Skip to item: of 44
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

Ext 2197/45 'Viceroy's visit to Ibn Saud' [‎15r] (29/44)

This item is part of

The record is made up of 1 file (20 folios). It was created in 14 May 1945-24 Sep 1945. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

C%4z. 'l/ncibY’
(/'n&UcL-
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
K.J
indexed
ARABIA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[E 4519/17/25]
With the Compliments
of the
Under Secretary ef State
for Foreign Affairs
.vai i
June 26, 1945.
Section 1.
Mr. Grafftey-Smi
(No. 104.)
Sir,
WITH
reference to your telegram No. 274 of
correspondence relating to tl^ Vmeid Mg
-r.
JiU J
Copy No. 1 32
h tdjMr, E/ltW — {l\eceived 2§th June.)
L3 * D
Jedda, 9th June, 1945.
the 1st June and relative
isit to Tbn Saud, I have the honour to
inform you that his Excellency, accompaiTlkd "by Sir Evan Jenkins, private
secretary, and Captain Henderson, aide-de-camp, arrived in Jedda by air from
Cairo on the 3rd June. Conflicting reports from Egypt had left us in some doubt
atf to the expected time of arrival of the Royal Air Force Lodestar in which the
Viceroy travelled. In the event, the party arrived rather in advance of the earlier
of the times indicated; but, fortunately, the Emir Mansour was already at the air
port to welcome his father’s guest.
2. It is conventional to wear Arab clothes when travelling in the interior
of Saudi Arabia, especially when visiting the King. I had suggested to Lord
Wavell before he left Cairo that he should conform with this practice, and his
willingness to do so gave great pleasure in this country. In the King’s private
apartments at the Khuzan Palace, where the visitors rested briefly before con
tinuing their journey, a carnivalesque atmosphere of private theatricals reigned
while sirwals and thoba were distributed and assumed, Arab cloaks draped, and
white head-dresses fastened with a gold fillet. Breakfast, when it came, was more
of a masquerade than a meal.
3. The King had made it clear that he expected me to accompany the
Viceroy to Riyadh and, with your permission, I gladly did so, having ascertained
that this would not inconvenience his Excellency. Lord Wavell invited the Emir
Mansour to join his party in the Royal Air Force machine. I travelled in
Ibn Baud’s private aeroplane, which had been sent to Jedda to escort Lord Wavell
on his flight across the desert. Before leaving, I was happy to present my staff,
including the Indian Vice-Consul and the Indian medical officer in charge of the
legation dispensary, to the Viceroy. Of the flight, which was remarkably bumpy,
the less said the better.
4. We arrived at Buwaib, a landing ground some 50 kilom. from Riyadh,
three and a half hours after leaving Jedda. There the Emir Khaled, various
Court dignitaries, and a spare set of Arab robes sent by the King, awaited the
Viceroy. Another hour and a half’s drive brought us to Riyadh, where the Badia
Palace had been organised for our stay. The Crown Prince, the Emir Saud, bade
us welcome, and all hopes of a wash had to be postponed until after luncheon. It
was by tdiat time 4 o’clock in the afternoon. It was shortly before luncheon that
I recorded my twentieth coffee of the day.
5. Audience with His Majesty had been arranged for 5 o’clock, and for this
we proceeded to the huge Qasr al Murabba, some miles from our palatial guest
house. Ibn Saud’s delight in welcoming the Viceroy was manifest, and though
conversational exchanges on this first occasion were—except for an urgent enquiry
whether Mr. Churchill would win the elections—limited to the formalities of
courtesy, the happiest atmosphere of mutual regard and goodwill was instantly
established. Your own greetings to the King, which Lord Wavell delivered, were
much appreciated.
6. Dinner was served on the palace roof, an hour or so after the sunset
prayer. It was a simple meal, as Royal banquets go, and blessedly short for those
unexercised in oriental sedentary attitudes. For music we had the reed-like voices
of five blind devotees, chanting the Koran on a near-by roof, and the drone of a
distant water-wheel. For background, Ibn Saud’s fantastic bodyguard, in their
bravery of silks and gold. After dinner, rose-water and frankincense and per
fumed oil were ceremoniously applied, and the King made the unusual gesture
of conducting us to a point from which we could look down into his private wing
of the palace. Then, having introduced a batch of about twenty of his sons, he
settled down for a talk with the Viceroy.
[67—47]
1 RECs, P*

About this item

Content

This file contains papers relating to the visit of the Viceroy (Viscount Wavell) to Riyadh and his meeting with Ibn Saud in 1945. Most of the papers relate to the costs of the trip, but some are brief overviews of the meeting of the two leaders in Riyadh. The letters are primarily exchanges between the Government of India and the Foreign Office.

Extent and format
1 file (20 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 22; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

Ext 2197/45 'Viceroy's visit to Ibn Saud' [‎15r] (29/44), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/996, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100042300617.0x00001e> [accessed 28 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100042300617.0x00001e">Ext 2197/45 'Viceroy's visit to Ibn Saud' [&lrm;15r] (29/44)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100042300617.0x00001e">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000517.0x00009e/IOR_L_PS_12_996_0029.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000517.0x00009e/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image