The Life of King Edward VII / with a sketch of the career of King George V

by J. Castell Hopkins

A REMARKABLE SPECTACLE AT LAHORE

On January 17th the beautiful city of tents disappeared and the Prince of Wales was on his way to Lahore. There, he was received with the usual state and drove four miles to Government House under the shade of a golden umbrella and in the gaze of a vast multitude of people. A remarkable spectacle was presented on the way by the encampment of the Rajahs of the Punjaub. In front of them stood a long line of elephants, caparisoned in gold and silver and gems, with armed retainers and a salute for the Royal visitor, which included all that the roll of drums, blare of trumpets and clang and roar of many strange instruments could produce. Amidst the elephants flashed lance and sword and cuirass and other things reminiscent of the days of western chivalry. At Government House an address was presented by the members of the City Council, wearing turbans of gold tissue, brocaded robes and coils of gems around their necks. A European Levée followed and then came the Native Chiefs. Afterwards the Prince visited the citadel and watched the sun set over the plains from a window once used by the Lion of Lahore in his days of power.

The next day saw a return visit to the Chiefs in their picturesque, costly and oriental encampments; the opening of a Soldiers' Industrial Exhibition at Mean Meer; and a beautiful illumination of the exquisite Shalimar Gardens in the evening. On January 20th the Prince left for Jummoo to visit the Maharajah of Cashmere. Later in the day he was welcomed by this ruler, some seven miles from his capital and, mounted on an elephant preceeded and followed by a stately cortege, the Royal visitor passed through two miles of winding streets, brilliantly lighted and lined by Native troops, while piled-up masses of people showed many types of the Cashmeres, Lamas, Sikhs, Afghans, etc. On the summit of a great ridge was a specially constructed building created at enormous cost for the visitor's accommodation. The usual reception followed together with a great banquet. Sport was the occupation of the next day and in the evening a procession took place through the illuminated city to dine at the Palace with the Maharajah. A feature of the latter's entertainment was an extraordinary sacred dancing drama by Lamas from Thibet. The departure on the following morning occurred amid all the state that Cashmere could present—and that was not little. At Wazirabad, on the way back to Lahore, a brief visit was paid, a great bridge inaugurated and a banquet accepted. Government House was reached in the evening and, with Lieutenant-Governor Sir H. Davies, His Royal Highness then attended a Native entertainment at the College and witnessed fireworks lighting up all the forts and battlements and a sea of heads in the distant darkness.

After a quiet Sunday at Lahore, the departure was made for Agra. On the way Umritzur was visited and the route to the Fort was lined and arched with artificial cypress-trees, gilded branches and garlands. An address was presented from the Municipality in which Sikh, Mohammedan and Hindoo united in expressions of fervent loyalty. Here the Golden Temple was visited. At Rajpoorah a stop was made to accept a banquet from the Maharajah of Puttiala in a beautiful palace of canvas. Early on January 25th Agra was reached and the usual Oriental reception and procession followed. At the camp on the following day a Levée was held and a large number of Native Chiefs presented. In the afternoon the troops of the latter passed in review before the Prince—a mixture of thousands of men and elephants, camels, horses and bullocks, and knights in armour.

The principal event of the ensuing day was a visit to the famous and exquisite Taj Mahul—"too pure, too holy, to be the work of human hands." During the next few days some time was spent in shooting with the Maharajah of Bhurtpore; a grand ball was given at the Fort; a long interview granted Sir Dinkur Rao, the Native statesman; local convents and schools visited; the tomb of Akbar the Great—described as the grandest in the world—seen at Sekundra; a visit paid to the loyal Maharajah of Gwalior at Dholepoor. The next point visited was the famous old fortress of Bhurtpore and then the beautiful city of Jeypoor. Here the Prince went tiger shooting with the Rajpoot Chiefs and shot his tiger and, in the evening of February 5th, saw illuminations in which every Indian device appeared to have been exhausted. From the hospitalities of the Maharajah the Prince, however, soon turned away with his face towards the Himalayas and his heart in the prospective period of sport and liberty. The land of Kumaoun was the scene and with him was a camp which included twenty-five hundred persons without counting a perambulating army of provision carriers. Bears, elephants, tigers, wild boars and varied birds and game were amongst the trophies of his gun during a period of splendid sport which lasted until March 6th.

