The King and Queen returned to London from Denmark on 20th April, and their arrival was made the occasion of a really remarkable popular demonstration. A few days later the Press was requested to publish the following graceful acknowledgment from His Majesty:—
“Marlborough House, Pall Mall, S.W.
“I have been deeply touched by the numerous expressions of sympathy and goodwill addressed to me on the occasion of the providential escape of the Princess of Wales and myself from the danger we have lately passed through.
“From every quarter of the globe, from the Queen’s subjects throughout the world, as well as from the representatives and inhabitants of foreign countries, have these manifestations of sympathy proceeded, and on my return to this country I received a welcome so spontaneous and hearty that I felt I was the recipient of a most gratifying tribute of genuine goodwill.
“Such proofs of kind and generous feeling are naturally most highly prized by me, and will for ever be cherished in my memory.
“Albert Edward.”
The subsequent history of Sipido throws a curious light on Belgian notions of justice. He was placed on trial before the Brabant Assize Court on 2nd July, and admitted his guilt, acknowledging that the attempt was not meant as a joke. Although the jury on the 5th brought in a verdict of “guilty,” the Court acquitted the prisoner on the ground that he was “irresponsible,” but ordered him to be placed at the disposal of the Government till he attained the age of twenty-one. The Belgian Government, however, did not prevent him from fleeing to Paris, where he had relatives. Mr. Balfour stated in the House of Commons that the British Government had informed the Belgian Government that they considered the result of the proceedings to be a grave and most unfortunate miscarriage of justice. In excuse for not detaining Sipido, the Belgian Government pleaded that the youth could not be arrested during the three days’ interval to which he was entitled for deciding whether he should lodge an appeal. But this deceived no one, for it was not an illegal arrest which was desired, but ordinary police surveillance.
Sipido did appeal against the sentence of the Assize Court, but the Brussels Court of Cassation rejected the appeal towards the end of September. The Belgian Government ultimately obtained the extradition of the youth from the French Government, and he arrived in Brussels in charge of the police on 27th October.
The death of his brother, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Duke of Edinburgh), in the summer of 1900, was a bitter grief to the King, who was present with the German Emperor at the funeral. The succession to the principality had been the subject of a family arrangement on the death of the heir, Prince Alfred, in 1899. The King himself had of course long ago renounced his rights, and the next heir, the Duke of Connaught, on behalf of himself and his son, Prince Arthur, did the same, with certain reservations. The duchy therefore passed to the young Duke of Albany, only son of the late Prince Leopold, who was then a boy in Mr. Benson’s house at Eton.
On New Year’s Day 1901 the King was much gratified by the promotion of his son and heir to be Rear-Admiral, the more so as the Duke had fairly earned this advancement as judged by the ordinary standards of promotion in the Navy. The position to which His Royal Highness was raised by the death of his elder brother of course rendered it impossible for him thenceforward to be so closely associated with the sea service as, for example, his uncle, the Duke of Edinburgh, had been, and the step in rank was no doubt conferred in anticipation of the Duke’s approaching visit to Australia to inaugurate the Federal Parliament. The promotion was followed, a day or two afterwards, by the appointment of the Duke to be Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Marine Forces.