A PRE-WAR PAGEANT.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17123, 19 April 1921, Page 8

A PRE-WAR PAGEANT.

—* KING AND QUEEN AT WESTMINSTER. THEIE PBOGRESS TO PARLIAMENT.

(from OUR own correspondent.) LONDON, February 24. , "When the King and Queen came to open Parliament their whole progress from Buckingham Palace tr* "Westminster was made through an avenue of scarlet-coated Guards, and they came in their wondrous State coach, drawn by eight gorgeously trapped black horses, whose stately and deliberate pace gavo the vast crowds plenty of opportunity to take in all the picturesque details of a pleasing and striking pageant. For a space this little quarter of London had returned to its pre-war splendour, and, despite all the criticism of the "scarlet folly" extravagance of Mr "Winston Churchill's last order as War Minister, it was a real delight to see the beautifully turned out scarlet-coated Guards again, even if each tunic, new for the occasion, did cost twelve guineas. As far as the eye could scan in any direction there was the double line of immaculately equipped Foot Guards, the black fur ot whose towering bearskins \yas gently and simultaneously ruffled in ripples by the February breezes. Then, too, there were the mounted escorts from the Household Cavalry, with gleaming amasses and plumed helmets, mounted on chargers of glossy sable. In one procession the Prince of "Wales was the chief personality, leaving York House in an open State coadh, drawn by eight black horses, attended by Sir L. Halsey and Captain the Hon. P. Legli. The Princo —a spare figure—was in the full-dress unifom of the Welsh Guards, and his face was almost hidden beneaih the fringe of his big bearskin. Later, robed in tihe Lords, he looked a splendid figure of a finely developed manHe, of course, had'a great reception along the route.

How the Ambassadors Came. The waiting crowds—they wen twenty deep in the Park —had something to fix their attention ail the time for it is always interesting to watoi notable people on their progress to £ treat Unction. There .vere Ambassa. ors in tlheir State coaches, all newlj renovated, and driven by wonderfully habited coachmen, with footmen splen didly equipped—reminiscent of a p ; c turesque age—standing by twos at th< back. Thus travelled the Ambassador! of Spain (Mons. Merry del Val is nda the doyen of the Diplomatic. Corps ir London), France, Japan, Italy, nnt Portugal. The blue of . the Frencl equipage, the bright yellow of Italy with the armß of Savoy on the panels the deeper gamboge of Spain, and th< green and red of Japan, provided, ai they sped to Westminster, a foretaste oi the glory that was still to come. Oi course, the Ambassadors wero in theft national uniform and gorgeous with decorations. There were two exception' —of men in black. One was the Ameri can Ambassador, who had the simpl< yet austere white shirt-front, the ortno' dox dress for affairs of State. Th< other was the German Ambassador Herr Sthamer, wtho travelled in an in conspicuous motor-car, and who wa! noticeable in the Diplomatic circle latei by reason of the fact that he wore i simple black \madorned evening suit He is an inconspicuous little man witl grey moustache, yet everyone in tin House watched his entry with keen in terest, and 'he listened intently to the Speech from the Throne. The Austrian. Bulgarian, Boumanian, and Siamt*s< Ministers, and the various' Charge! d'Affaires also attended*

Coming of the King and Queen. Their Majesties' suite were accommodated in the five State landaus, each drawn by six prancing bay horses. The coachmen, outriders, and the. "walking men" i were in full State uniform, powdered wigs, gold lace, and all. The King wore a general officer's uniform, and the Queen's ermine i cloak entirely •hid her dress from the view of the public. On her head was a diamond crown. •So deliberate was the progress, that during the ihalf-hour occupied by the journey everyone could take a good look at the wondrous painted Cinderella coach, whose ample panes of glas-i afford an excellent view of those who are inside it. It differed from the others, too, in that it was drawn by eight black-horses —once upon a time cream Hanoverian ponies were used, bin; that waß before tike war. In attendance were three Royal Equerries on horseback. Immediately in the roar came standard-bearers, followed by another escort of red-plumed cavalry—then, again, on foot, marched the yeomen of the Guard in the quaintly picturesque uniform so familiar, if not from history, from the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, and finally more cavalry. Those same Beefeaters had carried out previously, and with extra thoroughness, the timehonoured custom of searching the vaults of the Houses of Parliament, aided by officials from Scotland Yard, for the Sinn Fein campaign called for special precautions.

In this equippage were distinguished Court officials, but all eyes were longing for the fairy coach, with the result that very few people realised that the Duke of .York, in the uniform of the R.A.F., immediately preceded, his parents, accompanied by the Countess of Shaftesbury, Lady-in-Waiting, the Dowager Countess of Airlte, Acting Mistress of the Robes, and the Earl of Chesterfield, Master of tihe Horse. Since such wondrous scenes have been enacted—one has to go back to 1914 for comparison—a new generation has arisen which ''knows not Joseph," and it is easy to imagine the awe and delight of the small children who fcr Uhe firsu time have seen their King and Queen amid all this splendour;,while as for the Guardsmen, the youngsters who were born in a khaki era, and grew up in it, looked them up and down in admiration and astonishment. The , officers, more splendid still with &old epaulettes and drawn swords, were each a centre of wondering inspection. Andi those same little one 3 would have gone into ecstacies of delight if they could nave seen their rolled King and Queen on their Thrones in the Lords, Hio juvenile ideal of iiow kings and queena always should loo£.

