LONDON PAGEANTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1932, Page 14

LONDON PAGEANTS

LORD MAYOR'S SHOW

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

THE EOYAL PEOCESSION

(From "The Post's" Representative;) LONDON, 10th November. The 9th and 10th November were days of big London pageants, but unfortunately each spectacle was badly interfered with by rain, which did not, however, mar the excitement of the Crowds. Yesterday . there was the Lord Mayor's Show—a iunctkm much criticised as an expensive anachronism that might be dispensed with; to-day there was the Royal, procession in connection with the State Opening of Parliament ■ by the King in person, accompanied by ' the Queen. The State function is one of great military dignity and impressiveness on the route from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords, and of wondrous brilliancy within the House itself. The interest of the civic function varies annually, and invariably introduces the "circus" touch which causes so much merriment among the youngsters who throng the whole 'of the iong packed routo which begins in the city. By the time the members of the Royal Family arrived at Westminster to-day tho Chamber was filed with peers and peeresses, many of the i former having to stand two-deep in tho gangways. All the peers wore' their scarlet robes, collared with pure i white miniver and barred with the, same fur, tho number of bands on the ' robe indicating the rank of the i wearer. Some of tho "peeresses were' splendidly attired and woie very I precious diamond ornaments . and i tjaras; very effective were those who had chosen dresses of # ivory satin I beauto with fur wraps of miniver. Some, however, had no tiaras and no ' jewels. Many of tho women were! distinguished in figure and animated in conversation, and the floor of the I Chamber presented a wondrous scintillating spectacle, added to which was tho brilliance of the military uniforms, and tho uniforms with rich orders of the Ambassadorial representatives. Picturesque was the red fez of the Turkish representative, and striking was tho white Arab headdress of the Minister for Irak. In tho gallery were distinguished Indians in coloured native dress and many notable people. Lady Wilford, wearing silver-grey satin, and a black velvet wrap with sable stole, looked down with interest upon the brilliant assembly. The High Commissioner was in the Ambassadors' Box, THE BOYAL GKOUP. Tho Duke of York, with tho Duke of Gloucester, was tho first of the Koyal Family to arrive; next came the Prince of Wales, rcsplendeutly robed in scarlet and miniver, to take his place in the chair on the dais to the right of the Throne. la the mcantimo the lights had been lowered, save for those screened, illuminating the Throne. Then, through the two entrances to tho Chamber, the Heralds and Pursuivants could be seen gathering, a sign that the' King and Queen were near at hand. As Their Majesties entered, the King leading tho Queen by the hand, the lights became brilliant again, and the pageant was indoed of dazzling beauty. The King wore his crown, with the Kohinoor blazing in front, the Queen woro a splendid diamondcoronet tiara. Both had rich orimgon velvet trains, His, Majesty wearirigTh'is. over military uniform, the Queen—a splendid figure of woman's dignity— wearing hers over a dress of silver and gold lame, with diamonds shimmering from her neck and corsage. The only touch of colour is tho Blue of the Garter sash. All eyes henceforth were rivetted on tho dais. In the presence of the King and Queen one cannot see many other people. Grouped behina the Queen stood the Duchess v of Devonshire, Lady Joan Verneyj and the Lady Desborough.' The Earl of Crewe was the bearer of the Sword of State, and Lord Londonderry the Cap of Maintenance. SPEECH PROM THE THBONE. "My Loids, bo seated,", said the King. Then there was a longish pause while Black Rod wont to summon tho Commons with tho quaint, historic ritual of his office. The doors of the Commons were shut against him on his approach; but on the thrice-repeated rap of his ebony stick they opened, and a messenger announced him to the House; whereupon ho entered and, standing at the Bar, delivered tho Royal summons. Then he led the procession of tho Speaker, tho Prime Minister, members of the Cabinet and M.P.'s in goneral back, to the Lords. The voice of the King was strong and clear as, seated, ho read with deliberation the King's Speech from the parchment which he held on his lap. Its end came all too soon. Tho King and Queen rose, and hand in hand they went by the left-hand door, leaving a last glimpse of the pages bearing the corners of the heavy trains. Outside, the people wcro gathered m their tens of thousands waiting to see tho return of tho Royal procession, the King and Queen* in their State coach drawn by eight bays, heavily caparisoned. The wet day robbed the ceremony of some of its" pageantry and colour. Postillions and outriders had their scarlet liveries concealed under long whito macintoshes, but still their black velvet peaked caps gave a touch of old-time picturesqueness to their dress. The Yeomei of the Guard walked two by two on either side of the State coach, wearing- long bluo coats over their rich Tudor dress. Riding in front of the procession was Lord Trenchard, Commissioner of ' the Metropolitan Police—his first appearance at an official function since hi 3 appointment. As the King left the building, the Eoyal Standard was lowered from the tower, and tho Union Jack took its place. A second procession, with cavalry detachment, was formed Ivr the State coach of the Prince of Wiles, with whom was Lord Halsey. THE CIVIC SHOW. This year the- chief features of the Lord Mayor's Show; centred round the progress made by scienco and industry in modern times—mostly within the lifetime of the majority of the onlookers. Tho great cars depicted the radio industry, the cinematograph industry (with a film studio, setting and a film actually being "shot" beneath powerful arc lights, the power for which was supplied by a travelling generating and sound-recording plant), the routes of Imperial and international communications, "Golden Age" representing the car symbolic of electricity, and so on. On the Golden Age car one saw from a rising sun the white Goddess of Light descending through tho gates of Light to live among mortals. On her left the Goddess of Heat and on her right the God of Power appeared from their respective spheres. A car illustrating the making of tires and rubber footwear was supplied by the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers. Part of their exhibit showed a native hut on the banks of the Amazon and the original method of making rubber shoes by dipping clay forms into rubber latex. The Church