New-York tribune., 1909-03-13
RELICS OF CHARLES I.
King Edzcard vi Returns Them to
the Tomb.

In the course Of an article the death OF
Charles I published in The Tribune last sun
day we mentioned the examination OF lh0
Kings coffin made early in the last century oS
order of the Prince Regent. The vault III 81
George's Chapel. at windsor Castle, wherein Inc
oof4n Law was ppened and Sir Henry HaltoTd'
Queen Charlotte's physician, with d le" o'+.c-
persons inspected the body o. ChaFles %
Henry even making drawing OF the seF
head He cut off a portion OF the hils u"i
auburn heard. and other poor remnants OK
of mortality were removed by hlm OF pS o'o
Of his COMPANIONS Some Of these rellcs were
-f>- q long time in the possession of various
English uoblemen: and one of the invaders oI
the tomb occasionally exhibited, 1t is SAID atter
dinner one OF the vertebree from the hhs
neck This outrageous desecration OF the 'oiiio
did not pass without the expression Oh puo'G
disgust The coffin Of Charles had been placeu
beside that Of King Henry VII. ana THIS III
spired a caricaturist Of the time 10 puplish
a print showing the Prince Regent stahulhs
in the vault in great state Of fright with
Henry and Charles sitting up and reprodcn'lls
him for disturbing their repose.
In connection with the story Of this occur
renee there has Just come to light in England
an excellent deed among the many that should
be credited to Edward VII In so far as ne
was able he has repaired the wrong wrought
by his great uncle According to canon Shep-
pard, sub-dean OF the Chapels Royal IN De
cember, 1855 the King, then Prince OF "aies'
sent for the Dean of Windsor, and showing
him a small ebony casket, informed him that
1t contained certain relics believed to be part
of the boCy of King Charles. These included
the portion of the vertebra. cut transversely;
a portion of auburn colored beard. and a tooth
all of these having been removed from the
coffin by Sir Henry Halford. The prince desired
that these piteous relics should be returned TO
the coffin, and, Queen Victorias consent having
been obtained, the vault was opened on Decem-
Der 13 1888, seventy-fve years after the desc
Grafton The prince, the dean, DR. Randall
Davidson. two canons and the surveyor were
present, square aperture was cut In the
centre of the coffin. and leaden casket con-
tanning the historic@relics was carefully placed
therein An autographic memorandum which
accompanied them read as follows: These
relics of King Charles 1 deposited by Al
bert Edward, Prince OF Wales in the tomb con-
tanning the coffin Of the King
Memorials of their Stuart ancestors have al
ways interested the later rulers Of England, in
whose veins have coursed the blood OF the EIec-
tress Sophia Of Hanover, granddaughter OF
James I and great granddaughter OF Mary
Stuart The Prince Regent was fl advised
when he ordered the invasion OF King CharIes's
toIuD, DuL he was 6ilpeeIilri pIdIStNt tEI44E wien
he acquired the remarkable collection Of Stuart
papers now at Windsor. There ara between
sixty and seventy thousand documents and let
ters in this collection wonderful mine foT
the historian All of these We're the property OF
the Old Pretender and his sons, Prince Charles
Edward and the Cardinal Duke Of York part
of these were purchased from the Abbe James
Waters. Procureur General Of the English Bene-
dictines at Rome, and considerable difficulty at
tended their conveyance to England, the
with France and Napoeon's presence in Italy
making il necessary to remove them with great
caution. II took five years and roundabout
journey to get them into the hands OF the
Prince Regent. The other half Of the collection
was in the possession Of Prince Henry. Cardinal
Duke Of York After his death. We told
these papers lay neglected in garret exposed
to the attacks Of rats and mce-they were be-
Teved 10 be only tradesmen's bills An attempt
to purchase them from the Cardinals adminis-
traitor was successful, but the Roman govern
nent declared the sale null. Aftcrward. how
ever, the Pope offered them gift 10 the
Prince Regent and the offer was accepted. The
Historical Manuscripts Commission Is printing
as rapidly as the work can be done the valuable
calendar of Stuart Papers" Queen Victoria
collected many objects associated with Mary
Stuart her far-oR grandmother. The most
precious relic OF all. the rosary upon which Mary
said her last prayer on the scaffold at Fother-
inghay, is owned by the Duke of Norfolk II is
a pity that that, too. should not be at Windsor.
King Edward VII might easily have seen.
when he was little boy Of ten years, link
with Charles. his great great, etc, uncle of the
seventeenth century; for Grant Duff tells us in
his diary: Il remember that in the winter of
1851-'52 a very old clergyman, the father OF
Sir John Harding, the Queens Advocate. said
to me- I had friend whose friend Charles
I executed "