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THIS woric forms a complete compendium of the Corona
tion Rites and Ceremonies, and 5tate Pageant. In
that respect it will provide an entertaining and useful book
for the day, and an attractive illustrated memento for the
morrow. The author has had unusual facilities for malcing
it authoritative; and It will be found eminently desirable
for the library and the drawing-room at home, serviceable
to the visitor, and as a gossipy and handy work of reference
generally interesting.
The book consists of three parts: Part 1, The Accession
and Proclamation, etc., of the King, including various import
ant matters incident to the first year of His Majesty's reign ;
Part II, The Grand Event of the Coronation itself; Part III,
The Rite and Ceremony in St. Peter's Abbey Church of
Westminster.

The
Pageant & Ceremony
of
The Coronation
of Their Majesties
King Edward the Seventh
and
^ueen Alexandra

Tht

Pageant &> Ceremony
of
The Coronation
of Their Majesties
King Edward the Seventh
and
^ueen ^4lexandra
By Charles Eyre Pascoe

New York
D. Appleton & Company
1902

<Uv /if, * ¦

:b

^1

CONTENTS

PAGE

The Author's Preface .... .9
Points about Pedigrees  18

PART I
the accession, proclamation, and meet
ing of the first parliament of
king edward the seventh
Accession of Edward the Seventh . . 35
Proclaimed King at St. James's . 49
Opens his First Parliament in Person . . 56
Will Serve for Table-Talk  72
5

Contents PART II
THE coronation PAGE
"The King shall have Welcome" . . 87
"This Act is as an Ancient Tale New Told" no
The Court of Claims ... .122
The Day Proclaimed  . 140
Peers, Peeresses, and other People . 143

PART III
the crown jewels used in the coro
nations OF the kings and queens
of england
The Regalia of England ... . . 161
Crowns of the Kings of England from the Times
OF the Anglo-Saxon Sovereigns to those of
the House of Stuart, when the Imperial
Crown took the Form as Illustrated in the
Regalia .... . . . 185
The Route . . .... 196
The People ... . . . 214

Contents

The Abbey

PAGE 227

The Procession

250

PART IV
THE FORM AND ORDER OF THE SERVICE AND
CEREMONIES OBSERVED IN THE CORONATIONS
IN THE ABBEY CHURCH OF ST. PETER,
WESTMINSTER, ACCORDING TO LATTER-DAY
PRECEDENT  263

__ THE
Author's Preface
J^OR. NOW SITS Expectation in the air"

" I ^HE Author of this book or compilation (as the
¦*- critical shall decide) must be allowed to be
exceptionally favoured, in that he has found an
American constituency, no less than one nearer
home, not unwilling to consider what he may
herein have to say. All the more contented
should he be, with this promising prospect of a
co-partnership of interest in his wdrk, since he
knows from previous experiences in journalism and
pencraft, that he has nothing but the fullest measure
of generosity and kindness to expect from one
party at least to this arrangement — the American
Reader, namely. " They " (the Americans) " are the
most genial people on the face of the earth," as
his Excellency the British Ambassador in Washing
ton (Lord Pauncefote) has recently reminded us * —
if any of us need to be reminded : " At the first
* The Times, July 19th, 1901.
Q B

The Coronation of Edward VII
grip of the hand they take you to their hearts.
So long as you do not try to deal underhand with
them, so long as you do not assume superior airs
they treat you as one of their own ; and who can
say more ? " None, indeed, can say more ; and
what is so said is worthily and truly said, by an
English nobleman who, by reason of his exalted
station as representative of his country in the
United States, should know and understand
Americans better than the majority.
An American, when you get to know him,
generally turns out to be a not very distant kins
man of an Englishman. Ought we not more
properly to write Britisher, or Briton ? except that
the euphony of neither word seems somehow or
other so pleasing and inviting, to one who is
English born himself, as the designation he so
greatly cherishes, and for which he seeks precedence
and publicity whenever and wherever he finds
opportunity. An American (needless to repeat)
generally turns out to be a not very distant kins
man of one whose people, or ancestors, are English,
Scotch, or Irish born ; which doubtless serves better.
For the which reason, the Author ventures upon
the liberty of asking his Readers to accept of this
lO

The Author's Preface
prefatory chapter as being addressed indiscrimi
nately to each, either, or all four. The English
man who reads it cannot possibly object to being
included in the company of the most agreeable,
generous, and hospitable of his kinsmen across the
seas. The Scotchman can find nothing but satis
faction in having his nationality thus promptly
and spontaneously recognised as British by an
Englishman. The Irishman will at once see the
humour in this particular instance of our trying
to save trouble, in making one preface serve the
purposes of four. Finally, the American may
possibly concede that we must be much more
clever than, perchance, he believes us to be, if we
succeed in pleasing any.

No author, in our opinion, can hope to establish
himself in the friendly consideration of his Reader,
until he makes some sort of overtures to that end.
He may hope soonest to gain that most valuable
auxiliary in his work by dropping all appearance
of pretension and artificiality at the outset, and
discovering himself, so to say, as he really is :
" This is the man you are talking whh." " No
II

The Coronation of Edward VII
man living is free from speaking foolish things" —
as a wise and experienced philosopher has truly
said: "the ill-luck is to speak them curiously."
' This fellow sure with much ado,
Will tell great tales and trifles too.'
" That concerneth not me," he adds "... I do
but buy or sell mine for what they weigh. I
speak unto paper as to the first man 1 meet."
The use of the personal pronoun in print does
not necessarily imply that the user is inclined
to be vain and consequential. It far more often
means that he is the very reverse of presurtiing,
and much more disposed to plainness and modesty.
He places himself, as it were, in the opposite chair
to his Reader, and invites him on equal terms to
conversation. The style of the impersonal or
editorial " we " is far more pretentious, tending
to make an author conceited with himself, and
pompous and pragmatical towards his Reader.
Writing is but another name for conversation, and
whether one write well or ill, has anything new
to relate, or nothing new to relate, depend upon
it he will be in a better position to deserve
the Reader's attention if he show some spirit of
12

The Author's Preface
cordiality, tapping him on the coat-sleeve, as it
were, in friendly and companionable manner, rather
than if he adopt the more reserved attitude, merely
exhibiting the customary courtesy of the hat, and
indulging in a few commonplace compliments. There
are some, of course, who would resent the slightest
indication of the raising of the forefinger to the
coat-sleeve, by way of opening a casual conversation.
But let such persons pass. We have no sort of
desire to intrude either upon their exclusiveness
or their pride.
He who would have friends must show himself
friendly. None of us can afford to do without
them. I know of no better way of attempting to
make friends in a book, than by seeking a cordial
good understanding with your Reader in the very
first paragraph you write. Your purpose, you tell
him, is only a little haphazard talk about this
matter or that ; and if he find anything interesting,
or agreeable, in the conversation, so much the
pleasanter for both. So, let's to our respective
armchairs— you in this, and I in that, and see if
it be not possible to bring about a little mutual
goodwill, and— may we not hope ?— mutual appre
ciation, if not forbearance, without insisting on the
'3

The Coronation of Edward VII
preUminary formahty of a too ceremonious intro
duction. I never yet knew an American who thought any
the worse of an Englishman, because he divested
himself of all airs and pretensions, and sought to
gain his goodwill by such friendly overtures as I
propose. Nor are Englishmen in the aggregate
so churlish and uncivil as to reject the offer of
a stranger's acquaintance if he do not presume
to demand too much- consideration at their hands.
At a first glance at its title-page, it might seem
as if this book could have but slight interest for
American Readers. The Pageant and Ceremony of
a Coronation provides but scanty fare for the many
who cannot have the opportunity of being spectators
of either. For those Americans who propose to see
both, this book will be found to furnish forth, I
think, a sufficient meal. The cynically inclined,
perchance, might find in its contents somewhat that
lends point to an observation to be found in Johnson's
" Life of Milton," that " the trappings of Monarchy
(namely) would set up an ordinary commonwealth."
However that may be, none can say that the author
has willingly wandered into the thorny and uninvit
ing field of politics. This book will be found much
14

The Author's Preface
more historical than political, and more gossipy and
discursive, perhaps, than either. Of course, it keeps
well in view the Present Interest belonging to its
subject. That, in point of fact, as every one will see,
is its raison d'etre.

