CORONATION PAGEANT.

Evening Star, Issue 14635, 3 August 1911, Page 8

CORONATION PAGEANT.

HOW NEW ZEALANDERS SAW THE PROCESSION. DISAPPOINTING VIEW. [From Our Lady Correspondent.] LONDON, June 22. 11. is difficult to realise, even after many hours of more or less dreary waiting, that the day for which the nation has waited over a year has dawned, and now is setting. Yet from the roof of a house in Queen Anne’s Cate I have just seen the newly-crowned King and Qucn and several other Royalties enter Buckingham Palace courtyard, and the long lines of ■ sold'cry allowed to stand at ease—signs that the mnch-talk?d-of event is already a thing of the past, and another Coronation ready for the historian's pen. Intermittent showers of rain have done their best to mar the fine effect of the wonderful pageant, and the atmosphere all day has been cold, gtc-v, and sulky, so that the almost awe-inspiring brilliancy of t’ne Royal piocession on the day of the lato King's burial, when everything was bathed in what seemed then mocking sunshine, was to-dav lacking. Nc\erthcless, in spite of depressing conditions, Urn scone outside the Ahbev and at ' Buckingham Palace was one of the —Wildest ' Enthusiasm, —

and as the writer from her lofty position watched the two Sovereigns enter their carriage at the Abbey, and half an hour later the Palace grounds, the cheers were more than more cheers, and the air rang with absolute yells of triumph, excitement, and loyalty. Handkerchiefs, flags, flowers, and hats aver© waved till the owners’ arms must have ached, the military bands phrterl again and again ‘God Save the King,’ and each verse, though it was repeated all along the route, was the signal for another wild outburst. It mutt have been an atmosphere to inspirit any monarch. There is something about English Royally that seems in some indefinable fashion to identify it in a specially intimate way with the humblest of •subjects, so that one cannot but come under the spell it easts—a something gracious, and in no way patronising, far off. yet very near—something that would make it seem churlish and ungraceful to remain seated as the King and Queen pass. —The Queen lake a Bride,—

This morning on her way to her crowning Queen Mary looked a queen indeed. Her face was very pale, and her lovely hair framing it in, such soft golden waves gave her an ethereal look altogether unlike the rather stern appearance she sometimes presents. In her wonderful white dress (the velvet robes were assumed in the annexe at the Abbey) she lookod very girlish, Mid as if, instead of to her coronation, sho was driving from her ni and ago to the dim kindly-faced man at her side. The King was in crimson roes and a enmson velvet cap of State edged with ermine. Neither, ot course, were crowns. The State carriage is a magnificent equipage, a great golden coach swung high, with handpainted roof and ride and back panels, and with quaint gilt figures at back and front. There is t» much glass about it that the occupants can he easily seen. The eight tyeam ponies with their elaborate harness and trappings of blue and red, and managed by gaily decorated postilions, give the whole thing an atmosphere, noticeable in smoky London, of fairyland. The carriage containing tho Koval children preceded that of their parents, and in it the little Prince of Wales and Princess Mary were the most striking figures. One seldom foes her daughter without her mother, and it was again a scene from fairyland to watch the slender child, with her beautiful Lair crowned with a wreath of white roses, and wearing a dress of very soft white, bowing from side to side in acknowledgment of the greetings of her father's subjects with a. gentle simplicity that could not but touch the hear!", of all she passed. She has a very effective way of bowing tdcvwly and very gracefully, and all could easily catch a, glimpse of her. 3he appearance of Princess Patricia,

—Tho Idol of all English Hearts.—

is (h© signal for a. burst of cheering whenever she appears, as indeed is the advent of any of the much-loved Connaught family, and to-day there was a wiki hubbub as she pasred along. She. too, was unusually pale, but she kept her face, with its adorable retrousse nose, dor© to the window, and smiled, and bowed all the time. Her sister, tho Crown Princess of Sweden, if. another favorite, and as she went by she waved her hand again and again in reply to the cheers. Ambassadors drove by behind horses gaily caparisoned. Indians rode in truly Eastern splendor of red, blue, gold white, and green, with shining swords upheld, squadrons of tiro magnificent Life Guaids on magnificent chargers, of Royal Horse Guards, of jollylooking old Yeomen of the Guard, of colonial cavalry (no Xew Zealanders, as they sre on duly as escorts to-morrow) parsed, and a bravo group of field marshals and commanders, who were unmercifully deluged with rain ; but these all went by iu a very short space, and nt 20 minutes to 11—10 minutes often their Majesties had left tho Palace—Xew Zealanders in the stand seemed suddenly to realise mat. for them, the whole, thing was ever.

