THE CROWNING

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 112, 13 May 1937, Page 9

THE CROWNING

UNFORGETTABLE SCENE

SPLENDOUR IN THE ABBEY

Units. Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Cflpyright.

LONDON, May 12.

Before the high altar of England,.in the heart of that "acre sown, indeed, with the richest, royalest seed" which is Westminster Abbey, King'George--the Sixth and his Queen came to their crowning here amid a scene of earthly splendour reflecting a splendour not of earth but from on High. The Monarch entered the kingdom, the power, and the glory conferred upon him by God. Apart from the august grandeur of the surroundings there was in the unforgettable scene something of the supernatural that penetrated the soul of every witness. ' Their Majesties' Entry A prelude to the great event that was to emblazon this day upon the Royal record of England was the chanting of the litany, as the Dean, prebendaries, and choir of Westminster paced from the altar glittering with the Abbey plate to1 the *west door. Here, with the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the assistant bishops coped and mitred, a procession was formed. It awaited outside the Abbey the approach of their Majesties to the noble fane in which awaited them the flower and pride of the greatest Empire of the world. . The King and Queen in their Royal robes slowly entered. Seven thousand people quitted the tiptoe of expectation and stood. Their Majesties were received with the anthem from Psalm 22, verses 1 to 3 and 6 to 7, sung by the Westminster choir of 400 voices, combining the choirs of the Chapel Royal, Saint George's, Windsor, Saint Paul's Cathedral, the Temple Church, and other churches, with an orchestra drawn from the principal orchestras of London* The Royal couple, in stately progress, moved through the Abbey over a specially woven blue carpet covering the processional path along the choir, upstairs to the theatre. This was a rectangular space overlooking the choir in front of the Coronation chair, flanked by Princes of the blood in three special chairs. Peers stood in the south transept and bejewelled peeresses in the north transept, all, as yet1, bareheaded. Members of the House of Commons were ..behind the peers, and peeresses with the Dominion Premiers, Ambassadors, and Indian Princes/, in resplendent Coronation garb ranged the choir stalls. The Royal box, in which sat Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, Rose, flanked the Coronation Chair. , Ceremony of Recognition As the echoes of the anthem died, the boys of Westminster School, behind lofty, triforium arches, high in the Abbey Hall, cheered the King in accordance with traditional privilege, on behalf of the people of England; thrice repeating the remaining fragment 6f the old Latin service of Elizabeth's day—"Vivat, Rex Georgius. Vivatj Vivat." Their Majesties, having passed their throne, the backs of which were emblazoned with the Royal Arms and initials, made adoration as they knelt with bowed heads before their chairs of state and prayed silently. Few there were of their subjects but prayed silently with them. The King and Queen rose and seated themselves in their chairs. Then came the ceremony df recognition- , , Accompanied by the Lord Chancellor (Lord Hailsham), the Lord Great Chamberlain (Lord Lancaster) r the Lord • High Constable (the Marquess of Crewe), and the Earl Marshal (the Duke of Norfolk) in their array, preceded by the resplendently tabarded Garter King of Arms (Sir Gerald Wollaston), the Archbishop of Canterbury, a venerable figure in his canonicals, spoke in turn to a rrpf congregation from the four sides of the theatre, ! Presented to the People > The King turned and showed himself to his people as the Archbishop of Canterbury said: "Sirs, I here present unto you King ' George, your undoubted King, wherefore, all of yon who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?" . "God save King George" came with repeated acclamations from the entire assemblage as the vast host cried with many voices but with a single heart the response of the realm. The silver . miracle of trumpets triumphed through the aisle archway. Silence fell as Bible, paten, and chalice were placed on the altar by assistant bishops, and Lords in procession carrying % the Royal regalia drew nigh. These were Viscount Halifax, with Saint Ed- ' ward's staff; Viscount Trenchard, with the Third Sword;' the Earl of Cork and Orrery, with the Curtana (blunted sword of mercy); the Marquess of Zetland, with the Sword of State; the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, hearing the Sceptre with the dove; the Duke of Sutherland, the Orb; the Marquess of Salisbury, Saint Edward's Crowrl; the Earl of Haddington, the Queen's Ivory Rod with the Dove; the Duke of Portland, the Queen's Crown. The peers handed these insignia to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who presented them to thft Dean of Westminster to place on the altar. | The OatH Administered I The Archbishop of Canterbury, the; only moving figure amid the motionless throng, advanced to the King. "Sir," he said, "is your Majesty willing to take the oath?" I The Kingr, pledging1 himself to his great destiny, answered: "I am willing." ■ . The ceremony, gathering dignity and splendour, moved to its appointed climax as King George, the book containing the order 1 of service in his hands, steadily and steadfastly replied to the questions requisite to the confirmation of his Kingship, the order of which was as follows:— • ■ The Archbishop: • Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa, of your possessions and the other territories to any of them belonging at pertaining, and o£ your Empire of India, according to their respective laws and customs? The King: I solemnly promise so to do. The Archbishop: Will you to your power cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judgments? The King: I will. .. The Archbishop: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws o£ God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law?. And will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England and the doctrine, worship, discipline, arid government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you -preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as.by law do or shall appertain to them, or any of them? The King: All this I promise to do. His Majesty thert went to the altar, where he made his solemn oath to observe the promises. He returned to his chair, where the Archbishop ministered the declaration prescribed by Act of Parliament. '