The King’s determination to contribute to the smooth running of his father’s lying-in-state and funeral was typical of his conscientious approach. That summer, he articulated his long-term objective. ‘He means to do for the Empire what King Edward did for the peace of Europe,’ Lord Esher noted, after a conversation at Balmoral in August. ‘He proposes to attend himself the Indian Durbar in January 1911 and crown himself at Delhi. He means to visit every Dominion. These are bold projects.’27 From the outset, George staked a claim to a sphere of influence quite distinct from that of his
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