Coronation Day.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue XXV, 21 June 1902, Page 1251

Coronation Day.

IMPRESSIVE CEREMONIES AT WESTMINSTER. Londoners and those who have, been fortunate enough to be able to visit London, either from the country or abroad, have of recent year* seen some brilliant pageants. The splendour of the Diamond Jubilee procession in 1897 through London streets to the service of thanksgiving at sombre St. Paul’s has never been surpassed in Britain. Graced by a pleasant day, joyous light-hearted crowds, and gaily decorated streets it formed a striking contrast to that other procession, which last year solemnly passed out of Victoria Station and through the deeply moved multitude made its sorrowful way to Paddington, en route for Frogmore. The bleak day, chilling the waiting crowds to the bone, the bare

trees of Hyde Park, stripped of their last vestige of foliage by the inhospitable winter winds, were as appropriate to the feelings of a griefstricken people as the bright surroundings of Diamond Jubilee day. to an occasion when all were lighthearted and rejoicing. Each ceremony in its way was magnificent. But fine as these great functions were when viewed exclusively from the spectacular point of view, they will not compare with the gorgeous Ori entalisni of the procession through London’s streets when His Majesty King Edward is crowned, altogether apart from the mediaeval forms and ritualistic impressiveness of the actual ceremony in Westminster Abbey which only a favoured four thousand will have the opportunity of witnessing In spite, however, of the most care-

ful preparations the majority of those present in the Abbey on the great day will be little better off as regards sight-seeing than the crowd outside. The structure of the building is such that only the persons immediately connected with Royalty, and certain peers and peeresses, will witness the actual ceremony of KingEdward’s crowning. The Coronation procession on June 26 will proceed to the Abbey by the

shortest possible way -namely, from Buckingham Palace. through the Mall, the Horse Guards, and Whitehall. directly to the ancient fane. The return after the ceremony will be by the longer route of Whitehall. ('«>ck-spur-street. Pall Mall. St. James'street, Piccadilly, and Constitution Hill. If the time of starting is that adopted at the Coronation of Queen Victoria, their Majesties will leave Buckingham Palace at 10 a.in., ami by the short route should reach the Abbey in about half an hour. The return journey by the longer route, according to the time taken in the late Queen’s day, will occupy an hour

ami a-half. When the Coronation service will t>e over is uncertain, but the King is understood to be desirous of shortening the ceremony as much as possible, and the sermon to be preached by the Archbishop will be very brief. At the last Coronation the Queen reached the Abbey by the Piccadilly route at 11.30 a.m. Robing occupied half an hour, and the Coronation ceremony commenced at 12 o’clock, and finished at 4 p.m. The composition of the procession. which w*ill make a royal progress through London, will not vary so much from that of Diamond Jubilee year, but in many respects it will be more comprehensive. Much has happened since 1897 to bring into closer bonds of fellowship the Homeland and the scattered units of Empire, and the colonial section of the procession

will be regarded with an added interest and warmth by the hundreds of thousands densely thronging tin* route. The gatherng of European princes and representatives of foreign Powers will. too. be more comprehensive. All branches of {he army, from l>oih at Home and abroad, men for the most part who have fought the Empire’s cause oi» veldt and kopje in South Africa, will participate, while the blue of the navy and the turbaned and bright costumed Indian trooper, will brighten the scene. But. after all, it is not so much the procession -itself that will constitute the attractiveness of the pageant. It is on the huzzaing crowds that success mainly depends. A procession without a crowd would indeed be an egg without its con tents. And on this occasion will be congregated in London an indescribable conglomeration of the peoples of the world. The colonies are much more adequately represented than has ever been tin* ease previously. A demonstration such as

