Connecticut western news., 1901-02-07
CANAAN, CONN, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1901

e1rner see were rne queen's equerrlrs.
lords in waiting and physicians. All the
uniforms were covered with long dark
cloaks.
Then Came the King.
Immediately after the company about
the coffin three royal mourners rode
abreast. King Edward VII was the
central figure of the three, but no less
ostentatious parsonage was seen in the
procession. A black chapeau with a
plume of white feathers was on his head,
and a long black cloak was buttoned
around him and hung down over the big
black horse which he was riding. The
kings familiar face seemed grave and
careworn. He looked straight ahead, APP
parently at the gun carriage on which
was the body OF the sovereign whose
glory and responsibilities he had in
herited. He did not see. or gave no sign
of seeing, the long ranks Of soldiers
hedging back the populace about him, the
windows crowded with black bonneted
women, the multitudes of uncovered
heads, the purple draperies and the
green wreaths everywhere. He passed
like a man alone, who neither knew nor
thought of the world about him, and the
sentiment his presence inspired was only
sympathy and pity.
Beside King Edward rode Emperor
William, his nephew and neighbor. The
unique, commanding figure of the Ger
man emperor could not for a moment be
mistaken. He looked every inch sol
der. His imperial majesty glanced right
and left as he rode, and his hand was
frequently raised to the red and white
feathers hanging over his hat as he re-
sponded to salutes.
On the kings left rode his brother, the
Duke of Connaught, a man of soldierly
appearance, almost unnoticed and unrec-
ognized by the people.
In the second rank, behind, rode two
more sovereigns, the kings Of Greece and
Portugal.
In the procession were six carriages,
the first and second carrying Queen Alex
andra, the Duchess of Fife, now princess
royal; Princess Victoria, Princess Charles
of Denmark, and the daughters of Queen
Victoria, an6 the king of the Belgians.
Soldiers representing the German army,
noncommissioned officers and men and
the escort brought up the rear.
Lasted Two Hours.
The funeral procession occupied two
hours in passing from Victoria station to
Paddington, a distance of three miles.
pressive, but not elaborate. Purple dra-
peries hung with green wreaths predomi-
mated. Flags were on most of the build
ings.
1t was precisely 1920 p. m. when the
guards lining the platform came to a
sharp Attention" and with solemn
tread the head of the procession entered
the building For half an hour all was
hushed save the occasional clatter of
horse hoofs as the hussars and lancers
trotted into view or the rattle of the
heavy gun carriages as they numbered by.
Then there was break in the procession,
and through the archway came the royal
bier, followed by the mounted representa-
tives of royalty. Then came a score or
more Of attendants.
The king and the German emperor
alighted. There was a man at every
horses head and hand at every carriage
door, and as the music of the massed
bands echoed throughout the station the
pail was removed from the coffin, and
the casket was deposited in the saloon
carriage, which the queen had so often
occupied during her lifetime.
King Edward, Queen Alexandra and
the Duke of Connaught stood grouped to-
gether as the coffin was borne in, and
then they all took seats, and the train
started for Windsor.
The services in the chapel at Windsor
following the arrival of the funeral party
were brief, but impressive.
The bishop of Winchester read the
lesson from 1 Corinthians XIV. Man
that is born of woman" was chanted
by the choir to Wesley's music, followed
by "Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets Of
our hearts" The dean of Windsor
II IL
sang the Lords Prayer to the music COM
posed especially for the dead queen by
Gounod. Once more the strains of the
choir welled up through the ancient
chapel with the singing of Now Blessed
Are They That DIE" by Tchaikowsky.
The archbishop Of Canterbury read the
collect and with quavering voice pro-
nounced fhe benediction. There was a
solemn pause, while all heads bowed. A
few sobs were heard. and the choir then
broke the oppressive stiffness with the
sweet harmony of the Dresden Amen"
Then the loud tones of the norroy
king of arms, William Henry Weldon,
proclaimed the dead monarch's title.
The Spohr anthem, Blessed Are The
Departed" followed, and the service was
concluded by the playing of Beethoven's
funeral march by Sir Walter PARROT,
OTRdnlsl Oh 81. Nudpti anu
private organist to the late queen.
Burial of the Queen.
The scene at Windsor on Monday was
more in the nature of a public ceremonial
than had originally been intended. The
procession from Windsor castle to Albert
Memorial chapel, where the gun carriage
supporting the coffin which contained the
mortal remains of the late Queen Victo-
ria had been brought up under an escort
of company of guards, was quite as inn
pressive and as imposing as the solemn
pageant of Saturday. The king, the Ger
man emperor, the Duke of Connaught,
the king of Portugal, the king Of the
Belgians, Queen Alexandra and other
royal ladies and gentlemen walked be-
hind the gun carriage. Edward VII again
wore the uniform of British field mar
shall, and on foot as on horseback he
bore himself with dignity and looked, in
deed, every inch a king. The queen led
by the hand her little grandson Edward,
who. of course, represented his father,
the Duke of Cornwall. This touching lit
tie incident made a deep impression on
the assembled sightseers, all of whom
were well aware of the regrettable cause
of the dukes absence.
The coffin disappeared from public view
Mt the entrance to the royal demesne at
Frogmore, and the imposing ceremony
which began on Friday in the Isle Of
| Wight had so far as the outside world
was concerned, come to an end. The last
scene of all in the mausoleum was strict
iy private.