CORONATION DATE FIXED

Northern Advocate, 30 May 1936, Page 7

CORONATION DATE FIXED

' MAY 12, 1937 * IBritish Official Wireless. l . (Received 10 a.m.) vv44 , RUGBY, May 28. It .. is officially announced that the Privy Council,has fixed the date of the Coronation of King Edward VIII. for May 42. 1937. His Majesty formally approved this date when he signed an Order-in-Council at the meeting of the Privy Council which was held in Bucking • ham Palace this morning. A proclamation will be read tomorrow, couched in traditional phraseology. The. Court of Claims will dispense with the', attendance of persons claiming., to perform ancient services in Westminster Hall or in the procession, thereby eliminating the ceremonies at the. Coronation Banquet, when the steelclad Royal Champion formerly rode, threw down a gauntlet, and challenged .other claimants to the Throne. This ceremony was last seen when King. George IVi was crowned in . 1821. It is-expected that the Coronation festivities, including the procession through London, will be linked with the Whitsuntide holiday. Probably 5.000. people will desire to witness the procession, compared with between 3.000. and 4,000,000 who saw the late King George’s funeral. 4 / 'll/ t ?

THE PROCLAMATION A COLOURFUL CEREMONY. (Received, noon). L O Njj) ON May 29. Brilliant weather favoured the Coronation proclamation. Crowds gathered early at St. James’s Palace, where the Grenadier and Coldstream Guards were di-awn up. King-at-Arms, heraldsj.pjid, officers made a. colourful group on the palace balcony. The great gold mace sparkled in the sunshine as the King-at-Arms, preceded by a fanfare of trumpets, unrolled and xead the proclamation, nearly a yard wide. The crowd below clearly saw the Royal Arms: and the King’s name 1 ’ printed on the . back :of . the scroll.l i No cheers followed the proclamation. l An -impressive procession was quickly formed, consisting of a detachment of Horse Guards, State the - Sergeant-at-Arms, heralds, and Kings-at-Arms, and' drove along the Mall, which was lined with Guardsmen. Thousands had assembled at Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross, where the proclamation was read a second time. The City Marshal challenged the heralds at Temple Bar, and the proclamation was again read, after which the crowd wSrmly responded to the request for three cheers. The procession, now accompanied by the Lord Mayor and city dignitaries, went to the Mansion House through; streets lined with silent crowds. His. Majesty was finally proclaimed at the Royal Exchange, the ceremony ending with the singing of the National Anthem. It was noted that the Royal Colours bore no mourning bow of crepe.

REASON FOR EARLY DATE THE KING’S THOUGHTFULNESS. I British Official Wireless.l (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, May 29. At the proclamation of King Edward’s Coronation, bright sunshine added to the colourful nature of the old pageantry. At each place, the heralds, 'dressed in tabards, and attended by the Sergeant-at-Arms, proclaimed the date of May 12, next year, as Coronation Day. Trumpets sounded before and after the announcement. The procession passed through streets crowded , with people interested in the rare ceremonial. It is thought the choice of an early date in May, was influenced, among other considerations, by a desire to prevent any clashing with major social events in the London ' season.

Also, in the early part of the month, the foliage of trees along the Coronation procession route will not be sufficiently advanced to impede the sight of spectators. KING TO PRESENT NEW COLOURS TBrltish Official Wireless.l (Received 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, May 29. There will be a further addition on July 16 to the season’s pageantries in London. On that date the King will present new colours to six of the battalions of the Brigade of Guards, The ceremony will take place in Hyde Park, and the King, who will ride in a procession from Buckingham Palace accompanied by an escort, will be received with a Royal Salute and will inspect the parade. After an elaborate ceremonial, the King will ride back to Buckingham Palace at the head of the troops.