THE CORONATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1122, 9 May 1911, Page 6

THE CORONATION.

y .... ■~,, j' ROYAL FESTIVITIES; !v PROCESSIONS AND OTHER j FUNCTIONS. [ : ;'■ A SPLENDID PROGRAMME). The decision that tho King, and Queen 1 will drive to • the Crystal Palace upon ' June 30 to watch how their 100,000 child j guests, ■ selected from the 'elementary '• bchools of Loudon, are enjoying the Coronation fcto means tho addition of Mother.' important event to tho .list, of memorable functions of this Coronation j summer. Five times their Majesties will make ; progress through the streets-of London. K On-May 12. they drive to the Crystal-Pal-.aco: to attend the .Imperial concert ar- ! Tanged in connection with the opening I of the Festival of Empire. On June 22 ; there is the historic Coronation procesEion from Buckingham ralaee to West- ' miiister Abbey; on Iho day following tho Royal progress through London; on June . 29 the Royal visit to the Guildhall and i the return through North London; and on-rJune 30 the second drive to Sydenham.

The summer will be one of great happenings, ..upon such a scab as London i has never before witnessed. The two '. theatrical gala performances—the first j at Drury Lane on May 17, ih honour of r the visit of the Kaiser for-the unveiling ; pi' the Queen Victoria memorial, which [ is ,to take place on May ,16, and the ; second at His Majesty's Theatre during j the'-time of Coronation festivity on- June ' 27—will excel in brilliance any command j performances »3ver before given, while the gala- night at the Opera on June 26 will draw together a greater audience, of;' disi. tingiiished peoplo than the famous house i in Covent Garden has ever before held. ■■'-' Two, Great' Exhibitions. . j Apart from .the -'Royal, festivities there are:tobe -twoygreat exhibitions, the F-e's- : tival of.. Empire,, with tiny Pageant of ! London, ai.'tho 'Crystal Palac-?, and the ' Coronation Exhibition at 'Shepherd's. j. Bifsh;. The Royal Naval and Military , .Tournament, opening at Olynipia on May'- \ 18. is.designed to be more comprehensive .and. interesting than in previous -years. ; iand .£IOOO will be spent upon decorating • Olynipia for the tournament. Some idea ' of-the scale upon which the .International ■ Horse Show is to bo held this vear mav bo' obtained from the fact that „£lo,oo'o j Ssj-.to be expanded in preparing Olympia i for the horse show from June 12 to Juno !..- 'London will witness, .also, this summer J the greatest contests in airmanship. Tho I competitors, for' the "Daily Mail" ,£IO,OOO i prize for a flight' round Great Britain I will .pass over the ;western suburbs. Dur- ;,- jng the Coronation month, tho European i airmanship circuit will be in pros-fess. [ In this competition the airmen will fly j From Paris to Berlin, then to Brussels, j to London, and back to Paris. I' .'■,.' ~ The Order of Service. i Tho full "Form and Order" of the i Coronation . Servico has been is- - |ued by command of the King. It embraces all the time-honour- ; ed-and impressive rites, and with itsminuto directions, in language which' is at times almost archaic, it is exceed- > ingly impressive. The servico differs in ' a few-details from that used at the Coronation of Edward VIL Among' the interesting ■ points to be noted is one' in connection with the oblation of the sword at the altar:—"The Peer," says ths Form and Order, "who first received ' tho sword shall offer the prico of it,. ; namely, 100s„ and having thus redeemed u. shall' receive it from the Dean of Westminster from oft tho altar, and draw it out of the scabbard and carry it naked before his Majesty during the' rest of the solemnity." When' the crown : hasjliecn placed, on l the King's head, "the people,- with loud and repeated shout, . shall cry: God save tho Kim?; the Peers ' and the Kings of Arms shall put on y their coronets; and the- trumpets shall i sound, and by a signal piven. the great i guns at tho Tower shall be shot of?."

