THE FESTIVAL QUEENS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11371, 24 April 1915, Page 9

THE FESTIVAL QUEENS.

CORONATION CEREMONY REPEATED. SCENE AT LANCASTER. PARK. By arrangement with the Canterbury Rugby Football Union and tho Lancaster Park Board of Control, the Belgian Harvest Festival Oommittoo this afternoon rppw.terl tho most picturosquo fnatnro of tho carnival, the coronation ceremony, at Lancaster Park, tho par geani; serving as a "curtain-raiser" to tho opening Rugby footbn.ll matches of tho season. There was a, good attendance, tho east stand being practically filled with spectators, while there was a, good crowd of the public at the north-west corner. The coronation pageant was programmed to start at 2.30 p.m. and finish at 3.15 p.m., but it was three o'clock before tho procession tied on to tho grounds amid general applause. Tho costumes worn were. the same a.s on former occasions, and the general arrangement of tho cortege tho same as at the Colosseum function, save that two of the twelve queens, Mi%s Allen and Miss Maselield, were absent, while the Mayor and Mrs Holland walked in the cortege immediately preceding Queen Maude. Tho oval having been encircled, the Queen of tho Carnival seated herself on her throne, which had been placed facing the east pavilion, and the Mayor, in his robes of office, performed tho coronation ceremony. On this occasion there were six standard bearers, two being members of the tramway staff in uniform. One of the tramway men bore the Belgian flag presented. to Queen Maude by Dr Thaekor, while the other carried a Union Jack. The title of Knight Commander of Scenic Reserves was.then conferred up:ou Mr H. G. Ell, M.P., after which ! Mrs Holland was presented to Queen Maude. The Queens were then presented and made their obeisances to (he Queen of the Carnival. Each Queen was heartily applauded. At the conclusion the Queens knelt while Queen Maude and her attendants walked between thorn, after.which all the Queens and their train bearers joined the procession and slowly filed off the ground, the ceremony ending at 3.30 p.m.