On the 8th the King was able to visit Osborne—of course in an invalid chair. On the 12th it was announced that a considerable degree of mobility had been obtained in the knee joint, and on the 14th the patient, accompanied by Princess Victoria, left for Balmoral.
At this time, in spite of the tiresome restraints imposed on him by his accident, the King did another of those graceful little actions which have helped so much to strengthen his hold over the affections of his subjects all over the world. Some time before this His Majesty had assisted Sir James Woodhead, then Mayor of Cape Town, to procure a mace for the city, made of oak from the timbers of Nelson’s flagship, the Victory. Unfortunately, the piece of wood sent out proved to be so much decayed as to be practically useless. Another application was made to the King, who again interested himself in the kindest manner in the matter, with the result that a fairly sound piece of wood was despatched, and the grateful council of Cape Town passed a unanimous resolution of thanks to their Royal benefactor. It is not a very important incident, but it illustrates His Majesty’s willingness not only to take trouble, but to go on taking trouble.
The King derived the greatest benefit from the splendid air of Deeside, and about the middle of September Mr. Fripp, his Surgeon-in-ordinary, was able to return to London. While His Majesty was in Scotland Lord Crawford celebrated the quincentenary of his earldom, and the King sent him the following kindly telegram:—
“Allow me to offer you my sincerest congratulations on the 500th anniversary of the creating of your title.—Albert Edward.”
On 23rd September the King left Balmoral to stay with the Duke and Duchess of Fife at Mar Lodge, and on the 27th the recovery of His Majesty was, so to speak, officially marked by the announcement in the London Gazette that Queen Victoria had appointed Sir William MacCormac and Sir Francis Laking to be Knight-Commanders, and Mr. Fripp and Fleet-Surgeon Delmege to be Members of the Royal Victorian Order, “in recognition of their services in connection with the recent accident met with by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.”
All this time the condition of the venerable Queen of Denmark had been fluctuating, now an improvement and now a relapse being reported. At last the end came on 29th September, and the Balmoral Court Circular, in recording the mournful event, announced:—
“The Queen’s beloved daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, was in constant attendance on her mother, to whom she was devotedly attached.”
The utmost sympathy was shown by all classes with King Edward and Queen Alexandra in this terrible bereavement. The King was represented at the funeral by his son, and the Duke of Cambridge represented Queen Victoria. Queen Alexandra of course remained at Copenhagen for the last sad rites.
On 16th October the King returned to London, the only trace of his accident being a very slight limp, which was soon got rid of, and on the 28th His Majesty received Lord Kitchener, who had come home with all the laurels of Omdurman. On 1st November Queen Alexandra and her son returned from Copenhagen, and their Majesties soon afterwards paid a short visit to Sandringham. Before the end of November the Lancet was able to assure the public that the King’s recovery was complete, and His Majesty showed his gratitude to Sir William MacCormac by his presence when, in the following February, the eminent surgeon delivered the Hunterian Oration at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.