elf he
would have been proud to have done as they had done. He welcomed them as
citizens of a great Empire and hoped they would do their duty to the
Sovereign as loyally as they had to the old State." Messrs.
Schalk-Burger and Louis Botha had, meanwhile, written farewell letters
to the burghers which concluded by asking them to be obedient and
respectful to their new Government.

Immediately on receipt of the information that peace had been signed
King Edward issued the following message: "The King has received the
welcome news of the cessation of hostilities in South Africa with
infinite satisfaction, and trusts that peace may be speedily followed by
the restoration of prosperity in his new dominions, and that the
feelings necessarily engendered by war will give place to the earnest
co-operation of all His Majesty's South African subjects in promoting
the welfare of their common country." At the same time His Majesty
cabled Lord Milner: "I am overjoyed at the news of the surrender of the
Boer forces and I warmly congratulate you on the able manner in which
you have conducted the negotiations." A similar despatch went to Lord
Kitchener, with hearty congratulations on the termination of
hostilities: "I also most heartily congratulate my brave troops under
your command for having brought this long and difficult campaign to so
glorious and successful a conclusion." The King also announced that he
had created Lord Kitchener a Viscount and promoted him to be full
General. Following the public announcement of peace on Sunday, June 1st,
came a flood of congratulatory telegrams to the King from public bodies
and private individuals, and celebrations were held all over the United
Kingdom and the British Empire.

On June 8th, by order of the King, a special thanksgiving service was
held in St. Paul's Cathedral and His Majesty attended in person
accompanied by Queen Alexandra, Princess Victoria, the Prince and
Princess of Wales, Prince and Princess Charles of Denmark, the Duke and
Duchess of Connaught, the veteran Duke of Cambridge, and other members
of the Royal family. A great gathering of representative Britons was
present in the crowded Cathedral, including most of the members of the
Houses of Lords and Commons and the Corporation of London. Amongst many
other notabilities were the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, Mr. Balfour, the
Earl of Rosebery, the Marquess of Lansdowne, Earl and Countess Roberts,
Earl and Countess Carrington