even London streets have never witnessed may be anticipated. There is the popularity of the King, the fact that from setting foot on Britain's shores Queen Alexandra has occupied a warm place in the nation's affections, and possibly almost as potent a factor, the passage of the men who have upheld the honour of the Empire on the South African battlefield. The demonstration on the day that King- Edward journeys to Westminster to be crowned with his consort will be a day indelibly stamped on the memories of all fortunate enough to witness it. No absolutely definite programme of the proceedings is available at the time of writing. Such an interval has elapsed since the last Coronation that to sift out and bring the arrangements to definite shape has been a very difficult task indeed. But we have sufficient to go on to ootain a very good idea of the order of procedure inside Westminster Ab bey. I he King and Queen Consort will arrive at the western door ot the Abbey, as already stated, about 10.30 on the morning of the Coronation, June 26. 1 here he will be received by the < treat Officers of State, the noblemen bearing the Regalia, the Bishop carrying the Patina (or broad, shallowdish). the Chalice and the Bible. There will follow a half hour's delav while the King and Her Majesty. Queen Alexandra, repair to their robing chambers, where they will don Royal lobes of crimson velvet, furred with ermine. Close upon noon the organ will peal out the first notes of the anthem "I Was Glad,*’ and the same moment the grand procession will enter the choir, headed by the Prebendaries and Dean of Westminster. who, as a little boy, walked up from Clapham Common and stood in the crowd to watch the Coronation procession of Queen Victoria. After the Abbey clergy will come The officers of both Royal Households, the Archbishop of York. the Lord Chancellor, and the Archbishop of < anterbury. The clergy engaged, including. besides the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Winchester (Chancellor of the Order of the Garter), and the other Bishops of the Established < hureh. the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, are Vested not in the plain black and white commonly associated with their offices, but in gorgeous copes or cloaks. The great officers of State wear tinder the robes of their respective offices habiliments belonging to the days of the first Tudor King — the end of the fifteenth century. The

Earl Marshal's official staff, otherwise known as the College of Arms, comprising the Garter King, the Heralds and Pursuivants, wear gorgeous tabards emblazoned with the arms of Great Britain and Ireland.

In the Abbey procession the Archbishop of Canterbury immediately precedes the Queen Consort's Regalia and Queen Alexandra herself, who is followed by the Princesses of the Blood Royal; and apart from the Monarch and Her Majesty the Archbishop will have by far the most important part in the day’s function. Upon the Princesses follows the King Regnant’s minor Regalia—St. Edward's Staff, the Golden Spurs, the Sceptre with the ( ross, the Third and Second Swords and Curtana. The Princes of the Blood Royal will follow the Regalia and in their train will come the Earl Marshal of England (the Duke of Norfolk). Lord Salisbury, bearing the Sword of State, the Lord High Constable of England, the Sceptre with the Dove: St. Edward’s Crown, borne by the Lord High-Steward; the Orb, the Patina, the Bible, and the Chalice, this latter ornament being borne by the Bishop of London. Then will come the King, attended by the Bishops of Bath and Durham, and supported on each side by ten gentle-men-at-arms with their standard bearer and lieutenant.

The King will move towards two chairs placed midway between the chair of homage and the altar, and standing on a carpeted space, which is called ’"Hie Theatre.” After he is seated Her Majesty, the Queen Consort, will take her seat in the second

(and lower J chair on his left hand, and the actual ceremony will begin. The service, rich, intricate, and expressive, is not sanctioned by anv Act of Parliament, and is purely a creation of the Church, which thus, by immemorial tradition, consecrates the State in the person of the Sovereign. On the entrance of the King the anthem “I was glad when they said unto me. We will go into the House of the Lord” is sung. The recognition of the Sovereign follows. He is presented to the people by the Archbishop, who calls on them to recognise him as lawful King, although not crowned. The actual words used are as follows: Sirs, I here present unto you King Edward, the Undoubted King of this Realm: Wherefore all you who are eome this dav to do your Homage, Are you willing to do the same? The question is first pi>t facing the east, and is repeated facing the south-west and north, the Sovereign standing all the while and turning with the Archbishop as he severally asks the question. At every repetition there will be an answering volley of cheering from those present, and with the last round of acclamation the trumpets will sound and the drums beat. The Bible. Paten and Chalice are brought by the Bishops, who had borne them, and placed upon the altar. The King and Queen go to their chairs, set for them on the south side of the altar, where they are to kneel at their Faldstools when the Litany begins. The Archbishop of Canterbury takes the Regalia from the great nobles gather-