As Seen from the Press "Gallery. From eleven o'clock till noon the gilded chamber, the House of Lords, with its scarlet benches, presented a kaleidoscope of ever moving colour, as in rapid succession the privileged peers, peeresses, Church dignitaries, diplomatic representatives, law lords, and distinguished guests flowed in through either doorway on right and left of thu thrones. It was a wonderful sight in a splendid setting, and the scene was ever changing, and ever enlarging. Brilliant colour took possession of the floor, for all the peers were in their scarlet robes, their rank being indicated by so many bands of ermine set upon the right side. They took the back benches, the front benches, and the cross benches. All the middle rows on either side were occupied by ladies, in evening dresses of many hues, with perhaps from spectacular point of view a regrettable preponderance of sombre black. Splendid were the many tiaras, whose diamonds flashed fire under the brilliant cluster lights. But here again, one felt just a little disappointed because there was not universal glitter, for many of the ladies did not wear tiaras at all—some, quite elderly, had lace caps, and far, far too many favoured low-worn bandeaux of jet. Too much black is gloomy, and too many

shoulders were protected by dark fure. Every peeress was not wearing a tiara, and, indeed, asks a querist, "Did not one admit the other day having sacrificed hers to buy a car for her elderly husband?" But those who did wear their diamonds on hair and corsagelooked splendid, and no one could help admiring the easy grace and dignity with which they made their entry and their progress by easy stages to their allotted backless seats. Everything they did was graceful. There "were friendly recognitions en route and little groups of people chatting.

Prom the Gorgeous East Up above, too, looking down animat;dly from the gallery, there wore many well-dressed and striking looking ivomen, some of them being wives ot Ambassadors. One was a JapaneSo, another was Mrs Wellington Koo, wife ai the Chinese Ambassador, beautifully dressed beneath a cloak of white ermine; not far off was an Indian lady in soft flowing robes of cream with cream lace scarf about her head and shoulders. In the 'side gallery, too, sat the Lord Mayor, in black velvet, with lace frills and chain of office, and his breast all sparkling with the civic jewel. . An early arrival was Emir Feisul, a thoughtful-looking man, picturesquely attired in Arab dress, with cream-bro-caded Raffeyeh and black silk Raftan.. .His head-dress fell in long drapery about his shoulders. Ho was accompanied by General Gabriel Haddad, with the red corgets and gold-draped helmet of the lledjaz army, and in a .uniform of khaki. With the Emir, m the Lord Great Chamberlain's box. Lord Burnham had a long talk, and when the latter moved to a seat on tho cross-benches, the Emir had as his neighbour tho High Commissioner of New Zealand, who was in dark uniform. These two appeared soon to bo conversing, and they were most happily placed very near tho Queen's Throne, and quite in the limelight. On an occa'sion of this kind one pair of eyes seems insufficient to keep pace with the ever-changing scene, for new men of note are ever coming and moving about. Among law lords, in goldbanded black gowns, and full-bottomed grey wigs, Lord Reading was noticeable, and he was the subject of much handshaking. He went across to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of London, both in scarlet, the former with massive. white ermine hood, and the latter having a large capo of the white fur. From the Ambassadors, too, Lord Reading received special notice, and he was greeted by friends all around, and with the Emir Feisul, he was engaged in a lengthy talk. The House of Lords by now was well filled. Its dark walls of mellowed oak made a fitting background to the colour scheme, while a soft radiance came from the stained glass windows on which are seen all our 'Kings and Queens, and by now the effect was well pleasing. The Duke of York quietly slipped into a seat beside the aged Duke of Somerset. .

Then a sudden gloom was felt, for the lights were, extinguished; what a moment before had been wondrous colour and sparkle, looked gloomy and dim. All the fire had gone from the ferns, and the black dresses looked still lacker. But it was only a prelude to coming brilliance. In this half-light entered the Prince of Wales, looking a fine broad-shouldered man in his voluminous robe of scarlet and ermine. He was preceded by a chamberlain, and took his seat to the right of the Throne. The rails surrounding the Throne had gone, and over the steps was spread the great Cloth of Estate. Gone too, was the Woolsack, but the two broad red seats in front remained.

