And the king will never leave

KING GEORGE VI signs a guest book in Sherbrooke, Canada // June 12, 1939

The signing didn’t go off without a hitch, as reported in the Canadian Press:

The city fathers had erected a small, flag-draped table on the station platform, and when Their Majesties were finished with official presentations, Mayor Marcus Armitage led the King and Queen over to this table for the signing of the book.

Two pens had been supplied for the historic occasion. King George picked up one and bent over the book. He scratched for a moment. The ink refused to flow. With a half-smile, he laid down the pen and reached for the second. Again he scratched on the white paper. Nothing happened.

The full boyish grin of the British Sovereign broke out this time. He shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly Mr. [Charles] Howard [Sherbrooke MP] dashed forward, top hat in one hand, fountain pen in the other.

With a laugh, the King accepted Mr. Howard’s pen. This time the ink flowed freely. Still grinning broadly, His Majesty turned to Queen Elizabeth and said something that might have been, ‘You’d better use this.’

The Queen was smiling, too, as she wrote her name with the borrowed pen.

On this day in 1919, Queen Mary went with Queen Maud to meet new tenants on the Sandringham Estate. They also spent time at Appleton House (Maud’s home on the estate) and spent time with Princess Victoria, where Maud took the above photographs of Mary and Victoria.

Upon returning home, Queen Mary began to compose a letter to her son Bertie (future George VI) who was stationed in Belgium, but before The Queen finished writing, she received a phone call from Lala Bill, Prince John’s nanny. Mrs. Bill informed Her Majesty that Johnnie had suffered a severe epileptic fit and had passed away in his sleep.

The Queen rushed to the King and informed him of the shocking news. They immediately drove to Wood Farm where their 13-year-old son lay peacefully.

Much later that evening, The Queen finished her letter to Bertie. She relayed the news and briefly spoke of the sorrow that was felt but asked Bertie to excuse her for not writing more as she was very much in a state of shock.

♥️

[Primary Text Source - In the Eye of the Storm: George V and the Great War by Alexandra Churchill]

George V to Queen Mary

"It is for me to thank you, my darling, for coming here all the way with our girlies and bringing here life and sunshine notwithstanding the rainy weather. Of course, as usual, I did not tell you half the things I had intended to say, because when we meet after a long separation, somehow I get stupidly shy and sit and gaze at you - which already is a joy for me!"

Letter from Nicholas II to Alexandra, where he thanks the visit that she made together with their daughters to the Stavka headquarters, where Nicholas was with Alexei. July 13, 1916.

Queen Mary: