"Would your Majesty stand over there?" I said, pointing to one end of the terrace. They stood there side by side, King and President laughing and chatting. While I turned on them, General Joffre came out.
"Come along, Joffre, you stand here," said His Majesty, "and you there," he said laughingly to General Foch. Sir Douglas Haig then came out and stood at the end of the line.
For fully a minute they stood there, making a scene, the like of which I had never dreamed.
King, and President, and Generals, who held in their hands the destiny of the world. I continued turning, until His Majesty, thinking I had enough, withdrew, laughing and chatting by the camera, followed by General Joffre, Sir Douglas Haig, and General Foch.
By this time my spool had run out, so quickly changing I got round to the front of the house to film the royal party leaving.
After they had all gone, I heard that Mr. Lloyd George was on his way up from Paris. How late he was, one officer was saying: "We expected him before this." Hearing that I decided to wait. About half an hour later, up he came in a great hurry, and I just managed to film him as he left his car and entered the building.
To-day was Sunday. His Majesty attended Divine Service with some of the troops stationed near by, in a small country church perched high up on the hill-side. Quiet and contentment pervaded everything; not even the sound of a gun was heard.
A visit to His Majesty, King Albert of Belgium, was the next item on the programme.
The King and Prince of Wales and their suite entered their respective cars and, amidst the cheers of the civilian populace, we left the village on the hill. The red and gold of the little Royal Standard on the King's car glittered bright in the morning sun.
Away we went. How my old "bus" did go; every ounce was being obtained from it; she fairly rocked and roared on the tails of the high-power machines ahead. I knew the road only too well; many a time in the early part of the war had I traversed it, and passed through these self-same gates.