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20 November 1908 — San Antonio Palace, Malta | |
Friday. 20th [November 1908]. Bad weather continued & we still get no posts. We went all of us to lunch on board the “Queen” with Admiral & Lady Drury a farewell party to the Duke & Duchess. It was still blowing pretty hard but the wind luckily did not interfere with the embarcation of the steam launch from the Custom House steps. It was very pretty to see the Duke saluted by the different ships as he passed & of course there was the salute as he stepped on board the “Queen.” The new Adl Sir Ashton Carzon Howe who replaces Drury had arrived this morng on the “Exmouth” & he was at the luncheon. I sat next him & had Myles on my left. The lunch did not last long & there were no speeches. After coffee & cigarettes the D. & Dss took leave & we went on shore—as the Queen was to start for Gibraltar directly after T.R.H. left. We drove at once to the Baracca & waited there to see her go out of the harbour. The great ugly grey mass went by as if by magic—all on board cheering & waving to their friends on shore. The Duke saluted as they passed. As soon as the Queen was out of the harbour we got again into the motors & drove round the cliffs that we might see her in the open sea—but she was soon in the distance & we returned to San Antonio glad to get out of the wind. The Duke told stories of his youth at dinner, how once when he was at Woolwich he had been left on guard & his superior officer having gone to a ball did not return at 12 as he ought, but when he arrived at 3 p.m. the Duke had gone to bed. The officer suspecting this sent for him & the Duke hastily thrust on his great coat over his night shirt & his high boots & presented himself. The officer kept him walking up & down in the cold as tho’ he had not noticed it—& “I was perished” said the Duke, “the next morning I was so afraid the officer would report me, that I reported him for having come in late”! he said with a laugh. | |
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