■•■ In Days of Old. i Some interesting details in connection I <rith coronations at Westminster Abbey 1 aro given in a lecture by Professor Lethaby, who is Surveyor of the Fabric of .the Abbey. The professor stated that, ; after he had founded -the Abbey, Ed- ;■ ward the Confessor gave his regalia- into i the keeping of the Abbey authorities as ' a sign of his intention that the Abbey ; was to be the Coronation Church, arid ; it was the custom to lend the crown, : sceptres, vestments, and other propertv ; for the day on the occasion of a Corona- : tion, and to insist on them being returned early. Henry 111, who rebuilt, the i V?. 1 ? f f^ s carried out to the ; lull.the idea that it should be the sepul- : chral ■church of the lioyal lino and tho church of the Coronation. At the 1111- | obstructed middle point of tho church a ; stage was set up for the crowning of the ; lung, the triforium was served bv large ;. staircases, and every effort was made to pack the building with as many people as possible. At the Coronation of Ed- ; - wa ™.-II the pressure was so great that , n knight was crushed to death in the ; church. In those days the professor con--1 tinned, the stonework was covered with painting and gilding and gorgeous tapesK?"' '* Cr , y S a , rt <! f the Pavement would ■ be covered with cloth of gold. Telegrams from the Abbey, AIL the six thousand odd seats in West"s hr the Coronation on June -i will bo numbered, and the position of ckets of invitation. Admission will take lace from 7 a.m to 9.30 a.m.; after that hour the .doors will bo closed. Full unil 0J D \r°^ Cmrt l k T lm,st bo ,ror » ex«>Pt „J t.l s ?"•'' tll9 fi f'y-eight members or the Dominion Parliaments. Probably do one will leave before 3.30 p.m . In order that the historic'happenings : ?, ,thm . th ? ;\ bbe y «"iy become knoi°n throughout the Empire without delay, special telegraphic arrangements will be ; made. The descriptive messages of the 1 ress correspondents will be sent straight from the rear of the newspaper gallery high in the triforium by pneumatic tube to a temporary post office outside the Abbey precincts. Thence they will be dispatched probably to tho House of Commons telegraph room, wliero a large staff'of tho most skilled operators will be engaged. Some hundreds of thousands of words will be transmitted direct to every town in the kingdom and to tho capitals of the world.

The King's Robes. The Kin.? will wear at his Coronation the magnificent robo of crimson velvet md cloth of gold which was worn by George IV. when ho was crowned in Westminster Abbey in August 1821. This robe has been presented to the King by Lord Ancaster, whoso groat-grandfather (then Lord Gwydyr) officiated at tho Coronation qf George TV as Lord Great Chamberlain, and tho robe became his perjuisite. • ■ , • : 'The Illuminations, Gold, with whito relief, has been chosen For the main colour scheme of tho Coronation decorations at the Bank of England. The architectural features of the bank will be outlined with electric lights. In the centre, facing Threadnecdlo ■ Street, there will bo' three decorative devices—each about fourteen feet deep— surmounted by a representation of tho Imperial crown. Ten large electric flambeaux will be placed at the main cornico of the building, and from these festoons of electric bulbs will radiate. ?our miles of cablo will be used, and six now'mains trill be specially laid to carry th© cur- ; rent. The King and Music Halls. '; The music-hall command performance 1 fit which tho King and Queen nro to be present during their visit to Edinburgh next. July has created extraordinary interest among tho managers and artistes of tho variety theatres. The Empire The- ■ atre, Edinburgh, at which the command \ performance is to be given, has a hold- ' ing capacity for about 3000 persons, and as there is also good stage room, tho fiicili- \ ties for such an event arp excellent. The ; artistes who will appear will be the best ! and most representative of the British va- \ riety profession. According to the present

views of managers, it is unlikely that sketches, will form any part of the programme. -. '.;""" Canadian Contingents. Montreal.'will be represented in tlia -Canadian contingent for the Coronation by 22 men in a total of 700. Each branch of tho service in the city will be included. There has been keen rivalry for places, and the commanding officers have had a. difficult task in making selection out of tho largo number of applicants. So far as yet arranged, Canada's representation will present the same appearance as at the last Coronation, each soldier 'wearing the' uniform''-of liis corps. About a 100 different; uniforms will be worn by tho 700. moil. The battalion will be mobilised at Point Levis, Quebec, in the last week of May, and ten days of hard drill will ensue before embarking for England. 1,000,000 Visitors. London will be the most densely packed city in tho world next June for tho Coronation. It : hasl-hcen Conservatively estimated that nearly .1,00,0,000 visitors, a number cental to the population of a great city—will bo added to tho population of the metropolis during Coronation week. Tho influx, according to official and other approximate figures, will be composed as follows:— Visitors from Provinces and Con- . tinent 800,000 Visitors from United States 100,000 Visitors from Canada 10,000 Visitors from Australia ;. 10,000 Visitors from other oversea States 5,000 Total 025,000 The Coronation of King George, it is estimated, will cost i:185,000, as compared with .£121,750 expended over that of King Edward. • The City Corporation voted for the Coronation festivities, which will include an entertainment to the King and Queen at the Guildhall on Thursday, June 20. Coronation Review. ; There will, be such a fleet of Dreadnoughts at the Coronation review ■at Spithcad. on' Saturday, June 24, as has 'never before been seen. Over 500 warships will stretch across the water from C'owcs -ty> Spitheatl. The Navy airship from Barrow will be present, and there are likely to. be several 'aeroplanes. Germany, Russia, France,the ■'United States, and Japan will send squadrons under princes or great admirals. ■ '

