Evening star., 1952-02-09
His Own Village
Pays Last Honor
To King George
Sundrinehom People
Mourn With Elizabeth
And Queen Mother
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
SANDRINGHAM, England, Feb.
9.-Humble villagers fled through
their hushed country church to-
day to pay last homage to the
man they called squire-King
George vi.
Farmers, carpenters, woodsmen
and servants sorrowfully stopped
before the candle-lit bier to look
for the last time on the coffin Of
their sovereign and friend.
Inside the big mansion nearby,
where the King was born and
where he died. Queen Elizabeth
u-proclaimed throughout the
land yesterday as the new ruler
OF the British realm-remained
closeted in deep mourning with
her mother and sister and others
OF the royal family.
New Flag Flies High.
The new Queens flag few high
over Sandringham House. It was
raised there yesterday. when final
ly she reunited with her bereaved
family after first performing the
f1rst heavy and solemn duties of
her regal station. Her fathers
standard, which had flown over
the mansion until his quiet death
in sleep Wednesday, now covers
his oaken coffin.
The body of the fallen mon
arch lay in the nave of the little
grayStone 18th Century Church.
Of st. Mary Magdalene, 200 yards
down winding garden path over
which it had been carried lastl
night in the eerie moonlight from
the big residence.
A village policeman stood guard
at the wrought iron gates near
the chapel. Only about 300 vii
Layers whom he could recognize as
the Kings own workers were ad-
mitted. During the morning,
mainly the wives came.
Work Goes On.
The new Queen had asked that
work at Sandringham 60 on today
just as any other day. The men
stayed at their jobs-tending the
animals and gardens and other
duties on the vast except
for the kings gamekeepers, who
kept a silent watch over the coffin.
In their Robin Hood like green
buckSkin jackets and dark knee
breeches, the gamekeepers took
two-hourly watches, four at a time
around the royal casket.
Some of the gamekeepers had
stood the same grim watch over
the body of the late Kings father,
George V, when he died here. And
some had played with the late
King when he romped over the
estate as boy.
Sun Pierces Stained Glass.
Inside the church a carpet had
been laid to hush the shuttle of
feet past the Kings coffin. Al
strong warm sun sent shafts of
multicolored light through the
stained glass windows. Four can
dies f1ickered at each corner of
the bier. On the coffin was al
silver plate engraved ALBERT Fred
erick Arthur George Windsor, born
1895, died 1882"
There was a warm fragrance of
flowers - roses, apple blossoms,
hyacinths, carnations and lilies of
the valley-from the wreaths
which lay on the closed coffin.
The wreaths had come from the
Kings own family-hiS widow.
Queen Mother Elizabeth, and his
daughters, Queen Elizabeth and
Princess Margaret. No other
wreaths were brought, for this was
a private mourning.
A canvas screen billowed gently
In the breeze near the gate to the
church to shield the chapel from
the handful of curious who had
gathered outside.
Body to Be Taken to London.
BY twos and threes, the villagers
were ushered past the lone con-
stable and up the shrub-lined
path. It was no fashionable dis
play-no pomp or ceremony-just
villagers dressed in the black they
wear every Sunday when they go
to church.
On the roads outside Sandring-
ham, army cars travelled back and
forth along the 2-mile route to
the railroad station where the
body of the King will be taken
Monday to start the journey to
London to lie in state at West
minister Hall for three days before
the funeral on Friday. Army off,
GERS said they were checking the
route and the timing for the slow
procession from the church to the
four-car special train which will
carry the body.
No services will be held Sunday
In the church.
The 25-year-old Queen came
home at last to her dead father
at dusk yesterday afternoon. After
pledging faithful sovereignty and
being proclaimed through the
land. she had been driven 100
miles from London in her green
Rolls Royce limousine.
Part of the time, her handsome