18 Years a King

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 697, 24 June 1929, Page 9

18 Years a King

CORONATION ANNIVERSARY A Simple Thanksgiving BIRTHDAY OF PRINCE OF WALES British Official Wireless T Received II a.m. RUGBY, Sunday. WO important Royal anniversaries marked the week-end. Yesterday was the eighteenth anniversary of King George’s coronation, and today is the 35th birthday of the Prince of Wales.

On July S, according to present arrangements, their Majesties will travel to Sandringham, where they will stay at least a month. The formal opening of Parliament will take place on the day after the King’s return; but his Majesty is not expected to attend this ceremony, which would necessarily involve a considerable strain on his strength, and the King’s Speech will almost certainly be read to the assembled Lords and Commoners by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Sankey. The arrangements for the thanksgiving service, which had to be postponed from last Sunday owing to the chill contracted by the King at Windsor, will apply to July 7. Their Majesties and all the members of the Royal Family at present in Britain, together with leading statesmen and diplomatic corps, will attend, but otherwise the Abbey will he open to the public. The service will be extremely simple, and Is not to be regarded as a State ceremony. The official description is: “In thanksgiving to Almighty God for His good providence by which our most gracious Sovereign has been delivered from his severe illness, to the comfort of the whole realm, and for the signal love and loyalty of his people made manifest in his time of trouble.” The Primate, Dr. Cosmo Gordon Lang, will officiate at Westminster Abbey, where their Majesties will attend. The congregation will sing the hymn “All People That on Earth do Dwell.”

The Dean will then say: “God save the King. God save the realm. God give us thankful hearts.” The congregation will reply by singing the first verse of the National Anthem. Special passages have been selected from the Psalms and Isaiah for expressions of thanksgiving. After that the Primate will say prayers of thankfulness for the King’s recovery and for the “gifts of strength and courage given to the Queen.” Prayers for the sick and suffering generally and for the Empire will follow. Then the Te Deum will be sung, after which the Primate will pronounce the Benediction. Their Majesties will leave the Abbey while the congregation sings Blake’s hymn, “I Will not Cease from Mental Strife.” Simultaneously with the Abbey thanksgiving services will be held in the churches throughout the country, and arrangements have been made to broadcast the proceedings at the Abbey throughout Britain andtio the Empire. At the King’s suggestion the church offerings will be devoted to hospitals. TWO ANNIVERSARIES Yesterday was the 18th anniversary of King George’s coronation, and the occasion was marked in London by the firing of a Royal salute in Hyde Park, and by the flying of flags from public buildings. At the naval ports, ships were dressed over all, and salutes were fired. Today the Prince of Wales celebrated his 35th birthday. He spent it in the country at Sunningdale, but during the morning he drove to Windsor to see the King and Queen.