Blandford Weekly News. — 1886-06-26 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

FUNERAL OF KING LOWS.  IMPOSING CEREMONY.  The funeral of King Louts of —B—a;;;:iii on Saturdry wow a magnificent affair. From an early hour in the morning Munich town was filled with sightseers from every country in Europe. Prominent., however, among their number were the Bavarian peasants, in their picturesque costumes, carrying in their hands simple bouquets or wreathe of Alpine roses, Edelweiss, and other mountain blossoms, to deposit at the feet of tbeir dead monarch. Every point of vantage was beset, and by the time the procession started it was hardly possible to force one's way anywhere near the line of march. The route taken was about 1i mile long, and was lined by &double row of soldiers, members of the warrior's and veteran's societies and firemen. The starting of the procession was the signal for the firing of a salute of 100 guns. First a body of cavalry moved forward at a slow walking pace, the band mounted on snow-white chargers, playing Beethoven's "Funeral March." Regiment succeeded regiment, marching at slow step, each corps being headed by its band, playing funeral strains. The military display was, indeed, exceptionally grand, is veritable army being on the more "in all the pomp and circumstance of war." The ground literally shook under the rattle of cannon wheels and the tramp of chargers and infantry, accompanied by the beating of muffled drums and the melancholy strains of the brass instruments, Every arm of the Bavarian service and deputations from Austrian, German, and Russianregiments in which the late King held honerary rank were there to pay a last mark of homage to the monarch whose career closed so tragically. The artillery closed the military part of the procession, and then name members of the different religious brotherhoods which figure so prominently in the Corpus Christi procession at 'Munich. These were clad in the garb of pilgrims of the Middle Ages, that irto say, they wore muiticoloured cloaks' their hats hanging clown their backs suspended by a ribbon. They carried crosses, religious banners, and holy candles. Then for quite 20 minutes several thousand boys from all the schools of the city marched past ; then the military convicts, and finally several hundred sisters of charity. Next came the servants of the Royal household in their state liveries of silver and white, followed by a large number of monks of the Capucine, Dominican, and Franciscan orders ; the court clergy, the latter being preceded by Court trumpeters in their glittering uniforms; and the clergy of the various churches of Munich in surplices, and carrying crosses and beautifully embroidered benners. Behind this small army of chivies came fonr of the bishop' of Bavaria, the Archbishop if Munich and Bamberg, who were immediately followed by 25 of the so-called " Gugelmanner, fearsome figures wearing masks, with loog black cloaks and hoods hiding every portion of their bodies and faces but the eyes. A member of this grins fraternity carried a picture of St. George, the patron paint of th, Wittelebach dynasty. A noteworthy figure in this part of the procession was the late King's aged valet, Mayer, who walked quite alone, and was evidently bowed down with grief although for years past he had been coin. pelfed to wear a mask when waiting upon the King. Mayer was, however, profoundly attached to his royal master, whom he bad attended upon as a boy, and wept bitterly as he walked. The King's favorite charger, a beautiful bay, was led before the hearse by a knight in armour, and immediately following and preceding the funeral car came a number of court officialism horseback. The ear itself wag drawn by eight horses, draped in black. It was open at the sides, and on the roof lay the crown and sword of the dead monarch. From the four columns which supported the roof hung wreathe, while the coffin was covered with garlands of roses. Beside the hearae walked his Majesty's adjutants, including. Count liiirkheim, and 12 gentlemen in waiting. The pall was borne by nix knights of St. George, and a detachment of bodyguards, resplendent in their blue and silver uniforine, surrounding the King's horse, entirely draped in crape, closed the group. The mummers were headed by Prince Loitpold, uncle of the late Kieg, and now Prince Regent. After him c ime the Crown Prince of Germany. the Crown Prince of Austria, the Princes of the Royal Family of Bavaria,and a number of German Piiii ces and Grand Dukes, and the repregentatives of the Powers, among them Sir Edward Malet. A second group of mourners followed, including the hlginst Crown officials, the two HCIISISS of Parliament, the Cabinet, all departmental chiefs rind subalterns, in gold embroidered uniforms : the artists' societies, the Universities, the magic- , trates, deputations from every city of Bavaria, the file brigade., this veterans, the students' corps, On the arrival of the hearse at the church orst. Michael, the coffin ISM borne in by the mutes mid placed on a csta!alque in front of the high altar. On ih: cataralque, winch was heaped up with fhwers and ureattis, were placed the insignia of royalty and also the late King's irders. The church, an immense building, celebrated for the eon' moue width of its one inch, was croaded to overflowing. On the termination of the aervice,which was conducted by the Archbishop of Munich, the "Gugelmiinner ' carried the c.iffin into the vault beneath the church, being ae amipanied by the Court dignitaries, the Mirristers, and clergy. Arrived there' the coffin was locked and sealed. In the middle of the vault stood a large loadeu cotlin,whicii is destined to receive that containing the remains of the late King. At the conclusion of the ceremony the foreign visitors took leave of the Prince Regent. As soon as the procession passed the church it broke up, the soldiers returning to barracks, and the deputations and others who took Fart ping their several way,. The Bail!, News correspondent says.: Murmurs are heard everywhere as to the way the late Kieg has been treated. People ask why he was not allowed to share the grave of his fathers in the Tneatiner Church ; why his coffin waa placed among these of distant relations, in is vault where Royalty has never been buried before. The official reasm given for this proceeding is that the Royal vault is already over-filled, and that it contains no suitable place for the late King. There is, however, reason to believe, and the humbler classee all firmly believe it, that he was excluded because he committed suicide. The people will no doubt attach much importance to the fact that while beautiful siinshine favoured the procession during it, transit to the church, the coffin had scarcely been let down into the vault by the masked men who*s office, are required only once in every reign,when a terrible thunderstorm broke, and nee clap if thunder succeeded another until a terrible flash of lightning struck the behf.y, causing hundreds in the church to cry out aimultaneonaly. Hall an hour later sunshine hail returned, and hut for the had on the pavement one would have believed the storm a terrible dream.