THE CROWNING OF THE KING.

Evening Star, Issue 14637, 5 August 1911, Page 4

THE CROWNING OF THE KING.

SUPREME.ACT-OF SACRED RITUAL. THE NOTE~OF EMPIRE. PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS OF A - WONDROUS SCENE. [Faou Ora Sracut Corbispondknt.] LONDON, June 23. Not all the water in the, rough, rude sea Can wash the balm from an. anointed King. —Shakespeare. King George's Coronation struck the note of Empire. Its characteristic feature was the presence of a larger number than ever before of Britons from the Dominions oversea. And the most impressive moment of the long and splendid ceremony, via? whea the Crown of Edward the Confessor rested tor the first time in his life upon the brows of King George. At that instant there went forth from Westminster Abbev a signal which vibrated round the whole world. To every portion of tho King's world-wide Dominions— in Canada, in Australia, in South Africa, and New Zealand, in all the outposts of Empire whteh link up the ocean highways of the earth—the message flashed with the ouickness of thought. All round the Empire rang the cheers with which King George's subjects in Westminster Abbey au-claimed then; Sovereign cuthroued and crowned. Nations undreamed of in the days of our. forefathers were linked with the traditions of England's storied past in that supreme act of sacred ritual—the crowning of the King. Mv desire is to record those features of the Coronation ceremony which appealed moit vividly to a colonial temperament. You- will have bad in cable-messages the ftorv of the Coronation as seen through English eyes. Perhaps some impressions of the memorable scene as it struck an onlooker from one of the Dominions overseas will give it a more intimate aspect, a more personal point of view. I have endeavored to emphasise' 1-110 Imperial character of the ceremony. Here was a King who. first of all the lons line of British Sovereigns, had visited every portion of his far-flnng Empire. No monarch ever claimed a greater inheritance:_ none ever travelled so far to make himself known to his people and prepared himself for his exalted task. Millions of citizens of the Empire who have never seen his capital have a personal knowledge of their Sovereign. The King who was crowned at Westminster yesterday received the acclamation not of one nation only, but of all the free ycung nations which acknowledge his sovereignty beyond the seas. The Imperial idea gave* to tho age-long rites of the Coronation ceremony a wider symbolism, a n?w significance. This is whr.t made the act of crowning the King so extraordinary impressive to the onlooker from overseas. —Hours of Waiting.— Many hours of waiting led up to that splendid climax, but they were hours full of a rare interest and beauty. I had rather dreaded the prospect of .■spending six or seven hours at the Abbey without food or drink or the opportunity of rest. .But in reality the time sped by almost unnoticed. It was one long vision of gorgeous color, o£ a richness and beauty unparalleled in my experience of British pageantry. I was too interested to feel the need of Test; too interested even to sit down; and it was only when the vigil of close on seven hours was at an end that 1 was conscious of either hunger or fatigue. That was, I think, the experience of most uf those who were privileged to get a good view of the Coronation ceremony ana its brilliant setting. But even if the physical ordeal had been ten times as heavy I doubt if many within the Abbey precincts would willingly have missed the privilege of being present. For indeed it. was the experience of a, lifetime. It was —A Scene of Unforgettable Splendor.—

