3-021-151 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Funeral of the late King of the Belgians: the funeral car passing the Column in the Place du Congrés at Brussels - from a sketch by our special artist, 1865. The procession passing '...in front of the well-known column which is surmounted by a statue of the late King Leopold...The hearse, or funeral car, was an immense structure in black and gold, surrounded by urns of burning incense, and covered by the Royal mantle of red velvet with an ermine border, upon which were placed the sceptre and the crown. The cords of the pall were held, on the right, by the Prince de Ligne, by M. Rogier (Minister for Foreign Affairs), and Lieutenant-General Vande Casteele; on the left, by M. Vandenpeereboom (President of the Chamber of Representatives), M. Jules Bara (Minister of Justice), and Lieutenant-General Pletinckx. The hearse was drawn by eight horses caparisoned with black, and was surrounded by the dignitaries, civil and military, of the King's household. The King's horse was led by two grooms, and was covered with long mourning housings...The undertakers of the funeral were Messrs. Jones brothers...who constructed the funeral car from the designs of M. de Keyser, architect; the upholsterer was M. Dauge, and the decorator M. Charles Albert'. From "Illustrated London News", 1865.