New Queen flies home: Today’s Proclamation

The news was not broken to the wider world until 11:15 am when a BBC newsreader read the words "It is with the greatest sorrow that we make the following announcement..." on the radio. The news was repeated every fifteen minutes for seven occasions, before the broadcast went silent for five hours. As a mark of respect the Great Tom bell was tolled every minute for two hours, as well as the bells at Westminster Abbey. The Sebastopol bell, a Crimean War trophy at Windsor Castle that is rung only upon a royal death, was tolled 56 times, once for each year of George VI's life, between 1:27 and 2:22 pm.

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The whole Nation and Empire was plunged into deep and sudden sorrow by the news of the passing of King George VI, who died peacefully in his sleep at Sandringham that morning (6 February 1952). Princess Elizabeth, who immediately became Queen, was informed of her father’s death while she was at the Royal Hunting Lodge near Nyeri in Kenya. She flew home yesterday. The Canadian Cabinet on Wednesday proclaimed Princess Elizabeth as Queen Elizabeth II. of Canada. In London the public proclamation will be made today (Friday) at 11am. Tentative arrangements have been made for it to be read from the balcony of Bideford Town Hall at 2.30pm today.

News of the King’s death came as a stunning blow. The shock of surprise can hardly have been equalled in living memory. A hush fell on our cities, towns and villages as the unexpected, dread news filtered through. The groups talking in lowered tones in the streets had only one topic. Local civic leaders and officials began to consult their records – and the files of this newspaper were readily made available – for procedure likely to be observed. A number of local engagements were cancelled, postponed or held in subdued form in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion. Window displays were changed, black ties and armbands appeared, flags flew at half-mast…. the nation was in mourning.

In order that the Corporation should have the opportunity of recording its own expression of condolence in the passing of the King, the Mayor, Cllr W H Copp, called a special meeting of Bideford Town Council. A resolution was seconded by Ald W E Ellis and Rev Isaac Bond said a prayer.

The Proclamation

Whereas it hath pleased Almighty God to call His mercy our late Sovereign Lord King George Sixth of blessed and glorious memory, by whose decease the Crown is solely and rightfully come to the high and mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary: we therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this Realm, being here assisted with these his late Majesty’s Privy Council, with representatives of other members of the Commonwealth, with other principal gentlemen of quality, with the Lord Mayor, aldermen and citizens of London, do now hereby with one voice and consent of tongue and heart publish and proclaim that the high and mighty Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary is now by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory become Queen Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God, Queen of this Realm and of her other Realms and territories, head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, to whom her lieges do acknowledge all faith and constant obedience with hearty and humble affection, beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the Royal Princess, Elizabeth the Second, with long and happy years to reign over us. God save the Queen.

A Second Great Elizabethan Era

“The history of Bideford is wrapped up with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and as the second Queen Elizabeth takes her place in the long line of men and women who have served this country so well as its leaders, the Burgesses of the town, casting their minds back to the old days, send a message of loyalty and good will and pray that her reign may be one of progress as that of her great ancestor was.”

Torrington also held a Proclamation ceremony at the Town Hall led by the Mayor, Ald R M Boyer. Within his speech, the Mayor said “But events move on – the cries goes up, the King is Dead, long live the Queen, and our hopes must now be centred on her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second who, in her hour of mourning, must don the mantle of her illustrious father. From this ancient Borough of Great Torrington in Devon, which for over a thousand years has paid homage to the Throne we sent to our Queen a humble message of loyalty and affection.” The ceremony concluded with the singing of ‘God Save the Queen.’

Torridge-side tributes

As the tragic news was confirmed and spread, flags already flying were lowered to half-mast while others were hoisted to the mast-head and then lowered. Ships alongside Bideford Quay wore their flags at half-mast. Skippers of vessels in the Bristol Channel told one another and when the m.v Flexity came up the river on the afternoon tide her flag was already at half-mast. The Stevenstone Hounds called off their hunt. Muffled peals were rung. Shops re-dressed their windows in sombre colours.

Special services were held and prayers offered at Buckland Brewer, Bucks Mills, Clovelly, Appledore, Northam, Weare Giffard and Torrington.

 

Queen Mother’s Thanks

A message from Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, in which she expresses to ‘a multitude of people’ her pride in the ‘wonderful tributes’ to ‘a great and noble King’ was issued from Buckingham Palace. It is learned that it is her Majesty’s wish that she shall be known a ‘Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’.

Funeral of a beloved Monarch

Civic insignia will be draped. On this sad day the coffin of King George VI will be taken from Westminster Hall, where in the past three days very many thousands of his people have filed past the purple-draped catafalque in silent tribute, for the funeral service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. In Bideford, maroons, fired by Mr Charles Morris, will mark the period of two minutes’ silence at 2pm and the passing bell will be tolled. Bideford’s floral tribute to the late King was dispatched to Windsor on Wednesday evening and it is recommended that shops in Bideford close for the day at 1pm.Draped maces will precede the Mayor Torrington and his chain will have bows of black ribbon tied to it. More information on the death and funeral of King George VI can be found HERE

The public permitted to view the coffin, at times queued for 4 miles to do so and over 300,000 people passed through Westminster Hall. After the final day of lying in state it took a team of three jewellers two hours to clean the dust off the crown jewels which lay on the coffin, in preparation for the funeral. The procession was the first of a British monarch to be broadcast on television and may have led to the start of a mass purchase of television sets.