An event of great interest to the officers and men of the Fleet was a visit from His Majesty the King, who arrived at Scapa on July 7th, crossing from Thurso in the _Oak_, escorted by a portion of the 2nd Flotilla. During His Majesty’s visit he stayed with Admiral Sir Stanley Colville at Longhope and spent two very busy days with the Fleet. His Majesty visited all the flagships, and a large number of the officers and men of the ships of each division of the Battle Fleet and of each vessel in the cruiser squadrons were assembled on board the various flagships and passed before the King. His Majesty reviewed the officers and men of the smaller vessels, destroyers, sloops, etc., on the island of Flotta, visited hospital ships, and reviewed the great mass of auxiliary vessels anchored in Scapa Flow, being greeted with enthusiastic loyalty by the crews of these vessels: visited the various shore batteries, and inspected the anti-submarine defences and the boom vessels. The weather was bad, but the programme was carried out in spite of these conditions. The officers and men of the Fleet derived the utmost encouragement from His Majesty’s gracious visit. The King made the following signal to the Commander-in-Chief as the _Oak_ left the Fleet, escorted by a portion of the 4th Flotilla: “I am delighted that I have been able to carry out a long-cherished desire to visit my Grand Fleet. After two most interesting days spent here, I leave with feelings of pride and admiration for the splendid force which you command with the full confidence of myself and your fellow-countrymen. “I have had the pleasure of seeing the greater portion of the officers and men of the Fleet. I realise the patience and determined spirit with which you have faced long months of waiting and hoping. I know how strong is the comradeship that links all ranks together. “Such a happy state of things convinces me that whenever the day of battle comes my Navy will add fresh triumphs to its old glorious traditions.” In reply to His Majesty’s gracious message, I expressed the appreciation of the officers and men of the Grand Fleet, adding that it was “my conviction that the glorious traditions of the Navy are safe in the hands of those I have the honour to command.” During August the coal strike continued to influence Fleet movements to a certain extent.