King Edward VIII Takes The Oath Of Accession

Northern Advocate, 23 January 1936, Page 7

King Edward VIII Takes The Oath Of Accession

HISTORIC CEREMONY ENACTED IN LONDON

RARELY SEEN SPECTACLE USHERS IN NEW EPOCH

[United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.} LONDON, January 22. npHE CEREMONY OF PROCLAIMING KING EDWARD WAS CARRIED OUT TODAY. The proclamation was read at St. James’ Palace, Charing Cross, Temple Bar, and the Royal Exchange. Five battalions of the Guards, a detachment of the Honourable Artillery Company, and eight infantry battalions lined the/streets in the vicinity of the points where the King was proclaimed. “High and mighty Prince Edward Albert Christian <3eorge Andrew Patrick David is now, by the death of our late Sovereign, of happy memory, become our lawful and rightful liege lord, Edward VIII, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the Dominions beyond the seas.” Thus proclaimed the Garter King of Arms from the balcony of St. James Palace, amid all the traditional pageantry of heraldry. The- new King watched the ceremony from a window of - the armour room, as did his father before him. The sun shone with golden softness through a slight mist. It was a solemn moment. Not a sound came from the vast, quietly-dressed crowd. The magnificent medieval uniforms of the Earl Marshal, Garter King at Arms,, and the Heralds Pursuivants furnished the only colour in the gathering, the predominant note of which was black. Even the Guardsmen were sombre figures in their heavy greatcoats, the officers wearing black crepe and their regimental colours being draped with black. Just before 10 a.m. the Guard of Honour, which was stationed directly in front of the Palace was brought sharply to attention. Four heralds appeared on the balcony, wearing huge black-cocked hats, trimmed with ermine. As the Palace clock struck the hour, the trumpeters sounded a double fanfare. A grea,t silence fell as the Garter King of Arms read the proclamation. NEW EPOCH INAUGURATED. Saluting guns boomed dully throughout the recital of the formal words 'inaugurating the new epoch in the Empire’s history. The trumpets again rang out when the Garter King of Arms concluded with “God Save the King.” The troops were brought sharply to attention, the National Anthem was played softly, to the accompaniment of the roll of black-draped drums, and the Colours were dipped in solemn salute. The King, for a moment, appeared at a window in the Palace. The King of Arms and the heralds proceeded in the Royal coaches to Charing Gross, along streets lined by troops, with an escort of Guardsmen—an unfamiliar and impressive sight to Londdhers —wearing black tunics and mounted on coal-black horses with black trappings. The procession halted at the monument at Charing Cross and the heralds sounded the fanfare. The Lancaster herald stepped out of his coach, proclamation in hand. Few of the vast, silent concourse were able to hear his words, although many could see his lips moving. A fanfare marked the conclusion of the reading, and the herald stood hat in -hand during the National Anthem, before re-entering his coach. The proc'ession then proceeded along the Strand to the city. CITY OF LONDON’S RIGHTS. Not even a new King can challenge the rights of the City of London, which are guarded as jealously as ever. When the procession reached Temple Bar, the City’s dignitaries, headed by the Lord Mayor, Sir Stephen KSllik, assembled in the shadow of the Law Courts to challenge the King’s officers’ rights to enter the city. The crowd, who had awaited since daybreak, were rewarded by the rarely-seen spectacle of a single red rope ' stretched across the street, symbolising the City’s rights. A triple fanfare from the King’s trumpeters, and an answering fanfare from the City trumpeters, re- called London’s struggle for freedom in the nation’s early history. The blue-mantled Pursuivant of Arms rode forward alone, crying, “Who Comes There?” HISTORIC FORMULA. Challenged, the City’s Marshal Pursuivant replied in historic formula, demanding entrance to proclaim His Majesty King Edward VIII. He was conducted to the Lord Mayor, to whom he delivered the Order-in-Council directing the reading of the proclamation, which the Lord Mayor read aloud. He then oidered the removal of the barrier, and the procession moved to the corner of Chancery Lane, 50 yards within the city boundary, and there the proclamation was read. The ceremony was similar at Charing Cross. The crowd outside the Royal Exchange was one of the vastest seen in the precincts of the city. The air was so still and also so silent that every word uttered by the Clarenceux King at Arms was distinctly audible. The demonstrativeness of the city contrasted with the* reading of the proclamation elsewhere. BURST OF CHEERING. Immediately following the Nat ional Anthem someone shouted, “King Edward the Eighth,” and the Lord Mayor, seeing that the crowd desired to express their loyalty, took off his three-cornered hat and waved it above his head, crying, “Three Cheers for the King.” Dignified, scarlet-robed city fathers led in an immense burst of cheering, which was taken up by the densely-packed crowd surrounding the streets. The Lord Mayor and aldermen then proceeded in procession back to the Guildhall, closing another chapter in the City’s history, PARLIAMENT MEETS IN SILENCE. Both Houses of Parliament met in silence. It was a sombre gathering of politicians, who had forgotten their conflicting opinions in a common sorrow. The whole scene was dominated by a solitary throne on the dais in the Lords, which, as a symbol of the King’s authority, had been installed today, replacing the two thrones which were there yesterday for King George and his Queen, while the gilt chair the Prince of Wales usually occupied had also been removed. The House of Commons was crowded with men wearing black suits and black ties. It was also noticeable that black-edged notepaper in the racks had replaced the usual white paper. The Speaker was wearing white weepers over his black cuffs, and black shoe buckles instead of silver. OATH OF ALLEGIANCE. Then began the ceremony of taking the oath of allegiance to King Edward. The Speaker led, followed by members of Cabinet. Among the earliest to be sworn in was Sir lan Fraser, the blind member. He was led to the table, and his hand guided to the place on the roll, which he laboriously signed. Lord Dawson of Penn, who signed the death bulletin last night, today signed the roll of the Lords, acknowledging • the new King. His speech showed the strain of recent days.

His Majesty Proclaimed Sovereign