CORONATION PERSONAL NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 11692, 25 September 1902, Page 2

CORONATION PERSONAL NOTES.

p, XFnoia : Bt>MAi,'tfeß»«sbosH>BKT.l ' v LONDON.- August 15. ; This has bflfcn Mr Seddon’s last week in Mndon as, Roval gpest. As his . future movements will be uncertain, and as lie will probably only be m London again on a-Bymg visit, the" last few; days have been busy ones. To-day, while Mrs Seddon, who has fully regained her strength and spirits, and her daughters are packing, an

gager crowd waits outside Mr Seddon’s ifoor, and it looks as if he will be the prey / the pouncing interviewer until he is safely on board the Nigeria at Spithead. Saturday was, of course, given up entirely to the Coronation. Mr and Mrs Seddon arrived early at the Abbey, and were lucky A being able to take theiir departure along with the Royalties. Sunday Mr and Mrs Seddon and their daughters spent itt private visits to old friends, Gn Monday afternoon Mr Seddon was kept, at the last of the Colonial Conferences until late, being able to announce on his returri> as the insult of his labors, that in return for an increased contribution from New Zealand he had been able to' secure a cruiser and drill ship for the colony. Mrs Seddon and Miss Seddon attended the meeting of New Zealand ladies about the care of the New Zealanders’ graves in South Africa, and subsequently entertained the, ladies to tea. Mrs Seddon exhibited Uo "trace of fatigue, and is actively. engaged in enlisting the practical sympathy Of Anglo-New Zealanders for .the graves fund. In the evening Mr Seddon arid Miss May Seddon dined with Lord Stralheona, On Tuesday morning the- colonial Premiers had a private conference at the Hotel Cecil. In the afternoon Mr Seddou had an audience of the King at Buckingham Palace, and presented to: His Majesty the address from the New Zealand Ministers, the Westlapd address in a casket, Mahuta’s address, and : ohe from' Maori tribes. The King expressed his pleasure in accepting the addresses, and his particular appreciation of the‘ Maoris’ addresses and gifts, which he said would ever serve to remind him> of his loyal subjects in New Zealand. The King then presented Mr Seddon with his: medal* Subsequently a Coronation medal was sent by the King’s command to Mrs Seddon. The review of and presentation of medals to the colonial troops followed, which was witnessed by Mr and Mrs Seddon, the Misses Seddou, and Mr and Mrs Dyer. On Wednesday Mr Seddon, who had the benefit of Dr Findlay’s counsel, received a - deputation representing the debenture-hold-jers of the Midland Railway Company. The proceedings were strictly private and confidential, but it was said afterwards that there was a distinctly sulphurous odor in the Cecil corridors. There was plenty .of New Zealand business to attend to during the rest of the day. ■ .On Thursday morning Mr Seddon received a # deputation of the Imperial Trade Defence League, who presented him with the following illuminated address;—“To the Right Hon. Richard John Seddon, .■M.P.—Honored sir,—The occasion of your Kyal and participatory visit to the Coronation of His Most Gracious Majesty King Edward the Seventh affords the undersigned (British fair traders and advocates of Imperial preferential trade) the opportunity to express their admiration oi your progressive and successful administrative career, and also their appreciation of your

wise and statesmanlike offer of favorable

fiscal treatment of English goods entering' * New Zealand ports in British ships. This hrfd other patriotic movements of yours in defence of the territory, the trade, and permanence of the Empire call forth their heartiest good wishes far your health, prosperity, and future welfare. As a ' reliable pilot in the Imperial ship of commerce, you stand deservedly high in our collective regard. Wo all unite in the hope and desire that New Zeahmd iriay long 'continue to enjoy the advantage rtf your fostering care for her growth and able able guidance in the people,’s progress. —Yours sincerely, Masham and other presidents and secretaries of fair trade leagues.” Sir Seddon plays many parts, and there■ftt#.pne is by no means surprised to find him* figuring as pilot in one sentence and gardener in the next. Mr Seddon, in reply, said he thought that fairtrade and preferential treatment of the Mother Country, were the right lines, on which to go. While not being pessi-* mistic, he believed in a short time there would bo a. trade depression, and then ■the advantages of trade preference, would be emphasised. Immediately the deputation was over, •Mr Seddon, accompanied by Mrs and Miss Seddon. drove to Mrs Baden-PowelTs, and Mr Seddon presented her with the handsome gold dish, the gift of the New Zealand Civil servants to “8.-P.” Tlmn folIb.Wud the excursion to Tunbridge Wells. Miss May Seddon, being somewhat tired, •spent the day quietly at the Hotel Cecil.’ To-day Mr Seddon will be kept hard at it with New Zealand business and interview-’ ers anxious to avail themselves of a few kite words and patting messages to the British people, while packing will’require the attention of the trio of ladies. Tojjjajrow they will all witness the naval j.cv-uvsv from the Nigeria, and if report speaks truly Mr Seddon will have the opportunity of meeting the Boer generals . and expressing his ideas on British hospitality to Boer leaders. The interview, if it takes place, should be highlv interesting.