England is so near to America nowadays, happily
in more senses than one, that the sights, attractions,
pastimeSj and amusements of the one country are
become almost part and parcel of the sights, at
tractions, pastimes, and amusements of the other.
There is, however, one sight which occurs only once
or possibly twice in a lifetime, which America has
not yet succeeded in reproducing, and never will
succeed in reproducing, and that sight is a Coronation
in Westminster Abbey ! I am much mistaken, if
some Americans are not sufficiently interested as
to desire to know how that ceremony is nowadays
performed. This book will tell them. The necessities
of the case require that it should dip a little into
History ; but if " History is " (as Henry St. John,
Lord Bolingbroke, said) " Philosophy teaching by
examples," I greatly misjudge my American Readers
if they hastily throw it aside because it in some
15

The Coronation of Edward VII
measure discusses matters in which they find but
little interest. The history of the one country up
to a point is the history of the other, and it may be,
in time to come — who dares venture to prophesy ? —
that eventful and splendid history may be yet more
closely interwoven and become the common stock
of both countries again. Perhaps one likes to dream
so. If Americans might only be brought to believe
it, there are no people in the world more generously
thought of by Englishmen than they, nor are there
any they so willingly form friendships with at home
or abroad. The one regret that most of us, who
visit America, feel on leaving its shores, is that we
are so seldom able to repay in full measure the
hospitality and kindness shown to us while staying
in that country.
In bringing this already too lengthy opening
chapter to a close, I venture to quote a passage
from the published speeches, if I remember aright,
of the late Mr. Phelps, sometime American Am
bassador to England, which I read lately, seated
in the pleasant reading-room of the St. Botolph Club
in Boston ; a club which has ever shown in largest
measure hospitality and kindness to Englishmen.
" The time is long past " (thus the record) " when kings
i6

The Author's Preface
and rulers can involve their nations in hostilities to
gratify their own ambitions or caprice. There can be
no war nowadays between civilised nations, nor any
peace that is not hollow or delusive, unless sustained
and backed up by the sentiment of the people who
are parties to it. Before nations can quarrel, their
inhabitants must first become hostile. Then a cause
of quarrel is not far to seek. There are no dragon's
teeth so prolific as mutual misunderstanding. . . .
It is in the great and constantly increasing inter
course between England and America, in its re
ciprocities and amenities, that the security against
misunderstanding must be found. While that con
tinues, the relations between the two countries
cannot be otherwise than friendly." That the inter
course between England and America is happily
yearly increasing, and is destined to increase in
far greater measure as the years pass on, there
cannot be a shadow of doubt. God grant that the
concord and amity of the two nations in time to
corne may be such as to entitle the twain to the
proud designation of States united.

17

M

IGHT it not be well
sometimes if we were
not to take the things of
the world too seriously ?
„ Cheerfulness is ever better
K*,j than dulness ; and, truly,
much melancholy is a
weariness of the flesh.
" Though David's son, the
sad and splendid," declared mourning to be better
than feasting ; we shall maintain to the contrary,
yea, though even all the kings of the earth were
to rise in opposition. Methinks that London will
lose somewhat of mirth and gladness, for example,
in being deprived of its historic Coronation banquet
in Westminster Hall. But that's a matter for
his Majesty the King's decision, not to be imper
tinently discussed by a mere subject. " Health at
i8

Points about Pedigrees
your bidding serve your Majesty!" and let all
the people shout, " God save the King ! "
Sterne it was, if I am not mistaken — I think I
have somewhere read a sermon of his preached in
the Minster of York, whereof he was, as most of
us know, some time Prebendary, touching on this
very topic : Sterne it was who was firmly persuaded
that every time a man smiles, but much more so
when he laughs, it adds somewhat to whatever
fragment of life — more or less as the years speed
by — may be permitted him. Far be it from the
compiler of these pages to smile inopportunely.
There is to everything a season, and a time to
every purpose under heaven. This is serious matter
we are now occupied upon. And so were the
Barons occupied, with serious matter the other day,
when on being directed by Norroy King of Arms
to pass out of the House of Lords into the Royal
Gallery, " two and two, in order of precedence,"
some of their lordships not merely smiled, but
laughed* — with no derogation of personal dignity,
it may be hoped, as peers of the realm, or of
collective dignity as judges, specially summoned to
* Case of Earl Russell, tried in the Royal Gallery of the
House of Lords. Times report, July 19th, 1901.
19

The Coronation of Edward VII
a solemn trial of one of their order. Some of
their lordships laughed. It being a very hot
July day, inviting to slumber, they were taken
unawares (so to say) by the mandate of Norroy
King of Arms ; were not quite certain of themselves
for the moment — " Are we lords ?
Or do we dream, or have we dream'd till now ?
We do not sleep : we see, we hear, we speak.
*******
My lords, they say that we have dream'd.
And slept above six hundred years, or more."
This present being the year of grace 1902, second
of the reign of his Most Gracious Majesty King
Edward the Seventh (whom God preserve !) some
of us are not prepared to be suddenly transported
back to the times of the Plantagenets, to the times
(let's say) of that High and Mighty Prince, Edward
the Third, of Glorious Memory. Like little children
on being awakened out of a sleep, we smile. But
'tis a pleasant good-humoured smile, not the smile
of the cynical. Perchance, we have been dreaming ;
dreaming a kind of nightmare. We suppose our
selves to be living in the year 1902. Motor-cars
are rushing everywhere about. Telephones are
20

Points about Pedigrees
buzzing in our ears. An aerial ship is speeding
through the air. Another ship is being navigated
beneath the surface of the sea. An express train
is seen in the distance, driven by electricity on a
single rail, at the rate of sixty miles an hour. A
pastoral people named Boers have forsaken their
ploughs, and threaten to keep on fighting till the
crack of doom. Some one touches us lightly on
the shoulder, and we are wide awake, our own
proper selves again. The whole surely is a dream !
We are, in reality, citizens of London making
preparations for the King's Coronation. Here are
the King's crimson standards blazoned with gold,
and here King Edward the Third's own chosen
motto, " Dieu et mon droit,'' and here the ostrich
plumes and the " Ich dien " of his son. Here, too.

21

The Coronation of Edward VII
are King Henry the Seventh's tall and portly
Yeomen of the Guard, and here their captains,
lieutenants, and exons. Garter King at Arms, in his
magnificent tabard, is in his proper place, as are his
historic supporters, Clarencieux and Norroy in theirs.
Here, too, stand the six Heralds of old England
— Chester, Lancaster, York, Somerset, Richmond,
and Windsor, with their Pursuivants, Rouge Croix,
Bluemantle, Rouge Dragon, and Portcullis. And
here is his Grace the Hereditary Earl Marshal of
England himself. Knight of the Most Noble Order
of the Garter — Duke of Norfolk and Earl of
Arundel. Save your Grace !
How strange in truth it all seems ! Surely we
may be forgiven the passing smile when we think
of this present blending of the fourteenth and
fifteenth with the twentieth century ! Here are a
number of, apparently, ordinary quiet-looking, ease-
loving, home-keeping, middle-aged English gentlemen
— distinguished enough in their respective stations,
if you please, and as we for one most willingly
admit ; here are these gentlemen ("'great men all "
by the roll), presently to' be engaged iri, the acting
parts of a most solemn and interesting ceremony,
which takes us back eight hundred years to, at
22

Points about Pedigrees

least, the days of William the Norman, if not
of his predecessor, Edward the Confessor. Where
now are their armour, their helmets and gay-
coloured plumes, their huge two-handed swords,
fluttering pennons, and ponderous lances, their
attendant esquires and pages, their gaily caparisoned
armour-deckedhorses? Robes,
ribbons, and coro
nets are all that
now remain of
these old-time
paraphernalia.With a sight of
them we must
perforce remain
content. For the
rest, and as
regards their
everyday life, most of these great lords, barons,
bishops, viscounts, earls, marquises, dukes, the lord-
archbishops of Canterbury and York, yea, even
the Princes of the Blood Royal and his Most
Gracious Majesty the very King himself ; all these
great nobles, lords spiritual and temporal, and their
23

The Coronation of Edward VII
royal and imperial Master, in place of armour and
helmet now array themselves in black silk hat
and ordinary frock-coat ! We are actually and
indeed awake, and Hving in the twentieth century.
The real and the shadowy alike provoke a smile.
And, prithee, my right honourable friend, why not ?

" The souls of emperors and cobblers are all cast in
the same mould": so said the Seigneur de Montaigne,
Lord of Montaigne (to give him his full title), some
time the pupil of George Buchanan, tutor of James
the First of England, and a gentleman not unfamiliar
in his time with princes and the humblest of their
subjects too, Montaigne's dictum may be true
enough ; but even the soul of a cobbler may be
cast in a finer mould than the majority of his fellows.
In respect of his craft, truly, he may be able to trace
his ancestry back to the very first cobbler who sat
on the bench. It is conceivable that his progenitors
of the remote past may have been persons of quality.
Much more unlikely things have come to pass, than
that a cobbler should be descended from a peer.
One of the flock in most families, sooner or later,
strays from the fold. His wanderings may lead him
24

Points about Pedigrees
to the top or the bottom, as his enterprise or energy,
or lack of both may determine. Most of us, in our
experience, have known of poor boys who, in the
course of time, have attained to considerable wealth
and distinction. " You say," once wrote a dis
tinguished Professor of Oxford University to the.
compiler of these pages : " you say, in your article
that my parents were poor, being farmers in a small
way down in Devonshire. True ; but let me remark
, that I am exceedingly and justly proud of my parents
and ancestry — poor, but of inestimable worth."
Only the other day, I met a worthy man, of no
sort of pretensions to refinement or even a grammar-
school education, who had left his home in Yorkshire
for America, a poor lad, with but very few shillings in
pocket. He told me, that he had been compelled to
borrow from another poor lad, his brother, to pay
his passage across the ocean. Curiously enough he
had followed his craft at the shoemaker's bench —
may have been in very fact, for aught I know, a
cobbler's apprentice in his native village. He is now
the most considerable and by far the most wealthy
manufacturer of boots and shoes in a well-known
town in Massachusetts. His sons, both men of parts
and education, are partners of their parent in the
25 c

The Coronation of Edward VII
same prosperous business. Unless I am very greatly
mistaken in these two gentlemen, they are proud to
claim the relationship of sons with the one-time poor
Yorkshire shoemaker, their father.
On the other hand, I was passing down Regent
Street one day with a friend of mine who -knows
every one in London that it may happen I do not
know. " Do you see that man ? " said he, pointing
to a " seedy," shambling, rickety-looking tramp.
" Well, that man has paid me hundreds of pounds.
He was one time one of the smartest officers of
cavalry in the Queen's service." I never believed
it possible that I could ever be brought to pass a
person in London's streets, whom I had once claimed
acquaintance with. I furtively did so on one occasion,
when I recognised in a man standing at a street
corner, intoxicated, filthy, ragged, squalid almost
beyond recognition, one whom the world had once
well known as a gentleman of exceptional professional
attainments and of the first social standing. It is
only when some are arrived at this condition —
which Heaven, in mercy, guard each one of us
against ! — that neither interest nor pride is felt
in tracing back ancestors, whether to cobblers or
kings.

