HIS LATE MAJESTY THE KING OF THE HELLENES. (Hansard, 1 April 1913)

*THE LORD PRIVY SEAL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (THE MARQUESS OF CREWE)
My Lords, I have the honour to move that an humble Address be presented to His Majesty expressing the indignation and sorrow of this House at the assassination of the King of the Hellences, and I shall also move that a similar Address be presented to Her Majesty Queen Alexandra. It is barely a year, my Lords, since I had the honour of moving a similar Address to His Majesty and one to Queen Alexandra on the occasion of the death of the King of Denmark, and now we are face to face with a still more sudden and dreadful calamity in the assassination of the King of Greece. Our first thought, I think, must be in relation to the loss suffered by Queen Alexandra—that this event produces one more gap in the gradually dwindling circle of the illustrious family of Denmark. We offer, therefore a special weed of condolence to Her Majesty Queen Alexandra at this further addition to the burden of sorrow which Her Majesty has had to bear since her great and irreparable loss of three years ago. My Lords, the King of the Hellenes and many members of his family have been well known in this country. Since His Majesty ascended the Throne of Greece almost 50 years ago, at the early age of 18, he led a life of hard work in that country—a life surrounded 75 with not a few anxieties. He reigned over that remarkable people, having to face not a few serious misunderstandings and some actual crises in his government of the country. But it was generally recognised there, as it was all over Europe, that he genuinely desired the good and the progress of his people, and there can be no doubt that the people of Greece recognised the peculiar advantage as regards their international relations which was given to the King by his close family connection with three of the Great Powers of Europe. It is true that for two centuries and more the marriages of Dynasties have not played the part which they used in ancient historical times in framing the policy of nations. But at the same time everybody must have realised that those family connections gave the King a most valuable insight in respect to international relations into the thoughts and feelings of other countries, and that also he thereby won the sympathy and understanding of the Governments and of the peoples of the great States with which he was thus connected. And now, my Lords, at the conclusion of a great contest, he has been laid low by the meaningless act of an obscure assassin. But His Majesty has left behind him the memory of a long career of hard work and a reputation for that dauntless courage which has distinguished all members of his House. In presenting the sympathy of this House to His Majesty the King and also to Her Majesty Queen Alexandra we should all desire, I am sure, to express the hope that the future reign of His Majesty King Constantine of the Hellenes, who has been so conspicuous a figure in the course of the recent war, may be long and prosperous, and that he and his people may enjoy many years of peace after the trying and agitating experience which they have passed through during the last few months. I beg to move.

§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE
My Lords, it is inevitable upon these sad occasions that little should remain to be said by the member of your Lordships' House to whom is entrusted the task of seconding an Address of this kind, and, indeed, the Motion which the noble Marquess has made and the speech in which he has recommended it to your Lordships' House express, so it seems to me, adequately and appropriately the sentiments which are entertained on both sides of the House alike. My Lords, it is unnecessary that I should dwell upon the abhorrence with which we all of us regard this crime. There is, perhaps, just this redeeming feature in the case, that while we desire to give utterance to our reprobation of that which the noble Marquess well described as a meaningless act, we are not obliged to extend our censure to others. So far as we know, the criminal, and the criminal alone, was responsible for this deplorable deed. We have become in recent years only too familiar with crimes of this description. This crime is perhaps singular in one respect, that the catastrophe overtook the late King of Greece at the very moment when his people might well have acclaimed him as a Sovereign who, after a reign extending nearly to half a century—a reign during which His Majesty had displayed remarkable qualities of patience, courage, and perseverance—had been able to bring about a revival in the fortunes of his country which cannot fail to mark an epoch in its history—an epoch which will always be honourably connected with the name of the late King. My Lords, we can be in no doubt that the feelings of respect which the people of Greece entertained towards his late Majesty will be continued to his successor, who commences his reign with every prospect of popularity and success. It is in these sad circumstances that we desire to offer our sympathy to the subjects of the late King, who are now mourning him so deeply. We desire to offer a like condolence to our own King, from whom has been taken by the hand of the assassin a brother Sovereign, a near kinsman, and a personal friend; and there are other Royal mourners who are present to our thoughts at this time. But most of all, our thoughts go out towards Queen Alexandra, to whom the noble Marquess proposes to move a special Address. It is only a few days ago that, on the occasion of the debate on the Address to His Majesty, at the beginning of the session, we had occasion to speak of 77 the great burden of sorrow which Fate had thrown upon Her Majesty's shoulders. How little we thought on that occasion that this new and tragical addition was to be made to that already heavy burden!We all of us pray that Her Majesty may be given strength and courage to bear this new trial. There are some of us who are aware that even in the midst of the distraction of her own great sorrow Her Majesty has been able to evince for the troubles of others the same tender solicitude which she has never failed to exhibit in the past, and which has so greatly endeared her to her people. I beg to second.

THE MARQUESS OF CREWE
I beg to move, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty Queen Alexandra to express the deep sorrow with which this House has learned of the death of His Majesty the King of the Hellenes, and to condole with Her Majesty on this melancholy occasion; and to assure Her Majesty that this House will ever feel the warmest interest in whatever concerns Her Majesty's domestic relations.

§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE
I beg to second.