October 29, 1919
On October 29, 1919, Their Majesties King Albert and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, accompanied by Crown Prince Leopold, visited George Washington's Mount Vernon. The following is an account of their visit, as detailed by the fourth Regent, Miss Harriet Clayton Comegys, in the May 13, 1920, minutes of the Council of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
The twenty-ninth of October will always be remembered as a great day at Mount Vernon, when, as guests of the Nation and with the Vice-President of the United States as their host, the King and the Queen of Belgium came on the President’s yacht to visit the home and grave of Washington. Accompanied by Crown Prince Leopold and a distinguished party, they walked up the path through the glen to the Tomb. Upon General Washington’s sarcophagus King Albert reverently placed a wreath of exquisite flowers—a most impressive ceremony. We arranged that in coming up to the house they should enter the West Lawn through the Bowling Green gates and see the Mansion first across the lawn and the trees on either side of it, which Washington planted.
Twelve Vice-Regents had met me here in the morning, and when our guests arrived we were ready to receive them. Vice-President Marshall first presented to me “the King of the Belgians” and then “the Queen of the Belgians,” whom I welcomed to Washington’s home in the name of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union. The Vice-President then presented their Majesties in turn to each Vice-Regent present. We first took them out to get the views up and down the river from the Portico—little changed since Washington’s day. A great pleasure was enjoyed in going through the Mansion and out into the grounds and gardens with these delightful guests specially interested in the fact that what they saw was Washington’s Mount Vernon, as planned and planted by him, and that the views in all directions were such as he enjoyed.
Above: Albert I, King of the Belgians, and his party arrives at the Mount Vernon wharf. In the foreground, King Albert is second from the left, next to Vice President Marshall (top hat and cane) and Mount Vernon Resident Superintendent Harrison H. Dodge (far right of forefront individuals).