Points about Pedigrees
" Silent the Lord of the world
Eyes from the heavenly height,
Girt by His far-shining train,
Us who with banners unfurl'd
Fight life's many-chanc'd fight
Madly below in the plain.
"Hardly, hardly shall one
Come with countenance bright
***** Safe through the smoke of the fight,
Back to his Master again.''
Truly, in respect of our industrious and esteemed
friend, the cobbler : " I weigh the man, not his title ;
'tis not the king's stamp can make the metal better."
" I have been inclined to think," wrote Addison in
one of his more serious essays, " that there are greater
men who lie concealed among their fello\\s, than
those who, come out, and draw upon themselves the
eyes and admiration of mankind. . . . We arc dazzled
with the splendour of titles, the ostentation of learning,
the noise of victories ; they on the contrary" (" they"
here refers to those who may observe us from the
spiritual world) — " they on the contrary see the
philosopher in the cottage, who possesses his soul
in patience and thankfulness, under pressure of what
little minds call poverty and distress. They do
27

The Coronation of Edward VII
not look for great men at the head of armies, or
among the pomps of a court ; but often find them
out in shades and solitudes, in the private walks
and by-paths of life. . . . The most famous among
us are often looked upon with pity, or with contempt,
or with indignation ; while those who are most
obscure among their kind are often regarded with
love, with approbation, and esteem."
Now, in regard of the Imperial masters of man
kind : " We owe a like obedience and subjection
unto all kings," wrote that prince of philosophers
already quoted, " for it respects their office ; but
estimation and affection, we owe it only to their
virtue." Those only are truly great whose ambition
is to acquire the conscience of worthy enterprises,
rather than the prospect of worldly glory. " He
only is a great man who can neglect the applause
of the multitude, and enjoy himself independent of
its favour. This indeed, is an arduous task ... it
is the highest step to which human nature can arrive.
Triumph, applause, acclamation are dear to the mind
of man ; but it is a more exquisite delight to say to
yourself, you have done well, than to hear the whole
human race proclaim you glorious.''
In conclusion I shall here add some extracts,
28

Points about Pedigrees
touching upon pedigrees, from the third part of
that very curious and rare work, the " Boke of St.
Albans" (i486), so scarce even in the days of
Shakespeare, as to require to be set forth in a new
form by Gervase Markham (1595), as "absolutely
necessary and behoveful to the accomplishment of
the Gentlemen of this flourishing ile, in the heroical
and excellent study of armory.'' The extracts are
from the original :— -
" Insomuch thatt all gentilness (we read) commys
of God of hevyn, at hevyn I will begin, where were
V orderis of Aungelis, and now stand but IV, in
cote armoris of knowledge encrowned ful hye with
precious stones, where Lucifer with miliory's of
Aungelis owt of hevyn fell unto hell and ordyr
places, and ben holdyn ther in bonage, and all
were erected in hevyn of Gentyll nature. A bond
man or a churl wyll say all we be cummyn of Adam,
so Lucifer with his cumpany may say all we be
cummyn of hevyn."
Next follows how Gentilmen first began on earth,
and how they are to be distinguished from Churles ;
or " Gentilmen from ungentilmen."
" Ther was never Gentilmen nor Churle ordeynyd
by kunde, bothe had fadre and modre. Adam and
29

The Coronation of Edward VII
Eve had nother fadre and modre, and in the sonnys
of Adam and Eve were founde bothe Gentilmen and
Churle. By the sonnys of Adam and Eve, (Seth,
Abell and Cayn,) devyded was the royall blode from
the ungentill ; a brother to sley his brother contrary
to law, where might be more ungentilness ? (What
could be more ungentlemanly or vile ? in Markham's
edition.) By that dyd Cayn become a churle, and
all his offspring after hym, by cursing of God and
his own fadre Adam, and Seth was made a Gentilman
thorovv his fadrc's and modre's blessing, and of the
off'spryng of Seth, Noe came a gentilman by kynde.
Among Noah's 3 sons, Cham, Sem and Japhet, the
two latter were Gentilmen, but Cham a proper
Churle." " Now to thee I give my curse wycked kaytiff
for ever, and I give to thee the northe parte of the
worlde to drawe thyne habitacion, for ther schall it
be, where sorrow and care, cold and myschef as a
Churle thow shalt have, in the third parte of the
worlde wich schall be calde Europe, that is to say,
the contre of Churlys.
"Japeth cum hyder my sonne, I made the a
Gentilman to the weste part of the worlde, and to
the Occident end when as welth and grace shall be
30

THE REGALIA

No,

rT^^^^l--^

' ji/r

Queen's Queen Consort's
Diadem Crown
The
Imperial Crown
Imperial Crown Prince of Wales's
(Charles II) Crown

Points about Pedigrees
so, then thyr habitacion shall be to take that other
thirde parte of the worlde, wich schall be calde Asia
that is to say, the contre of Gentilmen, and Sem my
son, also a Gentilman, the oryentc thow shalt take
that other theirde parte of the worlde wich shall be
called Affrica, that is to say, the contre of tempurnes.
" Of the offspring of the Gentilman Japheth come
Habraham, Moises, Aron, and the profettys, and
also the King of the right lyne of Mary, of whom
that gentilman Jhesus was borne very God and man ;
after his manhode kyng of the lorde of Jude Jues
gentilmen, by is modre Mary prynce of cote armure."
We need proceed no farther in these present dis
quisitions than to say, and that, too, without the
need of appealing to mythological works, that few
families are to be compared in antiquity with the
Royal Family of England, of whom his Majesty
King Edward the Seventh is the present Head and
Representative. His Majesty's descent may be traced
back to the Kings of England long prior to the
Conquest. Through the grandmother of Henry II.,
wife of Henry I., he and his are the descendants
of Alfred the Great, Egbert, and Cerdic, King of
Wessex in the sixth century. Cerdic was believed
to be a descendant of Woden, up to and even beyond
31

The Coronation of Edward VII
whom the genealogy is carried in the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle.
It is interesting to note that early royal titles — as
Mr. Ashley states in " The Dictionary of English
History " — were national, and not territorial. Thus,
Egbert was " King of the West Saxons,'' and Alfred
often used the title of " King of the Saxons."
In view of Edward the Seventh's name, there is
special interest in the style of Edward the Elder,
who designated himself "King of the Anglo-Saxons."
Athelstan was the first monarch to adopt regularly
the title of " King of the English," which was also
the official description of the Norman sovereigns.
Magna Charta opens v.ith the words, " John, by the
grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland,
Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and Earl of
Anjou." Edward I. dropped the title derived from
Normandy, but as compensation Edward III. added
that of " King of France," which was retained till,
strange as it may now seem, 1801. Another change
was made in 1876, when Queen Victoria assumed the
Imperial title of "Empress of India," and another
change was made (of which more hereafter) in 1901.

32

PART I
The Accession, Proclamation, and
Meeting of the First Parliament

OF

KING EDWARD THE SEVENTH

33

X

A T 6.30 p.m. on January 22nd, '1901, the greatly
¦^ ^ beloved Queen Victoria died ; and on the day
following, her eldest son, Albert Edward, now King,
held his first Council at St. James's Palace, the
one interesting relic of the courts of Tudor, Stuart,
and Hanoverian sovereigns that London now owns.
Previously thereto the Lords of the Council, of
whom more than a hundred were present, the
Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and other officials of
the City of London, who attended in their robes
of office, and other noblemen and gentlemen,
who were also present, approved a Proclamation
announcing his Majesty as King Edward VII.
The Proclamation was signed by the members
of the Royal Family present, the Archbishops
of Canterbury and York, a large number of
other Privy Councillors, and by the Lord Mayor
and other representatives of the City of London.
35

The Coronation of Edward VII
Such was the official announcement as made in
the Court Circular of the day.
The King attended the Council in semi-state,
and Orders of Knighthood were worn by all en
titled to do so. So far as the public were concerned,
the first notice they received of the fact of the
Council meeting was about twenty minutes to two,
when the Sovereign's guard, consisting of an officer,
a corporal-major, twelve gentlemen troopers, and a
farrier of horse, trotted down the Mall of St. James's
Park, and, turning along Marlborough yard, entered
the grounds of Marlborough House. Meanwhile, the
members of the Privy Council continued to arrive
at St. James's Palace in large numbers, and there
never was in the history of the English Court a
gathering of the Privy Council so largely attended.
It comprised, when assembled, no less than a hundred
and eight members.
The City Fathers in traditional fashion attended,
and were accompanied by the sword and mace
bearers, the civic retinue, the Recorder, Town Clerk,
City Solicitor, and other of the officials of the
Corporation. They went in semi-state from the
Mansion House by way of Queen Victoria Street,
Embankment, Northumberland Avenue, and Pall
36