In..the Homo Fleet the line, will be headed by the new battleship Neptune, flying the flag of.Sir Francis l3ridgeman; the other Dreadnoughts in the fleet will be the Belleroplioh, Collingwcod, St. Vincent, SupeTb, Tenicraire, Vanguard, Hercules, aild Colossus. Tho overhauled original Dreadnought will be present as an; individual unit. The first cruiser squadron will include the Dreadnoughts Indefatigable, Indomitable, Invincible, Inflexible, and possibly also tho Lion, now completing at Devonpbrt. The Atlantic, Fleet :.will, be represented by. the Formidable, Implacable, London, Prince of Wales, Queen, awl Venerable; and tho Mediterranean Fleet by the Cornirallis, Duncan, Exmouth, Russell, and Triumph. Tho attendant cruiser squadron of tach fleet will be in the lines, and five destroyer flotillas and torpedo-boats. The King and Queen will arrive at Portsmouth on Saturday morning, and will at once go on board the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert, accompanied by tiio Royal yachts Alexandra and Alberta. Special and escorting vessels will form a Royal procession afloat to Spithead. The King and Queen will pass up and down tho lines .greeted with salutes from all the ships and tho shore batteries. They will remain in Cowes Road till Monday morning. The illumination on Saturday evening will bo a magnificent spectacle.

100,000 at the Durbar.In the Legislative Council held at' Calcutta Lord Hardinge, the Viceroy, sairf it was the King's desire to see as much as possible of his subjects in India. His Majesty would arrive in Bombay on December 2, and would mako his State entry into Delhi on tho 7th. Owing to the lack'of spaco'ht the- 1 -arrival point, the King would be received by the representatives of British India on the Bidge. Mans were'.being' prepared '"to/ enable 100,000 persons to' see 'the crowning ceremony on December 12. Tho other functions that were being arranged included a reception of Indian officers, a- grand review and a popular fete for the people giving all a chance of seeing his Majesty, who, it was hoped, would arrive in Calcutta on December 30. A million sterling is the-amount the Government of India is to spend on the Coronation Durbar, but" large sums will be spent in addition by tho Indian princes and native chiefs, and the total, was estimated this week by an India Office official at probably three millions. The King's Weight in Gold. There is a strong feeling. among the Indian community that tho Hindu ceremony of tulat—of weighing tho King against masses of silver and gold, which will afterwards bo distributed to the poor —should bo. performed when his Majesty is .-in.Calcutta;, '-...', n.-.;_,; j. . It is estimated that the cost of the ceremony, including the -weight of gold and tho necessary entertaining, would not be more than ,£20,000, which could easily be raised- . . Other Events. Other events of the season are :— Mnv 22.—Imperial opens. May 24.—Empire Day.,-, rr May 27.—Celebration-' of: :the King's birlhdav. May 31.—Derby, Day. June 13 to 16.—-Ascot. June .17.—Arrival and reception of foreign representatives attending the Coronation. June 21.—Eoyal review of the Fleet at Spithead. June 28.—Eoyal visit to the Agricultural Show at Norwich. July I.—Tho King and Queen go to Windsor. July 8-12.—Eoyal visit to Ireland. July 13.—Investiture of Prince of Wales at Carnarvon Castle. ..,.,,,,'' July 14.—The King opens University College, Bangor. July 15.—The King lays foundation-stone, of Welsh National Library, Aberystwyth.