Funeral of Edward VII
Encyclopedia
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
occurred on Friday, 20 May 1910. It was one of the largest gatherings of European royalty ever to take place, and one of the last before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
ended the era of European royalty.
King Edward VII had died on 6 May, and the funeral was held two weeks later. Huge crowds gathered to watch the procession, which passed from Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
to Westminster Hall, where a small ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, Randall Davidson before a small group of official mourners - the late king's widow, Queen Alexandra
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, his son King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, his daughter The Princess Victoria, his brother the Duke of Connaught
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
, and his nephew the German Emperor. The remainder of the funeral party
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
waited outside the Hall. Then the whole procession proceeded via Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
and the Mall, from Hyde Park Corner
Hyde Park Corner
Hyde Park Corner is a place in London, at the south-east corner of Hyde Park. It is a major intersection where Park Lane, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Place and Constitution Hill converge...
up to the Marble Arch
Marble Arch
Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
, and thence to Paddington Station
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
. From there, a train conveyed the mourners to Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
. The procession then continued on to Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
, and a full funeral ceremony was held in St George's Chapel.
Personages in the procession
The funeral was notable for the enormous number of important European and world royalty that participated in it. The funeral procession saw a horseback procession, followed by 11 carriages.Figures on horseback included the following, along with various military figures and equerries:
- His Majesty The KingGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, the late king's son - His Imperial Majesty The German Emperor, the late king's nephew
- His Royal Highness The Duke of Connaught and StrathearnPrince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and StrathearnPrince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
, the late king's brother - His Majesty The King of the HellenesGeorge I of GreeceGeorge I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
, the late king's brother-in-law - His Majesty The King of SpainAlfonso XIII of SpainAlfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
, the late king's nephew-in-law - His Majesty The King of NorwayHaakon VII of NorwayHaakon VII , known as Prince Carl of Denmark until 1905, was the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union with Sweden. He was a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg...
, the late king's son-in-law - His Majesty The King of DenmarkFrederick VIII of DenmarkFrederick VIII was King of Denmark from 1906 to 1912.-Early life:Frederick was born on 3 June 1843 in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen as Prince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior male line of the House of Oldenburg descended from Christian III of Denmark and who had...
, the late king's brother-in-law - His Majesty The King of PortugalManuel II of PortugalManuel II , named Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio de Bragança Orleães Sabóia e Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha — , was the last King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father and elder brother Manuel...
- His Majesty The Tsar of BulgariaFerdinand I of BulgariaFerdinand , born Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, was the ruler of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918, first as knyaz and later as tsar...
- His Majesty The King of the BelgiansAlbert I of BelgiumAlbert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
- His Imperial and Royal Highness Archduke Franz Ferdinand of AustriaArchduke Franz Ferdinand of AustriaFranz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia...
, heir-presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary - His Imperial Highness The Hereditary Prince of the Ottoman Empire
- His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of RussiaGrand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of RussiaGrand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia was the youngest son of Emperor Alexander III of Russia.At the time of his birth, his paternal grandfather was still the reigning Emperor of All the Russias. Michael was fourth-in-line to the throne following his father and elder brothers Nicholas and...
, brother of the Emperor of Russia and nephew-in-law to the late King - His Royal Highness The Duke of Aosta, cousin of the King of Italy
- His Imperial Highness Prince Fushimi SadanaruPrince Fushimi Sadanaruwas the 22nd head of the Fushimi-no-miya shinnōke . He was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army.- Early life :...
, cousin of the Emperor of Japan - His Royal Highness The Duke of SpartaConstantine I of GreeceConstantine I was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, in which Greece won Thessaloniki and doubled in...
, heir to the throne of Greece and nephew-in-law to the late King - His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of RomaniaFerdinand I of RomaniaFerdinand was the King of Romania from 10 October 1914 until his death.-Early life:Born in Sigmaringen in southwestern Germany, the Roman Catholic Prince Ferdinand Viktor Albert Meinrad of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, later simply of Hohenzollern, was a son of Leopold, Prince of...
, nephew-in-law to the late king - His Royal Highness Prince Rupprecht of BavariaRupprecht, Crown Prince of BavariaRupprecht or Rupert, Crown Prince of Bavaria was the last Bavarian Crown Prince.His full title was His Royal Highness Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, of Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine...
