EQUATOR STORY

by Ken Holroyd

Life and Events in Kenya Colony 1949-1952
by the Nakuru Reporter of the East African Standard

© John Kenneth Holroyd 1952

CONTENTS

The Forest Lodge is the ideal place for anyone wishing to retire for a time from the cares of this world. For a young couple so much in the public eye as the Princess and the Duke, it must have seemed like another world.

Situated in a clearing in the virgin forest on the foothills of Mount Kenya, it might be any European home in Kenya. It is built from the same type of wood and stone as a hundred other of these attractive single-storey Kenya homes. Visitors are sometimes astounded that it is, in fact, just like an ordinary home and far from being a Royal Palace – in that, I think, lies its great attraction.

Through the grounds flows a well-stocked trout stream, the Sagana river. Major H.B. Sharpe, the chubby, cheerful President of the Kenya Horticultural Society, has planned a beautiful garden there, and, as far as the eye can see, there are magnificent views – for Kenya is famous for the variety and magnificence of her scenes.

There, the Princess and the Duke had three happy days, fishing, riding and admiring the surrounding countryside. On the evening of the third day, they travelled into the forest of the Aberdares National Park to spend the night in a famous bungalow built in the giant branches of a fig tree. From there, game of all descriptions can be seen, and the Princess and the Duke were not disappointed. They saw elephant and rhino in large numbers, and, in fact, on their way to the ladder leading up into the branches of the fig tree, they passed within ten yards of a large cow elephant.

While they were there, in the very heart of the colonial Empire on the Equator, Princess Elizabeth's father, King George VI, died in his sleep.

Within a minute of that terse, sad announcement in London, we had received a flash from the headquarters of that great world news agency, Reuters. The African operator on duty immediately informed Ken Meadows [Chief Reporter of the East African Standard], who telephoned our special correspondent Granville Roberts at the Outspan Hotel, Nyeri.

Princess Elizabeth's private secretary, Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. Martin Charteris, had just finished lunch at the hotel when Granville broke the news to him. At his request, Granville telephoned the Royal Lodge, and Colonel Charteris, in turn, broke the news to Lieutenant-Commander Michael Parker, the Duke's equerry. Over the telephone, they discussed the question of breaking the news to the Princess, for this Press message was the first news of the death to reach members of the Royal party in Kenya.

Granville, also at the request of Colonel Charteris, telephoned Government House, Nairobi, and spoke to Wing-Commander John Irving Bell, the Governor's private Secretary, who had already heard the news from the East African Standard head office but had no official confirmation.

In Nakuru, I heard the news within minutes of the first London announcement. I telephoned the Provincial Commissioner, but a phone call from the Provincial Commissioner's private secretary, Mrs. Doreen Mandefield, to Government House, brought no official confirmation. At that time, we think, Government House had not heard the news.

Having broken the news to all the leading provincial and administrative officers in Rift Valley, I sat back and felt extremely worried. I switched on the radio but it seemed like hours before I heard confirmation of the news over the B.B.C. Overseas radio programmes. In fact, before I heard that confirmation, I had already reached the stage of composing a letter, asking for my transfer from the area because of the great harm which my unconfirmed and, as I had begun to think, unfounded rumour had caused in the area. The flags in the streets of Nakuru, on the leading public buildings, were flying at half-mast, and, as the minutes dragged by without official confirmation forthcoming, I began to think that I had dreamed the whole thing.

The world went into mourning on the strength of that brief flash from Reuters. In India, Prime Minister Nehru announced the news in Parliament on the strength of the Reuters telegram. It wasn't the first time that Reuters had moved faster than the official information – the relief of Mafeking was celebrated in London on the strength of a Reuters telegram.

East Africa was stunned by the news. Flags which had been flying from every public building for the triumphant Royal visit were lowered to half-mast, bunting was removed from the streets, and rejoicing turned to sorrow.

Confirmation was obtained from Buckingham Palace by officials at the Royal Lodge, and the Duke of Edinburgh broke the news to his wife.

For the rest of the day, we, in common with millions of people throughout the world, followed the progress of the homeward flight of the girl who had entered Kenya as Princess Elizabeth and had left it as Queen Elizabeth II. Our hearts were sad, and the great stimulus of that triumphant visit had disappeared. In Nairobi, we kept the front page of the Standard open, the presses waiting, until Robinson in Uganda telephoned the news of the departure of the new Queen from Entebbe at 11.47 p.m. for England.

Three days later, we gathered in the Waterloo Lamp Square, Nakuru, and heard the Acting Provincial Commissioner for the Rift Valley Province, Mr. R.D.F. Ryland, read the proclamation of the accession of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Europeans, Africans and Asians, we pledged our loyalty to the new Sovereign. In the towns and villages of the Highlands, large crowds gathered in all the main squares to hear the proclamation. In the remote native reserves, District Commissioners made the announcement to the new Queen's most primitive of subjects. And, in London, after the funeral of King George VI, the Governor of Kenya, Sir Philip Mitchell, expressed the opinion that the visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh had done more for goodwill between the races of Kenya in five days than would ordinarily have been done in five years.

The new Empire age had opened, and we on the Equator, although intensely sad at the passing of King George VI, were proud that Elizabeth had become Queen on our soil. We were glad that, in the peace and quiet of our Equatorial countryside, she had been able to enjoy a brief rest before assuming great responsibilities.

Ken Holroyd
© John Kenneth Holroyd 1952

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