On Monday Mr Seddon and his party ■v'-dl leave the Cedi. They trill probably ;ul go first to Scotland and then to Ireland, but their plans are not yet definitely .formulated, nor are the date and route of their departure yet fixed. The crowning of King Edward will be notable m the annals of Coronations. Never bemre has quite the same service been performed. Coronations have been delayed before—once owiim to the siege of an English town—but no Coronation has been delayed % a King s illness, although an infirm monarch was once crowned. Never before have grandchildren in the direct line of succession been present at a Coronation, rind the Coronation last week was unique in that there were present reigning King, the heirapparent, and his heir. At no previous Coronation m this country have there been othciai representatives from the colonies King Edward is the first British monarch to me to his crowning under an arch erected by the people of his Dominions beyond the oeas. It is the first Coronation, too, at which the Free Churches have been officiary represented; the first time, if one is not mistaken, an actor has been invited to represent the theatrical profession; and certainly the first time that anyone has ridden in a motor-car to sec a King crowned for . at least 175 years that a King has keen browned without a sermon. The Bishop of London, if he had preached the sermon he had been originally invited to deliver, would have given the Coronation service another interesting distinction—it would have been the third time in succession that a Bishop of London has preached the Coronation sermon, a circumstance for which there is no parallel, at least since the Commonwealth. At thie two preceding Coronations the Bishops of London preached the sermon, and the fact is the more interesting because in both cases the preacher was the same—Dr Elomfield'. No other maip; has ever preached at two English Coronations. The Queen’s Crown, specially made for the occasion, is composed entirely of diamonds, each mounted in a silver setting. This is the only precious metal which completely, shows .the brilliance, of fine stones. Cold i? only used , on the inner and hidden portions of the.mounting, for. the sake of lightness and strength. The circlet is l-Aia in, width, and entirely encrusted with bi-il-iia.bts Of the. finest water. These diamonds vaiying from one specially fine in colorweighing nearly 17 carats, down to the smallest necessary to carry out the design are of the most perfect cutting, and plac-d as closely together, as possible. This. pave setting is adopted so that no metal is visible, and retiders the entire - circlet one blaze of light. This rich band supports four large crosses-pa tees , and four laf ts fieurs-de-lyg of light and elegant design, which, placed alternately, enclose the - rm rpi>silk velvet cap. The centre of the largest ciosse-patee displays the the

grand feature of the OnArtu Three very large diamonds of. e*ttaeftUil4js‘ lustre ocSthc of this otltjH* errigses-patees. . bgrachful dfcHbA chrVlhjf inwards, Bprihg frtttfl the crosses ddd flet.rs-de-lys, three EoWfi of diamotids hi Illusion-setting composing each Ureh. the central ro\r £ cfcifcpoaed of i(itf large’ stones, wliilo smaller WifeS are used in contt-aSL At the centre to wbieh they cbnvetgo the arches nnitc in supporting an-orb eUorasted with diamonds’, set in the same manner as the circlet; This is surmounted in sum by a crosse-patee of large diamonds > arranged to show equally well on both sides. The total number ot stones used is 3,688. By Her Majesty’s con mand the crown has been constructed as If - as hj testilt never before arfcainetl. . The American journalist is noted both for cntelusss and pushfulness. One of the representatives of the American Press did not reach chi uiham.pt on Till Saturday morning. He took the first train for London mid reached the capital at eight o’clock. Then, without passes or tickets of any kind, he made his way towards Westminster, where, of course, his way was barred by the police. But he possessed a letter of introduction to the American Ambassador, countersigned by President Roosevelt, and of this he made use. As he was brought to a standstill by almost every constable Ire passed he showed this letter with the President’s signature, and without further ado the police let him pass until he got within a few yards of the door of the Abbey itself. The American journalist was loud in his praises of the courtesy of the London police, who had assisted him to surmount his difficulties, nor were the London colleagues whom he met less enthusiastic in their congratulations to him on his enterprise.

Purple has always been considered the royal color. The ill-fated Charles I. was, however, at his own desire, crowned in a robe of white, although he was seriously reminded that of the two exceptions to this rule—Richard IX. and Henry VI., who wore white satin robes at their Coronations—both had come to a violent end, one at Pontefract Castle and one in the Tower. Charles I. was resolute in his decision, and when, twenty-three years afterwards almost to a day, his body was conveyed to its grave through a heavy snowstorm, the superstitious could not help remarking that the third “ white King ” had suffered a violent death. Among the spectators who witnessed the Coronation from the triiorium was the octogenarian Dr Robert Needham Oust, LL.D. This was his third coronation. On 6th September, 1831, at the ago of top, he saw the Coronation of King William IV. and Queen Adelaide, and he still has a distinct recollection of lie procession which passed before him. On 28th June, 1858, at the age of seventeen, he went up from Eton College and saw the crown placed on Queen Victoria’s head. The Dube i f Cambridge and his sister, the Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, were also present at all three Coronations.