Accession of Edward VII
Mall, to the Palace. The cavalcade, which was
escorted by a posse of mounted police, made a
brave show, comprising about twenty carriages, the
occupants wearing their robes and chains of office
over lev6e dress so-called. Those attending, in addi
tion to the officials mentioned, were (it might gratify
some to preserve the record in this book) the Lord
Mayor (Alderman Frank Green), Aldermen Sir
Whittaker Ellis, Sir Henry Knight, Sir Reginald
Hanson, Sir Joseph Savory, Sir David Evans, Sir
Joseph Renals, Sir Walter Wilkin, Sir Horatio
Davies, M.P., Sir Alfred Newton, Sir G. F. Faudel-
Phillips, Sir Joseph Dimsdale, Sir Marcus Samuel,
Messrs. Pound, Bell, Truscott, Alliston, Samuel
Green, Strong, Smallman, Crosby, Sir John Knill,
Sir W. P. Treloar, with the Sheriffs, Alderman
Vaughan Morgan and Sir Joseph Lawrence.
It was about five minutes to two when the great
gates of Marlborough House, opening on Pall
Mall, were thrown open, and immediately the
advanced point of the King's guard in full dress,
the troopers bearing their carbines at the carry,
emerged into the roadway. Then came the escort
itself, with drawn swords, the feeble sun just
adding a touch of ghnt to their polished helmets
37

The Coronation of Edward VII
and cuirasses. The officer of the escort rode
beside the King's coach, which was driven at a
trot. The King himself was in the uniform of a
Field-Marshal, and wore his Orders and the blue
riband of the Garter across his breast. He looked
grave and somewhat worn, a circumstance that
was, perhaps, not to be wondered at. By his side,
in the uniform of the Norfolk Artillery Militia,
was his Majesty's long-time friend, Lord Suffield,
and he was also accompanied by Captain Holford,
in the scarlet uniform of an equerry. There was
an outburst of cheera as the King's coach was
driven out of the grounds of Marlborough House,
and, turning sharply into Marlborough Yard, it
passed into the Mall, and thence into St. James's
Palace by the Garden entrance. The throng in
the Mall at this time was very great, and here
again there was generous cheering, as if to assure
the King that the people were with him in heart
and sympathy.
By historic usage, said to date back several
centuries, the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and Court of
Aldermen of the City of London were informed
that they might " give attendance '' at the meeting
of the Privy Council upon the accession of the
38

Accession of Edward VII
monarch " should they think proper." The letter
conveying such information was as follows: —
" Privy Council Office,
''January 22nd, 1901
" Immediate. "My Lord,— The Lords of the Privy Council,
having been desired to meet at St. James's Palace
on Wednesday, the 23rd instant, at two o'clock p.m.,
I am directed to give your lordship notice thereof,
that your lordship and the Court of Aldermen may
give attendance there if you should think proper.
Levfe dress; crape on left arm. — I have the honour
to be your lordship's obedient servant,
"A. W. FITZ ROY.
'' To the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor,
" The Mansion House, London."
Needless to remark that the meeting of the
Privy Council was held in the interesting Banqueting
Hall of St. James's Palace, but the King, did not
proceed there immediately. Ascending the main
staircase he passed into the Throne room — that in
which the Levies are held — and thence by Queen
Anne's room to the Picture gallery.
At the stroke of the appointed hour of two the
Duke of Devonshire, Lord President of the Council,
39

Accession of Edward VII
assumed the presidency of the as.sembly. The Duke
made a formal communication of the death of
Queen Victoria, and the succession to the Throne
of her son, the Prince of Wales. It then became
necessary to appoint a deputation to inform the
King in the adjoining apartment that the Council
had assembled. The Royal Dukes, with the Lord
President, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the
Prime Minister were then directed to repair to the
King's presence, and to acquaint him of the terms
of the Lord President's statement. In a few
minutes they returned accompanied by the King,
who, we are told, was deeply moved.
His Majesty addressed the Council in what a
member present on the occasion described as " a
.splendid speech, beautifully dehvered," which oc
cupied some seven or eight minutes. The King's
address was finely dignified in tone, and at
moments it seemed as if it were only with the
greatest difficulty he was able to control his
emotions. The title he would assume, he informed
the Council, was Edward VII. There could only
be, he said, one Albert, and ' that his revered
father, Albert the Good. Then in earnest tones
his Majesty pledged himself to devote his life to
40

Accession of Edward VII
the welfare of the country and the Empire, and in
so doing he asserted his confidence in the support
of Parliament and the people. The actual text of
the King's speech, officially published in the London
Gazette, was as follows :
" ' Your Royal Highnesses, My Lords, and Gentle
men, — This is the most painful occasion on which
I shall ever be called upon to address you.
" ' My first and melancholy duty is to announce to
you the death of My beloved Mother the Queen,
and I know how deeply you, the whole Nation, and I
think I may say the whole world, sympathise with
Me in the irreparable loss we have all sustained.
" ' I need hardly say that My constant endeavour
will be always to walk in Her footsteps. In under
taking the heavy load which now devolves upon
Me, I am fully determined to be a Constitutional
Sovereign in the strictest sense of the word, and as
long as there is breath in My body to work for the
good and amelioration of My people.
" ' I have resolved to be known by the name of
Edward, which has been borne by six of My
ancestors. In doing so I do not undervalue the
name of Albert, which I inherit from My ever to
be lamented, great and wise Father, who by
universal consent is I think deservedly known by
41 D

The Coronation of Edward VII
the name of Albert the Good, and I desire that
his name should stand alone.
" ' In conclusion, I trust to Parliament and the
Nation to support Me in the arduous duties which
now devolve upon Me by inheritance, and to which
I am determined to devote My whole strength
during the remainder of My life.'
" Whereupon the Lords of the Council made it
their humble request to his Majesty that his
Majesty's Most Gracious Declaration to their Lord
ships might be made public, which his Majesty
was pleased to Order accordingly."
The next proceeding was a solemn one — that in
which the Lord Chancellor administered the oath
to the King ; and immediately afterwards the Royal
Dukes came forward, and, having taken the oath,
each kissed the King's hand. They were followed
by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and then the
members of the Cabinet, who were sworn en bloc,
each kissing the hand in succession. The Privy
Council were also sworn as a whole, but the
members did homage individually.
An unexpected difficulty (we have been told)
arose in obtaining a copy of the King's speech in
Council for publication in the special London Gazette
above referred to. As a matter of fact, there was
42

THE REGALIA

No, II

The

The

Queen Consort's
Orb
Temporal St Edward's
Sceptre Staff
(Victoria)

1 mperial Orb

Spiritual Sceptre
(Victoria)

Accession of Edward VII
no copy, for the King had no notes and had not
written his speech beforehand. As an extempore
utterance it was, therefore, somewhat remarkable.
Of course no shorthand writer was present to take
notes, and the only way to obtain the copy was
to ask his Majesty to dictate the speech to his
secretary. His excellent memory enabled him to
do this with accuracy.*
It may be interesting to add that the attendance
of members of the Privy Council at this historic
meeting included : The Duke of York, the Duke
of Connaught, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince
Christian, Field-Marshal Prince Edward of Saxe-
Weimar, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Prime
Minister, the Earl of Clarendon, the Duke of Fife,
the Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the House
of Commons, the Duke of Norfolk (Earl Marshal),
the Duke of Rutland, the Duke of Northumberland,
the Duke of Portland, the Earl of Coventry, Earl
Carrington, the Earl of Chesterfield, Earl Spencer,
the Earl of Kimberley, the Lord Chief Justice,
Lord Rosebery, Lord Pirbright, Lord Rathmore,
Lord Knutsford, Lord Morris, Lord Strathcona, Lord
* Birmingham Post (London correspondent), January 24th,
1901. 43

The Coronation of Edward VII
Rowton, Lord Brampton, Lord Balfour of Burleigh,
Lord Goschen, Lord Lansdowne, Sir H. Campbell-
Bannerman, M.P., Sir William Harcourt, M.P., Mr.
J. Chamberlain, M.P., Sir S. Ponsonby Fane, Sir
Richard Temple, Sir G. Goldie, Sir W. Hart-Dyke,
M.P., Sir H. Drummond Wolff, Sir Francis Jeune,
the Marquis of Hertford, Sir H. Fowler, M.P., the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. John Morley,
M.P., Mr. Asquith, M.P., Mr. Walter Long, M.P.,
Mr. J. W. Lowther, M.P., Mr. R. Spencer, M.P.,
Mr. Staveley Hill, Mr. Victor Cavendish, M.P., Mr.
Arnold Morley, Mr. Lecky, M.P., Mr. Courtney,
M.P., Mr. Bryce, M.P., Mr. Brodrick, M.P., Mr.
Acland, Lord George Hamilton, Lord Ashbourne,
Lord Burghclere, the Marquis of Ripon, Lord
Cadogan, Lord Ribblesdale, the Earl of Cork, the
Earl of Dartmouth, Lord A. Hill, Sir John Gorst,
M.P., Mr. Jesse Collings, M.P., Lord Justice Romer,
Lord Justice Smith, Lord Justice Charles, Lord
Justice Rigby, Mr. W. L. Jackson, M.P., Sir John
Kennaway, Mr. Scale Hayne, M.P., Mr. Akers-
Douglas, M.P., the Lord Advocate, and Sir F.
Milner. For the first time in the history of England
the Proclamation of the Sovereign at the first
meeting of the Privy Council was signed by Jews —
44

