Personal Impressions of a Wondrous Scene

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 17

Personal Impressions of a Wondrous Scene

George's Coronation struck "the note of the Empire. Its charaoteristic feature was the presence of a larger number than over before of Britons from the dominions overseas. And the most impressive moment of the long and splendid ceremony was when the Crown of Edward the Confessor rested for the first time in his life upon the brows of King George. At that instant there went forth from Westminster Abbey a signal which vibrated round the .whole world. To ©very portion of the King's wide-world dominie ns, in Canada, in Australia, in South Africa and Now Zealand, in all the outposts of Empire which link up the ocean highways of the globe, the message hashed with the •quickness of thought. All round the ifhnpire rang the cheers with which King George's subjects in Westminster Abbey acclaimed their sovereign enthroned and ■crowned. Nations undreamed of in the days of our forefathers were linked with the traditions of England's storied past in that supreme act of sacred ritual, the crowning of the King. Hy desire is to record those features of* tho Coronation ceremony which appealed most vividly to a colonial tempe/rament. You will have had in cable 1 messages tho story of tho Coronation as *een through English eyes. Perhaps oome impressions of tho memorable scene as it struck an onlooker from one of the dominions overseas will give it a more intimate aspect, a more personal point ifli view*

a 1 think, the experience of most of those who were privileged to get a good view 0 of tho Coronation ceremony and its brilt liant setting. But even if the physical ordeal had been ten times as heavy I e doubt if many within tho Abbey pre--0 cincts would willingly have missed the privilege of being present. For indeed * it was the experience of a lifetime. & It was a scone of unforgettable splen--0 dour. The ©olenm character of the ceree mony was not more marked than the 0 beauty of its sotting and the magnifiy cence of its stately rites. The Coroxuv- ’ nation marched to its supreme climax in a series of wonderful pictures. The co--3 louring was exquisite, Robes and unit forms of State contrasted tho splendour k of gold and purple and crimson with the old grey walls of the Abbey and the dim fretwork traceries of tho roof. Masses } of colour glowed and shimmered between each Gothic arch. Covering the floor of tho Abbey was a great carpet of rich, 1 deep blue which made a splendid sotting . for the more vivid tones above. The ’ venerable walls of tho fan© were hung * with tapestries of silver and dark blue [ velvet. Along the nave, choir and transept, and iu galleries built within the , pillared arches, rose tier upon tier of seats filled with a glittering array of fair women and distinguished men. Warriors and prelates, statesmen and courtiers, princes and officers of State from foreign lands, honoured guests from tho dominions overseas, judges iu tteir scarlet robes and full-bottomed wigs, all : lent colour to the wondrous scene. The lines of flowing silk and softer shades 1 of the women's dresses gavo a softening effect to the terraced slopes of colour. ; And the light that streamed down from • the long windows shone on crimson robes f and purest ermine, glittered on jewelled ( coronets and trappings of gold and po- J listed steel, and touched into bold re- 1 lief each splash of scarlet and purple i until the great Cathedral was one long * vista of glorious shimmering colour. j Seats of Honour Several hours had passed iu the build- ' ingr up of this sceno of grandeur. The t Earl Marshal and his staff were in the s Abbey by 5 o’clock in tho morning, a From 7 o’clock till after nine there was 1 a constant stream of peers and digni- r taries passing up the floor of the Abbey 1 to thoir seats. Peeresses wore given c places on tho opposite side of tho Cathe- r dral from thoir husbands, the former s being iu the north transept, tho latter d iu tho South. The Royal guests, tho I foreign Ambassadors and members of tbe h British Cabinet hod seats in. the choir, s Tho oversea Prime Ministers, in Wind- I’ eor uniform, sat in tho front row of u tho choir, at the end nearest the E-oyal n Thrones. They and their wives were v (meats of the King, and as such had seals j of honour. Nothing was lacking, in l tl fact, to mark tho oversea dominions’ A share ou tho groat Imperial occasion, j ei

I have endeavoured to emphasise the Imperial character of the ceremony. Her© was a King 1 , who, first of all the Hong line of British sovereigns, had visit•fcd every portion of his far-flung Empire. No monarch ever claimed a greater inheritance; none over travelled so £ar to make himself known to his people and to prepare himself for his exalted task. Millions of citizens of the Empire who have never seen his capital Stave a personal knowledge of their Sovereign. The King who was crowned at Westminster yesterday received the acclamation not of one nation only, hut of all the free young nations which acknowledge his sovereignty beyond the seas. The Imperial idea gave to the age-long rites of the Coronation ceremony a wider symbolism, a now significance. This is what made the act of crowning the King so extraordinarily impres-} «ive to the onlooker from overseas. Hours of Waiting.

