The
Duke of Connaught Visits Aden
Prince
Arthur, Duke of Connaught, was Queen Victoria’s third
son. He joined the Army, being promoted Field Marshall
in 1902 at the age of 52. From May 1904 to December 1907
he was Inspector General of the Forces. Although one of
his duties was to inspect British garrisons around the
Empire his visit to Aden on 24 March 1906 had nothing to
do with his being Inspector General.
This piece of Aden’s history begins
with the statue itself. Following the death of Queen
Victoria all the Aden merchants contributed to a
memorial fund, the initial intention being to build a
hospital for women. Unfortunately the amount raised,
although substantial, was not sufficient for a hospital
so two alternative suggestions were put forward; one to
set up an endowment to provide for a woman doctor in the
Civil Hospital and the other for a
statue of Queen Victoria.
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At a meeting of contributors in
October 1904, chaired by Hormusjee Cowasjee Dinshaw, a
statue was agreed upon. In February the following year
the commission was given to an eminent sculptor of his
day, John Tweed. The statue
would be ready in September.
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That winter the Prince of Wales was
visiting India and
Cowasjee Dinshaw asked if the prince could make a
brief visit to Aden to unveil the
statue. The Prince of Wales declined the offer
(probably because he had visited Aden quite recently, in
1901), but this was to cause problems later, as we shall
see.
In February 1906
Cowasjee Dinshaw was
informed by his outlet in Zanzibar that the Connaughts,
who were on a private visit to East Africa, would be on
a liner of the German East Africa line when it called at
Aden around 23 March. Would the Duke like to unveil the
statue? It so happens that he and the Duchess had
already seen a plaster cast of the statue in Tweed’s
studio in May 1905, and had very much liked what they
had seen. He agreed to perform the ceremony.
In Aden there was a slight problem.
Some of the merchants were unhappy that the money they
thought they had given for a hospital was going to be
spent on a statue. There was a rumour that they wanted
their money back. Also some were unhappy that the statue
might be erected on reclaimed land outside of the
Crescent area. The problem was solved by having a
meeting of all the contributors, who then had to state
their views. Out in the open there were no dissenters,
as long as the statue could be in the Crescent. With the
statue already made this was
hurriedly agreed by the authorities.
During February 1906 there was an
exchange of telegrams between Aden and Zanzibar,
suggesting and fine-tuning a programme. The liner would
normally have an 8-10 hour coaling stop in Aden and the
liner would be due in Aden in the early hours of 24
March. A ceremony first thing in the morning was agreed.
However on 18 March came confirmation that the HMS
Renown, with the Prince of Wales on board, would call at
Aden for about four hours on the 24th! Very
conscious that the prince had declined to perform the
unveiling it was hurriedly decided to postpone this
until the Renown had sailed and the ceremony was
rearranged for 4 p.m.
This is the HMS Rrenown which was carrying
the Prince of Wales when the ship called at Aden on
the day the Duke of Connaught visited Aden, the Duke
going aboard the Renown to see his nephew before
going ashore.
This HMS Renown, classed as a pre-dreadnought
battleship of 12,350 tons, was built in 1897 but
only eight years later, with HMS Dreadnaught about
to be launched, she was already seriously
obsolescent. In 1905 she was converted into a royal
yacht for the Prince of Wales' visit to India. On
her return from this she joined the reserve fleet,
where she remained until she was scrapped in 1914.
The next Renown was a battlecruiser which would
carry the next Prince of Wales on his world tour in
1921, including a visit to Aden.
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Meanwhile various points of
ceremonial were decided on. The sighting of the
Duke’s ship, the Prinz Regente, was to be
signalled with the firing of two guns at the
various signalling stations as if she was the
mail steamer. The Union Jack was to be hoisted
on Shumshum and at
Morbut and the Political Jack flown from the
yardarm of the Station Flagstaff at Steamer
Point. A gun salute would only be fired from
Fort Morbut if the Duke’s standard was flying on
the Prinz Regente. The principal authorities
were to ensure they were dressed alike; it was
to be based on ‘Review Order White’.
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The CO of the King’s Own
Scottish Borderers, the Acting Resident, spelt
it out:
“Let us wear white uniform
new pattern, white tunic with pockets, with
patent leather boots and no spurs, full dress
medals, helmets with spike and chain looped up.
Undress swords and white ordinary evening
gloves.”
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The Prinz Regente arrived at 0330 and
the Renown, escorted by HMS Terrible, at 0700. During
the morning the Duke went on board the Renown to see his
nephew and then made his official landing at 1230 from
the Prinz Regente. The first photograph shows the Duke
being received by a guard of honour at the Landing
Stage. The guard was provided by the 2nd
Battalion the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, the British
infantry battalion stationed in Aden from November 1905
for one year. The guard are wearing trews and bagpipes
can be seen at the front of the band. In the foreground
are some of the Aden Troop. At the right edge of the
photograph one can see the horses that were to pull the
official carriage – they are facing towards Steamer
Point as the Duke’s first engagement was lunch at the
Residency.
Continued, click
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