W e recently came across a very interesting story that illustrates one of the major ways in which the world has changed.
In late February 1862, a newspaper article reported that the city council had met in a special meeting because of the "receipt of the melancholy announcement of the death of HRH, the Prince Consort." The announcement was of the death of Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria.
It was moved, seconded, and resolved that "it is with deep and unfeigned sorrow the municipal council and the inhabitants of New Westminster have received the melancholy announcement of the death of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort." This is but the beginning of a lengthy resolution that the council had put together to express, in typical Victorian prose, the feelings of their town and themselves.
It was further moved and seconded that "an address embodying the last resolution be forwarded through His Excellency to Her Majesty, signed by the president." To clarify, council had decided to send its sentiments to the Queen via the head of the local colonial government, Governor James Douglas, referred to here as "His Excellency."
The term "president" refers here to the head of city council, today known as "mayor."
It was also noted that "in accordance with the usage of all public bodies in the British Empire on the demise of any member of the Royal Family, we hereby resolve that each member of the council wear crape on the left arm for a period of 20 days, as a badge of mourning, in memory of HRH the Prince Consort." The term "crape" refers here to a black band worn on the upper arm as a sign of mourning.
In the third week of March, we also read a short published directive from Governor Douglas concerning the death and appropriate recognition of it. "In reference to the order for a general mourning for His Royal Highness the late lamented Prince Consort, His Excellency the Governor hereby gives notice that it is not expected that the public should appear in mourning after Sunday, the 23rd of March."
This story shows how different the world was in terms of the transmission of news. Council was reacting in late February 1862 to the death of Prince Albert who had died in mid-December of 1861. In a world in which we routinely know the details of events around the world as they happen, it is hard to fathom that news of this magnitude taking two and-a-half months to get here was perfectly normal.
