Royal Visits Wilhelm II, German Emperor

The photograph is of a luncheon party given at The Mount for H.I.M. The German Emperor Wilhelm II on 3rd March 1905. The emperor visited Gibraltar in 1904 and again in 1905. An incident during his first visit was the derailment of the train taking the emperor through the tunnel to the East Side of the Rock. He was unhurt.

During his second visit, he came on board the S.S. Hamburg which was escorted by a cruiser. The German cruiser hit the H.M.S. Prince George which sustained serious damage and had to be docked. This happened while the German cruiser was being brought alongside the South Mole. The excuse given for the incident was that the Admiralty pilot’s order to “Go Astern” had been misunderstood to “Go Ahead”!