COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 357 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE KING IN SCOTLAND. 



May, 1903. — It was decided that the King should 

 hold a levee at Holyrood on the 12th of May, and 

 the Queen a drawing-room the same day. 



We took rooms at the Bedford Hotel in Princes 

 Street, and sent the carriage and horses over to 

 Edinburgh. 



A hundred men of the 2nd Life Guards arrived 

 at Piershill Barracks on Thursday, 100 of the 17th 

 Lancers having encamped at Dalkeith to make room 

 for them. My son Charlie, in command of 2nd 

 Life Guards, was the Silver Stick-in-waiting, and he 

 arrived in Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon. 



On Monday we went to the Archer*s Hall ; about 

 200 on parade ; many of them men with grey hair, 

 which contrasted well with dark green uniforms. 

 Conspicuous for their height and size were Lord 

 Kingsburgh, Sir Simon Lockhart, Basil Montgomery, 

 and Professor Ramsay. Sir James Fergusson was in 

 command. Lords Aberdeen and Haddington were 

 standard bearers. We drove down to Holyrood, 

 and I knocked at the garden gates, and we were 

 admitted on my asking to see Lord Balfour. We 



