THE CORONATION ROBES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22436, 24 June 1938, Page 19

THE CORONATION ROBES

EXHIBITION OPENED IN CHRISTCHURCH BRILLIANTLY COLOURED MATERIALS Some indication of the splendour of the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in the brilliant setting of Westminster Abbey will be conveyed to the residents of Christchurch who visit the exhibition of the Coronation robes, and some of the regalia and other insignia,- which was opened by the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane) in the Durham Street Art Gallery yesterday morning. The exhibition should be particularly appreciated by school children of New Zealand, who will receive an impression of the event which they would probably not obtain by any other means. . Declaring the exhibition open, the Mayor said that the King desired that the robes should be exhibited throughout the Empire. His Majesty believed that the countless millions of his people who listened to the ceremony in the Abbey would gain a greater appreciation of it through the display. The attendances at the exhibition of the robes in Australia had been very good, and the attendances had also been excellent in the centres in which they had already been displayed in New Zealand. He considered that the citizens of a traditionally English city like Christchurch would not be behind the other centres in their attendance at the exhibition. Much appreciation was expressed by visitors to the exhibition yesterday morning of the excellence of the workmanship of the robes, standards, and other materials, all of which were hand-made by expert craftsmen, the embroideries being done by the Royal School of Needle Work in London Forty experts worked on the Queen’s robe alone. The feature of the exhibition is the King’s robe, surcoat, and glove, the Queen|s robe, the Princesses’ robes and circlets, which are housed in a glass case. The Royal robes are of royal purple silk and ermine, which, in heraldry, denotes dignity. The sj°ve. which is a splendid example of the skilbof a craftsman, has an interesting association with tradition, it hrving been presented to the King bv the Lord of the Manor of Worksop. The standards displayed are the Royal Standard Union. Indian Empire. Commonwealth of Australia. South Africa. Canada, New Zealand. Wales. Ireland. England, and Scotland. Other interesting and colourful features are the canopy which was held over the heads of the King and Queen during their anointinf* the regalia table, frontal of the Roval box. and samples of the blue and gold carpets used in the Abbey. Arrangements for the display, which will conclude to-morrow CSaturdav) night were made-by the City Council in collaboration with the Department of Internal Affairs. Mrs M. Murray Fuller Is in charge of the exhibition.