New-York tribune., 1910-06-22
GUARDING KINGS BODY
Dispute Over Right Between
Rival British REGIMENTS.

terto
.n the dispute that has taken place between
che Household Cavalry and the Foot
l-usrds as TO the right to guard the body
:, Edward VII while 1t lay In state first at
buckingham Palace snd afferward In
westminster Hall. The Grenadier Guards
,uIalled this duty. probably because Sir
Arthur Paget the commanding general of
,ne metropolitan district, who as such had
charge Of the military arrangements in con-
section with the royal obsequies. served In
.,e Foot Guards instead of in the so-caIled
pousehold Cavalry. They shared their duty
nth the Yeomen of the Guard and the
-.erabers OF the corps of Gentlemen-at-
arms a regiment in which each private is
a veteran major or colonel. with distin-
<uished war service TO his credit But the
household Cavalry were allowed no place
rhatsoever at the lying in state. Very nat
v-sllv they resented this. They did not
ussh TO raise the question while the OBJ
.eouies were In progress, but
these were completed they appealed to the
King, who has referred the matter for de-
,ssion 10 the Lord Chancellor
The latter will undoubtedly give his YER
s;ct against the Foot Guards and in favor
,f .he Life Guards. The regiment, or
rather, the three regiments, which are
known as the list and I'd Life Guards.
y-hose funics are scarlet, and the Horse
,-uards whose tunics are dark blue, were
4rs, instituted IN 1850 by Edward VI, and
we're then revived by Charles II at Breda,
in Holland, when negotiations were In
nroeress for the restoration OF the mon
.rchy in England In 1860. Having around
hin upward Of three thousand cavaliers,
che wreck Of those fine armies which had
fought so raliantly for the royal cause
during the civil war. King Charles. on
Nsy = Of that year, formed the pick of
them .nto a corps, which he named His
Majesty's Life Guards. called from the
fsct that their one purpose was to guard
ne Kings life Their commanding officer,
who. by virtue of his Office carried a gold
stick that is 10 say. an ebony staff with e
sold head engraved with the sovereign's
cipher and crown. represented in his per-
knu the concentrated duty of the whole
oorps and was supposed never to leave the
kings side. being responsible for his
safety He was assisted in this duty by a
unajor or lieutenant colonel OF the corps,
who bore an ebony staff tipped with silver
and who Is known to this day as the Silver
stick-in- Waiting. To the command of this
noble band, all Of whom were men of gen.
tie birth. King Charles appointed Lord
Gerard Of Brandon, afterward Earl of
Macclesfei6.
When Charles sailed from Holland to
lsnd az Dover he was accompanied by this
rorps Of Life Guards who mounted on huge
Flemish chargers. constituted his escort
when he rode into London. A few months
sfterward they were placedsin the British
army, and in addition to the ordinary
duties Of furnishing mounted escorts for
the royal family were intrusted by the
state with the task of watching over the
safety of the monarch. The three regi-
ments constitute a single organization, and
are magnificent body Of men, each one
Of the rank and file being six feet or
over, their stature being still further in
creased by their tail, silver plated, brass
mounted and plumed helmets. They are
superbly mounted, the chargers being all
ct them much over sixteen hands high and
corresponding in size to their riders
Perhaps the best proof OF the fact that
they have rights in the royal palace ST.
perior 10 those Of the Foot Guards is to be
found in the fact that their officers all
wear the aiguilettes of aide-de-camp to the
sovereign, which the officers of the four
regiments OF Foot Guards-nameiy, the
the Irish Guards-do not.
While one can quite understand that the
Life Guards should be jealous of their old
tine prerogatives which have thus been
usurped BY the Grenadier Guards. the con-
troversy is not particularly pleasant one
Or agreeable for the King For the squad
bic has arisen in connection with the
death of his father, and If the guards de-
msnd q settlement OF the issue it is in
view OF his own obsequies.
Their Role in Sweden's History.
Count Birger Moerner, whose impending
marriage 10 a wealthy widow, Mrs. H c.
White, Of Havilah, New South Wales,
daughter and heiress of John e. Mcmillan,
Of Airntully, Scotland, has Just been an
bounced. IS the son of the nobleman Of the
same name who was for so many years
grand master OF the household to the
DOwager Queen of Sweden. He himself is
attached the royal household, and is
about the only member left in Sweden OK
family that has played a very important
part In the history of that kingdom. 1t is
family 20 whom the now reigning dyn-
asty Of Bernad0tte may be said TO owe IN
R1ge measure their throne OF Sweden, and
Count Birger MOerner is to-day the sole
one OF his line left in Sweden il IS because
OF most sensational tragedy which took
pace some fifteen or twenty years ago at
stockholm. and which resulted IN one of
US members seeking refuge here in the
United States, while the Others returned
70 Prussia. from which they had sprung
more than TWO hundred years previously,
SECURED German letters Of naturalization
and settled down in the Rhine provinces,
ohe OF them being now a captain Of the
imperial navy and the other a Prussian pro-
f1ncial governor
Their Swedish title OF Count Moerner OF
AoTiand dates from the reign Of King
cnaFles AII-that is TO say, from the be-
ginning OF the eighteenth century, through
out 81 Of which the Moerners PLAYED an i'm
poFtant role, always in the immediate en-
'Vurage Of The royal family. At the be-
sHihlng Of the nineteenth century Count
chafles Moerner. q captain of the royal
Sooyguard and confidential aide-de-camp of
Dhsries XIII, the last OF the Vasa kings
V Sweden, was dispatched by his master
siA letter to Emperor Napoleon at
rms Prince Christian of Hoistein, who
oeen elected heir apparent TO TIE
s"eolsh crown, had just died. very sud-
eenlF King Charles was anxious to NOM
-iste the German Duke Of Augustenburg
= MS place and 10 secure his election by
Ue national legislature, but before SO DO
s wished 70 sound Emperor Napoleon
eDo1t the aware