'File 61/11 IV (D 77) Hejaz-Nejd, Miscellaneous' [‎93r] (195/366)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
EASTERN (A rabia ). June 22, 1931
CONFIDENTIAL.
I" E 3238/59/251 No. 1. . , i
&
Sir J. Chancellor to Lord Pas*field.—{Communicated by Colonial (J^ce, June 22.)
(Confidential.) High Commissioner for Palestine,
My Lord, Jerusalem, June 11, 1931.
IN confirmation of my telegram No. 51 of the 4th June, I have the honour to
inform your lordship that King Hussein died at Amman at 3 a.m . on the 4th June.
During his stay at Amman King Hussein had been visited from time to time
by his sons King Faisal, King Aly, the Amir Zeid and other members of his family.
2. As soon as it was known that King Hussein's condition was desperate.
King Aly informed Haj Amin Effendi-al-Husseini, the President of the Supreme
Moslem Council, who was then at Amman, that it had been the wish of the family
that King Hussein should be buried at Mecca, but that since the difficulties in the
way of realising that wish were insuperable they desired that he should be buried
in the Haram-esh-Sherif at Jerusalem.
3. Haj Amin Effendi welcomed the suggestion, and, on the eve of King
Hussein"s death, reported the fact to Government with the request that facilities
should be accorded by the Palestine Government for the burial of King Hussein
with all the honours due to the Arab ruler who had persuaded the Arabs to throw
in their lot with the Allied Forces during the Great War.
1 caused Haj Amin Effendi to be informed that all proper facilities would be
granted for the ceremony.
4. On the 4th June, at 10 a.m ., the body of King Hussein left Amman by
motor-car.
The cortege was formed of the sons and relatives of King Hussein, including
King Aly, the Amir Abdullah, the Amirs Zeid, Shakir and Talal. The British
Resident, Amman, the Officer Commanding the Arab Legion and many Arab
notables were also present. Along the route from Amman to Jerusalem frequent
halts were made to enable delegations of villagers to pay their respects to the dead
King.
The Amir Abdullah and King Aly were met at the Allenby Bridge on my
behalf by Ruhi Bey Abdulhadi, assistant secretary, accompanied by a British
police officer. The party was there joined by several delegations of Palestinian
Arabs, representing different towns and bodies.
5. At 2 '20 p.m . the cortege reached Jerusalem and stopped at Herod s Gate,
where Government representatives, members of the consular corps, ecclesiastical
dignitaries, Arab notables awaited it. Representatives of the Chief Rabbinate
and of the Executive of the Jewish Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , although they had not been invited,
were also in attendance. The Italian consul-general, who was also omitted from
the list of invitations, was not present.
6. At Herod's Gate a procession was formed, headed by the band of the
Arab Legion. The procession included the mayors of Jerusalem, Haifa, Jaffa and
other towns, the consular body, delegations representing various Moslem and
Christian societies from many parts of Palestine with their banners, and parties
of bov scouts and schoolboys. The procession approached the Haram-esh-Sherif
by the Damascus Gate and the old city. The streets and buildings along which
it passed were crowded with interested spectators.
I was represented in the procession by my private secretary and aide-de-camp.
The acting chief justice, the chief secretary, the Officer Commanding, Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan
Frontier Force and Heads of Departments were in attendance. Major Hubert
Young, counsellor of the High Commission for Iraq, who happened to be in
Jerusalem, was also present.
A guard of honour was furnished by the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and
saluted the coffin as it entered the old city at the Damascus Gate.
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