vd round the King, and these, save Ihe Lord Chamberlain, will then retire to their respective places, leaving His Majesty alone. The Litany will now be sung by two Bishops, and the sermon preached. Once more the solemnities of the Coronation proper will re-commence. At the conclusion of the sermon “the Oath" will be administered to the King by the Archbishop of Canterbury. This Coronation oath has grown, very much like the British Constitution, from the oath taken by William the Conqueror, the main point of which was the undertaking to maintain the laws of Edward the Confessor. It begins with the promise “to govern the people of this United Kingdom of Great Britain and, Ireland, and the Dominions thereunto belonging, according to the statutes in Parliament agreed on and the respective laws and customs of the same.” and the latest addition to its capitulations is that for which William and Mary came to the throne, to maintain “the true profession of the Gospel and the Protestant reformed religion as it is established by law.” The Sovereign then approaches the altar, and, laying his hand upon the Gospels, takes the l following oath: — “The things which I have herebefore promised I will perform and keep, so help me God.’’ He then kisses the Book, and signs the oath. "The Anointing” will be the next part of the ceremony. After the King has knelt in private prayer, while the choir sings “Veni. creator spiritus.” His Majesty will take hit seat in King Edward’s chair, four Knights of the Garter holding a rich cloth of gold over his head. The Dean of Westminster will take the ampulla, or Golden Eagle, in which the holy oil for anointing the King is preserved, and will pour a little of the oil into a spoon. The Archbishop then anoints the Sovereign in the form of a cross: 1. On the crown of the Head, saying. “Be thy Head anointed with Holy Oil, as Kings, priests and prophets were anointed.” 2. On the Breast, saying. “Be thy Breast anointed with Holy Oil.” 3. On the Palms of both hands, saying. “Be thou anointed with Holy Oil, as Kings. priests, and prophets w’ere anointed. And as Solomon was anointed King by Zadok the priest.

and Nathan the prophet, so be you anointed, blessed and consecrated King over this people, whom the Lord your God hath given you to rule and govern, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holj- Ghost. Amen.”

The Spurs are then presented to the King by the Lord Chamberlain, and the Sword of State by Lord Salisbury, who, however, according to custom, redeems “it with a hundred shillings,” and carries it during the rest of the ceremony. Then follows the investing with the “Royal Robe and the delivery of the Orb," and the “Investiture per annulum et baeulum”—Ring and Sceptre. The actual Coronation follows. The Archbishop of Canterbury first offers a prayer to God to bless His Majesty. "and crown him with all princely virtues.” The Dean of Westminster takes the Crown from the altar, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, accompanied by the other prelates, advances towards the King, and the Archbishop taking the Crown from the Dean, reverently places it on the King’s head. This will be the signal for a loud and enthusiastic cry of “God save the King!” from every part of the sacred building. the trumpets sound, and by a signal the guns at the Tower are fired. At that moment, too, the Peers will put on their coronets, the Bishops thencaps, and the Kings-at-Arms their crowns. The presentation of the Holy Bible follows. The Benediction will then be delivered by the Archbishop, and the Te Deum sung by the choir. At the commencement of the Te Deum the King will return to the chair which he first occupied, and on its conclusion is “lifted” into the chair of homage by Archbishops. Bishops, and Peers surrounding His Majesty, who will then at once receive the tender of fealty from the Archbishop and Bishops and the homage and fealty from such Princes of the Blood as are also Peers, and from the premier Peer of each rank for the Peer of the same order, each in succession taking off his coronet, ascending his throne, kissing, or seeming to kiss, the Sovereign on the left cheek, and touching the crown to signify that he is one ot its supporters. While homage is being performed the Coronation medals are thrown among the people from the three sides of the

theatre by the Treasurer of the Household, attended by Garter King-at-Arms. and the t’sher of the Black Rod.

