IN LONDON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 296, 14 December 1936, Page 7

IN LONDON.

PROCLAMATION CEREMONIES.

POPULAR ACCLAIM FOR THE RULER. TWO ROYAL DUKES PARTICIPATE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association. —Copyright.) LONDON, December 13. Interest yesterday was centred at St. James' Palace, where the approaches to the forecourt were packed to witness the arrival of those taking part in the Accession Council. The New Zealand Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, came wearing morning dress, and a considerable proportion of the 300 who were eligible attended. Members of the Privy Council arrived in Court dress. Each was welcomed by the Earl Marshal, th'e Duke of Norfolk. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York arrived together. Former Ministers present included Mr. J. H. Thomas, Mr. Tom Shaw and Mr. J. R. Clynes. His Majesty, wearing an admiral's uniform, entered the Palace at 1 1.28 o'clock. A crowd appeared like magic in Piccadilly as His Majesty, accompanied by his equerry, Rear-Admiral Sir Basil Brooke, emerged, and there was tremendous cheering and cries of Long live the King" and "God save the King!" His Majesty had to wait a few seconds while the document was brought out, and then, as the car was moving off, he waved acknowledgment of the bursts of cheers. The party first called at Buckingham Palace and then drove to St. James' Palace, where there was more cheering, and the King saluted before entering by the grand staircase. He traversed the Picture Gallery to the gilded and scarlet Throne Room, with its famous candelabra, and confronted the Council, met "to publish and proclaim with one voice, consent, tongue and heart that the high and mighty Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George is now by the grace of God become our only and lawful rightful liege lord as King George the Sixth, to whom we acknowledge all faith and constant obedience with all hearty and humble affection." Privy Councillor's Take Oath of Allegiance. The whole Council took the oath of allegiance as a preliminary to His Majesty's declaration as the new Monarch to his Council. Then the King subscribed to the oath for the security of the Church of Scotland. The participants in the ceremony included the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, the former wearing the uniform of a major of Hussars. Greetings and expressions of loyalty from the Dominions were given His Majesty before the proceedings terminated at noon. His Majesty spoke briefly but intimately to each of the Dominion representatives. He said many nice things about Australia to Mr. Stanley Bruce, and told Mr. Nash he often thought of the delights of his visit to New Zealand. His Majesty departed at 12.15 p.m. The crowd, which was most dense at Friary Court, cheered the King repeatedly. Queen Mary watched his departure from a window of Marlborough House. A slight drizzle, grey skies and traces of fog gave the streets a gloomy appearance for the second proclamation ceremony that London has witnessed in a year. Although several thousand people were massed at St. James' Palace, only a few hundreds gathered at Temple Bar, and the streets lined with soldiers were almost deserted—often there were more soldiers than people. The pressure at St. James', however, wa,s so great that the crowd burst the cordon of police, and the Life Guards had to clear the street. King George, in morning dress, accompanied by the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose, motored from Piccadilly to St. James', and was loudly cheered, but the people generally were quiet and undemonstrative. Queen Mary watched the ceremony from Marlborough House, and the Princesses stood at a window of St. James' Palace. Reading of Proclamation. Loud speakers carried the voice of the Garter King-of-Arms to the crowd, and the beam of a searchlight played on the proclamation from which he read. The proclamation ran:— Whereas by an instrument of abdication his former Majesty has declared his irrevocable determination to renounce the Throne for himself and his descendants, the Imperial Crown of Great Britain and Ireland and all other of his former Majesty's Dominions is solely and rightfully come to the high and mighty Prince Albert George, we, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, assisted by His Majesty's Privy Council and other principal gentlemen, the Lord Mayor, aldermen and citizens of London, proclaim Albert George our only rightful liege lord, George the Sixth, beseeching God, by whom kings and queens do reign, to bless him with long and happy years to reign over us. The crowd at Charing Cross probably was greater than at King Edward's proclamation. It was quite dark, and the street lamps and electric signs blazed as the procession, escorted by the scarlet-cloaked Horse Guards, reached Temple Bar, where the City Marshal made the historic challenge. The proclamation was finally read at the Royal Exchange. Cheers of Enthusiastic Thousands. The King's car, driving homeward from St. James' Palace, was held up in Piccadilly by enthusiastic thousands who swept hundreds of foot police and many mounted men aside, cheering tumultuously. The car was forced to proceed at a walking pace and was brought to a standstill for nearly a minute before the chauffeur was able to drive in at the entrance to the residence. The King, on entering the house, waved his hat and smiled in response to the loyal greetings, and Princess Elizabeth, grasping her father's arm, fluttered a tiny handkerchief. The House of Lords and the House of Commons met in the afternoon and took the oath of allegiance to King George VI. The King expressed the wish that his birthday should not be celebrated by the customary official observance. The King's first audience at Buckingham Palace was granted to the Home Secretary, Sir John Simon. Proclamations of the King followed the sun round the globe all day, everywhere being carried out with the customary ceremonial.