On that day the Prince resumed his tour and his Royal state and proceeded to Allahabad where he was met by Lord Northbrood and held a reception and an investiture of the Star of India at which Major-General Sir Samuel Browne, V.C., Major-General Sir D. M. Probyn and Surgeon-General Sir J. Fayrer received the ensignias of knighthood. The route was then continued to Indore and, on the way, the Prince stopped long enough at Jubalpoor to see seven Thugs who had been in jail for thirty-five years for having committed an immense number of murders—one of them boasted sixty-five. At Indore, His Royal Highness was received by the Maharajah Holkar with due state and went through the usual programme of reception, visits and banquets—important in this case as being the last. Bombay was reached on March 11th and two days later all farewells were made and the future Emperor of India had left the shores of that mysterious, tragic and historical land, after having travelled in seventeen weeks seven thousand six hundred miles by land and two thousand three hundred miles by sea; met more Chiefs and notabilities than all the Indian Viceroys of the past put together; and seen more of the country and its surface life and varied customs than any living man.

HE MEETS LORD LYTTON AT SUEZ

Before leaving the Prince addressed a letter to the Viceroy expressing appreciation of the reception given to him and of the loyalty shown by the people. On the way home news came that Lord Lytton, the first representative of the Queen as Empress of India, was on the way out. As a personal friend of the Prince of Wales it was fitting that they should meet at Suez, where the new Viceroy came on board. At Cairo, the Prince was welcomed by the Khedive and his suite and a new round of gaiety commenced, including visits to the Pyramids and a little quiet shooting. At Alexandria, on April 2nd the Prince entertained the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia at dinner on the Serapis. The next point touched was Malta, where the thunder of the saluting fleet and fortress made the heavens ring. Here, seven addresses were presented and much enthusiasm shown by the populace. A great banquet was given by Sir W. and Lady Straubenzee and on April 7th new colours were presented by His Royal Highness to the 98th Regiment. Other functions followed. On April 15th the Prince was joined by his brother, the Duke of Connaught. The Island was en fête, and one of the events of the visit was the reception of a deputation from the Sultan of Morrocco. The festive proceedings of the time were wound up with a great ball.

WELCOMED IN SPAIN

The Prince of Wales landed incognito at Cadiz on April 20th and then proceeded, with the Duke of Connaught quietly to visit Seville and Cordova. At Madrid, which was reached on April 25th, the Royal party were formally welcomed by King Alfonso XII. and attended a state reception at the Palace. A military review was held by the King, and then a train was taken for the Palace of the Escurial, where King Alfonso acted as guide for his Royal guests amidst the bewildering artistic and other treasures of that immense and historic pile. Various functions of stately dignity followed the return of the Prince to Madrid, and the departure of the Duke for London, and the incidents of the period included attendance at a sitting of the Spanish Cortes, and the spectacle of a bull-fight. On April 30th His Royal Highness departed for Lisbon, where, on the following day, he was formally welcomed by King Louis of Portugal, his Court, the Foreign Ministers and the British Admirals of the fleet in the Tagus. There were no flags, or arches, or decorations, or tokens of welcome in the streets of Lisbon, but there was a vast mass of silent and respectful people. Many functions followed during the next few days and on May 7th the Serapis started once more for England. Four days later the ship was met by a yacht bearing the Princess of Wales and the Royal children and, in a few hours, the Heir Apparent was again at home from his famous journey and receiving a welcome at Portsmouth which was a fitting prelude to similar greetings in London and elsewhere.