The Eoyal Entry. There was only a few -minutes of waiting, and then the wondrous scene began to unfold. The Royal procession was coming, and the iJUO-odd lights went up gradually. First came two Pursuivants, passings the halberds of the Gentlemen-at-Arms-r-Rouge Dragon walking with Portcullis out of the Princes Gallery towards the Throne. Very slowly they led the A procession into the House, llouge Croix following with. Bluemantie,. and then four heralds before the Household, and two Kings of Arms—Norroy and Clarenceux—more gorgeous than the rest, giving way to Garter Principal King of Anns, most gorgeous of all, with whom came Black Rod, better known to a now vanished army as Lieutenant- - General Sir William Pulteney. All were in olden-time attire. They entered in the half gloom. But just as the Great Sword of State appeared the clustered lamps above the silent House began to glow, and a flood of light revealed the King and Queen on the threshold. Slowly, in breathless silence, they passed their son-'and came to the dais, the King leading the Queen by the hand. Their progress was stately and dignified, and their long erminelined robes of royal purple were skilfully borne and a'rranged by the pages. It was a marvellous scene. The Queen simply scintillated with diamonds. On her beautifully-dressed grey hair her Majesty wore the broad all-round Crown of diamonds in a design of fleur-de-lys and Maltese crosses, in largo and fine stones, which becomes her exactly. Her gown was of .gold tissue, elaborately embroidered in brighter gold, and veiled in long panels with gold lace. The bodice, across which was the deep blue ribbon of the Order of the Garter, was of gold tissue, the gold sleeves and berthe being of gold lace. Fire danced from her neck and her" corsage, for the Queen was wearing the Oullinan diamond and the Indian and South African gems which are usually to be seen in the Tower. With great dignity, and standing like a statue, the Queen looked to be -the most observant woman in the Houseshe certainly was the most observed. One had some faint realisation of the fierce light which beats upon a Throne. George V. wore a crown blazing with jewels and precious stones: besides the sapphire wnich Edward the Confessor woie, beside the ruby under whose glow Henry V. fought at Agmcourt, shines with the great jewel of India, the Kohinoor, and one of the stars of the South African diamond, .which was only dug out of the earth yesterday to be the gift of the Dominion to the King of a world-wide Empire. "The many-hued brilliance of that diadem lights -the story of the long achievement of the British people," remarks a writer. The King, with his Queen at his side, waited with hands clasped lightly beneath his mantle as he gazed gravely at the assembled peers. He was between the uplifted Sword of State (carried by the Earl of Crawford) and the Can of Maintenance (borne by the Marquess of Londonderry), his robes trailing across the dais to the feet of his eldest son, who •stood a steo below the throne. Around him were gathered his Court and the great officers of the kingdom. "My Lords, pray be seated," said the King, and the command was obey-

ed. A few minutes of silence elapsed, tho while Black Rod summoned tha faithful Commons, whoso arrival sewn* ed to bo unduly protracted—it probably was only a pause of two minutes, but it scorned much longer. They camo headed by the Speaker and other officers of tho House. The Prima Minister and Sir Donald Maclean paired in the procession: so, too, did Mr Bonar Law and Mr Clynes, and accompanying them were the new Secretary for War, tho Homo Secretary, other Cabinet Ministers, and as many more as could squeeze into tho narrow space allotted to tho Lower House. While waiting, the King gated thoughtfully round at tho close-pnrked j benches. The King's beard is looking ft crey now, but ho seems fit. Ho read H his speech in a loud and clear voico, m and with emphatic deliberation. Ho 8 could be heard distinctly to the utteiw ■ most corner of the Cluunber, and pos» 8 sibly beyond the bar. 3 In ten minutes the duty was oymv m The King bowed thrice to the Housai 8 received three bows and throe ur ™"J If from his hearers. The King nuM gg the document to the Lord Chttncoltei g who received it on bended knee. Ton B taking tho Queen by her hand, Ml | Majesty bowed to tho Assembly «M jS passed out in an imposing process*, ■ The fascinating sceno was over all too ■ quickly, and the Chamber gradual} I emptied. An interested spectator it § the Distinguished Strangers' GaUert | was Sir Joseph Ward, who was with, | Senator McMillan, of Canada. It q g rather remarkable that for .tho fins I time on such occasions no Privy Omuv | cillors were 6oated at tho foot of tag 1 Throne. Tho present unrest in Ireland | and this omission may possibly DM* | some relationship to each other. In* J deed, Sir Joseph Ward was tho ooW 1 Privy Councillor who, as such, was in* J vited to bo present. I Outside, the horses wore goronfl 1 restive, and the children wets asking 1 how soon the lovely coach was coming | back. Enthusiasm on the return Jour* ney was as tense as it had been less than an hour before. Never, wo are told, was Paniamen} better guarded. , Every ncok and corner of the Palace of Westminster , was searched thoroughly before tho ; doors were opened. Armed detectrwi ;, and special police—both obvious and J camouflaged—kept a keen eyo on every , ticket and its holder. They even look, v, ed down unobtrusively on the crowdod House of Lords itself. Whilo all the** -f scenes of splendour were being enacted, .' police in uniform and plain clotßef 1 guarded every point; crack shots Witt f revolvers luTkeji in all tho corners of i the two Houses. *