OPENS PARLIAMENT IN STATE THE NEW KING. OPENS PARLIAMENT IN STATE

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 24

OPENS PARLIAMENT IN STATE

THE NEW KING.

AN IMPOSING PAGEANT.

The King opened the new session of Parliament on February 14- with great ceremony. Such a pageant (says the London correspondent of the Melbourne Argus)- has not been witnessed at Westminster since the early days of Queen Victoria. The route from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords was kept by troops, and though the day was bitterly cold there were enormous crowds of {spectators. These people had the satisfaction of seeing hundreds of carriages conveying peers and peeresses to the House of Lords, and some dozen royal equipages with princes, princesses, ushers, goldsticks, silver6ticks, and pages of honour Among the members of the royal circle who thus went down to Westminster were the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, Prince Arthur and Princess Margaret of Connaugbt, Prince and Princess Christian, Duchese of Argyll, Princess Henry of- BattenberK. Duchess of Cornwall and York, Duchess of Vite, Prince and Princess Charles of Denmark. The Duke of Cornwall and York and the Princess Victoria were both suffering from severe colds,- and gt the last moment it was decided that they s*ould not leave the pa.ace. The. Duke of York's condition is not without anxiety, for H.K.H. has not yet recovered from the effects cf that severe attack of German measles which prevented him attending the late Queen's funeral.

THE STATE COACH.

?or the fir3t time in 40 years what is known a") the coronation State coach was, used for the King and Queen. 'The late Sovereign very rarely rode in it. The bock seat, in her time, was large and soft, like a small feather bed, and the vehicle hung upon huge straps, and oscillated most uncomfortably. A fortnight ago it was put into the hands of the coachbuilders, who •altered the Feats, counteracted the oscillation, and regilt almost . the whole of the carriage. It is a huge, ungainly vehicle, over 30ft long, and weighs more than four tone. It has one advantage. The occupants can be well seen by the spectators, for the sides and front are all thick plate-glass. The coach was built after a Ger- j man or Flemish design. by George 111, and was used at the three succeeding- coronations, The panels are painted by Cyjrriani. As it passed along the- route, drawn by eight creamcoloured horses, in magnificeivi showy harness, it looked not unlike the Cinderella coach of fiction, and attracted f-lmost as much attention as the royal personages within it. THE SCENE IK THE LO ".DS. But the great spectacle' was not the royal I carriage,' but the scene within the Hfcuse of Lords. The Chamber way densely crowded by peers and peeresses, arranged, not according to rolitical distinctions, but a3 nearly as circumstances would permit to the order of "precedence. The three front rows on each rftfe of €Ke w«e aHotfced- to peers, the -dukes,- 'of course, being the nearest to tbfe- - .throne-, and the fonr row* ' to the" rear were -JHoited to peefferaw. Peeresses' also occupusdribg Eide gaßerießj the strangers', and the . em*lf 'square- galleries, usually flowed to members of the, -Commons. It was -quite a peeresses' day, for not 200 peers were present.- - The body of the House was occupied 6y the. judges, .dressed in- robes and fullb'ottomed Vig3, and by tfee balk of the peers — afco in their robes — who could not find room on the three long lines of seats above referred to. The bishops, of whom some nine or ten were present, wore their scarlet and ermine mantfes, and not the usual lawn sleeves and rochet in which the church-going public are accustomed to «cc them. It was 8 brilliant scene, for. in addition to their robes, the peers wore their col'ars and badges I — those who had any — and the peeresses, though" in deep mourning, wore many diamonds. They had low-cut bodices, short sleeve 3, flowing gowns- of \arious kinds of crepe, black jet, black gloves, and black ostrich feathers. Many of them wore ornaments of diamonds and pearls, tiaras, circlets, necklaces, armlets. These flashed like con•tellations in a dark background. Diplomatists ' •were present, many of whom in brilliant uniforms, excepting the cheery representative of the American. Republic, who was in plain evening dress.