'The solemn character of the ceremony •was not more marked than the beauty of its setting and the magnificence of its stately rites. The Coronation marched to its supreme climax in a series of wonderful pictures. The coloring was exquisite. Robes and uniforms of state contracted the splendor of gold and purple and crimson with the old grey walls of the Abbey' and the dim fretwork traceries of the root. Masses of color glowed and shimmered between each Gothic arch. Coverirj.j the floor of tho Abbey was a great carpet of rich, deep blue, which made a splendid setting for tho more vivid tones above. The venerable walls of the fane were hung with tapestries of silver and dark blue velvet. Along the nave, choir, and transept, and in galleries built within Ihe pillared arches, rose tier upon tier of seats rilled with a glittering array of fair women and distinguished men. Warriors and prelates, statesmen, and courtiers, princes and officers of state."from foreign lauds, honored guests from the Dominions overseas. Judges in their scarlet robes and full-bottomed wig?—all lent color to the wondrous scene. The lines of flowing silk and softer shades of the women's dresses gave a- softening effect to the terraced .dopes of color. And the light that f-treamed down from the lung windows shone on crimson robes and purest ermine, glittered on jewelled coronets and trappings of gold and polished steel, and touched into bold relief each splash of scarlet and purple, until the- great Cathe-' dral was one long vista of glorious, shimmering color. —Seats of Honor.— Several hours had pasted in the building up of this scene of grandeur. The Earl Marshal and his staff were in the Abbey by 5 o'clock in the morning. From 7 o'clock till after 9 there was a- constant stream of peers and dignitaries pacing up the floor of the Abbey to their seats. Peeresses were given places on the opposite side of tho Cathedral from their husbands, the former b«ing in the north "transept," the latter in the south. The Royal, guests. the foreign Ambassadors, and members of the British Cabinet had seats in the choir. The Oversea Prime Ministers, in Windsor uniform, eat. in the front row of the choir, ;it the end nearest tho Royal thrones. They and their wives were guests of tho King, and as such had seats of honor. Nothing was lacking, in fact, to mark the Oversea Dominions' share on the great Imperial occasion. One recognised in the choir seats the familiar hgures of Mr Winston Churchill and Mr John Burns. What a change for the latter, by the way, from his Trafalgar squaro days to a seat of honor in Westminster Abbey, r and a gold-laced uniform with knee breeches and silk stockings! Opposite Mr..and Mrs Barns could be seen Mrs Asquith.' Th? Prime Minister himself, wearing the uniform of the Trinity Brethren, was in one of the processions, and did not sit with the other members of the Cabinet. In the gallery immediately above the choir I recognised —Two Famous Veterans — of the Russo-Japanese War—Admiral Togo and General Nogi—their dark-blue uniforms ablaze with medals and decorations. They had come from far Japan to represent their country at the crowning of King George. Tho Crown Prince of Germany and his wife, the former wearing a magnificent blue- robe over his uniform, headed ths procession of tho Royal representatives up the Abbey. —Peeresses and the Queen.— The peeresses, resplendent, in- flowing trains of crimson velvet, -with white vails IsJling over capes of snowy miniver, -gave me north transept, where they sat in rows, in indescribable richness of effect. The Drdar of precedence was carefully observed. Duchesses sat in tho front row, then the marchionesses, then the countesses, and so on. The gorgeous trains that swept along the floor Behind them as they "passed to their seats were edged with bands of -ermine, which varied in depth and design wit-E the rank of tho "wearer. It Was Interesting to see how deftly the scarletcoated usher lifted each train with a quick turn of his wand, and hung it over the peeress's arm as she reached her appointed place. Fairest of .all'the fair women in the seats of the peerage appeared, the Ducheee of Sutherland; and tho Duchess of Marlborough and the Duehess of Portland also attracted universal at--tenfcion by their elegance and. grace. Even in the softened light of tie g^eaVCath^ral

the jewels of the high-born dames flashed with a brilliance that held every eye. Some of the most magnificent diamonds were those worn by the Dnehep of Northumberlandj which were of innnense size. The Duchess of Roxburgh© wore a gorgeous diamond tiara, with true lovers' knots in diamonds {which formerly belonged to Mario Antoinette), on her shoblders. Uown the centre of her corsage were enormous emeralds surrounded with diamonds, and' a drop of teven pearls, terminating in one great diamond, wae worn on one side. The Duchess of' Portland wore the famous high tiara with the Portland diamond swinging in the centre. Lady Mar and Kellie. looked very beautiful in her robee, with a diamond tiara and a diamond necklace, and the front of her dress covered with diamonds and pearls. But the most gorgeouslyattired in oil that brave array of fair women at the Abbey was the Queen. Her Majesty's entrance in stately prcces> sion up the nave was a magnificent piece of pageantry. Her velvet train of richest blue trailed for 18ft behind her. The train was lined throughout its entire length with ermine, a broad band of which surrounded the outer blue, with .an inner hand in threads of gold. To have trailed so great a train without assistance would have been impossible, owing to its weight ; but the trains of Royalty are borne by maids of honor, and in this land of ceremonial and courtly etiquette to do so is esteemed a high privilege. Eight young girls in white, daughters of peers, walking four either side of the train, supported it with loops of Tibbon. The end of -the train was borne by the Duchess of Devonshire, whose own train was carried by a little page. —The Imperial Note.---

