THE QUEEN CROWNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23839, 14 December 1940, Page 19

THE QUEEN CROWNED

WAIKATO CARNIVAL AN IMPOSING CEREMONY SUM OF £44,000 COLLECTED | [from our owx corbespondknt'J HAMILTON, Friday | The culminating point in the WaiI knto queen carnival campaign, which ! resulted in £44,000 being collected for ! patriotic purposes, was reached last night, when the crowning ceremony | took place in the Bledisloe Hall, Haniilj ton. A spectacular and colourful scene i was presented, and tho ceremony war--1 ranted a much better patronage than j it received. Commenting on the attendj a nee to-day, the .Mayor, Mr. 11. I). I C'aro, said it was regrettable that the J people of Hamilton had not realised that they were the hosts of the country people, who had travelled long distances to attend the function. About 200 took part, in the ceremony, and the spectators numbered about 250. The Queen's Robes The ceremony was staged on a grand scale, and an effective setting was provided by the cathedral-like background I hat was erected. The central figure was Miss Mona Kay, of Te Awamutu, the winner of the carnival. She was supported by 10 other queens and their retinues. Miss Kay wore an Mlizabethan gown of ivory satin, with a niched Medici collar and a long heavily-em-bossed tram of purple velvet, emblazoned with gold and bordered with ermine. The ten attendant queens were gowned in ivory satin of varying designs. The members of the retinues were in different roles, representing sailors, Highlanders, colleens, pages and flower girls. The other queens were: Miss Noly Swnev (Morrinsville), Mrs. I'\ C. .Johnstone (Raglan*. Miss Sophie Rvhurn (Hamilton Nurses), Mr-. Mervyn Wells (Cambridge), for whom Mrs. Kdgar • lames deputised : Sister C. L. Hloxoiue (Te Kuiti). .Miss Mlva Hoyd (Hamilton Country). Miss Heather Pulhain tlluntly). Mrs. A. I>. Hurt (Te Aroha), I Miss Nell Walters (Otorohangaj Kawhial, Mrs. Colin Taylor (IlamilI ton Citizens). Roval Procession | A detachment ■ of the Waikato | .Mounted Rifles formed the guard of honour, and as the various queens and their train-bearers and maids of honour ap[ieared, they were heralded by a fanfare of trumpets. The procession from the back of the hall was accompanied by appropriate music supplied alternately by the Waikato Regimental Hand and the Hamilton Caledonian Pipe Hand. The ceremony was carried out by the various officials with a dignity and oldworld pageant r\ that left not hing to be desired, and made an impressive scene. Kach of tho ten queens was presented to Queen Mona, who was formally crowned by the Lord High Chancellor. in the person of the Mayor of Hamilton. Miss Marie Leach sang '"Land of Hope and Glory," and the Mayor thanked t ho people for the effort they had made to raise the money required. Che coronation ceremony was repeated on Friday night, and will be staged again on Saturday afternoon and evening.