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..invariable custom of the King Emperor and Queen Empress, the day was observed as a day of rest and Their Imperial Majesties attended the great church service on the grounds of the Delhi garrison. Although these visits are private, it is violating no confidence in saying that the charm and friendliness of His Imperial Majesty's demeanour have made a deep impression on all his feudatories. In many cases, of course, His Imperial Majesty was renewing friendships established during his long tour in India as Prince of Wales and cemented by renewed visits at home. In others he was meeting Chiefs for the first time. But in all cases the Chiefs received left the Royal presence with lively impressions of His Imperial Majesty's charm of manner and of his interest in them and their work. In this connection a story may be told which, if not literally true, is very suggestive of the real attitude of Indian Princes towards the Crown. Those who were present in Jaipur in 1905, when the Maharaja received the Prince of Wales, will remember what exceptional marks of homage the distinguished ruler of that prosperous State paid to the King's son-how the Royal carriage drove through the heart of the palace and the Maharajah sat immobile on the gadi, never moving until the last sound of the Royal salute had died away. Now it has come for the same ruler to visit the King Emperor and he did so in a manner profoundly suggestive of the loyalty which animates the great Rajput Chiefs. The Maharajah laid his sword at His Imperial Majesty's feet and at first refused to be seated in his presence. " My ancestors were not seated in the presence of the Moghul," he is reported to have said, "and you are far greater than the greatest of the Moghuls." It was almost with difficulty that His Imperial Majesty induced the Maharajah to be seated. The story may not be literally true, but it aptly illustrates the profound respect in which our Indian Princes hold the Throne and their personal feeling towards His Imperial Majesty.
Whilst this completed the official programme, Their Imperial Majesties supplemented it by many additions. These must have made a severe tax on their time, for yesterday was the day of the arrival of the English mail. This mail was delivered at Delhi in, record time, the Bombay, Baroda Railway carrying it over their Nagda-Muttra line in twenty-two hours, or at an average speed over the whole distance of forty miles an hour. This must establish a record for long distance travelling in India and reflects the greatest credit on the staff of the Company.
In the afternoon Her Imperial Majesty received a deputation of Indian ladies, who presented her with two pieces of jewellery. One piece is a large square emerald, carved and engraved and set in diamonds. It is an historic jewel that has survived from Moghul times and is therefore peculiarly appropriate for presentation at Delhi. The other piece is a necklace consisting of seven large cabochon emeralds set in rosettes of diamonds, the centre one having also a large drop emerald pendant. This graceful act, undertaken on behalf of the women of India, is due to the initiative of the Maharajah of Patiala and his Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Khan, and the presentation was made in the presence of a large and representative gathering of Indian ladies. Amongst those present were the Maharani of Patiala, the Maharani of Kapurthala, three sisters of the Maharajah of Patiala, the Maharani of Mourobhanj, the Khalsia Maharani, the Begum of Janjira, Lady Harnam Singh, the Tikka Rani of Kapurthala, the Rani of Malerkotla, the Maharani of Vizianagram and her daughter, the Rani of Gajapati, Lady Tata, Lady Mehta, Mrs. M. A. N. Hydri, Mrs. Dadabhoy, Mrs. Sinha, Mrs. Madholkar, and several other ladies from Northern India. In this distinguished company of ladies there were a variety, a beauty and a magnificence of dress and jewellery that obviously greatly interested the Queen Empress, who unfortunately was prevented by her engagements from spending any length of time among them. The ceremony began with the reading of a short address by Lady Hardinge. This address, printed and handsomely decorated on white satin with gold embroidery, was then handed to Her Majesty, after which the presentation of the jewels was made by the Maharani of Patiala. The Queen Empress, placing the gift by her side, then read the following speech of thanks, a translation of which in Urdu was then read on her behalf by Mrs. Grant :- .....