—The Xcw Zealand Stand Badly Placed.— It was unfortunate that the Xcw Zealand stand, tilled as it was likely to be, and was, with people who had come thousands of miles to witness to-day's procession should have been put where it we, —viz., just outside St. James's Palace in tho Mall, and so at the gates of liurk'n:hain Palace —instead of on th» reircu route, an extensive one. where trie ]\mg ing Queen in their crowns and lobes, tho peei* and peeresses in theirs, and the whole triumphant return could fcav» been watched. As it war. • —Thu Keenest Disappointment—• was expressed on all sides, it had hern generally hoped that, as the Xew Zealand arch had been erected in Whuehaii. the stand might somehow be identified won it. In that ease, of course, there i« no doubt that the price of seat* vouid hj -vc been higher. As it. was. after an mcr.-di;-lous craning of necks for more pagerostiy. the occupants made th"ir way .'■omewai d before 11, and in a somewhat dej-rc'sed state of mind. The writer was mof'/ortunate than most, and front her p-.-r iot at Queen Anne’s Gale wae able to 'vcrKv,; a, side street in Westminster. wh*re maiiy of the State carriage? b.-lougnu to io« peers wore kept in waning for ! .t' conclusion of the aei vice. Scorer, of cor rumen and footmen in remarkably cl an-into liveries, and carriages and hoisr-s in gayembroidered trappings « ere there, and after the King and Quc-"n. to the ringing of joybeiLs, the loomb'g of rums, and tlm excited cheering of the hod hj ft on their .return joumey, it was an amusing sight to watch tho peers and tboir wives come down the road in search of their vehicles. Some were stately and poitly old fellows, dragging their dis'nifii’d ruby velvets through the mud : others were young, and pleased with th* world, and swung their coronets, jewels downward, as a schoolboy hoWc. hr? straw hat, arm carried tlirir fiilk-lincd trains n Withe A arms with gay abandon., Pesressee, too, and other ladies of high rank were obliged to come in searcti of their carriages, as the carriages might, not go m search of them, and the bustling scene, with its bright colors and prancing horses, was decidedly worth seeing. , Ihe final scene from the roof left one with a _magnificent, picture in one's mind. Regiment after regiment, beautifully mounted, rode by through solid lines of scarlet-clad men, flags and banners waved on every" side, another great blot of color was supplied by lines of soldiery stationed round, the Victoria Memorial, shining, startlingly white, in front of Buckingham Pa.acc s dusky stolidity. Then came the gallant cream ponies drawing the King and Queen, and several other Royal carriages with their Royal freight—bands blared, the air rang with sound, and at the back of all hundreds of oak and maple trees stood like guardian giants. Then the carriages passed out of sight, and it was all over. —New Zealanders on tho Stand.— “ How jolly this is—just like a New Zealand picnic!” was the verdict of many New Zealanders as they took their places soon after six pa the stand and jnceted.

friends on all sides, then joined each other at impromptu breakfast parties. Certainly it all seemed far away from proper London. Thermos flasks containing tea (ano other fluids!) were produced, and the contents criticised, sandwiches were exchanged, and half-shares in apples and pe»rs gaily bartered for as if New Zealand bush and hill were near at hand, instead of 13,000 miles away. Torrents of rain were met with smiles, and I should have liked a snapshot of some of New Zealand’s most distinguished citizens, with expensive millinery doffed, and largo newspapers donned, sun-bonnet fashion, with the greatest- unconcern. Much amusement was caused after the ofi-repcatcd and excited command of one tall man to sit down, sit down, if anyone dared to move when that individual was found sitting down when the Royal carriage approached, and cries of *• Stand up, stand up!’’ resounded round him. —The Fortunate Ones.— Sitting near the writer were the following New Zealanders Mr and Mrs M. Myers and Maurice Myers, Mr Michael Myers (Wellington), the Misses HallJoncs (3), Mrs Kilgour, the.Misses Rutherford (3, Mcndip Hills), M iasce Lilian and Rosie Whitson (Dunedin), the Rev. Hoard Parata (Dunedin), the Rev. Canon and Mrs Robinson (lato of Dunedin), tne Misses MTvay (Dunedin), Judge and Mrs Jackson Palmer, Mr and Mrs Paul Hansen (Auckland), Professor and Mrs Coleridge Farr (Christchurch), Professor Bickerton {Christchurch), Mme, Brooke (Christchurch), Miss Alexander (Wanganui). Mrs and Misa Harper (Otago), Mr and Miss Watson, Miss Ethel Batchelor and Miss Forbes (Dunedin), Mr and Mrs L. Falmond (Dunedin), Mr and Mrs Barker (Gisborne], Miss Gladys Hocken (Dunedin), Miss Molly Neil (Dunedin), Mrs and Mir* Kettle (Christchurch), Maggie and Bella Papakura, Iwa Hara., Mita Taupopoki (Rotorua). Mr and Mrs Jas. II id op (Wellington), Mr Frank Matthews and Mr Pool-ton (Wellington). Mies Mary Scddou (Wellington), Miss Bauehop (Port Chalmers). Mr Saunders (Dunedin), Mies leitt (Wellington), Captain Yereker Bindon, Mies Barker (Christchurch), Dr and Mrs Christie (Wanganui), Mice Gillies, Mrs Beauchamp (Wellington), Mrs and Mr Fred De la Mare, Mr and Mrs Bnick (Darmevirkc), Mr and Mrs A. Kidd (Auckland), Mr Bay and daughter (Timnm), Mho Stringer (Christ church), Mr and Miss Horton (Auckland), Mrs and Mica Thomas (Christchurch), Mrs John .and Miss Blundell (Wellington), Lieut.coloncl Snow and three daughters (Christchurch), Mrs Tally and daughter. Lady Stout and Mr Stout (Wellington), Mrs T. Hamer and daughter (Wellington). Mr Leslie Wood (Chrischurch), Mr Troutbeck (Nelson), etc., etc.