THE DIAMOND JUBILEE thought of them on the day of her offering her thanksgiving for herself and for them, that she had been spared to rule longer than any sovereign had done in the history of the country, if not of the world. On that day it is probable that there marched in procession representatives of a greater number of the races of the world than had ever been brought together before, and those who saw that long procession will never forget its unique character. But a few short years remained and she entered on her well-earned rest, leaving behind her amemory that will not fade. "E'en Death is powerless o'er a life like hers, Its radiance lingers, though its sun has set; I can say little in relation to Edinburgh with regard to the death of the Queen, except this, that nowhere in her world-wide Empire was her loss more deplored and her memory more cherished than in the capital of Scotland, that land for which she ever showed so deep an affection. It is to be regretted that Edinburgh has no worthy memorial of her. No doubt she is well memorialised nationally, but the stranger within our gates who sees our many statues, to the great and others, must wonder that our citizens can show them no memorial of her long reign, and their love. King * Augustus J. C. Hare. Edward's memory is to be honoured by a memrial. What it is to be is not yet apparently definitely settled. May an old citizen pray that, if it is to be close to Holyrood Palace, it may not be something incongruous with the old Scottish pile. Surely an erection having a national character, even though it be somewhat rugged and therefore congruous, would be preferable to polished Greek pillars and arcading. The approach to Holyrood Palace is unique, in the suggestion of the old, the solid, and the simple, that strikes the eye as the building comes into view. To place anything in the way of the approach that would have an aspect of ideas taken from Rome or Greece, would be like insulting the Scottish character of such castles as Drum or Fyvie-to name only two-by erecting in front of them great Greek pillars, with heavy capitals, beautiful in themselves, but hideous in their incongruity with the building they were supposed to adorn. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE Q UEEN Victoria never held any royal ceremonial in her Palace of Holyrood House. It may be reasonably conjectured that she felt unable to hold any festivities there, as her last great visit had been clouded over by the immediately following death of her husband, who probably caught his fatal sickness in Holyrood Palace. Not long after his accession, the late King Edward and Queen Alexandra came in state to Edinburgh. A levee and a drawing-room were held, to the great satisfaction of Edinburgh society. The drawing-room took place in the daytime, and therefore in morning-dress, bonnets or toques being prescribed as the headgear of etiquette. Of course your common man does not know how a toque differs from a hat. But there were Court lady observers-I almost said "detectives"-to see that no infringement of rule took place. I was informed by a lady that there was one head-dress which fell under censure as being a hat, but the royal inspectors had it removed, and they pushed and prodded it about, converting it into what might pass as a toque, to the great relief of the owner, who feared she would not be permitted to make her curtsey. The duties performed in London by the Gentlemen-at-Arms were fulfilled by the Royal Archers -King's Bodyguard-and on the day following, His Majesty held an inspection of the Bodyguard |