THE KING’S CORONATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12588, 24 August 1901, Page 3

THE KING’S CORONATION.

THE CEREMONIES NEXT JUNE* THE FEUDAL SERVICES. ; ; [FROM OPE. CoKEESrONDENT-l LONDON, July S--The services to be rendered the Sovereign on bis coronation, into winch the Commission of Privy Councillors is to enquire, are relies cf our feudal, system, duties of tenure by Grand Sergeantr.y, where a man hfild his ‘lands of the king by services to‘be done in bis own proper person to the Hug,' as to cany Ms sword 1 before him at the coronation. So quaint arc some of these functions that when the octogenarian Lord Rclle stumbled and rolled down the steps of the throne after doing homage', a distinguished foreigner • was quite satisfied with) a wag’s explanation that to roll diown. the steps of the throne was. the, feudal tenure by which Lord Eolle held his barony, and promptly made a noth/ of the custom. Among the claims to be considered by the Commissioners will be/ that of Lord Grey de. Ruthyn, by right •of descent • from the Earls of Pembroke, to carry the King’s great spurs before him.. These spurs form part of . the regalia constructed to the -order of Charles,ll., and are made of fine gold, curiously' wrought, while the embroidered 1 velvet straps were added for the coronation of George IV. The Bishop of Durham-, as a Count Palatine, claims the privilege of supporting the Sovereign as the solemn, ritual proceeds. The Duke of Norfolk bolds the estate of the Manor of Worksop by finding the Sovereign a right-hand glove at his coronation and supporting his right arm that day, so long as he shall hold his sceptre in his hand. The Dean and Chapiter of Westminster, as successors to the Abbot, instruct the Sovereign in the rites und ceremonies taking, place within the A~cey'p'' they assist , : ;the Archbishop cl Canterbury in celebrating the service, amdl have the custody of the coronation robes. Their own rich robes are found them for the ceremony, with the cloth on which the Sovereign walks from the west door to the “ theatre ” or carpeted space in the centre of the choir. Formerly they were also entitled to a fish dinner, washed down by hogsheads of wine;: but this clainr has long since fallen, into desuetude. The Hereditary Grand Almoner of England, the Marquis of Exeter, attends to b 3 the distributor in alms of certain, moneys collected during the service. He claims, as his fee the silver dish, with the napkin covering it, in. which the moneys are handed to Mm; also all the blue cloth on which the Sovereign walks from the door of the Abbey to the throne in Westminster Hall. NOBLE MENIALS AT THE ABANDONED BANQUET. ,

Had the banquet and the State procession nob been cut out, the Commission might have hadl some queer claims to consider, and there might hve been, as in the days of yore, some very pretty quarrels. The Duke of Norfolk, as Earl of Arundel, would act as chief butler, and get a® his fee the best gold cup and cover on. the tabhrfogethter with all the vessels and wins remaining oh the table below, the bar.' The Lord Mayor of London, as assistant-butler, would get - another gold cup, and other cups would fall., to other Mayors and Lords who '■assisted. ,The claims to the .offices of carver and server, who arrange the. menu, have been long extinct, and at every Coronation banquet since William and Mary, there have-been several claimants to the office of grand panneter, whose duty it would be to preside over the pantry, and to .bring thence the salt-cellar, knives, spoons, and forks used by the Sovereign, afterwards receiving them as his fees. All claims, however, were disallowed. The lardiiner would be responsible for; the provisions, and receive as his fee the debris; the Lord of tbe Manor of Lisbon, would have had to place five wafers before the King, and the Lord.of the Manor of Heydon, to hold;the basin, ewer, and towel werewith, the., JSng would wash before the banquet. This Lord, however, got only the towel as his share of the spoil. The Lord of the Manor of Addington would have to see that there was served to -the King, after the first course, a dish of. “ grouts,” concocted of, almond milk, brawn of capons,, sugar and spices, and chickens parboiled and chopped.

THE LOCKED OUT BARONS,

In the, procession, the sixteen Barons of the Cinque ports have, since the Coronation of Henry IV., established their claim to carry over the Sovereign a canopy of cloth of gold, supported by four staves covered with silver, and" bells of silver’gilt at the corners, receiving the whole as their fee. •They also have the privilege of dining at a table on the right hand of the' Sovereign’• a,tithe banquet; but at the Coronation of. George 11. the table was commandeered by the Peers. An unseemly scene ensued, for the spokesman of the party and the Earl Marshal nearly came to exchanging, blows.', The aggrieved representatives of the . Cinque Ports had to be locked out at succeeding Coronation banquets, so threatening wa.s their demeanour to each-, relative to the infraction of this privilege. Even in the Abbey itself there are said to have been some unseemly tussels over soxn« of the paraphernalia.