The Life of King Edward VII: with a sketch of the career of King George VHopkins, J. Castell (John Castell)
History
The Life of King Edward VII: with a sketch of the career of King George V
Hopkins, J. Castell (John Castell)
Edward VII, King of Great Britain, 1841-1910
There was no cheering from the people but much curiosity. A formal
welcome was offered for the Khedive by Princes Tewfik, Hussein and
Hassan, who were accompanied on their visit to the _Serapis_ by the
well-known statesman Nubar Pasha, and other officers of the Court. The
Prince then transferred himself to a smaller vessel--the _Osborne_--and
with a Royal Standard floating over the ship for the first time since
the Empress Eugénie had opened the Suez Canal, he traversed that famous
waterway. At Ismaila, the Prince and his suite landed and took a special
train to Cairo, where His Royal Highness was welcomed by the Khedive in
person, with the towering form of the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia
standing behind, and a brilliantly uniformed Court around him. To the
Prince of Wales the Gezireh Palace was given as his temporary residence.
The succeeding day was occupied with ceremonials of various kinds, a
banquet being given by the Khedive at the Abdeen Palace in the evening,
when the Prince passed to and fro in a lane of light made by myriad
many-coloured lamps.
On October 25th, the Prince of Wales invested Prince Tewfik--afterwards
Khedive of Egypt--with the Order of the Star of India amidst all
possible state. In a letter he told His Highness that the honour was
conferred to mark British appreciation of the Khedive's friendship to
England, and his good work in promoting the safety of British
communication with India. The next day saw the Royal departure from
Cairo after a formal visit from the Khedive, the Princes his sons, and
his Ministers, who were again at the station to see him off a little
later. Suez was reached in the evening and, amid elaborate preparations
from the Pasha of that place, crowds of people and illuminated
men-of-war in the roadstead, the Prince and his party boarded the
_Serapis_ and, accompanied by the _Osborne_, proceeded on the voyage to
Aden. Perim, which has been described as "a gigantic blistered clinker,"
was reached and passed on October 31st, and from the ship the Prince got
his first view of Her Majesty's Indian troops. It is to be hoped that
the cheering Bombay Infantry drawn up on that vitrified surface, got a
fair view of the Prince in return. On the following day the
volcanic-like Island of Aden was reached, and its fortifications gazed
upon with interest. As the flag flew from the mast-head of the _Serapis_
to announce its arrival the ships and crags rang with the roar of
cannon. The Prince landed, clad in uniform of a somewhat mixed
character, with Field Marshal's insignia, and accompanied by his suite.
Upon, or around, the platform and triumphal arch erected at the
landing-place, was every variety of picturesque oriental costume with a
background of mountain and blistered rock and white, painted houses.
Chiefs from the mainland in gorgeous array, the King's Own Borderer's
Regiment, all the ladies of the island in European or Asiatic costume,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account