His Majesty was afterwards pleased to express his gracious approbation of the conduct of the naval guard of honour and their promptitude in executing his orders. Later on the King conferred the Victorian Order on the officers, and the Victorian medal on the men. The incident seized the imagination of the British people, who were quick to recall other occasions on which the sea service had similarly risen to a great emergency.
Few besides the members of the Royal Family were present at the actual depositing of the remains of Queen Victoria in the sarcophagus at Frogmore, there to sleep by the side of her tenderly-loved husband, to whom she had addressed the infinitely touching inscription, “Vale desideratissime! Hic tecum requiescam, tecum demum in Christo resurgam!”
It was on that most solemn day that King Edward wrote those admirable Messages to his People, to the Colonies, and to India, which revealed to all his subjects how completely he possesses his lamented mother’s marvellous gift of human sympathy, combined with a full realisation of his kingly dignity. The Messages, which are all dated from Windsor Castle, 4th February 1901, are as follows:—
“To My People
“Now that the last Scene has closed in the noble and ever glorious life of My beloved Mother, The Queen, I am anxious to endeavour to convey to the whole Empire the extent of the deep gratitude I feel for the heart-stirring and affectionate tributes which are everywhere borne to Her Memory. I wish also to express My warm recognition of those universal expressions of what I know to be genuine and loyal sympathy with Me and with the Royal Family in our overwhelming sorrow. Such expressions have reached Me from all parts of My vast Empire, while at home the sorrowful, reverent, and sincere enthusiasm manifested in the magnificent display by sea and land has deeply touched Me.
“The consciousness of this generous spirit of devotion and loyalty among the millions of My Subjects, and of the feeling that we are all sharing a common sorrow, has inspired Me with courage and hope during the past most trying and momentous days.
“Encouraged by the confidence of that love and trust which the nation ever reposed in its late and fondly mourned Sovereign, I shall earnestly strive to walk in Her Footsteps, devoting Myself to the utmost of My powers to maintaining and promoting the highest interests of My People, and to the diligent and zealous fulfilment of the great and sacred responsibilities which, through the Will of God, I am now called to undertake.
“Edward, R.I.”
“To My People Beyond the Seas
“The countless messages of loyal sympathy which I have received from every part of My Dominions over the Seas testify to the universal grief in which the whole Empire now mourns the loss of My Beloved Mother.