Card of the Day: The Opening of the Indian Round Table Conference

Since the day of their wedding, King George V and Queen Mary disliked being apart. On the rare occasions that they were separated, they would write to one another—at length—several times a day, and expressed their deep feelings for one another—something that they could rarely do in person since they were hardly ever left alone together.
After the Great War, The King’s health began to decline steadily. Then, even more than ever, they insisted that they not be apart, and the King would often send his sons in his place when world travel was required, especially if bringing the Queen along was impossible.

When possible, they would insist that events that should have taken place abroad should be held in London. Here’s one such occasion with the opening of the Indian Round Table Conference as seen in the thirty-fifth card in the Silver Jubilee Series by Wills’s Cigarette Company.

The reverse of the card reads:

THE OPENING OF THE INDIAN ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE


The historic Round Table Conference on India was opened by the King-Emperor in the House of Lords on November 12, 1930. Ruling Princes in coloured turbans and tunics, Burmese delegates in national dress, the representatives of the Mohammedan and Hindu communities of British India, and the High Officers of the realm, British Statesmen and Dominion Premiers, formed a diverse and imposing scene such as the Imperial Parliament seldom sees. His Majesty addressed to this Conference, charged with the destiny of a vast Continent, and impressive exhortation to seek a prosperous conclusion.