Accession of Edward VII
viz., Lord Pirbright, Sir George Faudel-Phillips, and
Sir Marcus Samuel.
* * * * #
The aspect of the House of Lords soon after
four o'clock of the afternoon of January 23rd, 1901,
was unique. Instead of the regular set scene of
a few members on the Ministerial side, and fewer
on the Opposition benches, the way from the right
of the Throne to the left of the Bar was thronged
with Peers pressing forward to take the oath of
allegiance to the Crown and the Constitution. All
were in black, except the two Archbishops and the
Bishops, whose white lawn sleeves and black satin
robes gave the only relief to the throng of fully
two hundred noblemen, old, young, and middle
aged. At the Opposition side of the table stood
a single clerk of the House of Lords in wig and
gown to administer the oath and direct the signing
of the roll. On the Woolsack sat the Lord Chan
cellor in black silk gown and full-bottomed wig.
In the balcony on the Opposition side were about
thirty ladies, all in deep mourning, giving to the
assembly a greater air of solemnity than prevailed
in the range of peers gradually moving along
below. 45

The Coronation of Edward VII
The first of the Peers tcf take the oath and sub
scribe the roll after the Lord Chancellor were the
Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of
York. Each in turn shook hands with the Lord
Chancellor, and passing a few members of the
House of Commons, who were standing in front of
the Throne, went out of the House. Other Peers
followed, including the Duke of Connaught and
the Prime Minister (Lord Salisbury).
Although it was announced officially that the
House of Commons would not meet until four
o'clock in the afternoon, a number of members
came down early in the morning and secured
seats. When the Speaker appeared, exactly at
four o'clock, there were about two hundred
members in their places. The Speaker took the
chair and said :
" I would remind the House that by reason of
the deeply lamented decease of her Majesty Queen
Victoria, it has become our duty to take the oath
of allegiance to her successor, his Majesty King
Edward the Seventh. I will, according to ordinary
custom, take the oath myself first, and then invite
hon. members to come to the table and follow my
example." 46

Accession of Edward VII
The Speaker then administered the Oath to himself
as follows :
" I, William Court Gully, do swear that I will be
faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty
King Edward the Seventh, his heirs, and successors,
according to law. So help me God."
Having kissed the book, the roll was taken to
the right hon. gentleman, and duly signed by him.
At ten minutes past six, 290 members having
been sworn, the House adjourned until the next
day at three oclock.
The Parliamentary Papers for January 24th, 1901,
cannot fail to be of interest to the student of
history. The record of the previous day's sitting
of the House of Lords ran thus :
" House met, on the occasion of the Demise of
her late Majesty Queen Victoria, pursuant to the
Act of 6 Anne, c. 7. Prayers. The Lord Chancellor,
singly, in the first place, took the Oath at the Table.
Several Lords took the Oath. His Royal Highness
the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, singly, took
the Oath. His Royal Highness the Duke of York,
singly took the Oath."
The entry in the Journals of the House of
Commons was as follows :
47

The Coronation of Edward VII
" It having pleased Almighty God to take to
his mercy our late Most Gracious Sovereign
Lady Queen Victoria of blessed memory, who de
parted this life yesterday between the hours of 6
and 7 of the clock in the evening, at Osborne House
in the Isle of Wight ; and her late Majesty's Most
Honourable Privy Council, and others, having met
this day at Saint James's Palace, and having directed
that his Royal Highness Albert Edward Prince of
Wales be proclaimed King, by the Style and Title
of Edward the Seventh : Mr. Speaker, and several
other Members, came to the House of Commons
this day, where Mr. Speaker alone, and then the
other Members present, took the Oath, and several
Members made and subscribed the Affirmation
required by Law."
The title-page of the " Votes and Proceedings "
of ,the House of Commons was inscribed as relating
to " the Second Session of the 27th Parliament of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
January 23rd, 1901, in the First year of the Reign
of his Majesty King Edward the Seventh."

48

ON Thursday, January 24th, 1901, the King was
proclaimed at St. James's, and generally
throughout London and the kingdom, with all the
time-honoured ceremony. The cry " God save the
King ! " was then raised officially in the capital
of England for the first time for over sixty years.
It is of interest to recall that its earliest form was
in every case associated with an Edward. Letters
to Edward I. from one of his counsellors were
accustomed to close with the formula, " Sire, Deu
sauve e garde vostre noble seignurie e acresce vos
honurs." The chronicler has it that the army of
Edward III., when he landed in Flanders, in 1340,
cried, " Vivat Rex Francorum et Anglia; " ; and
we get very near the present use in the poem
" Edwardus Dei Gratia," written on the accession
of Edward IV. :
God save thy contenewannce
And so to prospede to his plesaunce
That ever thyne Astate thou mowte enhaunce !
Edwardes Dai Gracia.
49

The Coronation of Edward VII

It was about the same period that another poem,
highly complimentary to the English people, pre
sented the precise phrase in the lines :
God, let neuere werre be vs among.
To lose that bio of gret renowne,
Ne neuere oure right be turned to wronge.
God save the Kyng, & kepe the crowne !
And the saying became consecrated to English
use by the fact that, in the translation of the Bible
made by Miles Coverdale, and a rendering followed
by the Bishop's Bible and the Geneva Bible, and
later by both the Authorised and Revised Versions,
the phrase is
more than once
used. On the
day above
named, when
Deputy Garter
had read the
Proclamation
hereinafter set
forth, as when
Samuel pro
claimed the first
England's Tudor Queen. Plebrew monarch,
SO

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Proclaimed King at St. James's
" all the people shouted and said, ' God save the
King ! ' "
P"orming three sides of a square, in the Friary
Court of St. James's Palace, so inseparably inter
woven with state ceremony from the days of the
Tudors, a guard of honour of the Grenadier Guards
was drawn up, with the King's Colour, and regimental
band. Soon after eight o'clock a conspicuous figure
on the balcony from which the proclamation was
to be read was that of the Duke of Norfolk, who,
in the capacity of Hereditary Earl Marshal of
England, wore the scarlet tunic, gold-laced, of that
time-honoured office, and the Riband of the Garter.
A striking incident, which marked the near approach
of the morning's ceremony, followed, in the arrival
of the Headquarters Staff, brilliant in full-dress
uniforms that imparted a welcome splash of colour
to a scene so far sombre and grey. At the head
of this cavalcade rode Earl Roberts, his breast
gleaming with medals, and one hand holding his
Field-Marshal's baton. Quickly recognised was the
Commander-in-Chief, who wore his newly conferred
Order of the Garter. He rode to a position
immediately in front of the Generals of his Staff,
among whom was Sir Evelyn Wood.
51

The Coronation of Edward VII
As the hour of nine rang out, it was to the
quadrangle's red-draped balcony that all eyes were
turned once more. For hither came the gorgeously
arrayed officials who, with the Earl Marshal and
Norroy King of Arms as central figures, bore so
conspicuous a part in the day's ceremony. Accom
panying the Deputy Garter were the historic
personages of Heralds' College —to wit, York Herald,
Somerset Herald, Windsor Herald, Rouge Croix
Pursuivant, Bluemantle Pursuivant, and Rouge
Dragon Pursuivant. All of these officials were arrayed
in resplendent crimson tabards, upon which the
Royal , arms were embroidered in gold, and with
them appeared the four Sergeants-at-Arms (their

The Headquarters Staff.
52

Proclaimed King at St James's
collars worked in silver with S. S.) ; enormous gold
maces, belonging to the Royal Insignia of the Tower,
being carried by these attendants. To the front
of the balcony there stept forward, when all was in
readiness, the four State trumpeters, in brilliant
uniform, and, ere Big Ben from the tower yonder,
seen through the haze of the Park, had boomed the
last of his nine strokes, an impressive fanfare of
trumpets led up to the long-awaited Proclamation.
Now, in clear, deliberate, ringing tones, so that not
one word was lost to the hearing of those assembled
in the courtyard, the Deputy Garter read from a
long parchment scroll the Proclamation, as follows : —
" Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to
His Mercy Our late Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria,
of Blessed and Glorious Memory, by whose Decease
the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland is solely and rightfully come to
the High and Mighty Prince Albert Edward : We,
therefore, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of this
Realm, being here assisted with these of her late
Majesty's Privy Council, with Numbers of other Principal
Gentlemen of Quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen,
and Citizens of London, do now hereby, with one
Voice and Consent of Tongue and Heart, publish and
proclaim. That the High and Mighty Prince, Albert
S3

