QUEEN ELIZABETH II scattered earth from a gilt bowl on the coffin of her father and amid the hushed silence of the historic St. George’s Chapel, King George VI was today laid to rest among his ancestors.
Under the ancient silken banners of the Order of the Garter, oldest and noblest of English titles, the Archbishop of Canterbury, highest dignitary of the Church of England, intoned the same solemn words which bless the passing of the humblest subject: “ Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
Kings and queens and heads of States among a thousand privileged mourners stood with heads bowed as the plain oak coffin was lowered into the vault, last resting place of many English monarchs since 1483.
The simple ceremony was the climax of a day of pomp and pageantry as the dead monarch was borne on his last journey through silent, crowded streets of London and Windsor to the cliff-top Castle which has been a home of English Kings for nine centuries.
As the body was borne into the chapel numberless millions through-out the land observed two-minutes silence in memory of the man who headed a Commonwealth of 580 million of all races and creeds for 15 troubled years.
FUNERAL SERVICE
The funeral service was a thing of rare beauty conducted in an atmosphere hung with the scent of flowers.
The organ and the voices of the choir, the clear treble of the boys blending with the richer, deeper tones of the men, suddenly broke the silence in the chapel with the exultant chant: “ I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
The Queen Mother’s simple white wreath lay at the head of the coffin.
The three black-garbed figures of the bereaved Royal women-the new Queen, her mother, and sister -walked directly behind, their faces hidden behind long black veils.
In ranks across the width of the choir stood the Kings who had come to pay their last act of homage Sweden’s Gustav Adolf, Greece’s Paul. Norway’s Haakon and Denmark’s Frederik. With them stood President Auriol of France.
Behind the Kings of Europe were young King Feisal of Iraq, President Bayar of Turkey, President Ribar of Yugoslavia and other Foreign notables.
In the choir were Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, Queen Ingrid of Denmark, the Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, ex-King Peter of Yugoslavia and ex-King Michael of Rumania.
Members of the British Government headed by Mr Churchill, Mr Attlee, and Gen. Eisenhower were also present.
There was a great silence, a silence in which a heart could almost be heard beating.
Queen Elizabeth waited, small and erect, near the coffin as the Archbishop sonorously spoke the grim reminder of man’s frailty that preceds commitment to the grave in Christian ritual.
With bowed heads the congregation of the mighty heard him say: “ Man that is born of woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery.”
THE LONDON PROCESSION
Shortly before 9-30 a.m. amid the solemn tolling of bells the coffin was brought from the historic Westminster Hall, London, where it had lain in state since Monday.
An honour party of Grenadier Guardsmen, massive in their grey greatcoats, slowly carried it into the courtyard of the hall and placed it on the gun-carriage for its procession through the Capital.
The red and gold Royal Standard was draped upon it. On this was placed the glittering Imperial Crown, the sceptre and the orb-symbols of kingship.
Sailors of the Royal Navy stepped into place and grasped the white tow ropes which pulled the gun-carriage into motion. Slowly the cortege moved. Above it, from the great clock of Big Ben, a sonorous tolling began-a minute-by-minute tolling for the 56 years of I the King’s life.
The mile-long procession was in motion, crunching deliberately through the sanded streets. In the background came the thud of guns sounding an artillery salute.
The proudest units of Britain’s Armed Services led the way. Then came the coffin, small and lonely amid the mighty cavalcade. Behind it walked an officer of the Household Cavalry carrying the Standard of Queen Elizabeth II.
The young queen, her face pale beneath the heavy shroud of a black veil, followed in a glassed-in carriage. With her were her mother, her sister, Princess Margaret, and the Princess Royal the late King’s sister.
On foot behind the carriage came four Royal Dukes-the 16-year-old Duke of Kent (the King’s nephew), the Duke of Windsor, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Behind them came the heads of State and members of the British and foreign royal families. They included President Auriol (France), King Frederik (Denmark), King Paul (Greece) and King Gustaf (Sweden).
The 79-year-old King Haakon of Norway rode farther back in one of six carriages. Riding with him were Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, the Duchess of Gloucester and the Duchess of Kent.
The Presidents of Turkey and Yugoslavia and the 16-year-old King Feisal of Iraq, youngest of the visiting rulers, were also in the walking phalanx. There were also the Crown Princes of Jordan Ethiopia and Norway and the Prince of Liege, representing King Baudouin of Belgium.
HIGH COMMISSIONERS
Behind them came the High Commissioners of the Commonwealth countries. In their dark mourning, their faces set, they seemed to give expression to a world-wide sorrowing of people who in their own ceremonies today marked the King’s passing.
Behind them came two representatives of the Republic of Eire and then the heads of foreign delegations. There was the Russian Ambassador to London, M Georgi Zaroubin, wearing a dark naval uniform: there was Mr Dean Acheson, U.S. Secretary of State, and Amr Pasha, Egyptian Ambassador.
AT THE STATION
The head of the huge procession reached Paddington Station while the coffin was still in the vicinity of Marble Arch.
The coffin came to a slow halt before the station’s black-draped entrance. Over its doors hung a large wreath of red poppies bearing an inscription: “The path of duty is the way to glory.”
Red carpet was spread across the platform to the waiting funeral train-the same carpet that was used at the funerals of the King’s father and grandfather.
Queen Elizabeth, her mother, sister and aunt stepped from their carriage and watched as the coffin was carried slowly into the station.
Soldiers tenderly slid the coffin into the black funeral coach. London was saying goodbye to the King.
As the door of the funeral couch was sealed. Queen Elizabeth led her mother and sister to another coach.
The Guards of Honour lining the platform stood stiffly at attention, their arms at the slope. A heavy silence fell, broken only by the jangle of horses’ harness outside.
Then the hoarse whistle of the engine was heard. It was a signal for the massed bands to play softly. The solemn strains of Chopin’s funeral march rose as the train pulled out of the station.
The train which left London at 12 noon, 15 minutes ahead of schedule, arrived at Windsor at 1-10 p.m. The body was then taken in procession through the precincts of Windsor Castle to St. George’s Chapel for the burial service which began at 2 p.m.