THE CROWN

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22183, 28 August 1937, Page 17

THE CROWN

The King: The Story and Splendour of British Monarchy. By W. S. Shears. Hutchinson and Co. „ 227 pip. (6/- net.) Through Whit- * combe and Tombs Ltd. Crowns and Sceptres. The Romance and Pageantry of Coronations. By Marjorie Bowen. John Long. 128 pp. (5/6.) Through Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd. The Crown of England. By Ihe Hon. Ruaraidh Erskine of Marr. J. M. Dent and Sons Ltd. 183 pp. (6/net.)

Mr Shears has put together a useful book. Chapters on the development of monarchic theory, on the King's office and place in the State, on his chief officers, and on the Regalia and pre-Coronation proclamations precede a very full account of the Coronation ceremony. This is followed by a chapter on the processions and the banquet, no longer observed, and by a miscellany of Coronation dates and anecdotes. Finally there are notes on the old chroniclers and an index. The book is well illustrated. Miss Bowen's is a less copious book of reference, but not confined to English coronations. It sketches easily the pageantry and symbolism of the Coronation ceremony and treats in more detail the Coronation of George VI. The second half of the book deals with remarkable coronation incidents, English. French, and Russian, with "royal infants, usurpers, uncrowned kings and pretenders," and with historic coronation scenes, such as Kingston, Winchester, Frankfort, Aix-la-Cha-pelle, Rheims, Westminster, Scone, Moscow, and Upsala. Mr Erskine's book is a sketch of the evolution of the power of the English monarchy. His thought is commonplace, but is expressed in a style of excessively stiff, antique elaboration:

I In any event, no matter whether or no Disraeli communicated to the Queen at the time the secret of the true meaning of his new deal in behalf of the Crown, or, pursuing a middle course with regard to the same matter, told her as much, but no more, touching it as he judged it expedient that she should know, and thought perhaps that she was able to digest at the time—in any event what is sure is that the great Durbar of London of the year 1880, when in the presence of a multitude gathered together from the four red ends of the English earth, the queen with her own royal hand unveiled in the most public manner possible -the great piece of emblematic statuary that bore the name of "Jubilee." then it was indeed that the whole true meaning of the event of 1876 was declared, and. on the same occasion, the foresight, the wisdom, and the providence in respect of the Crown, of the minister who had planned and shaped this event were made fully known to such at least as had, in a political point of view, eyes to see and minds wherewith to apprehend it. This is moving an army corps on the village policeman's business.