Mr. Choate to Mr. Hay.
London , February 6, 1901 .
Sir: I have the honor to report that on the 2d instant, Saturday, I attended as the special representative of the President the funeral of her illustrious Majesty the late Queen Victoria. By direction of the earl marshal the special representatives who had been designated by various nations joined the funeral procession at Windsor and walked together behind the King and the Royal family and Royal visitors. There were six special ambassadors—two from Turkey and one each from France, the United States, Spain, and Japan. At the close of the funeral service at St. George’s Chapel I attended luncheon given by the King in St. George’s Hall, and after luncheon the King and Queen received the members of the diplomatic corps. I expressed to His Majesty the deep sympathy of the President, to which he replied that he had been very certain of the sympathy of the President and people of the United States and expressed his gratitude. The President’s wreath which had been procured by your orders had been sent in his name to Windsor the day before, and was conspicuously placed and greatly admired.
At my interview with Lord Lansdowne yesterday he stated that he [Page 212] had just received the commands of his Majesty to assure me of his high appreciation of the honor done to the late Queen by the President of the United States in specially authorizing attendance at her funeral by a special ambassador, and a formal note to that effect is to be sent to me.
I have, etc.,