The Coronation of Edward VII
Edward, is now, by the Death of our late Sovereign of
Happy Memory, become our only lawful and rightful
Liege Lord Edward the Seventh, by the Grace of God,
King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India :
To whom we do acknowledge all Faith and constant
Obedience, with all hearty and humble Affection ;
beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens do reign,
to bless the Royal Prince Edward the Seventh, with
long and happy Years to reign over Us.''
The final word of the Proclamation having been
spoken. Deputy Garter, in a voice that carried
beyond the old walls of the quadrangle to the ears
of the crowd standing without the Palace precincts,
cried out " God save the King ! " upon which the
State trumpets blared in unison once again, the
Grenadiers' band gave forth the National Anthem,
and a great burst of cheering went up from all
assembled. And so, with the inspiring words " God
save the King " still on the lips of his Majesty's
loyal subjects, the stately, picturesque, and impressive
rite in so far as St. James's was concerned reached
its appointed end.
A few minutes passed and then a procession
started on its way from the old Palace to different
points of the Empire's capital, where, in accordance
54

Proclaimed King at St. James's
with precedent, the Proclamation had to be read
afresh. Mounted police led the way, and there was
a brave escort of Royal Horse Guards (Blue). But
the gorgeously clad Heralds and Pursuivants, depart
ing in this instance from old-time custom, proceeded
Citywards in closed equipages, and not, as seemed
to be anticipated, on horseback. The General and
officers of the Home District Staff brought up
the rear of the cortege, which made its way along
Pall Mall at a slow and stately pace to the ancient
City ruled by the Lord Mayor. There in his
presence all was done over again, and so elsewhere.
At noon a Royal salute was fired in St. James's
Park to mark the accession of King Edward VII.
Thousands of people assembled on the Horse Guards'
Parade to witness the ceremony.

55

ON Thursday, February 14th, King Edward
VII. opened his first Parliament in person,
accompanied by her Majesty Queen Alexandra,
and attended by all the great officers of State.
There, and then, from the Throne, in the House
of Lords, the King made his " Solemn Declaration "
— hereinafter referred to in Section VII. of the
Coronation Service itself
By the "Bill of Rights," 1688 (i William and
Mary, Sess. 2, c 2), it is enacted :
" That every King and Queene of this Realme,
who at any time hereafter shall come to, and
succeede in, the imperiall crowne of this kingdome,
shall on the first day of the meeting of the first
Parlyament, next after his, or her, comeing to the
crowne, sitting in his, or her, throne in the House
of Peeres, in the presence of the lords, and com
mons, therein assembled, or at his, or her, coronation,
before such person, or persons, who shall administer
the coronation oath to him, or hef, at the time of
his, or her, takeing the said oath (which shall
first happen), make, subscribe, and audibly repeate,
56

Opens his First Parliament in Person
the Declaration mentioned in the statute made in
the thirtyeth yeare of the raigne of King Charles the
Second, entituled An Act for the more effectuall
Preserveing the King's Person, and Government, by
disabling Papists from sitting in either House of
Parlyament. " But, if it shall happen that such King or
Queene upon his, or her, succession to the crowne
of this Realme, shall be under the age of twelve
yeares, then every such King or Queene shall make,
subscribe, and audibly repeate the said Declaration
at his, or her, coronation, or the first day of the
meeting of the first Parlyament as aforesaid, which
shall first happen after such King, or Queene, shall
have attained the said age of twelve years."
These words, " annexed to the original Act in a
separate schedule," are the law to-day in Eng
land — at all events to the date of this present
writing. The Declaration above referred to (we append
it in the original) made by his Majesty was as
follows, the words being repeated after the Lord
Chancellor, the King kissing the Testament and
subscribing his name to the Oath immediately
after : — " 1 [Edward] doe solemnely and sincerely in the
presence of God professe testifie and declare, that I
57 E

The Coronation of Edward VII
doe believe that in the sacrament of the Lord's
Supper there is not any transubstantiation of the
elements of bread and wine into the body and blood
of Christ, at or after the consecration thereof by any
person whatsoever ; and that the invocation or adora
tion of the Virgin Mary or any other saint, and the
sacrifice of the masse as they are now used in the
Church of Rome are superstitious and idolatrous,
and I doe solemnely in the presence of God pro
fesse testifie and declare, that I doe make this
declaration and every part thereof in the plaine and
ordinary sence of the words read unto me, as they
are commonly understood by English Protestants
without any evasion, equivocation or mentall reserva
tion whatsoever, and without any dispensation already
granted me for this purpose by the Pope or any
other authority or person whatsoever, or without any
hope of any such dispensation from any person or
authority whatsoever, or without thinking that I am
or can be acquitted before God or man or absolved
of this declaration or any part thereof, although, the
Pope or any other person or persons or power whatso
ever should dispence with or annull the same, or
declare that it was null and void from the beginning."
The Coronation Oath, it may be stated, is given
in the Coronation Service, printed elsewhere :
Section VII.
The scene in the House of Lords at the signing
58

Opens his First Parliament in Person
of the Detlaration was thus graphically described
in a London journal of the following day : *
" The chamber that we call the Royal Gallery
is a worthy introduction to the House of Lords
itself — the proportions admirable, the colour scheme
sober and impressive. The two great battle-scenes
of modern England — Waterloo and Trafalgar — line
the walls in giant frescoes, pictures from which
one's eye wanders to the touch of Georgian
uniform in the head-dress and shakoes of some
attendants of the Royal Household. The line is
kept by the Yeomen of the Guard. Near the
richly moulded doorway leading to the House
itself stand the brilliant group of Gentlemen-at-
Arms, their bedazzlement contrasting sharply with
the pure white marble of the statue of the youth
ful Queen Victoria, idealised into a vision of love
liness and mild majesty. It is this statue that
King and Queen face as they begin their progress
up the Gallery.
" The staircase is a wonderful sight. On either
side stands a living hedge of blue and silver
topped with red plumes, and shining with the
steel of swords and burnished cuirasses. It is the
* Daily News, February 15 th, 1901.
59

The Coronation of Edward VII
Horse Guards. The officers group themselves at
the head of the stairway, and with them is a mass
of gayer plumage still — the Pursuivants and Heralds.
Gradually the forerunners and great figures of the
pageantry appear — Lord Salisbury rolling heavily
along in his scarlet peer's robes with three bars
of white ermine on the shoulder to mark his
rank. Apparently there is some doubt as to pre
cedence, for he and the Duke of Devonshire, in
ducal dress, confer with very unceremonial smiles,
and presently the Prime Minister, whose position
here is Lord Privy Seal — for everything to-day is
ornamental rather than practical — takes his station
at the foot of the staircase. Then he returns,
and by-and-by from the Lords comes the Lord
Chancellor, with his long smoke-coloured wig and
white frilled necktie, and red and ermine robe with
touches of black in it. With him is the Mace,
and he, of course, is one of the great features of
the procession. By-and-by come the two officials
who are entrusted with the carrying of the twin
symbols of Sovereignty — the historic Crown of
England and the more mysterious Cap of Main
tenance, with its broad ermine border and heavy
gold tassel. The Marquis of Winchester bears
60

The House of Lords from the River.

6\

The Coronation of Edward VII
the Cap on a .short stick, while the greater charge
of the Crown is in the hands of the Duke of
Devonshire [Lord President of the Council]. Round
the Duke's neck is a band ; in front of him is
a cushioned tray, on which lies the glittering
symbol of majesty.
" It is impossible not to smile. The gravest of
men, the Duke of Devonshire has the air of a
State Autolycus, hawking some new ware of price.
There is a long wait, then a stir at the closed
doorway which leads from the Robing Room.
Faint sounds of martial music are borne in from
without, and then, suddenly, the small trumpeters,
in their black jockey caps and long yellow coats,
break into a flourish. The doors swing back, and
the Royal procession marches in. Before it are
marshalled the mingled pageantry of State and
Court ceremonial, the Prime Minister, the Lord
President, the Lord Chancellor, and the House
hold Officials. The Heralds link themselves on to
the vanguard, and then, with little preface, come
King and Queen, hand in hand, bowing slightly
as they walk. Their dresses have a certain
resemblance, a subtle union of masculine and
feminine magnificence. The King wears a short
62

Opens his First Parliament in Person
ermine cape over his Field-Marshal's uniform, and
beneath the cape a sweeping cloak and train of
Royal purple. Some think his face recalls Harry
Tudor ; we thought it rather Georgian. In the
Queen's dress signs of mourning appear more dis
tinctly and veil the strong contrasts of colour.
On her head is a tiny, almost toylike crown of
diamonds, and underneath it a sweeping black
veil. Masculine eyes hardly grasp the subtle blend
ing of black and purple in the long robe, and the
Garter worn high up on the left arm. But the
Queen's bearing is a thing to which no eye, how
ever careless, can be indifferent. It is a touch of
poetry, a feminine appeal which wins every heart.
One thinks again of Queen Victoria's long-past
youth and the girlish figure, the parted lips, the
brave smile, of which all the courtly pens of sixty
long years ago have told us.

