Foremost among them was the Kaiser. During his visit to London for Edward’s funeral, Wilhelm had mounted the scaffolding to inspect the work at close quarters. A year on, he reaffirmed his commitment to the cause of Anglo-German solidarity. In accordance with his uncle’s wishes, his presence was sure, he said, to produce ‘the happiest results in the relations between the two countries and the two sovereigns’.1 Expatriate Germans turned out in force to enjoy the spectacle of the King and the Kaiser united in friendship as well as blood. The weather was perfect. Only later in the day did clouds
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