Meeting of the Emperor and the King on 16 August 1904

It was therefore agreed diplomatically that the King would visit the Emperor at his summer residence in Bad Ischl and that the Emperor would pay the King a return visit at Marienbad. The Emperor's visit 120 years ago was set for 16 August 1904. There was great excitement in the town and welcome celebrations were prepared. The town was preparing a tribute to the monarch, and the town council and a committee, formed especially for these celebrations, drew up a detailed programme for the reception and celebrations. They presented it to the Imperial Master of Ceremonies, Nepal, to assess the situation and decide where the Emperor would live. Nepal chose for the Emperor the villa LUGINSLAND (now LIL), which had been donated to the city by local millionaire Max Halbmayr for the visits of crowned heads. On 9 August 1904, King Edward VII arrived for medical treatment and a week later awaited the Emperor. In the meantime, the city did everything possible to ensure that the Emperor could be received with all honours. The Viennese architect Arnold HEYMANN was commissioned to carry out alterations to the city on the occasion of the meeting. Although it was a work of limited duration, it became the most magnificent ceremonial adaptation of the city in its history. (The Marians were therefore justifiably disappointed when their emperor did not adequately appreciate this splendour, which was dominated by the tall blue Imperial Pavilion in front of today's Cristal alongside the garlanded bands of flags and a sea of flowers.) The train with the Emperor arrived at 2:30 p.m. on August 16, 1904. The King in his Austrian Marshal's uniform greeted the Emperor, dressed in turn in the uniform of an English Marshal, at the station, after which the retinues of the two monarchs and the reception committee were introduced to each other. The Emperor and the King got into a common carriage and set out for the WEIMAR Hotel. After the welcome, the Emperor went to the Villa LUGINSLAND, where he was visited ten minutes later by King Edward. The solemnly dressed city looked imposing. From the railway station to the WEIMAR Hotel stood a procession of 111 veterans' and riflemen's associations from all over western Bohemia, all the town's Marianske Lazne associations, firemen from the wider area and the pupils of Marianske Lazne. Behind them were the population of Mariánské Lázně and the spa guests. In the afternoon, at 4 pm, a festive reception was held in the Kursaal (now CASINO) for ambassadors, diplomats, West Bohemian nobility, clergy, representatives of the town, districts, municipalities, doctors, teachers, representatives of the Red, White and Green Cross, veterans, old warriors, riflemen, firemen and representatives of various associations. At the beginning the Emperor made a short speech and informed himself about the conditions in Mariánské Lázně and its surroundings. Around 6 p.m., the monarchs made a tour from the WEIMAR Hotel to the Cross Spring, to the Forest Spring, to the Franz Josef I Square to the New Spa, and then up through the forest to the KRAKONOS Hotel. They then returned to the WEIMAR Hotel for a festive banquet. After the third course, the King toasted the Emperor, during which the national anthem was played. The Emperor replied with a toast to the King of England and the English national anthem was played.