THE CORONATION PROCESSION

Southland Times, Issue 23152, 19 March 1937, Page 5

THE CORONATION PROCESSION

32,500 MEN TO TAKE PART

(British Official Wireless) (Received March 18, 7.30 p.m.) RUGBY, March 17.

About 32,500 officers and men from home and overseas will take part in the Coronation procession and line the routes. In the procession will be detachments from the Royal Navy, the naval reserves, all corps'and units of the regular and territorial Army, the Royal Air Force and the Auxiliary Air Force. The Navy will provide 400 men and the Royal Air Force 300. The Indian Army and Navy will also be represented. The contingents from the Dominions and the contingent representing the colonial Empire will make part of the procession. In addition some 6500 men will be required for reserves arid administrative duties.

The length of the return procession from Westminster Abbey, which will be approximately 3500 yards, will take 40 minutes to pass a given point. Composite guards of honour from the three services will be mounted at Buckingham Palace and outside Westminster Abbey. Bands including a service band from Canada will take part in the procession, and will also be stationed along the route. A party of 50 of the King’s Company of Grenadier Guards will be present in the Abbey. QUEEN’S ROBE FOR CORONATION APPROVAL OF DESIGN LONDON, March 17. Her Majesty the Queen has finally approved of the design of her Coronal tion robe. It will be of a princess shape, of satin of an ivory tint, with a square decolletage, small sleeves and a full train. The robe will be richly embroidered in gold in a scroll design combining the floral emblems of the Empire, the rose, thistle, shamrock, leek, lotus flower, maple leaf, wattle, fern frond and protea, together with an English oak leaf and acorn, which will be used also as the border design of the gown. Queen Elizabeth has consented to receive an honorary degree from the University of London, probably in the autumn. ACCOMMODATION FOR NEW ZEALANDERS LONDON, March 17. New Zealand’s Coronation service contingent will be accommodated in a camp at Firlbright from April 13 to May 10, and at Olympia, in London, from May 10 to 13, and then at Firlbright again from May 13 to 27.