Main Performers | Lieutenant Ernest Henry Shackleton, HRH The Prince of Wales (Vice-Patron), Major Leonard Darwin (President) - speakers |
Secondary Performers | Lieutenant J B Adams, Mr B Armytage, Sir Philip Brocklehurst, Mr B Day, Mr E Joyce. Mr E L A Mackintosh, Dr Eric Marshall, Mr G E Marston, Mr James Murray, Mr R E Priestley, Mr W Roberts, Mr F Wild - medal recipients |
Set List | Speech (Major Leonard Darwin), Lecture with lantern slides (Lieutenant Ernest Henry Shackleton), Presentation of the special Antarctic Medal to Shackleton (HRH The Prince of Wales), Presentation of the special Antarctic Medal to Antarctic Expediction comrades (HRH The Prince of Wales), Cheers for the Prince and Princess of Wales |
Royal Presence | HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH The Princess of Wales |
Performance Notes | Before the lecture and reception at the Hall, a dinner was held at the Empress Rooms, Royal Palace Hotel, Kensington in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales in Mr Shackleton's honour at which he gave an account of the results of the 1907-1909 Antarctic Expedition which was illustrated with lantern slides. This was followed by Shackleton's first public lecture given at the Queen's Hall, London before he embarked on an autumn lecture tour of the UK.
'The scene in the hall was brilliant in the extreme, every division of the building being crowded with ladies in evening dress and gentlemen who wore distinguished orders'. The Times (19 June 1909)
Guests at the reception included the Italian Ambassador, the Swedish Minister, Lord Radstick, Lord Reay, Lord Kinnaird, Lord Mayo, Lord Altamont, Lord Brassey, Lord Crawford, Sir Cleents Markham, Lord Avebury, Sir George Goldie, Colonel Sir Thomas Holdich, Sir Colin Scott-Moncrieff, Admiral Sir Nathaniel Bowden Smith, Air Arthur Birch, Sir T Fowell Buxton, Sir Duncan Campbell, Sir Martin Conway, Captain H H P Deasy, Admiral Hon. Sir E R Fremantle, Colonel Sir James Gildea, General Sir T E Gordon, Admiral Sir Vesey Hamilton, Sir F Dixon-Hartland, Sir Charles A Hartley, Admiral H P de Kantzow, J W Longstaff, Sir John Murray, General Sir Charles Parsons, Mr H Yates Thompson, Colonel Sir Charles M Watson, Colonel A C Yate, Colonel Charles E Yate, General Sir William E Seymour, General Sir W G Knox, Colonel G Earl Church, General Sir J B Edwards, and Colonel E S C Pemberton.
The silver special Antarctic medals presented at this reception bore the effigy of Shackleton on one side with the inscription 'Mr Ernest Shackleton, M.V.O., F.R.G.S., Commander of the Expedition, 1907-1909.' The reverse side had a representation of the explorers loading a pony wagon with stores and mountains in the background and the inscription 'Presented by the Royal Geographical Society for Antarctic Discovery, 1909'. |