The entry of the King brought a fresh blaze of color into the crowded scene. As yet he wore no crown, and his dress was'a crimson robe and short white cape. But a glittering retinue passed up the church with him. Many of the figures about .him outshone His Majesty in splendor of attire. The Knights of the Garter, the great officers of the Roval Household, Lord Kitchener and Lord Uoberts, carrying the Roval swords, and the Duke of Beaufort with the broken-pointed Sword of Mercy, were outstanding figures in the Royal train. The Standards of India and the Oversea Dominions wcto borne by peers in the precession, Lord Plunket carrying New Zealand's aud Lord Northcote" that of the Australian' Commonwealth. These symbols of a great Empire extending beyond the seas were introduced for the first time in a British Coronation ceremony. They were amongst the characteristic features of the crowning of the Sailor King. It was touches like those which gave to the ceremony its broad Imperial note. Of

—The Coronation Service— one need not epcsk in detail.. It lasted close upon throe hours. Shadows of past centuries lived again in the performance of that ancient ritual., It was curious to "reflect how unbroken was the continuity of custom that crowned a 20th century King with the rites and the symbols that did service 1,000 years ago. But this .side of the great occasion would appeal more to the home-dweller than to the Briton from overseas. Greater Britain has not the same sense of kinship with England's past, for cur parents broke with the past when they uprooted themselves from Bri-tis-h soil to start life afresh under alien skies. It is in the person of the. King, in the symbolism of his sovereignty, that we are united with England's island story; the forms and ceremonies of a vanished age have for us an antiquarian interest rather than a personal interest. But one could admire the dignity and simplicity of the antique phrasing of the ritual, four forefathers could .say things sirnply yet proudly. "Sirs, I here present unto you King George, the undoubted King of this realm. Therefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?" This challenge, four times recited in ringing tones by the Archbishop of Canterbury in cape of white and gold, was answered with shouts of " God save King George" from the boys of Westminster School. The anointing of the King, the donning of the Royal robes, the presentation of tpuxs, swords, and ring, and other medieval rites were interesting rather than impressive, to eyes unused to elaborate and archaic ritual. But the —Supreme Act of Coronation, — the placing of the crown upon the Sovereign's head, was the moment of thrilling in bereft and significance. The stillness deepened over the great assemblage as tho Archbishop, after reciting the fine old. prayer beginning " 0 God, the crown of the*faithful," held tip the crown and reverently placed it on the head of the King. Instantly each peer rose to his feet and placed his gleaming coronet upon his head. The Kings of Arms put on their crowns. Trumpets sounded and drums were beaten, and then, with a burst of-sound.' great shouts of '"God save tho King" rang through the Abbey. At the instant of the crowning also ihe signal went forth to the outer world. The guns in the Tower of London and in the parks were tired. Joy bells clashed in all the churches. To all parts of the King's Dominions ran. the message of his crowning, calling forth paean after piean of acclamation, until the whole Empire spoke with one great voice. That was the oue supremely drama tie moment of a memorable day. —The Huniau Note.— Then followed the homage,' with its quaint ■ ritual of feudalism. ''The Archbishop knelt to render homage to the King, and the bishops knelt with him. repeating after him the words of submission, a formula centuries old. The prelates were followed by the young Prince of Wales. Tho homage of the Prince brought with it a genuine human note into the service. One forgot for tho moment that these two were King and Prince—one saw them-there as father and son. The Prime, in his heavy robes of State, knelt befoi. his father and repeated with boyish dillideuce the I'lantagenet oath: I, Edward. Prince of Walws, do become your liege man of life and limb. and of eartldy worship, and faith and truth I will bear unto you. to live and die. against all manner of folks. . . . So help me God. A thrill of sympathy sufficing to 'bring tears to many eyes ran through tho;C who saw- and heard him. 'The Prince shcml have leaned' forward, as the Arehbishor had clone, to salute the King, but the King at this moment, .with an i rapid so cf fatherly affection, khiied the boy and dismissed him with a little pat on the cheek. It gave to the whole .service just that, touch of humanity and. tenderness which would otherwise have been lest to view in a!' the splendor of kingly pomp and circumstance. " It detracted nothing from the splendor, but it made the King more real.