- His Royal Highness Duke Albrecht of WürttembergAlbrecht, Duke of WürttembergAlbrecht, Duke of Württemberg or Albrecht Herzog von Württemberg was a German Generalfeldmarschall and head of the Royal House of Württemberg...
- His Royal Highness The Hereditary Prince of SerbiaAlexander I of YugoslaviaAlexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...
- His Royal Highness Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands, husband of Queen Wilhelmina
- His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Hesse and by RhineErnest Louis, Grand Duke of HesseErnest Louis Charles Albert William , was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1892 until 1918...
, nephew to the late King - His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- His Royal Highness Prince Heinrich of PrussiaPrince Heinrich of PrussiaPrince Henry of Prussia was a younger brother of German Emperor William II and a Prince of Prussia...
, nephew to the late king - His Royal Highness The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaCharles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the fourth and last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, two duchies in Germany , and the head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1900 until his death in 1954...
, nephew to the late king - His Royal Highness Prince George of SaxonyPrince Johann Georg of SaxonyPrince Johann Georg Pius Karl Leopold Maria Januarius Anacletus of Saxony, Duke of Saxony was the sixth child and second-eldest son of George...
- His Royal Highness Prince Carl of SwedenPrince Carl, Duke of VästergötlandPrince Carl of Sweden and Norway, Duke of Västergötland , was the third son of King Oscar II of Sweden-Norway and Sophia of Nassau.-History:...
, nephew to the late King - His Serene Highness The Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
- His Highness Prince Mohammed Ali of EgyptMohammed Ali TewfikPrince Mohammed Ali Tewfik was the heir presumptive of Egypt and Sudan from 1892-1899 and 1936-1952.-Regent:...
- His Royal Highness Prince Arthur of ConnaughtPrince Arthur of ConnaughtPrince Arthur of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of Queen Victoria. Prince Arthur held the title of a British prince with the style His Royal Highness...
, nephew to the late King - His Royal Highness Prince Christian of Schleswig-HolsteinPrince Christian of Schleswig-HolsteinPrince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein was a minor German prince who became a member of the British Royal Family through his marriage to Princess Helena of the United Kingdom , the fifth child and third daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of...
, brother-in-law to the late King - His Highness Prince Albert of Schleswig-HolsteinAlbert, Duke of Schleswig-HolsteinPrince Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein was a grandson of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. He was the second son of Victoria's daughter, Princess Helena, by her husband Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein...
, nephew to the King - His Highness Prince Alexander of BattenbergAlexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of CarisbrookeAlexander Albert Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke, GCB, GCVO, GJStJ was a member of the Hessian princely Battenberg family and the extended British Royal Family, a grandson of Queen Victoria...
, nephew to the late King - His Grace The Duke of FifeAlexander Duff, 1st Duke of FifeAlexander William George Duff, 1st Duke of Fife KG, KT, GCVO, PC, VD , styled Viscount Macduff between 1857 and 1879 and known as The Earl Fife between 1879 and 1889, was a British Peer who married Princess Louise of Wales, the third child and eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Alexandra of...
, son-in-law to the late King - His Serene Highness The Duke of TeckAdolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of CambridgeAdolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, GCB, GCVO, CMG , born Prince Adolphus of Teck and later The Duke of Teck , was a member of the British Royal Family and a younger brother of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V...
, second cousin to the late king - His Serene Highness Prince Francis of TeckPrince Francis of TeckPrince Francis of Teck, GCVO, DSO , was a member of the British Royal Family, the brother of Queen Mary....
, second cousin to the late king - His Serene Highness Prince Alexander of TeckAlexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of AthloneMajor-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the shared British and Canadian royal family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the...
, nephew-in-law to the late King - His Royal Highness Prince Andrew of Greece and DenmarkPrince Andrew of Greece and DenmarkPrince Andrew of Greece and Denmark of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, was the seventh child and fourth son of King George I of Greece and Olga Constantinovna of Russia. He was a grandson of Christian IX of Denmark.He began military training at an early age, and was...
- His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia
- His Grand Ducal Highness Prince Maximilian of BadenPrince Maximilian of BadenMaximilian of Baden was a German prince and politician...
- His Royal Highness Prince Danilo of MontenegroDanilo, Crown Prince of MontenegroDanilo Aleksandar Petrović-Njegoš was the Crown Prince of Montenegro. He was eldest of the son of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro and Queen Milena Vukotić. During the Balkan Wars and World War I he led the Montenegrin Army with his father, King Nicholas I of Montenegro, Janko Vukotić,...
