Incidents of the Queen's Coronation.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 241, 13 October 1886, Page 3

Incidents of the Queen's Coronation.

The Benediction, the enthronement, and the formal rendering of homage, now ensued. The last of these ceremonies had a singularly feudal character. First, the Archbishop of Canterbury knelt, and did homage for himself and the other lords spiritual; and then the uncles of the Queen, the Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge, removed tb.ir coronets, and, without kneeling, made a vow of fealty in theee words : — "I do become your liege man, of life and limb, and of earthy worship; and faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die against all manner of folks. So help me, Gcd I" Having touched the crown on the Queen's head, tbey kissed her left cheek, and retired. The' other peers then performed their homage kneeling, the senior of each rank pronouncing the words It was at this part of the day's proceedings that an awkward incident occurred—an incident, however, which Eerved to bring out an amiable trait in the sovorign's character. As Lord Rolle, then upwards of eighty, was ascending the steps to the throne he stumbled and fell. The Queen, forgetting all the ceremonious pomp of the occasion, started forward as if to save him, held out her hand for him to kiss, and expressed a hope that his lordship was not hurt. Some rather obvious puns were made on the correspondence of the noble lord's involuntary action with the title which he bore; and even his own daughter was heard to remark, after it had been ascertained that no | damage was done, " Oh, it's nothing ! It's only part of his tenure to pay the roll at the ' Coronation."