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Wow - what a treasure to have - beats any newspaper article that may have been kept ......
Thanks for sharing :O)
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Tuesday February 12th 1952
Tonight, a little over 2 ½ hours ago, I came out of Westminster Hall, London in a complete emotional whirl, which indeed has its spell on me still as I lie in bed writing this at 11.30p.m.
King George VI lies in State in London and when the placards say that London mourns, it is really the truth, except that it is not only the Capital City which pays homage but, as I can testify, people from all over the world have been paying their last respects.
I left the office smartly on five o’clock this evening and caught the underground to Westminster station. Immediately I was caught up in a stream of people making their way to Westminster Hall. The queue loomed ahead and I followed it with apprehension as to its length. Yes, my worst fears were realised. I walked past the Commons, past the Lords, past King George V statue which gazed on the multitudes waiting to see his son’s bier and then on to Lambeth Bridge. The long, long line of people continued all the way with policemen and policewomen to control the new arrivals all along the route. About 3 hundred yards from Lambeth Bridge I found the end of the queue – it was 5.30 and still light enough to read a paper by.
Darkness fell and by 6.30 we had just crossed over the Lambeth Bridge road – here it was much colder – as there were no buildings to shelter by.
8.20, and we came up against the Main building of the Houses of Parliament – the big tower. Strangely enough time passed quickly and one did not feel the cold very much as it was quite warm with all those people around you. (Whether I shall get a cold from this evening I know not, but in any case the experience was well worth it). Anyway, I said to myself as I saw elderly people, blind people and cripples go into the mile long queue, if they can stand it I most certainly can. Stood it I did and it was just about 9 p.m. by Big Ben when I entered the hall slowly by the St. Stephens entrance. From the noise of outside and the chatter of the crowd a silence fell over everyone as they entered the hall and divided into two columns down each side. The hall (900 years old) looked wonderful and an historic atmosphere prevailed. Dead quiet reigned here in the vast hall and in the middle lay George VI on his bier with four guards and four Yeomen at the corners. On top a wreath from the Queen Mother and the Crown and Orb. The colour of the guard’s uniform completed an unforgettable picture – a deep reverent silence pervaded the place and one could not even hear the shuffling of the people’s feet. As I slowly passed the catafalque I tried to take in as much as possible but one could only get a general impression – I suppose one’s emotions were too strong. As I reached the end of the hall I stood aside for a second and briefly looked back into that vast chamber and a feeling came over me that the same spirit was born again which held our peoples together during the war. George VI had in death brought the public back to senses again and it was as though we were saying goodbye to an era. I turned and left the hall – I think with a great effort for I should have liked to have gone back again and shared more fully this historic moment.
On Friday 15th February the funeral will take place – with 3 days of National Mourning before it. In future years, if I ever read this again, I should like to state now that this evening’s pilgrimage will forever remain a glorious picture in my mind – for all the goodness which the world has missed seems to be stored in that hall tonight and all the longings of a people which rejoiced under a blessedly good and loved monarch gave themselves full expression, if unvoiced, in the great sad and solemn atmosphere of the last resting place in London of his Majesty George VI.
Alan Aylmer Wood
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I have just finished transcribing my Uncle's description of the lying in state of George VI and thought some people might be interested to read it
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