"The procession is a little late, but here it is
at last. The audience rises, and the brilliant
group, appears in the doorway. King and Queen
are still hand in hand. They bow right and left,
and the assembly bows lower still in silence. They
63

The Coronation of Edward VII
seat themselves, the Queen looking across the
Peeresses' Gallery, the King gazing steadily before
him. Then Black Rod breaks a long, rather
awkward silence by slipping round to the Oppo
sition side of the House, bowing low to the King
as he goes. For it is still the fact that the presence
of the Commons, of whom one hears so little in
these high days, is needed before the Royal Message
can be read, or the accompanying Declaration on
the Mass can be made. And then occurs an
amusing interlude. We are all attuned to a solemn
mood, when on our listening ears breaks a noise as
of thunder, a trampling of many feet, a shaking
of the very galleries. It is the faithful Commons
breaking in on our dignity — a Comus route of
legislators. Somehow the dignified Speaker is in
the centre, with Sir William Harcourt on his left
and Mr. Balfour, Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, and
presently Mr. Chamberlain, impelled from behind
by some physical force or grace of courtesy, on
the right. And then — the Commons having in
some fashion assembled themselves before the bar
— State reigns again.
"The prelude is a little out of tune with the
later note of stateliness. The Lord Chancellor
64

Opens his First Parliament in Person
emerges from the group round the Throne, which
now includes Lord Salisbury and the Duke of
Devonshire (with the Crown) on the right of the
Throne, and Lord Londonderry to the left, holding
the Sword of State, with its elaborately worked hilt
and scabbard. On chairs a little in front are a
group of ladies in black — the daughters of the late
Queen, the Duchess of Argyll among them, still
notable for a certain stately beauty, the Duchess
of Cornwall and young Prince Arthur of Connaught,
while Prince and Princess Christian are somewhat
in the background. It is to this group that Lord
Halsbury presents himself armed with a red satchel
of elaborate embroidery. His appearance proves to
be the inauguration of the strange little ceremony,
of which so much has been heard — the Declaration
against the Mass and other Roman doctrines and
observances. It is hardly impressive. King, and
kneeling Chancellor, exchange copies of a Testament
and of the Declaration form, from which the King
proceeds to read out the rather crude, fierce sen
tences of the old formulary. Not a word, however,
reaches ears — Catholic or Protestant — as distant as
those in the Strangers' Gallery. The Chancellor
follows [leads?] the King in a kind of rapid and
65

The Coronation of Edward VII
muttered unison. Then comes the Oath, and the
King's signature to the document, and again for a
moment or two the ceremony proceeds on rather
a halting wing. But it comes to a dignified and
ample close. Now more at his ease, the Sovereign,
who wears his cocked military hat, stands and
reads the language of the King's Speech, which,
as suiting the occasion, is far more rounded and
ceremonial than usual. The effect is excellent.
His strong, full voice penetrates easily every corner
of the Chamber. The elocution is slow and
dignified, and is altogether a lesson in the art of
public speech to the statesmen who a few hours
later replace him less audibly and less impressively.
The Speech over, the King retains it folded in the
hand which he gives to the Queen, and the pair
make an exit not less stately than their entrance."
One point arose out of the proceedings at the
opening of the first Parliament of King Edward VII.
which it may be interesting to note here. A protest,
most temperately and respectfully worded, by the
Roman Catholic peers against the form of the fore
going Declaration to which the King had to swear
and subscribe was addressed to the Lord Chancellor
(Lord Halsbury). That the oath was imperatively
66

Opens his First Parliament in Person
required by the statute which secures the succession
to the Throne was not denied, nor did the
signatories to the protest object to any forms which
explicitly pledge the, Sovereign to be true, in
accordance with the'" Bill of Rights," to the funda-

Westminster Bridge from the South, showing the Houses of
Parliament.
mental principles of Protestantism. But they took
exception to what they described as the contumelious
epithets and the provocative tone of the oath, of
which the text is printed, pp. 57-8. They expressed
themselves as submitting to the law as it stood,
67

The Coronation of Edward VII
though they hoped it might be possible to alter
it. They were, they said, as loyal and devoted to
the Crown, and the King, as any others of his
subjects. But the language of the Declaration to
which the Sovereign had to subscribe on his
Accession made it painful to them to be present
on an occasion in which, from every other point of
view, they shared the feelings of their countrymen.
Those who read that Declaration can hardly be
surprised in these days of religious toleration at
this protest on the part of Roman Catholics whose
loyalty would not be called in question.
The oath prescribed by the " Bill of Rights " was
incorporated in the Act of Settlement, when the
British people had just shaken themselves free from
the tyranny of James II. and from the power of
dispensation by the Pope, on which that Monarch
relied in evading his Constitutional pledges. ' The
circumstances have been altogether changed in the
last two centuries. Similar oaths, as the Times *
(from which we borrow these comments) points out
— similar oaths by which private persons and
ordinary officials were bound, have been modified
so as to do away with offensive and contentious
* February 15th, 1901
68

Opens his First Parliament in Person
matter. Yet there are still ample guarantees for
the maintenance of the Protestant character of the
British Constitution, which, indeed, will never be
in any danger while the British people remain, as
they will certainly remain, Protestant to the very
marrow of their bones. An Act of Parliament
bringing the language of the declaration to be
subscribed by the Sovereign into harmony with
the amenities of modern life might be passed,
without touching any point of Constitutional policy,
8r giving the slightest opening for any conceivable
advance of Roman Catholicism to political power by
the exercise of personal influence over the ruling
Sovereign. Roman Catholics in both Houses of Parliament
later complained of the Declaration, and recourse
was had to a Joint Committee, to ascertain whether
" the language of the Declaration could be modified
advantageously, without diminishing its value for
the continuance of the Protestant succession.'' This
Committee recommended two changes — that the
words referring to the adoration of the Virgin Mary
should be struck out, and that a specific statement
of belief in the Protestant religion should be inserted.
When embodied in a Bill, however, the suggested
69

The Coronation of Edward VII
alterations were exposed to severe criticism. Neither
Roman Catholics nor English Churchmen were
satisfied, and in the end the measure was abandoned,
despite its second reading in the House of Lords
(ninety-six for and six against) and the Prime
Minister's (Lord Salisbury) avowal that unless the
Declaration was modified as proposed it must remain
in its old objectionable form.

Sterne writing to one of his friends remarks : " Of
all the cants which arc canted in this canting world
— though the cant of hypocrisy may be the worst —
the cant of criticism is the most tormenting." In
truth, criticism is tormenting. The " Declaration "
induced a great deal of it of one kind and another
in speeches and writings; not a little of it, in Sterne's
sense, " canting,'' and not a little of it, we willingly
believe, sincere. His Eminence the Cardinal Arch
bishop of Westminster, had somewhat to say on the
subject. In the view of his Eminence the " Declara
tion " as it stands is " blasphemous," " detestable,"
" an insult to Catholics," and " worthless as a
guarantee for anything in the future."* Neverthe-
* Speech at Newcastle-on-Tyne, November gth, 1901.
70

Opens his First Parliament in Person
less, the Cardinal " entirely and frankly accepts the
decision of the country that the King must be
Protestant." The " Declaration " doubtless is offen
sive in its phraseology to a good many ; but there it
stands on the Statute book till Lords and Commons
agree in abolishing or repealing it, and the People
back them up in so doing. A modification of the
" specially provocative " parts of the Declaration^
that is to say, the " branding with contumelious
epithets" of some of the doctrines held by the
Roman Catholic subjects of the CrOWN might with
justice, perhaps, be conceded. But the mass of the
nation would never be disposed, we believe, to go
beyond that point.

71

MR. ADDINGTON, the well-known statesman
of George III.'s reign, writing to his brother,
remarks (December 29th, 1804) that he had just
been dining with the King. " Our dinner consisted
of mutton-chops and pudding." That frugal meal,
served, be it observed, at Christmas-tide, and
common to many a middle-class English house
hold of to-day, whose wage-earning capacity hardly
reaches to more than a couple of pounds a week,
was served to Royalty and its guests at Buckingham
House (then the Queen's palace), when its owner,
King George III., was in receipt of ;£'8oo,ooo a year
from the Civil List, plus other sources of income
independent of Parliamentary control, which Mr.
Burke estimated to amount annually to a sum
" little less than a million pounds sterling."
A king may of course — just as one of his subjects
— dine as he will, either in the style of Lucullus
or Duke Humphry; and George III. was par
ticularly partial (so we are told) to mutton, loin,
72

Will Serve for Table-Talk
leg, or shoulder. To provide a meagre dish of
chops for a Minister of State (we think Chancellor
of the Exchequer at that time) who had a voice
in the voting of ^^"800,000 a year "for the sup
port of the dignity, and for the personal comfort
of the Sovereign," was not, one would say, the
wisest way of getting it increased when urgency
demanded. Yet George the Third found that sum insufficient,
and was compelled more than once during his
reign, to ask for more. Parliament voted sub
stantial sums to pay his debts. His son, George
the Fourth, annually received ;^845,727 for his
Civil List — and a good deal more, amounting to
at least three-quarters of a million pounds sterling,
independent of Parliament. It is only fair to say,
that the yearly charges on the Civil List were, in
those days, exceptionally heavy for reasons various,
all duly accounted for in the ample history of those
times. Parliament eventually interfered to curtail
those charges, and voted an annual sum to the
Crown which may be said nowadays to represent
the Sovereign's annual income from the State.
William the Fourth received ;£'5 10,000 a year, and
her late Majesty Queen Victoria, ;£^385,ooo, plus (if
73 r

