Crowds at Sydney Port

October 26, 1900, Sydney Harbour.

After more than a day of travel, Arthur finally arrived in Sydney with an army and entourage of over two thousand people, coming from the Isle of Wight.

Transporting more than two thousand people was no easy feat; Australia's weak navy alone could not have managed it.

Fortunately, William II had foreseen Arthur's predicament before his departure and dispatched a transport ship from German New Guinea, which then successfully brought these people to Australia.

Sydney Harbour.

At this moment, Sydney Harbour was already crowded with welcoming people and officials.

News had spread over several days that one of Britain's greatest monarchs, Queen Victoria, had passed away.

Arthur's deeds would also become known to the world, accompanying Queen Victoria's will and her final instructions.

At this time, all the people in the harbour were there to welcome Arthur. Queen Victoria's final will, along with the spread of major newspapers, had been made known to people all over the world.

The words, "You have lost your father and are about to lose your grandmother," moved many.

The reason these Australians chose to stand at the harbour to welcome Arthur was to express their stance: Australians would always stand behind Arthur, and Australia would always be Arthur's support.

Do not underestimate Queen Victoria's prestige in any region of the British Empire, nor underestimate Arthur's current prestige in Australia.

It was precisely because of the combined prestige of Queen Victoria and Arthur, along with Queen Victoria's final instructions, that the British people began to sympathize with Arthur, sympathizing with this boy who, though from the British Royal Family, was still underage and had been forced to go to Australia.

The feelings of Australians towards Arthur were different. They had personally experienced Arthur's various welfare policies, and they were the sole beneficiaries of his tax reduction policies.

They had accepted and recognized, and even greatly respected, Arthur as their new ruler, believing him to be an excellent monarch who could truly lead Australia to rise and make Australians proud.

Under these circumstances, some passionate Australians spontaneously came to Sydney Harbour. They wanted their monarch, Arthur, to know that Australians would always love and cherish him, and that Australia would always be his support.

In short, perhaps Queen Victoria's final instructions were merely a genuine outpouring of emotion, with no ulterior motive.

However, these warm words had indeed earned Arthur the goodwill and sympathy of all British people, and even more so, they had led most Australians to stand together to support and back this benevolent lord.

As the warship approached the harbour, the cheers of the crowd on the dock reached Arthur's ears through the thick steel plates.

Arthur was taken aback. He hadn't expected such a large crowd to gather at the harbour at this time, and that they would be cheering so enthusiastically.

As he disembarked from the warship and stepped onto the dock, the cheers grew louder, so much so that even the birds in the sky were startled and took flight.

"Long live Your Highness!"

"Australians are always with Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!"

Although the crowd's shouts were chaotic, Arthur could clearly distinguish a few unified phrases.

Upon hearing the crowd's cheers, even Arthur, who was in a somber mood, could not help but be moved.

The facts proved that Arthur's policies in Australia were not without results. In an era where monarchy still reigned supreme, a monarch like Arthur, who was benevolent and loved his people, was bound to win the affection and loyalty of the majority.

The moment Arthur disembarked from the warship, Prime Minister Evan, along with all the cabinet members, stepped forward to greet him.

They all bowed to Arthur before urging him to accept their condolences.

"Prime Minister Evan, what is this?" Arthur asked, pointing to the surrounding crowd with a questioning look towards Prime Minister Evan.

"Your Highness, this was not arranged by the government. These people came spontaneously to welcome and offer their condolences to you after hearing of Her Majesty the Queen's passing," Prime Minister Evan explained with a smile.

"Alright, let everyone disperse! Everyone has work to do, and there's no need to gather here. Tell everyone that I will not fall due to setbacks, nor will Australia fall due to setbacks. We have received support from Britain, and the country will only develop faster," Arthur said, waving his hand to signal the crowd to disperse.

Although thousands of people welcoming him made for an impressive sight, Australia was currently in a phase of rapid development, and most of these people had jobs.

If they missed work or were a day late because they came to welcome Arthur, it would be a loss.

"Your Highness, is it true that we are to manage British New Guinea and New Zealand?" At this moment, a question arose from the crowd.

"Oh?" Arthur turned his gaze towards the source of the voice, a young man who appeared to have just reached adulthood.

"What is your name?" Arthur inquired with some interest.

Although many Australians were participating in the cheers, very few dared to openly question Arthur in such a manner; in fact, he had hardly seen anyone do so.

"Harry Murray, Your Highness. William Henry Harry Murray," the young man replied.

"Oh?" Arthur was somewhat taken aback. He hadn't expected that a random person from the crowd would be someone famous in later years.

Harry Murray, or rather William Henry Harry Murray, was an Australian soldier during World War I, widely described in World War II as the most decorated British soldier.

The honour William Henry Harry Murray received was the Victoria Cross, proposed by Queen Victoria herself.

How difficult was it to obtain this medal? From its inception in 1856 until later years, it had only been awarded just over 1,300 times. After World War II until later years, it was awarded only 13 times.

This medal was initially established by Queen Victoria to reward heroes of the Crimean War, eventually evolving into the highest honour for British soldiers, the ultimate medal that all British soldiers dreamed of obtaining.

Being able to receive this medal single-handedly was enough to demonstrate William Henry Harry Murray's significant contributions and achievements in World War I.

"A good name, Harry. That is indeed the case. Her Majesty the Queen has handed over British New Guinea to Australia, and I will serve as the Governor-General of New Zealand. In the future, British New Guinea will become part of Australia," Arthur nodded and said.

Upon hearing Arthur's words, the surrounding crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers. Nothing made people happier than the expansion of national territory, especially a peaceful expansion without the need for a single soldier.

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