CORONATION OATH

Evening Star, Issue 22579, 22 February 1937, Page 9

CORONATION OATH

MODIFIED TD MEET NEW CONDITIONS RESULT OF STATUTE OF WESTMINSTER (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, February 20. (Received February 22, at noon.) Commenting on the changes in the Coronation Oath, the ‘ Manchester Guardian ’ says they are another instance of the way in which even the most historic of English constitutional usages are modified to meet new conditions. The changes have become necessary since 1911 owing to the constitutional position which has arisen from the new status of the dominions under the Statute of Westminster. The new form of oath has been approved after discussion between the United Kingdom Government and the dominions Governments. The text of the first portion of the Coronation oath, in order to meet the changed constitutional position, is to be as follows: —“ Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa and of your possessions and other territories to any of them belonging or pertaining and of your empire of India, according to their respective laws and customs?” In 1911 this part of the oath took the form: “ Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dominions thereto belonging, according to the Statute in Parliament agreed on and the respective laws and customs of same?” No alteration has been made in the second part, in which the King swears he will to his power cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all his judgments. The religious part of the oath has been slightly modified so as to limit to the United Kingdom the King’s undertaking to maintain the Protestant reformed religion established by law. Regarding this modification, the ‘ Manchester Guardian’ remarks: “It manifests that, though the Protestant character of the monarchy was once its most vital characteristic and stands unshaken, it has ceased to be an irritant challenge to those of other faiths.”NEW PHRASEOLOGY DOMINIONS BELONG TO THEMSELVES, Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, February 21. (Received February 22, at 10 a.m.) Commenting on the Coronation oath, the ‘ Observer ’ says: “ The word ‘ dominions ’ now has less general meaning than formerly. The dominions do not belong to the United Kingdom as the old phraseology had it, but only to themselves. The guarantee for maintenance of the Protestant reformed religion is now expressly limited to the United Kingdom, where its historical significance resides.” . The ‘Sunday Times’ says: ‘‘The oath does not merely accord with the fact of His Majesty’s multiple kingship, but places it on record before the world.” FEARS ALLAYED. LONDON, February 21. (Received February 22, at 10.5 a.m.) “ Our fears that the King’s pledge to maintain the Protestant reformed religion might be altered have been allayed,” says Mr J. A. Kensit, of the Protestant Truth Society, “ but should the phrasing be altered by Downing Street without a debate in Parliament and while it is only reasonable to recognise in the oath the altered status of the dominions, yet on a future occasion, because of this precedent, the vital words might be altered. The Archbishop of Canterbury is in an anomalous position, exacting from the King an oath to do something he fails to do himself. lam writing to the Archbishop of Canterbury asking him the question he asks the King: 1 Will you do the utmost in your power to maintain the Protestant reformed religion established by law?”