CROWNING OF THE QUEEN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1161, 23 June 1911, Page 6

CROWNING OF THE QUEEN.

... \J THE ANOINTING. "SEAL OF A .SINCERE FAITH." The Coronation of Queen Mary'was then proceeded with, the Queen arose and wont to the steps of the Altar, , ' supported by two' Bishops, and there knelt down, while the .Archbishop says a prayer:. ■". This .prayer.-being .endediyihe CQuee-'. wcnf'to the place of .'.lief at a fnldstodl sot for that purpose before the Altai , , -between -tlie-~-«t«ps-- : .and- : -King George's Chair. There , she knelt; down, and four Peeresses, namely,- the'iDuche«c3 of Hamilton, Jtontrc-e, .Pol'tlaud, niid Sutherland, held it/rieh pall of cloth of gold over her, the. Archbishop .poured the holy Oil upon the'crown'of. her head, eaj-ing these words:'■■■ ; •'■'■•' .. "In the Name of the. Fatlie?,'and of the' Som- and'.of the'Bfliy Ghost: let the anointing with dhis Oil increase your honour, and tho grace pf God's. • Holy Spirit establish'you, for' evev.nnd over. , Amen." ; • . : Then the Archbinhop received from the Keeper of tlie • Jewel House the Queen's Ithig, and put it upon the fourth finger,of iicr right hand, saving: 'Ticceive this iJing, tho seal of a sincere faith; and God, to whom bclongctli all power and dignity, prosper you in this your honour, and grant you therein long to continue, fearing Him always, and always doing such things as shall please Him, • through; .Jesus, Christ ..our .Lord, .Amen." / Tho Archbishop then took tho ■ Crown ,flrom oft' the Altar, and sot it upon tho Vfiu'een's head, using the following words: '■'. '"Receive tho Crown of' glory, 11011I'.onr, ami joy: And God, itlie crown of (the faithful; who by our Episcopalhands (though unwbrthj-) doth- this ' ilay set a crown of pure gold upon your head, , enrich your royal heart . with his abundant grace, and crown : you with all princely virtues in this ' lite, and with everlasting gladness in ■ the life that is to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." : . All tho peeresses then put on their Coronets. They were dressed in gowns of 'their choice, and wore trains with bars of ermine showing their rank, the trains being longer or shorter according to- t'loir status in tho Peerage. Iheir jewels were most- resplendent. As they raided their right arm to adjust their Coronets the,-light flashed from their tribuno like sunshine on ripples of tho eea.' The- sceptre was' then placed in tho Qiicoa's right hand, and the Ivory Rod •with the Dove into her loft hand; tho Archbishop saying this prayer: "0 Lord, the giver of all perfection: Great unto this Thy servant MARY bur Queou, that by the powerful and mild influence of her piety and virtue, she may adorn the high dignity which she hath obtained, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." Then her Jlajesty, supported by the Bishops of Oxford and Peterborough, arose from her place of anointing, and passed by the iving on' the Throne Homage making ' a deep obeisance, to which his Majesty bowed his acknowledgement. She then sat in her own Chair of Homage close by the King's, but two steps lower. Thus the King and Queen sat together, Crowned, Sceptred, and Unthroned. . . , , .. THE COMMUNION, KING AND QUEEN MAKE THEIR 'OBLATIONS. ■■ . The Queen, having now been anointed and crowned, tho Communion service proceeded, the choir singing tho offertory, "0 hearken thpu unto the voiuo of my calling, my King and ray God: for unto tbec will-1 make my prayer," the music being by Sir Edward Elgar. In the meanwhile, the King nnd Que«n had descended from their thrones, and, taking oil their Crowns, they knelt at the_

stops of "the Altar. The King offered Bread and Wino for the Communion, which was received by. tho Archbishop, and placed upon- the. Altar. After a prayer by tho Archbishop "that Thy servant King Gcorgo may bo enabled to the discharge of his weighty office, whereunto of Thy great goodness Thou hast called, and appointed him," tho King, still kneeling, made his oblation, offering a pall or altar-cloth and an ingot or wedgo.of gold of a pound "weight, tho Archbishop placing them upon tho altar. Tho Queen also made her oblation of a pall or altar-cloth, and a mark weight of gold.

Tho Archbishop then proceeded with the Common Service as usual, and when the Archbishops and Dean of Westminster, with tho Bishops who Ijad assisted at the ceremony, had communicated, tho King and Queen advanced to tho steps of tho altar and knelt down, and tho Archbishop administered tho Bread, and the Dean of Westminster the Cup, to them.

The King and Queen then ppt on their crowns, and taking tho sceptres in their hands' again went back to their Thrones, and the Archbishop concluded -the service, the musical portion including the "Sanctus" (Dr. W. G. Alcock), "Amen" (Sir John Stainer), "Gloria in Excelsis" (Sir Charles Stanford), tho "Concluding Amen" (Orlando Gibbons), the choir then saying the "To. Deum" (Sir Herbert Parry).

Tho service music was on a eomprcheusive scheme. Tho 16tli century was represented by Merbecke and Tallis, the 17th by Gibbons and Pnrcell, the 18th by Handel', the 19th by Sir John Stainer, and the present day by Dr. Alcock, Sir Frederick Bridge, Sir Edward Elgar, Sir George Martin, Sir Walter Parratt, Sir Hubert Parry, and Sir Charles Stanford. CONCLUSION OF THE CEREMONY, PItOCESSION FROM THE CHURCH. The service, having now concluded, the Kiug, attended and accompanied as before, the fo.tr swords being carried before hiin, descended from, his throne crowned, and, carrying his Sceptre and Rod in his hands, went into tho area eastward of the Theatre, and passed on through tho door. on tho south side of tho attar into .Saint Edward's Chapel. As they passed.by. the altar, the rest of the regalia, lying upon it, were delivered by the Dean of Westminster to tho Lords that carried them in the procession, and 60 they proceeded in State into the chapel. The Que?n lit the same time went. into . the samo chapel at. the door on tho north side of tho altar, bearing her Sceptro in her right hand, and her Ivory Rod in her left. ■ The King and Queen having come into tho chapel, the King, standing before tho altar, delivered the Sceptro with tho Doyo to the Archbishop,. who. placed it upon the altar. And tho gelden spurs and Saint Edward's staff were given into the hands of the Dean of Westminster, and placed by him on tho altar also. Tho King was then disrobed of his Royal Robe of Stato and arrayed in his robe of purple velvet, and wearing his Imperial crown, received'in his left hand the Orb from tho Archbishop. Then their Majesties proceeded through tho choir to the west door of the church',-in-the same-way ,as they came, wearing fresh-Crowns, the King's .known as the Royal and the Queen's a small crown of diamonds. These were worn all the way through the' streets. THE RETURN, A GREAT WAVE OF CHEERING. The procession passed' down the Abbey amidst cheers of the congregation and the viva:ts of..th'e Westminster schoolboys. It went in the reverse order to its entry, and so through the streets to Buckingham Palace, the roul'o bejng changed from Charing Cross, proceeding by way of Cockspur Street and ■ tho Pall Mall as above ' described. The whole line of progress was densely packed with people, many of whom had patiently waited for nine or ten hours." A great wave of cheering accompanied the Royal carriage ail the way. This momentous day's'ordeal occupied six. hours.