FOR THE CHILDREN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 202, 11 September 1937, Page 12

FOR THE CHILDREN

What Happened In Westminster Abbey "Sira: I here present unto you Eiug Gcorge, fhe undoubted Iving of this realm. Wherefore all of you who are come this day to do your homage and serviee,' are you willing to do the same?77 The steady voice of the Archbishop of Canterbury roilcd through the far spaces of the Abbey. T'he vast assembly gatbered there, peers and peeresses, lords and ladies, ministers and leaders of our realm, called back their answer: ' God save the Kingl 7 7 The drums thnndered, the silver trumpets skrilled. George, by the graee of God King of Great Britain and Ireland, Emperor of India, was come to his coronation. Fourt imes, to the four quarters of the crowded Abbey, t-he Archbishop cried his question four times the shout of acclamation answered him.

The earlier part of the solemn serviee had passed. Now the Eang sat waiting in his chair of state. T'he great lords who carried the regalia bore their precious treasures to the ATchbishop; one by one he placed them on the altar — the sceptre, the orb, t'he crown, the sword. It was as if he said, "These things, and all they stand for, we dedicate to God.77 The most solemn moments of the serviee drew near. The King rose. His lords took from him the long mantle of royal scarlet in w4iick he had been drapped. Straight and simple he stood before his people, in a short tunic of crimson silk, collarless. They led him forward, not to a dazzling golden throne, but to an old, battered, worn wooden chair — the chair that holds below its seat the aneient Stone of Fate, t'he chair in whieh all kings of this realm have been crowned since the days of the first Edward. Now the Archbishop is holding in his hand a vessel of oil; it is curiously wrought in the shape of an eagle. Oil is the aneient symbol of t'he graee of God. Before a king receives his crown, the sign of his power, he must receive anointing — the sign of that help and graee from God whieh alone can make him equal to these higfli destines. The fingers of the Archbishop toueh the oil upon the forehead of that quiet figure, upon his breast, upon his 'hands. The graee of God is his, to guide the thoughts of his mind, the feelings of his heart, the work of his hands. • T'hen the lords draw near again. They robe the King in a tunic of gold, and round his waist they bind a golden girdle. They kneel and touch his teet with the golden spurs of a knight. The> bring the sword from the altar, with a prayer that he may bear it worthily as a good knight should. On his shoulders they clasp the royal robe of cloth of gold. In his 'hand they put the golden orb. On his finger they set a ruby ring; it is as if he is wedded to his country by that ring, as a man is wedded to his bride. The Abbey is very silent now. The King has his back to his people; he is faeing t'he altar. He is looking towards God. There on the altar lies the crown he will wear in a moment. The Archbishop, in the silence, moves to the altar; he stops, and prays. He lifts the crown, the crown that links t'his King with all the long line of England's kings, the crown that speaks of - all England7s history. Now he is holding it high in the sight of the people. He sets it gently on the King's head. Then tlie silence brcaks into a great ekeering: "God save onr King! God save our King! God save our Kingl" Triumpkant musie from organ, ckoir and orehestra rolls through the Abbey, and at the some moment all the peers put on their own coronets. The King moved to his tliroue on the raised dais. To liiiu caine his men, to do homage. First knelt the Archbishop of Canterbury, an old man with grey hair — he who tiad crowned the King. All his lords gave the King their homage then, one earl for all the earls,

oue duke for all the dukes, and so on through all his nobility. Last of all came t'he crowning of the Queen, and then the Archbishop spoke the benediction. But that was not the end. Before they left the Abbey the newly crowned King and Queen knelt together at the altar, and together took Communion. ( •