- His Royal Highness Prince Christopher of Greece and DenmarkPrince Christopher of Greece and DenmarkPrince Christopher of Greece and Denmark was a member of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Royal House.-Family background:...
- His Royal Highness Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
- His Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- His Royal Highness Prince Louis d'Orleans
- His Royal Highness Prince Pierre d'Orleans
- His Highness Prince August Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
- His Serene Highness Prince Wolrad of Waldeck and PyrmontPrince Wolrad of Waldeck and PyrmontPrince Wolrad of Waldeck and Pyrmont was the youngest child of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont by his second wife Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.-Early life and family:...
- His Royal Highness Prince Bovaradej of Siam
Those who followed behind in the carriages included:
- Her Majesty Queen AlexandraAlexandra of DenmarkAlexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, the late king's widow - Her Imperial Majesty Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, the late king's sister-in-law
- Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Duchess of FifeLouise, Princess Royal and Duchess of FifeThe Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife was the third child and the eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark...
, the late king's daughter - Her Royal Highness The Princess Victoria, the late king's daughter
- Her Majesty The QueenMary of TeckMary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, the late king's daughter-in-law - Her Majesty The Queen of NorwayMaud of WalesPrincess Maud of Wales was Queen of Norway as spouse of King Haakon VII. She was a member of the British Royal Family as the youngest daughter of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark and granddaughter of Queen Victoria and also of Christian IX of Denmark. She was the younger sister of George V...
, the late king's daughter - His Royal Highness The Duke of CornwallEdward VIII of the United KingdomEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, the late king's grandson - Her Royal Highness The Princess MaryMary, Princess Royal and Countess of HarewoodThe Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
, the late king's granddaughter - Her Royal Highness Princess Christian of Schleswig-HolsteinPrincess Helena of the United KingdomPrincess Helena was a member of the British Royal Family, the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert....
, the late king's sister - Her Royal Highness The Princess Louise, Duchess of ArgyllPrincess Louise, Duchess of ArgyllThe Princess Louise was a member of the British Royal Family, the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and her husband, Albert, Prince Consort.Louise's early life was spent moving between the various royal residences in the...
, the late king's sister - Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of BattenbergPrincess Beatrice of the United KingdomThe Princess Beatrice was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Juan Carlos, King of Spain, is her great-grandson...
, the late king's sister - Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn, the late king's sister-in-law
- Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Albany, the late king's sister-in-law
- Her Royal Highness Princess Patricia of ConnaughtPrincess Patricia of ConnaughtPrincess Patricia of Connaught was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria...
, the late king's niece - Her Highness Princess Alexandra of FifePrincess Alexandra, Duchess of FifePrincess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of King Edward VII...
, the late king's granddaughter - Her Highness Princess Maud of Fife, the late king's granddaughter
- Her Highness Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-HolsteinPrincess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Titles:*1870–1917: Her Highness Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein*1917–1948: Her Highness Princess Helena Victoria-Honours:British honours*VA: Lady of the Order of Victoria and Albert...
, the late king's niece - Her Highness Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-HolsteinPrincess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Titles:*1872–1891: Her Highness Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein*1891–1900: Her Highness Princess Aribert of Anhalt*1900–1917: Her Highness Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein...
, the late king's niece - His Royal Highness The Prince AlbertGeorge VI of the United KingdomGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, the late king's grandson - His Royal Highness The Prince HenryPrince Henry, Duke of GloucesterThe Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was a soldier and member of the British Royal Family, the third son of George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary....
, the late king's grandson - His Royal Highness Prince George of Hanover and Cumberland, the late king's nephew-in-law
- His Imperial Highness Prince Zaitao of China, representing the Qing DynastyQing DynastyThe Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
- His ExcellencyExcellencyExcellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, representing the United States - His ExcellencyExcellencyExcellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
Foreign Affairs MinisterMinister of Foreign Affairs (France)Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs ), is France's foreign affairs ministry, with the headquarters located on the Quai d'Orsay in Paris close to the National Assembly of France. The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the government of France is the cabinet minister responsible for...
Stéphen PichonStéphen PichonStéphen Pichon was a French politician of the Third Republic. He served as French Minister to China , including the period of the Boxer Uprising...
, representing the French Republic - His ExcellencyExcellencyExcellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
Sanad Khan Montaz-os-Saltanch, representing Persia