Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, 1883-1900Waddington, Mary King
History
Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, 1883-1900
Waddington, Mary King
Europe -- Social life and customs
I went to the little church behind the Embassy this morning and am very
sorry now that I didn't go to St. Paul's, where there was a fine
service--the organ playing the Dead March in Saul, and all the
congregation standing, a good many women crying, all in black. It was
impressive in the little church--everyone in black. There is a general
mourning ordered for three weeks, and Court mourning for six (which is a
shorter time than I thought). (I send on a sheet apart what I would like
you to order for me. I have nothing black but my black satin evening
dress, which fortunately is all black, no white, lace, or colour). They
sang the funeral hymn "Labourer, thy work is o'er," the first time I had
ever heard it, and beautiful it was; read the prayer for the "Royal
Family in affliction," and one for the influenza--which surprised me, as
I should not have thought the epidemic was bad enough for that. The
sermon, of course, was all about Prince Eddie and the young life cut
short. It was very simple and earnest and the congregation certainly
felt and showed great sympathy. I went for a short turn in the Park
afterward and walked about a little with Henry Edwardes and his
children. He is rather down, poor fellow, as his conge drags on and they
seem in no hurry at the Foreign Office to give him another post. I
believe he didn't get on very well with his last chief, and of course
all chiefs are not commodes, but equally of course when there comes a
question the secretary is _always_ in the wrong. Edwardes is very clever
and cultivated. W. thinks him an excellent agent. In Paris he always
knew what was going on, and knew so many people of all kinds.
This afternoon I had my usual Sunday visits--principally diplomatists
this time, and all talking about Prince Eddie's funeral. It seems a pity
they don't make a grand military funeral, the procession passing through
London. There was such a striking outburst of sympathy and loyalty when
his death was announced that the people would have been glad to
associate themselves with the last rites. They don't invite all the
Chefs de Mission to the funeral at Windsor (which also seems strange,
Prince Eddie being the heir), merely those of the "Cours apparentees."
That will take in Hatzfeldt, German Ambassador; Staal, Russian; de
Bille, Danish Minister; Gennadius, Greece; Soveral, Portugese; and
Solvyns, Belgian. All the others go to a special service at St. James's
Chapel, in uniform.
Wednesday, January 20, 1892.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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