Many hours of waiting Jed up to that splendid climax, but they were hours full of a rare interest and beauty. I had rather dreaded the prospect •of spending six or seven hours at the Abbey without food or drink or the opportunity of rest. But in reality the time sped by almost unnoticed. It was one long vision of gorgeus colour, of a richness and beauty unparalleled in my ex-, perienco of British pageantry. I was too, interested to feel the need of rest; too j interested even to sit down, and it was J only when the vigil of close on seven j hours was at an end that I was conscious of either hunger or fatigue. That wn*.j

BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT—LONDON, JUNE 23

Not all the water in the rough rude sea Can wash the hahn from an annointed King —Shakespeare

’ One recognised in the choir seats the familiar figures of Hr Winston. Churchill and Mr John Burns, Opposite Mr and Mrs Burns could be seen Mrs Asquith. Tho Prime Minister himself, wearing tho uniform of tho Trinity Brethren, was in one of tho processions, and did not sit with the other members of the Cabinet. In tho gallery immediately above tho choir X recognised two famous veterans of tho Russo-Japanese War—Admiral Togo and General Nogi, their dark blue uniforms ablaze with medals and decorations. They had come from far Japan to represent their country at the crowning of King George. The Crown Prince of Germany and his wife, tho former wearing a magnificent blue robe over his uniform, headed the procession of the Royal representatives up the Abbey. Peeresses and the Queen.

Th© peeresses, resplendent in flowing trains of crimson velvet, with white veils falling 1 over capes of snowy miniver, gave the north transept where they sat in rows an indescribable richness of effect. The order of precedence was carefully observed, Duchesses sat in the front row, then the marchionesses, then the countesses, and so on. The gorgeous i trains that swept along the floor behind them as they passed to their seats were' edged with bands of ermine which va- . vied in depth and design with the rank of the wearer. It was interesting to see how deftly the scarlet-coated usher lifted each ' train with a quick turn of his wand and hung it over the peeress's arm as she reached her appointed place. Fairest of all the fair women in the seats of the peerage appeared, the Duchess of Sutherland, the Duchess of Marlborough, and the Duchess of- Portland, who attracted universal attention by their elegance and grace. Even in the softened light of the great cathedral the jewels of the high-born dames flashed with a brilliance that held every eye. Some of the most magnificent diamonds were those worn by th© Duchess of Northumberland, which were of immense size. Th© Duchess of Roxburgh© wore a gorgeous diamond tiara with time lovers' knots in diamonds, which formerly belonged to* Marie Antoinette, on her shoulders. Down the centre of her corsage were enormous emeralds surrounded by diamonds, and a drop of seven pearls terminating in on© great diamond was worn on one side. The Duchess of Portland wore the famous high tiara with the Portland ■ Diamond ; swinging in the centre. Lady Mar and Kellie looked very beautiful in her robes with a diamond tiara and a diamond < necklace and the front of her dress covered with diamonds ami pearls. j' Put the most gorgeously attired in all; • that bravo array of fair women at the I j Abbey was the Queen. Her Majesty's ] entrance in stately procession . up the | ]

nave was a magnificent piece of pageantry. Her velvet train of richest bine trailed for eighteen feet behind her. The train was lined throughout its entire length with ermine, a broad band of which surrounded the outer blue, with an inner band in threads of gold. To have trailed so great a train without assistance would have been impossible, owing to its weight; hut the trains of Royalty are borne by maids of honour, and in this land of ceremonial and courtly _ etiquette to do so is esteemed a high privilege. Eight young girls in white, daughters of peers, walking four on each side of the train, supported it with loops of ribbon. The end of the train was oor-ne by the Duchess of Devonshire, whose own train was carried by a iittlo page.