ENTEEIXG THE CHAMBER

The Royal procession was marshalled in thrf rooms behind the Peers' chamber. All being ready, it passed through the painted gallery, crowded with privileged spectators, ami so into the Upper House. Pursuivants and heralds in their quaint, resplendent uniforms, or tabards, led the way, bowing to )ho throne as they passed before it, and ranged themselves on either side After them came officers of the Household, the Marqui« of Salisbury, a splendid figure, in his robes of office, the Earl Marshal, and the Lord Chamberlain, who also grouped themselves near the 6teps of the throne. Next followed the Marqui<-. of Londonderry, carrying- the sword of etate. This duty usually devolves upon the Prime Minister, and when the Queen opened the Parliament in 1886 lie exercised his right. But owing to Lorn Salisbury's increasing years the Postinapler-sreneral acted for him. Behind Lord Londonderry the Duke of Devonehore, in his robeg, carried (as President of the Council) a Fca^let and gold cushion bearing the Imperial crown. Following him was the Marquis of Winchester (premier marquis), with the cap of maintenance, on a &hort Staff. It is the heraldic theory that crown and cap must not be touched by any hands but those of the Sovereign. The crown is the ir.ost historic of all belonging to th&.regalia It contains a saophire from the crown of Charles 11. another sapphire from the ring of Edward the Confessor, and in front of the eiown a lar?e suinel ruby, the largest stone of all, worth £110,000 The composition of the ciown includes 2783 diamonds, 277 pearls 11 •emeralds, 5 rubies, and 17 sapphires. The cap of maintenance (meaning defence) is a long-peaked Tudor hat, with a rim of ermine. Behind the ptate officials carrying these emblems came the King and Queen. The King was in a Field marshal's bcarlet uniform, and as he is not yet crowned he wore, or rather carried, a plumed cocked hat. His purple velvet train was of great length and fulness, carried by two pages, and un^er his long . ermine cape could be Been the blue sash of the Order of the Garter. The Queen was in a black creoe dress, and wore a pimiiar tram to the King's, edged with ermine, also borne by pages. She had likewise a long . black veil fastened to the hair with a very email diamond crown, and wore deep necklets of pearls and diamonds. Tbe Sovereigu and his consort walked hand in band to. the foot of the thronp. bowing right and left. Before ascending the dais they both bowed to the throne Tho two chair* weio arranged, the King's .slightly in achnncc of tho Queen'p. The prince' and member- ot t 1 c Royal family, who had followed the Rovpreign mto tiio chamber, were grouped to the King's

right, and the officers of state to the left. It was noticed that a«s the King withdrew his hand from the Queen's, when she ascended tha dais, her Majesty stooped to kiss the tips of bis fingers.

THE TIUNSUB&TANTIATION OATH

After the King and Queen had sat clown by a slight wave of his Majesty's hand the assemblage were commanded to resume their seats. At this stage the Lord Chancellor advanced to the foot of th 9 throne, and in a kneeling position took the King's declaration against transubstantiation, the masf, and the invocation of sainth. It is a long- foim of oath, and King and Chancellor read it from separate copies, but in so low a tone that few could hear it. At the end the Chancellor handed the King a scarlet-bound copy of the New Testament, which hi* Majesty kissed It was notable that while this ceremony was proceeding the Duke of Norfolk, a Roman Catholic, was etanding close afr the foot of the throne in his capacity of Earl Marshal. And I may here mention that before the close of the day a petition of 30 Catholic peers was presented to the Lord Chancellor, stating that while they submitted to the law which required this loyal declaration, framed in the time of Charles 11, when religious animosities were bitter, it was painful to them as Catholic? to discharge their duties while having to hear expressions which could not but cause pain to millions of his Majesty's subjects. The petition suggested fresh legislation to abolish this form of declaration.

CONCXTTSIOS,

Before the King had completed his declaration the faithjful Commons had arrived at the bar of the House. I should rather say such of them as eouJd scramble there. It was an awful crush, and the Speaker, to prevent nis robsp being torn off his back, as once unopened to a Dredeces&or, surrounded himself with a small staff of stalwart policemen. Two or three of the Commoners were badly crushed, and several had their hats smashed and coats torn. The King read his speech from a sheet of paper in a voice which penetrated to every part of the chamber. At its conclusion he took the Queen's hand, and the two descended the dais together, -bowing right and left, and the loyal procession returned to the robin? rooms The whole ceremony was concluded within half an hour. The King and Quean had a splendid reception from the populace on their return to Buckingham Palace. _ .