KING'S JUBILEE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22026, 5 February 1935, Page 6

KING'S JUBILEE

fr'REAT FESTIVAL OF EMPIRE PLAN OF CELEBRATIONS PARTICIPATION OF DOMINIONS [from ouh own correspondent] Per' Air Mail LONDON. Jan. 12 Sea, land and ,'iir forces will take • Opart in the -great festival marking the Silver Jubilee of Ihe accession of the King. It is hoped that the defence forces of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Afr ca, and some of the small possessions will be strongly represented. According to present arrangements His Majesty will hold a naval review at Spithead in July. It is thought. Bays the Morning Post, that the review of troops;, which is expected to take place on Laffan's Plain, Aldershot, will be held at an earlier date so as not to interfere with normal training. The [presence of representative units of the (Territorial Army at this review is (anticipated.' The military tattoos at Aldershot and iTidworth will include in their programmes some spectacular event to celebrate the jubilee. The grand finalo pt Aldershot will introduce all the bands, troops, horses and guns to illustrate the tattoo theme, which is "The Crown of England and all it stands for." Other military" spectacles which will xnark the special occasion will be iTrooping the Colour on the Horso Guards parade early in Jane, the Royal Tournament in Mf.y and the Royal Air Force Pageant. Special steps will be taken to ensure the adequate signalising of Empire Day as the great festival of Empire unity. Church and laity, services and civilians, from peers to the poorest, will be fully represented in the long programme of celebration and thanksgiving. The people of Wales will arrange their own celebrations, in which their town Prince will participate. A Royal jvisit to the Scottish capital will probably be included in the festivities. Air Review on a Large Scale One of tlie important events will be In, Royal review on a big scale of the •Royal Air Force. Detailed plans are :not yet prepared, but the review will ■be timed and conducted in a way not ■to interfere with the annual R.A.F. idisplav, which will take place at Hendon aerodrome this year on June 29. 'Air Ministry officials and service officers sire discussing the arrangements. jOue suggestion is that the climax of the review should be a grand fljover " on a. scale never yet attempted in this country, engaging several hundred aeroplanes, and a " royal jialute " with the squadrons diving m formation before the Ki:ng. the biggest formation of aircraft that Jias yet flown over the British Isles, consisted of rather more than one hundred aircraft under the leadership ot the Air Commodore C. R. Samson. The flight was made over London gome ten years ago. In size that fleet easily surpassed in numbers the largest enemy formation to appear over English territory during tl:ie Since then the largest number of aeroplanes e;een aloft together over this country is probably the fifty or sixty machines [which perform aerial drill at the K.A.I. display each year. In other countries mass concentrations of aircraft over the big cities are frequentlv associa ted with ceremonial davs and'are considered to be most impressive. The Royal Air Force should lae able to fly at least four hundred aeroplanes over ILcndon in honour ot ifche jubilee. Flower o:i the Jubilee « The opening -of the festivities will be May 6, the 25th anniversary of the Sine's accession. On that date His Maiestv will drive to St. Paul s Cathedral, centre ,of the religious life of the Empire, in order to take part in a ispecial service of thanksgiving. Several members of the Royal l'amily will be present. On June 15 a special Empire ~ service will be held m Canterbury Cathedral. . All ntann&r of special local celebrations have already been devised, and local civic pfide is exercised to the lull •in the endeavour to discover means wherebv no municipality shall lag behind its neighbours in demonstrating its loyalty. •' .• , ~ The tulip, which is at its best in May. ■will be the Flower of the Jubilee. In the principal London parks more than 200,000 tulips of 200 different varieties have been planted. Five thousand blooms will blaze across the beds outside Buckingham Palace. A special displav of all the newest varieties, arranged in colour groupings will he seen at a little distance m St. James Park and there' will be similar displays all , over London. I