Poignant sketch of Queen’s grandfather
MAIDENHEAD: A pen and ink drawing of King George V lying in state has taken on a new poignancy following the death of his granddaughter, the Queen.
Roland Camplin (19171989) was just 18 years old when he queued up for hours to view the coffin of the late king in 1936, a powerful parallel to recent days.
He was a sergeant in the Royal Artillery during the war and manned the
anti-aircraft guns in Hyde Park.
Roland bore witness to the burning down of the Crystal Palace, that very year of the King's death.
Fuelled by inspiration and aided by photos, Roland painstakingly rebuilt the scene of King George V lying in state with an intricate drawing.
It took him many months, finishing it the next year when he was just 19.
There it hung in his family home and remains to this day with his son Peter, 76.
“It’s been there as long as I can remember. I’ve always been very proud of it,” said Peter.
“My dad liked to take on projects, all sorts of things.
“I don’t think he would have had to queue up for 30 hours [to see the coffin] – my dad had a lot of patience, but that would have been an awful lot.”