The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-02-05
DEATHS S0RR0WFUL PAGEANTRY
Monarchs and Princes in Royal Trappings Lead Procession
That Escorts Dead Sovereign to Place
Where Earthly Pomp Ends.
The start For London.

The start For London.
Cowes, Feb. with military pre-
cision the royal remains emerged from
Osborne house. Promptly at the ap-
pointed hour, / p. m, the imperial
corpse was borne through the portico
known as "Queen Victoria's porch"
between eight of the queens stalwart
Highlanders whose measured tread
and downcast eyes %betokened the deep
solemnity of their task. AS the flag
draped casket was tenderly lifted
aboard the gun carrige close at hand
a solemn hush fell yer the c%oncourse
of officers, royal servants and tenants
81, clustered on the adjacent terrace and
thanking the ~driveways. Near by stood
soldiers and baldsmen and members of
the various royal households, their
brilliant brass and braid cleaning In
the sunlight in striking contrast to the
awful pathos Of the scene before
them.
Quietly, automatically the funeral
cortege assumed form. Immediately
the gun carriage with its sad burden
had moved forward, escorted by a
company of the queens grenadiers and
file Of doleful pipers playing a dead
march, the royal mourning party
made its exit from the castle. First
down the steps came King Edward,
arm in arm with Emperor William and
the duke Of Connaught. In order there
followed by trios, the German crown
prince, Prince Henry of Prussia,
Prince Christian, duke of SAKE Coburg
Gotha, Prince Arthur of Connaught
and Prince Charles of Denmark.
Walking but a few PAGES behind
were the women Of the royal family
led by Queen Alexandra. In her train
came the duchess of York, the duchess
of SAKE Coburg Gotha, Princess Chris
tian, Princess Louise, Princess Henry
of Battenburg, with the duchess Of
Connaught the duchess of Albany,
Princess Victoria and Princess Charles
of Denmark. =
The palace gates and public high
way having been reached, the process
sion proper grew into being and was
headed by mounted grooms in trap
pings of gold and black, followed by
detachments of the local regimental or.
g%anization, the lieutenant governor of
the Isle of Wight, naval and military
commanders of the district and their
stats, all afoot. Massed bands and
drum corps from the marine artillery
and marine light infantry came. next
in line. Their mufied dirge hushed
the walls Of the pipers pibrochs and
signalled the start of the impressive
little funeral pageant.
Behind the musicians stepped eight
noble bay horses drawing the caske,
laden gun carriage. Supporting the
coffin as a special guard of honor
walked the dead queens equerries anf
aides-de-camp, headed by her faithful.
secretary, Sir Arthur Bigge. Bring
ing up the rear behind the roya
mourners marched the late sovereign,
ladies in waiting and the royal house
holds of Queen Victoria, King Edward
and the German emperor, in respective
order. Last of all, came a group O.
military officers, leading the brigade
of royal servants and Osborne tenants
the humblest, but, perhaps, the sad
dest of the whole sorrowing cortege.
The procession swung slowly ant
silently into the forest lined avenu
leading from the palace grounds, be
tween unbroken rows of soldiers, arti]
lerymen, engineers, infantry men an
volunteers, embracing every branch O
the royal military service, VIII
fringed the roadway at reversed arm
to the number of $500 officers an
men.
Back from the gun fringed roadwa
extended solid banks Of people. Th
whole island was depopulated to pay
parting tribute to it's queen an
neighbor of 40 years. All along til
three-quarter mile route from Osborn
to Trinity pier stretched these blac
clad, grief stricken throngs. A bri
liant sun beat through the trees toucl
ing with golden tinge the otherwit
sombre picture. Cottage roofs, viii
dows and porticos were occupied /
silent watchers. Even the trees hur
heavy with more venturesome mourl
ers.
When the royal cortege approache
the last stage of its journey. tt
crowds broke from their places to Il
hills and peaks Of the island to watt
the start of the naval pageant. Hui
warships doomed brilliantly out oI Il
shining waters of the Solent al
Cowes' last farewell to its queen W
echoed back in clouds of smoke am
the dying reverberations of guns.
Queens weathers came at noon in
burst Of sunshine and the clou
cleared away from the channel al