's; a wreath from the Mayor
and Corporation of Windsor, and many other floral
contributions, her Majesty's tribute 'cif affection being
a very grand circular wreath, composed of white
flowers in outer circle, violet in centre, with white and
touching words, beautiful in their -simplicity, "In
loving memory."

'The coronet and insignia of the late duke having
'been placed amongst the flowers on the coffin, and all
the attendants and foreign representatives having
entered and taken their places, according to prece-
dence, in the aisle, Dr. Watts's fine- old hymn, "0 God,
-our help in ages past," was sung by the choir to the
massively simple tune of St. .An&s. For several
minutes therefore the congregation stood, all save the
-Queen, who remained in her,chair.
During the singing of Spahr's anth em, "Blest
are the departed," the Queen and Princesses rose
from their seats, and the pall-bearers busied them-
-selves in arranging the folds of the flag for the
point to which the service was tending. The
anthem ceased, and the Dean continued the
service, and at the words "'We therefore commit
his body to the growad ; earth to earth,
ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Mr. Walter
,Campbell, of Blythswood, selected by reason of
his close friendship with the Duke,for the honour, cast
-the traditional handful of mould, not upon the hollow
-sounding lid as is the harrowing custom, but upon
-the dainty silk and flowers, upon which it fell with
scarce a sound. Imperceptibly, and probably unseen
by half the congregation in St. George's 'Chapel
assembled, the coffin, and ,the flag and flowers that
had alwayslidden it from the sight of spectators in
Portsmouth and- Windsor, disappeared through the
floor. While the dean read, " 1 heard a voice from
heaven -saying unto me, Write from henceforth,
blessed .are the dead which died in the Lord." many
of the gentlemen in the -stalls were still looking
towards the spot where the ,coffin was supposed to be.
It was not, -however, at this ,period lowered quite to
the bottom, though it was out of tight. The Prince
of Wales dropped upon his knees, and the majority
of the English and foreign princes and attendants
imitated his example, while the dean offered up the
concluding pryers. On their rising, Cardinal New,-
man's hymn ' Lead kindly light"
las sung by the
choir, and at -the third verse the Queen, taking the
arm of the Princess -of Wales, and followed by the
other Princesses, was conducted by the Lord
Chamberlain through the dean's entrance, out of the
chapel.
Sir Albert Woods, Garter Bing-at-Arms, then ad-
vanced from the upper part of the choir to the side
of the Lord Steward, and read the Style of his late
Royal Highness in the following terms: "Thus it
bath pleased Almighty God to take out of this tran-
sitory life unto His Divine Mercy the late Most
High, Most Mighty, and Illustrious Prince Leo-
pold George Dune= Albert, Duke of Albany,
Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow, Duke of
Saxony, Prince of Saxe e Coburg and Gotha,
Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter,
Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble
Order of the Thistle, Knight Grand Commander
of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, and
Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished
,Order of St. Michael and St. George, fourth and
youngest son of her Most Excellent Majesty Victoria,
by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great
Brit4in and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith,
Empress of India, and of his Royal highness the Prince
Consort. May it please God to bless and preserve
her Majesty with long life, health, and happiness."
The proclamation was virtually the termination of
the funeral ceremony. The Prince of Wales and a
fear of the T!toyal mourners looked down for a few
moments into the grave, and knelt at its brink in
silent prayer, while the organist played Chopin's March,
and the lowering of the coffin was completed. The
Royal
party, this done, retired by the west door,
Chopin having meantime been succeeded by Beethoven.
Last of all passed out the carrying party of
tifegorth Highlttnderp, yiho had been out of

sight during the service; they now marched round
the head of the grave, the officer saluting as he
passed it. The aperture was closed, as it was opened,
by invisible hands, almost as soon as the service was
over, and the space was covered with wreaths.
The slab on which the remains of the late Duke
will rest is in the centre of the vault beneath the
Albert Memorial Chapel, so that the body will be
very nearly under the marble cenotaph of the Prince
Consort. The coffin is placed next those of the
King of Hanover and of the infant child of the
Princess Frederica, and near that of the Duke of
Kent.

Thera are now 18 tenants of the Royal Tomb-house.
Besides children there have been here buried Princess
Amelia (1810), Princess Charlotte (1817), Queen
Charlotte (1818), Duke of Kent (1820), George 111.
(1820), Duke of York (1827), George IV. (1830,
William IV. (1837), Princess Augusta (1840), Queen
Adelaide (1849), George V., King of Hanover (1878),
the Duke of Albany (1884).
At Berlin, on Saturday, a special funeral service for
the late Duke of Albany was held in the private
chapel of the Crown Prince's Palace. Tne Crown
Princess, being with deep regret unavoidably pre-
vented from attending her deceased brother's obse-
quies, had specially arranged that the ceremony should
take place here at the exact hour of the Royal funeral
at Windsor, allowing for the difference of time. In
the Royal Chapel and on the altar candles were
lighted, the latter being also draped in black
and decorated in front with a most costly
cross of white camellias. With the sole ex-
ception of Prince Henry of Prussia, who wore
his naval uniform, the congregation consisted
entirely of ladies, and included the Crown Princess
with her four daughters, the Princesses Charlotte,
Victoria, Sophie, and Margaret; several ladies of the
British Embassy, and all the ladies of the Princess's'
household, numbering together some twenty persons.
All were in deep mourning. The English chaplain,
the Rev. Robert Earle, officiated at the service, which
consisted of the reading of the English Burial Service,
followed by a short sermon, for which the chaplain
had chosen as a highly-appropriate text the words,
"A good life hath but a few days, but a good name
endureth for ever." The Princess was deeply affected
during the service, which wds unaccompanied by any
music, and lasted about one hour:

At Athens on Saturday, by request of the Duke ot
Edinburgh, a full choral funeral service was celebrated
at St. Paul's Church. The church was simply and
tastefully decorated for the occasion, the altar vases
being filled with double violets, arranged so as to
form a background to crosses of pure white flowers.
The text, selected from the Gospel of St. John,
the 11th chapter and 23rd verse, "Jesus saith
unto her, thy brother shall rise again," writtcn
in white letters on a dark ground, ran across
the chancel under the east window. The Duke
of Edinburgh, the Bing and Queen, and the Grand
Duke Paul of Russia were present, and joined
heartily in the service, which was very soleme and
impressive. The entire Diplomatic Corps, M.
Tricoupis, the Premier, M. Condostavlos, the
Foreign Minister; the Russian Admiral and
suite, and large numbers of naval officers from
the Channel Fleet now anchored in Phalerum Bay
were also present. In fact, the little church was filled
with persons of distinction of every nationality, all
desirous of doing honour to the memory of the
youngest son of England's widowed Queen, and
of showing sympathy with the bereaved wife and
mother.