His Most Gracious Majesty King Edward VIILowndes, Marie Belloc
History
His Most Gracious Majesty King Edward VII
Lowndes, Marie Belloc
Edward VII, King of Great Britain, 1841-1910
As the _Serapis_ anchored near Yarmouth the King was informed that
Queen Alexandra and the Royal children had come to meet him on board
the _Enchantress_. He immediately went on board their ship, bringing
Her Majesty and their children back with him a little later on board
the _Serapis_.
It need hardly be pointed out that King Edward received a very
remarkable number of gifts during his tour in India. The cost of a gift
made to him by a native Prince was supposed to be strictly limited to
£2000 in value, but in many cases this restriction was evaded by the
present being priced at a nominal sum, the real value being anything
from £5000 to £30,000. As an actual fact the splendid collection
brought home by His Majesty, which is his own personal property, is
said to be worth half a million sterling.
Some time after his return home the King kindly allowed his Indian
gifts to be exhibited to the public. They were afterwards distributed
between Marlborough House and Sandringham, a considerable portion of
them finding a resting-place in the Indian room of Marlborough House.
There also were carefully stored away in solid silver cylinders all the
addresses received by the King during his eventful Indian tour.
King Edward, who takes the very keenest interest in live animals,
brought back quite a menagerie with him from India, and the quarters in
the _Serapis_ assigned to his pets was for the time being a veritable
Zoo, for there were tigers, elephants, ostriches, leopards, birds,
ponies, cattle, monkeys, dogs and horses, some of which spent a
peaceful old age at Sandringham.
There can be no doubt that from a political point of view the tour was
a great success, doing much indirectly to consolidate the British power
in India. It is also a curious commentary on the objections raised by
the economy party to the visit that no less a sum than £250,000 was
spent in London alone by native Princes in buying presents for His
Majesty.
The principal incident of the voyage home had been a farewell dinner
given by the officers of the _Serapis_ to the King and his suite when
the vessel was nearing harbour.
The table was laid for forty on the main deck (called the Windsor Long
Walk), which was decorated with flags, trophies of arms, and ornaments.
After Queen Victoria had been duly honoured, Captain Glyn proposed King
Edward’s health, and begged him to accept an album as a keepsake from
himself and his officers. It contained, besides a large photograph
of every officer, photographed groups of the men and the Guard of
Honour, views of different parts of the ship, and photographs of a few
favourite animals.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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