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29 June 1911 — 3 Savile Row | |
Thursday. 29th [June 1911]. The kind Dss of Somerset had promised to get me tickets to go to the Thanksgiving service at S Pauls & I was expecting to hear at what time we were to start, when a little before 10 she telephoned to me to come at once– I went off to 35 Grov. Sqr in a taxi & found the party (the D. & Dss, Mrs Loeffler & Capt. Williams) just getting into the motor– I jumped in with them & we were off. There was very little crowd & the Strand was empty of carriages & lined with troops. Having a “pass” the Duke’s motor drove straight up the Strand & got easily to the NW door. There the D. & Dss separated from us & we then went round to the other opposite. We had excellent seats in the row behind the Ministers & beside the Royalties– The seat in front of us not being full we had an excellent view & the K. & Q. were a very little way in front of us. My sister Blanche & her girl Gweneth came in soon after us & got into the same row as us. In front of her were Mr & Mrs Asquith & I heard afterwards that the latter had a passage of arms with Blanche who was just behind her. Mrs Asquith would talk out loud to her husband during the beginning of the service & Blanche histed her twice—to wh Mrs A. turned round & saw but continued to talk. Blanche could stand it no longer & bent forward & said “It is disgraceful to talk thus. Remember who you are & where you are.” Mrs A. merely said “Are you mad?” but lapsed into silence. We had a long time to wait until there was a stir and the Royalties began to arrive & took their seats—a little behind the King’s dais—my nephew Montague Eliot being one of the gentlemen ushers to conduct them to their places. Then came a great roar from outside the children massed in stands erected outside the Cathedral singing God save the King as he & the Queen arrived– The silver trumpets stationed in front of the choir proclaimed their entry into the church & the whole congregation rose to their feet as the procession headed by the clergy came up the aisle. The service lasted but a short time & ended by the singing of “God save the King” by the whole people & clergy present– It was rather a very impressive & touching moment & everyone must have been stirred in their hearts. This concluded the service & the west doors were opened & the clergy led the King out of building in the same order– The arrangements for getting out for the congregation was so good that we soon rejoined the Duke & Duchess—& as I happened also to meet Nela who had brought old Mrs Curtis of Venice to places in a gallery I returned home with them & found luncheon going on—& Sophia Franqueville who is over from Paris for the Coronation week & is staying at Petersham with her brother in law Mr G. Biddulph. I arranged with her that Eda & I should go down to spend next Sunday there. | |
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