The Coronation Ceremony

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 431, 12 May 1937, Page 5

The Coronation Ceremony

Oldest State Service in the World

The Coronation is undoubtedly the oldest State ceremonial in this country, and possibly in the world, ito-day. according to Sir Gerald Woolstian, Garter Principal King of Arms. The earliest preserved ritual of an English Coronation dates from the eighth pentury, and there is also exitant a more complete form of service which bias, been attributed by some to St. Dunstan and said to have been used by him at the Coronation of King E helred in the year 978. It is certainly of Saxon origin. These Rituals probably formed the basis of the Coronation ceremonies of the French Kings, which approximated to those used at the hallowing of our own Monarchs, though the question of their priority of origin is not altogether free from doubt;. All the principal rites of our present Coronations —the Recognition, the Oath taken by the Sovereign, the Anointing, Investiture and Crowning, with much of the actual Service—are to be found in these Saxon prototypes. The Recognition by the people of the new Sovereign, to.day a formality only, perpetuates a custom of earliest origin in our policy, for although the succession to the Crown has, in this country, been governed mainly by ‘the principle of hereditary descent, there existed in the people a right to subject ‘the individual successor to ths discrimination of a national confirmation. This right was perhaps obscured by the incidents of the feudal system introduced by Willi's m the Conqueror, although, even under that system, it was not entirely abrogated, and the assent of the people, as well as of the tenants in chief, was requisite to the complete inauguration of a new Sovereign. The ceremony of Recognition is performed *hus: The Archbishop of Canterbury, with the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Lord High Constable and the Earl Marshal, preceded by the Garter King of Arms, pass to 'he East Side of the Theatre, and thJe Archbishop* says, ‘*Sirs. I here present unto you King George, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, lare you willing to do the same?” In similar manner the proclamation is made at the South, West, and North sides of the Theatre, the King standing by his chair and facing the people on -he side at which the proclamation is made, and the people replying to each demand with acclamations of “God Save King George.” The Oath taken by the Sovereign has. varied in form according to the religious and political state of the kingdom; but in substance it has remained an obligation to maintain the laws and customs of the realm, to exe_ cute justice and mercy, and defend the Church. The changes in its form are full of historical interest, and have been the subject of great political con’roversy, particularly in the time of the Stuart Sovereigns, when, it may be recalled, a charge of altering the Coronation Oath was one of the articles of impeachment of Archbishop Laud in the time of Charles I. The taking of an oath and the ceremony of anointing and crowning derive their origin from a period long antecedent to ‘-he Christian era. The Books of the Old Testament are evidence of the performance of these rites at the inauguration of the ancient Jewish kings and it was doubtless on the authority of the Holy Scriptures that the same ceremonies were afterwards adopted by the Christian nations. The ceremony of Anointing may be considered the real pivot of the whole Coronation, of W’hich the Crowning is the culmination, for the symbolism of the terv.ee emphasises the Leered as well as the

civil office to. which the King is -bus admitted. Indeed it has been pointed out that the Coronation Service is practically identical with that used for the consecration of a Bishop, except the laying on of hands, and some contend that there is evidence that even this rite was not omitted in earlies days The Anointing is thus performed: The King being divested of his crimson Robe and Cap of. State—the robe

and cap indicative of his Parliamentary rank in which he comes to the Abbey—proceeds to the Altar tind •takes bis seat in King Edward’s Chair. Four Knights of the Garter (summoned by Carter King of Arms) hold a canopy over hi s Majesty. The Dean of Westminster takes from the Altar the Ampulla containing the Consecrated Oil and pours some into the Anointing Spoon, which he hands to the Archbishop, who anoints the

King on the palms of hik hands, his breast, and his head in the form of a cross, signifying, according to the authority of Archbishop Becket, “Glory, Sanctity, and Fortitude.” After his anoin'ing the King is invested with the Royal and Priestly Robes and the Regalia are delivered ■to him. Some of these robes have a definite religious signification. They are the Colobium Sindonis, the Super.* tunica, the Armill or Stole, and the

Pallium or Royal Robe. The Colobium Sindonis is a suplice without sleeves, or fine white cambric, and was an ancient dress of bishops and priests. The Supertunica is a closelining surcoat with plain sleeves of rich cloth of gold. It has a girdle of the same material, with a gold buckle and hangers, to suspend the Sword with which the King is girded. The Armill or Stole is also of < io- li of gold l;n:d with crimson, and is placed round the neck. It is an ecclesiastical ornament, the origin of which may be traced even prior to th? Christian era, and. in this county, to Saxon times. A stole dating from the beginning of the tenth century is presorv d in Durham Cathedral and was recently exhibited, on loan, at he British Museum. Finally •he King is invested with the Pallium, which is a mantle in the form of a cope of purple and gold brocaded tissue f. stoned at he neck with a broad gold clasp, the train reaching about a foot cn the ground. Ola I in robes, and having received the Regalia—the Spurs and the Sword (indicative of Knighthood), the Orb, the Sceptres: and the Ring—the King, sea ed in King Edward’s chair,

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leceives, at the hands of the Archbishop, th 6 ultimate symbol of sovereignty, the Crown. A word may here he said of that most venerable relic, King Edward's Chair. It is-made of dak of an architectural design, the feet being formed of four tejant lions, and is attributed to the time of Edward I. But this structure was designed to contain a far more ancient and famous object, known as the Ston e of Scone, which form its seal* It is a block of reddish sandstone .and, if the legends about it are to be i sl th 6 stone on which the Patriarch Jacob laid his head at Bethel, its subsequent migrations ending in its removal from Spain to Ireland by Simon Brech, who was crowned upon it thsr e 700 ye'a.rs before the Christian era. There certainly was a s one corresponding to it in Ireland, preserved on the Hill of Tara, possibly as a stone used for purposes of consecration in that country. The Irish called it the Stone of Destiny, due 'io j.ts alleged power 01 emitting an oracular sound to show the legitimacy ot Roy's! descent. It may well have been taken from Ireland to the West of Scotland, early in the Christian era, by the settlers from Ireland who established themselves in that country, for it ceriajnl.v existed' in that part ot Scotland long before the ninth century, when i‘' was removed by King Kenneth from Dunstaffn'Jge to the Abbey of Scone. In Scotland the stone was accorded the same veneration, including the trndi'ion that its possession was essential to the preservation of regal

power. At Scone all the Kings or Scotland were crowned upon it until ■he year 1296, when Edward I brought it to England and- left it as an offering to conquest at th© Shrine of Edward the Confessor in Westmins* ©r Agbey. There it has ever since remained and ha a been used for the crownings of almost every successive Monarch of our land. The Crown which the King receives at the hands of the Archbishop is known as St. Edward’s Crown, and derives its name from that .supposed to have been worn by Edward the Confessor, formerly preserved in the Abbey of Westminster. But, in fact, all the regalia were seiz_ ed by the Parliament a*t the death of King Charles I, and broken up, and •those now used are copies made anew for the Coronation of King Charles 11. Besides St Edward’s Crown, there is a State Crowm, which is assumed by the King af.er the Coronation ceremony and is worn by him on leaving the Abbey. This is the Crown which is also used at the Opening of Parliament and at similar State ceremonies. The Imperial Crown repr©> sented officially on documen t, coins, t j_mps, regimental colours, or where,, ver els e the crown is used as an emblem, does not in fact correspond to either of ihe&e crowns, or to any acual crown, but i s a conventional representation of the symbol of sovereignty. the form which was stand, ardised by King Edward VII, but was previously subject to variations of treatment to suit the design into which it was. to be incorporated.