After the homage an anthem will be sung by the choir. and then Queen Alexandra will rise from her chair, and. support rd by two Bishops. will advance to the altar attended by her ladies. After a prayer, the Queen kneeling at the altar. Her Majesty goes to kneel upon a faldstool near St. Edward’s chair. Her coronet is taken off by the groom of the stole. The Archbishop of York then anoints her head and breast, saying: — “In the name of the Father, the Son. and the Holy Ghost, let the anointing of this oil increase t’ ine honour and establish thee for ever and ever.” The oil being dried with rotton wool, and a linen coif placed upon the Queen’s head, the Archbishop proceeds to invest her with the ring, which he receives from the master of the jewel-house: and after that he places the Queen Consort’s crown reverently upon Queen Alexandra’s head, a crowning which is the signal for all the peeresses in the Abbey to put on their coronets. The Queen, now holding sceptre and rod. will then be led back to her chair by two Bishops, and will make humble reverence to the King as she passes the throne. She takes her seat on a lower throne at the left hand of the King, where she will remain while an anthem is sung by the choir. Then once agan the King and Queen will proceed to the altar. and. giving their crowns to the Lord Chamberlain to hold, will kne.’l down. The Gospel and Epistle of the Communion Service having been read by two Bishops, the King makes his offering of the Chalice and Patina, and an ingot of gold, which are laid on the altar. The Queen also at the same time maketh her oblation of a pall or altar cloth and a mark weight of gold in like manner as the King. The Exhortation and General Confession. Absolution. Prayer of Humble Access, and Prayer of Consecration follow, and then the King and Queen receive the Sacrament. Afterwards they put on their crowns and with their Sceptres in their hands. take their seats again upon the thrones. The Archbishop proceeds with the Communion Service, and pronounces the

final blessing, and the choir sing* the anthem “Hallelujah! for the l>»rd God Omnipotent Reignvth.** There are eight communicants the Sovereign, the Archbishop, and tnr Dean of Westminster, the Epistoller. the (iospeller, the preacher, and the two Bishops who sing the Litany. Both King and Queen Consort then leave their thrones. and. attended by Bishops and noblemen bearing the Regalia and swords of State, pass into King Edward's Chapel. the organ playing. The swords and Regalia will be delivered up to gentlemen attending to receive them from the jewel-office. And the King, wearing his crown, the Sceptre wfth the Cross being in the right, and Orb in the left hand, will move amid the n-formed procession down to the west door of the Abbey, accompanied by his Queen Consort. Thus, so far as the actual solemnity is concerneo. will cm I The Great Day. The above brief sketch of the ancient and striking service will convey some idea of the grandeur of the ritual performed in the historic Abbey of Westminster, crowded bv the highest ami most illustrious of the King’s subjects, and by Sovereigns and their representatives from evers land. An elaborate system of signalling has been arranged by which the departure of the King and Queen from Buckingham Palace will be announced to the clergy at the Abbey and to the gunners in Hyde Park and the Tower, who will fire salvoes of welr nne. Special wires will connect the Abbey with Buckingham Palace, the police station at Hyde Park, and the 'Tower, and the moment the crown has been placed on the King's head the guns will proclaim the joyful news, and the crowd in the streets hail the event with enthusiastic cheers. The wires will be carried across the trees of St. James’ and Hyde Parks, and to make doubly sure signallers on the roof of Buckingham Palace. Apsley House. Queen Anne's Mansions, the Abbey, the Shot Tower, the Tower of London, and the Tower Wharf, will send hand messages by 3ft square flags of the auspicious events. Lambeth Palace and Fulham Palace may also be joined up to the Abbey for the convenience of the Archbishop and the Bishop of London. 'The military authorities also propose to link up the camps, which will be established for the colonial and Indian detachments. Also no delay will occur in sending the joyful

