Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, 1883-1900Waddington, Mary King
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Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, 1883-1900
Waddington, Mary King
Europe -- Social life and customs
To-day is the funeral. Our flag is half-mast, and all the windows shut
in the drawing-rooms. It is mild and damp, but not cold. Mdme. de
Florian and I have been driving about this afternoon to have an
impression of the streets. All the shops are shut, blinds down in all
the houses, flags at half-mast, and everyone in black. Some of the
hansom cab drivers with bits of black ribbon or stuff on their whips,
and everybody looks grave. I can't help thinking it was a pity not to
let the people participate in the mourning and feel they were taking
some part. In these days of democracy one should take any chance of
strengthening the feeling of loyalty. W. went off in uniform, with crepe
on sleeve and sword hilt, at 3, to the service at the Chapel Royal, St.
James's, which seems to have been rather mild. The diplomatists (4
Ambassadors), Chefs de Mission, were received by Mr. Eric Barrington,
Lord Salisbury's secretary; Mr. Thomas Sanderson, and Colonel Chaine.
W. dined in the evening with Hilda, to meet Count Seckendorff and Buelow,
who had come over from Germany to the funeral. They said the service was
very simple and impressive, and that the Prince of Wales and Prince
George looked badly, the Prince of Wales much agitated. Seckendorff said
he could just manage to speak to them when they all filed past him after
the ceremony. The Princesses were all in the chapel in a sort of
gallery. Quite at the end the Prince stepped forward and laid a white
wreath (given by Princess May) on the coffin.
Saturday, January 30, 1892.
It is still very mild and damp, rather dismal weather, and the streets
are depressing, everyone in black--the mourning is very general, not at
all confined to the fashionable world. Mdme. de Florian and I drove out
to White Lodge, and cheerless it looked, so lonely and sad with the
black winter trees all around the house. We did not see either of the
Princesses; they were in London, but Teck came out to speak to us. I
never saw him appear so well--he was so simple and distressed for his
daughter. He said she was very quiet, but perfectly heart-broken, and
that he had always had a presentiment that something would
happen--everything had gone too smoothly. He said the coming back there
after the funeral was something too awful--all the wedding presents and
stuffs and laces scattered about the rooms--letters and telegrams of
congratulation, bouquets of white flowers, in fact all the preparations
for a wedding; and at the same time people waiting to try on
mourning--telegrams of condolence, etc. What a tragedy! He said he had
no hope from the first. Prince Eddie was struck down at once, and he
didn't think the Princess of Wales ever had a gleam of hope. She never
left her boy until all was over.
_To G. K. S._
Wednesday, February 10, 1892.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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