1901 royal visit Durban
Mark Levin|Published
In the midst of the Anglo-Boer War, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York sailed into Durban’s port on the morning of August 13, 1901. It was the latest stop on a nearly eight-month tour which had already taken them to Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said (Egypt), Aden, Colombo (Ceylon), Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Mauritius. Still ahead was Cape Town and Canada. This tour, 125 years ago, remains the longest ever taken by the royal family. Prince George and Princess Mary had departed from England on HMS Ophir on March 16, 1901, just two months after the death of Queen Victoria. George was now heir to the throne and would succeed his father, Edward VII, in 1910 as George V.
Royal couple arrives in Durban amid Boer War
Durban’s feverish preparations were immediately apparent to the Duke and Duchess as they stepped ashore at St Paul’s Wharf at the Point where a group of dignitaries had gathered "like steel shavings to a magnet." The Governor Sir Henry McCallum, the mayor Ernest Acutt and their wives received the royal couple. Presentations were made, the Guard of Honour (provided by the Natal Naval Volunteers) inspected and the National Anthem played by the Natal Mounted Rifles band.
Crowds brave the rain
The Duchess, who suffered from seasickness, was glad to be ashore; unfortunately it was raining in Durban. This did not deter the crowds, who lined the route to watch the procession of carriages make their way through a series of triumphal arches from West Street to Park Street and into Albert Park. (Some local writers claim that the formal reception was at Stanley Park. There is no such park in Durban. The royal couple did visit Stanley Park, but in Vancouver.)
Albert Park, Durban’s loveliest, was where Prince George gave his speech. As he did frequently, he referred to the Boer War, offering his heartfelt sympathy to those mourning their loved ones, who had given their lives in the cause of the Empire. After inspecting another Guard of Honour, this time provided by Durban Light Infantry, the procession departed for lunch at the Royal Hotel. Among the 150 guests were the Consuls of Austria-Hungary, the Argentine Republic and Siam and Gen Gorjas, the Governor General of Mozambique.
A royal train journey to Pietermaritzburg
After lunch, the couple departed on a specially fitted NGR train (complete with a selection of novels) for the journey to Pietermaritzburg. Well wishers waited at the small stations, all decorated with bunting, for a glimpse of the royal visitors. There was one stop, at Inchanga, where that very English tradition of afternoon tea was served. The train pulled up at the Pietermaritzburg station just before 7pm where there was another Guard of Honour to inspect, a salute from Fort Napier and of course the National Anthem, this time played by the band of the Natal Carbineers. Then it was off to Government House (somewhat hastily enlarged for its illustrious guests) where an official dinner was given at 9pm. Meanwhile, Durban enjoyed a fireworks display interspersed with showers of rain.
Revival of Durban-Pietermaritzburg rivalry
One hopes the Duke and Duchess slept well, because a demanding round of official duties awaited them the next day. The first was the opening of the capital’s new Town Hall. The Foundation Stone of the original Town Hall had been laid by the Duke’s uncle, Prince Alfred, who as a 16-year-old boy had visited Natal in 1860. Alfred died in 1900, just a few months before his mother, Queen Victoria. The Duke was shown the original Foundation Stone which was incorporated into the new building, described by one reporter as eclipsing every other building of its kind in the colony.
After the conclusion of the royal visit, Pietermaritzburg’s leading newspaper, the Natal Witness, published a commemorative souvenir where the rivalry between the two towns can be detected. Not only were Pietermaritzburg’s ceremonial arches and decorations generally more impressive than those in Durban, but Durban’s Town Hall (today the Post Office) was of "aching ugliness. It was not possible to beautify that thing; only an earthquake could do that." The citizens had at least tried, covering it in "swaddlings of bunting." Not letting up, the Witness reporter hoped the Duke would suggest that the building be taken out to the Bay and "made into a breakwater."
War casts a shadow over celebrations
The shadow of war hung over the 1901 visit. Ladysmith was excluded from the itinerary as the town was still considered too close to the front. The second major event took place at Pietermaritzburg’s park. Dressed in the uniform of a Colonel of the Royal Fusileers, the Duke presided over a military parade mounted by 800 cadets, 500 military volunteers, 420 Scots Guards and 200 Cameron Highlanders. Also present was Lord Kitchener who assured the Duke that the end of the war was in sight.
The Duke was acutely aware of the prolonged, humiliating struggle Britain had already endured at the hands of the Boers and of the anti-British feeling in Europe. He used every opportunity to thank those volunteers from the Empire who had come to Britain’s assistance. One reporter described those volunteers as "lion cubs who had left the lair to protect the old flag and save the national honour." The parade was remarkable for the award of eleven Victoria Crosses (Britain’s highest military award for bravery) and 43 Distinguished Service Orders. There can surely be no other parade in South Africa to equal this.
Amakhosi greet with cries of ‘Bayethe’
The presentation which visibly impressed the Duke was when nearly 70 amakhosi (traditional leaders) and their attendants from Natal and Zululand greeted him with thunderous shouts of "Bayethe". But as a historian wrote 50 years later, amakhosi, their power broken, might have expressed their loyalty to the Great White Queen’s grandson, but their first loyalty was to their own traditional authorities and subjects.
That evening there was a reception at Government House for 800 guests among whom was a small group who received decorations from the Duke, acting on behalf of his father the king. Those not on the guest list enjoyed a fireworks display which was "undoubtedly the finest ever seen in the colony." Presumably, Durban’s display the night before could not compare.
A final farewell at Durban’s port
The following morning, the royal couple began the journey back to Durban’s port, arriving at 3pm. Large crowds had assembled at St Paul’s Wharf where once again the Duke inspected the Guard of Honour. The royal party visited the hospital ship Simla, where the crew and convalescents lustily cheered them. Natal Field Artillery fired a Royal Salute as the tug Panther crossed the sandbar and the royals boarded HMS Ophir, bound for Cape Town.
An arduous tour that set a standard
The three-day visit to Natal was lauded as a success. The couple who so often appeared stiff in photos, were in person more relaxed and engaging. Although dressed in black as the Court was in mourning, Mary was described as a lady "whose face makes friends." Both gained confidence with the Duchess "at last coming out of her shell." The tour set a standard for future ones, designed to bind the monarchy to the Empire and, later, the Commonwealth.
But the tour was long and arduous. The couple had not seen their children aged from one to seven years for eight months. There was also the "sameness" of each stop. George wrote that they had travelled over 80 000 km, laid 21 foundation stones, received 544 addresses, presented 4 329 medals and shaken hands officially with 24 855 people.
The Natal Witness noted that a royal visit was a rare thing indeed, all the more reason to make the most of it when it did happen. The fascination with the royal family still endures 125 years later. Were the current heir to the throne, Prince William and Catherine, to visit Durban and Pietermaritzburg, it is probable that the crowds would be there to welcome them.
The profusion of ceremonial arches may be a relic of a past age, but the local mayor would be there with a ponderous speech of welcome, while those "whose station in life permitted them to rub elbows with royalty" would, then as now, be clamouring for an invite to a royal event. What is certain is that the royal couple would not be entertained at Albert Park: it lost its claim of Durban’s loveliest park a long, long time ago.