news to the remotest corners of the Empire. THE PROCESSION ON JI’NE 27. The progress of the King and Queen through London the day after the Coronation will follow the route of the Jubilee procession of Bfi>7. This is from Buckingham Palace by Constitution Hill. Piccadilly. St. Jamesstreet. Pail Mall, the north side of Trafalgar Square, the Strand. Fleetstreet. Ludgate Hill, south side of St. Paul's. C heapside. Mansion House. King William-street. London Bridge. Borough Highstreet. Borough-road. St. eCiorge's (. irciis. Westminster Bridge-road. Westminster Bridge. Parliament-street, throng'll the Horse Guards* Arch at Whitehall, and by the Mall to Buckingham Palace again. The length of the journey is about 14 miles, and at. the time of the Jubilee procession, with the short stops at the Griffin for the Lord Mayor s reception, and at St. Paul s Cathedral for the "Te Deum." Benediction, and National Anthem, it occupied just on four hours. Buckingham Palace, as the point of departure and final stage of each procession, will naturally be a great rallying ground for spectators.

THE COSTUMES. The magnificence of the Coronation will depend as much on the superb dressing as upon the lavish staging and impressive ceremonies. Several different kinds of vestments and robes will be worn by His Majesty, for a King of England is admitted into a sacred us well as a civil character, and the investiture of the clerical garments denotes the two relations in which His Majesty stands to his people. First in importance is the Imperial or Dalmatic robe. It is a three-corn-ered mantle., fashioned like a cope. One side is about three and a half yards in length, to cover the shoulders and hang down in front; the other sides slope into a train reaching about a foot upon the ground. The Dalmatica was anciently worn bv persons of the highest rank: it also signifies a part of the attire of an Archbishop, and is shaped like a Y and decorated with small crosses. At one period the Dalmatica was r. piece of rich embroidery decorated with golden eagles. In the Civil W at it was carried away with the rest of the regalia, except the ampulla and spoon (which will be used at the Coronation); consequently a rich cloth of gold is used instead. The out side is shot with gold and embr< idered with gold and silver flowers edged about with purple or deep mazarine blue. The lining is of crimson taffeta, and the fastening is a broad gold clasp. Then there is the Supertunica, a surcoat with plain sleeves of cloth of gold tissue, ornamented with golden flowers, brocaded and frosted. l'he Armilla or Stole is placed about the King by the Archbishop, who pronounces the exhortation: ’’Keceive this Armilla as a token of the Divine mercy embracing you on every >ide.” This ecclesiastical vestment is mads of the same material as the Supertunica, and is lined with crimson Florence saracent. I'he Colobium Sindonis. or surplice. is the last garment to be put upon the King after the anointing. It is made of very tine whit- cambric. A good deal of trouble and delay was caused by the Queen’s fancies in regard to the colour of her Coronation roljes and the set of her crown. Thirty crowns of the Gothic patternprescribed by the King were submitted to her. but she left for Denmark without having picked one out. Being a Consort. Queen Alexandra will not wear any regal robes in the technical sense of the term. That is to say. though her gown will be of Koyal purple there will be nt badge on it. I’nderneath the robe she will wear a white silk dress embroidered with white lace, while the Garter ribbon will lx* conspicuous. The Queen does not consider the colour of her robe the most becoming that could have been chosen for her. Her own wish was for white or red. But purple is the prescribed colour, and <»nl\ one shade of that is permissible.

despite the wide range of tints which the colour offers. For instance, there is the Tyr’an dye. which is as rosy in effect as the “purple” of a cardinal. as the “red” is often called. Hei; Majesty, however, is not to be allow* ed this laxity, for the purple in which she is to appear will be of a decidedly violet tint. White Coronation robes, which the Queen is known to prefer, have been worn on three notable occasions, and. curiously enough, each Royal wearer has come to a violent end. Richard 11. was crowned in white satin, while rhe unfortunate Henry VI. also wore a white Coronation robe. When Charles I. came to be crowned, and his intention to wear a white Coronation robe became known, the Eari of Pembroke strove strongly to dissuade him from his purpose, but to no effect. Queen Alexandra, besides having the Order of the Barter, is Grand Mistress of the Order of the Crown of India, and also of the Order of Victoria and Albert. The gowns the Princesses of the blood are to wear have just been decided on. They will be deep violet and of the best Lyons velvet, very soft ami flexible. The mantle will be the old fashioned manteau de cour (Court mantle), bordered with two rows of gold lace an inch and a halt wide., with a third narrower row. and having a picturesque hood lined w th miniver and a train three yards !on«j. The maids of honour are to wear picturesque cloth-of-silver gowns. They will form a glittering background for the Royal purple robes of the Princesses. The Princess of Wales* mantle is of the richest royal purple velvet, the pile of which is composed of many thousand thrown threads called organzine. each one composed of ten threads of the finest filiature. In every yard of this fabric tnese threads pass 2200 times over grooved wires, and on each occasion are cut to produce the pile. The ground-work, forming the base of the pile, consists of many thousands of silk threads, through which in the course of a yard the shuttle passes no less than 6600 times. The most skilled workman can make four yards of velvet in a week. The colouring. which is also of English dyeing. is of a full and beautiful tone, which assumes all lovely effects of lights and shade. Her jupe will be of a beautiful white and silver brocade. an adaptation of an old English one. The robes of the peeresses will be more elegant and less weighty than those originally designed, and heirlooms in the form of deep lace rattles may soften the arms at the end of the short sleeves, and jewels may be displayed in all the splendour of their scintillation. The miniature model exhibited at Norfolk House showed a mantle with cape and train, bodice, and kirtle of red velvet, edged with ermine, and a jupe of white fabric, all with simple and graceful lines, the scalloped edges and more complicated features at first suggested having been abolished. The bodice is simple and gently rounded so as to show the figure, and the V-shaped opening of the corsage can be filled in with lace- affording a good setting for rivieres of diamonds. A narrow line of ermine runs round the decolletage. and is carried round the shoulders. The sleeves consist of narrow bands of red velvet (encrusted with jewelled embroidery), coming only about a couple of inches below the shoulders. From the sleeves fall dainty frills of white lace. The mantle of ermine powdered according to the wearer’s rank, ami the train are suspended from rhe shoulders by a pair of jewelled clasps. The kirtle is cut away sharply at the sides, finishing at the foot in an effective sweeping curve. Scope is given for originality in the sprays of gold or silver embroidery which, beginning about the knee on either side of the kirtle. are carried down to end in a heraldic symbol or other elaborate device. These embroideries gave work to the Royal School of Art Needlework and many willing English fingers. The jupe is like that of a court dress, and formed of a deep flounce of creamy tinted lace falling from the waist to the feet over shimmering gold tissue. Towards the bottom is worked a design in gold and silver bullion thread with glittering paillettes. On the first

iiKMlel the coiffure showed the hair somewhat fully puffed on either side, while a firm elose coil is massed at the top of the head. The tiara is placed very far forward towards the brow, and there is then space for the coronet to rest over the twist of hair. The tiara on the model was very high in front, diminishing on the sides, and in general lines this would have to be the form of this ornament. Those ladies, therefore, w-hose tiara is a cirelet have found it necessary to have it rearranged. The tulle lappets or veil will be worn as before. The tiara is placed in front of the coronet. The doronets, of course, are only put on when the Queen has been crowned by the Archbishop of York, and this delicate operation probably needed considerable rehearsal in order that it might be effected with neatness and despatch. It was suggested that peeresses should have mirrors on their fans so that they might see that their back hair was all right when the coronet had been placed in position. These Coronation costumes are costly, as the robemakers have celebrated an unique occasion by charging record prices. One furrier, recommended as being very reasonable, charged for the miniver cape and ermine borders, that is for only the fur on the robe.