The Coronation of Edward VII
we remember aright) a matter of some ;^I200 a
year, for what are now known as Civil List pensions,
generally bestowed on the recommendation of the
Prime Minister, on persons who have deserved
well of the State in some profession, or department
of public life, and whose means of livelihood are

Buckingham Palace.
scanty. For example. Literature and Science, etc.,
.share in these small annual benefactions ; as
occasionally do the widows and orphans of military
and naval commanders.
I recollect a legal friend once telling me, that he
had travelled to the country-seat of a very rich
man to deliver some legal "documents to be signed.
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Will Serve for Table-Talk
My friend was invited to luncheon. Naturally, I
asked the man of law — for all lawyers love good
living — how he fared. Sumptuously, said he ; de
licious dishes and exquisite wines. The host himself
partook of a single cup of cocoa, and a few pieces
of dry toast. " ' To such base uses may we come
at last, Horatio,' " said I ; " even though we be
possessed of all the wealth of the Indies, and all
the power of ancient Rome." 'Tis a melancholy
reflection when we come to consider it, that imagina
tion may " trace the noble dust of Alexander,
till he find it stopping a bung-hole ! " Though " not
all the water in the rough wide sea, can wash the
balm from an anointed king," not all that wealth
e'er gave, or power conferred, can make him
more than human. Parliaments may vote millions
of money for the support of his dignity and for
his personal comfort ; but a king, after all, finds
but twenty-four hours in a day, and can eat but his
customary three daily meals, sleep his customary
hours of sleep, enjoy himself occasionally as he will,
walk, ride, rest, work, like the rest of us, during his
three score years and ten or four score years of
life, as may be allotted him.
Why do Parhaments haggle about " Civil Lists "
75

The Coronation of Edward VII
and Kings' incomes ? What particular enjoyment
do kings get out of life more than the average of
us? I wonder whether Mr. Astor, Mr. Carnegie,
or Mr. Rockefeller — if they will forgive me for
naming them — or Mr. Any One Else could tell us
honestly that their enjoyment of life first to last
has been supreme — one continuous round of delight
ful days all their life long? For my part, I would
vote his Majesty, a King, all the money he found
he had occasion for ; trusting, perhaps, that none
but a very small amount would be required of him
who has but little to contribute. Such an expression
of opinion will be taken for what it is worth.
Literary persons rarely learn the value of money.
How should they ? when so little comes their way.
But we are rambling from the point.
Many subjects which in old times were matters
of controversy with regard to the Civil List
of the Sovereigns of England have now disap
peared. There is universal agreement that the
Civil List shall not contain anything but that
which is necessary for the maintenance of the
dignity and status of the Crown. In former reigns
frequent applications were made to Parliament, after
the Civil List had been fixed, for the payment
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Will Serve for Table-Talk
of debts of the Sovereign or of members of the
Royal Family. " Though in the later years of the
late Queen's reign (Queen Victoria) the expenditure
had been greater than Parliament had provided for,
not one application," the Chancellor of the Exchequer
told the House of Commons on the evening of
March nth, 1901, "had been made for any addition
to the Civil List." "His Majesty King Edward,"
we were officially reminded, "had for many years
occupied an exceptional position, having had, as
Prince of Wales, the duties of Royalty thrown
upon him, involving heavier expenditure than that
ordinarily required of the Heir Apparent, yet his
annuity fixed thirty years ago had proved sufficient
for the exceptional duties which he had performed
in a manner entitling him to the gratitude of the
country, and to enable him to provide for all those
who were dependent upon him in a spirit of
generous consideration for their comfort and wel
fare which had been an example to the nation
at large."
Both these statements, it may be remarked in
passing, came as a surprise to those who, in time
past, were seldom free from gossiping about the
late Queen's supposed thrift on the one hand,
77

The Coronation of Edward VII
and the Prince of Wales's supposed extrava
gance on the other : another lesson on the un
righteousness and injustice of judging others. " The
basis of the proposals of the Government were
the Civil List of her late Majesty, with such varia
tions as the altered circumstances and experiences
of more than sixty years might show to be necessary.
There never was a time when the Monarchy was
more universally popular, and it was incumbent
upon the people as a matter of honour to provide
adequately for the dignity of the head of the State.
At the same time, all would agree that that should
be done without extravagance or lavish waste."
Such were the views of his Majesty's Government,
in making arrangements for the due support of
the King's dignity, and in furtherance of the
comfort of his Majesty's Household and that of
Queen Alexandra, and the members of their
family when Parliament took the Civil List into
consideration last year.
On April 4th, 1901, the House of Commons Com
mittee, to which the whole matter had been referred,
published its report, and all the facts and suggestions
therewith associated. The financial recommenda
tions of the Committee may be thus summarised :
78

Will Serve for Table-Talk

I. Civil List
First Class
Second Class .

Third Class
Fourth Class
Fifth Class

Sixth Class

;{;4 70,000

Their Majesties' Privy
Purse . . ^110,000
Salaries of his
Majesty's House
hold and Retired
Allowances .
Expenses of his Ma
jesty's Household
Works Royal Bounty, Alms,
and Special Ser
vices
Unappropriated

125,800193,000 20,000

13,200 8,000

Total for the Civil List . ^470,000
2. Annuity to H.R.H. the Duke of Cornwall and
York (later created Prince of Wales)
3. Annuity to H.R.H. the Duchess of Cornwall and
York (Princess of Wales) ....
4. Provision for the King's Daughters
5. Charge on Consolidated Fund for Household
Pensions to Servants of the late Queen, not
exceeding ... ...
Total

10,000
18,000

25,000
^543,000

On Thursday, May 14th, 1901, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer (Sir Michael Hicks Beach) brought
the proposals of the Government, in respect of the
Civil List — the King'.s annual income, to use an
everyday term — before the House of Commons.
79

The Coronation of Edward VII
The following resolution was put from the Chair : —
" That there shall be charged on the Consolidated
Fund, as from the demise of her late Majesty, the
following annual payments : — For the King's Civil
List, ;^47o,00O ; for retired allowances, such sums
as may be required for the payment in each
year of pensions granted by her late Majesty or
by his present Majesty to servants of her late
Majesty's household, not exceeding .^25,000 ; for
Civil List pensions, such sums as may be required,
taken in each year, for Civil List pensions,
already granted or hereafter to be granted ; for
the Duke of Cornwall and York, ;£'20,ooo ; for
the Duchess of Cornwall and York, ;£'io,ooo ;
for the Duchess of Cornwall and York, in the
event of her Royal Highness's surviving the Duke
of Cornwall and York, ^^30,000 ; for his Majesty's
daughters, i^i 8,000; for Queen Alexandra, in the
event of her Majesty's surviving his Majesty the
King, ^^70,000 ; and that provision be made for
continuing for a period of six months after the
close of the present reign certain items charged,
which would otherwise be then determined." It
was carried by a majority of 249 in a " House "
of 365 members. The Duke of Cornwall and York,
80

THE REGALIA

No, III

f^itf^^i

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1

^

Spiritual Sceptre

Sword

Ivory Sceptre

of
Mercy
(Anne Boleyn)
(William IV)
(Sheathed)
Tern
Pi"rd
ral
Temporal
Sword of
Swc
of
Sceptre
Spiritual
lu
qt'
p
^Wjlliam IVl
Justice
Will Serve for Table-Talk
it should be noted, was created Prince of Wales on
November gth following.
With the resolution no serious fault was found in
any quarter. It was generally conceded that, with
out being lavish, the provision made for the Crown
was sufficient to secure in the actual circumstances of
the time the maintenance of its honour, dignity, and
necessary ceremonial.
Referring to the debate that took place on this
proposal the Times * said : " Comparing the present
occasion with the last upon which the Civil List
came before Parliament for revision, it is impossible
to miss the significant alteration in the temper of
the House and the country. There is not a trace
of the somewhat grudging spirit which then prevailed.
At a time when the national burdens are excep
tionally heavy, a substantial addition to the cost
of the Monarchy meets with nothing but general
approval. It is quite true that in relation to the
general expenditure of the country the increase of
the Civil List is a mere trifle. But it is equally
true that it is quite large enough to have provoked
serious opposition in a different condition of public
sentiment. * May 15th, 1901.
81

The Coronation of Edward VII
" What is the cause of the marked change in the
mode of looking at the Civil List ? There can be
no sort of doubt that it is due to the cause assigned
by Sir Michael Hicks Beach, the great popularity
which has accrued to the Crown owing to the ad
mirable manner in which Queen Victoria discharged
all the duties of a constitutional Sovereign. At her
accession the country had had Sovereigns of a very
different type to contemplate for several generations.
The Crown was not popular, certainly no one would
have ventured to say of it that ' at present it is,
perhaps, the most popular of our great institutions'
as Sir Michael Hicks Beach said last night, without
calling forth a murmur of dissent. While rendering
all homage to the late Queen for the great qualities
and the consistent devotion to duty which endeared
her to her people and strengthened the foundations
of the Throne, we may add that something more
was required to produce the condition of public
feeling and temper upon which we may now con
gratulate ourselves. Respect for his mother would
not by itself have produced the existing unanimity,
in providing upon an increased scale for the expendi
ture of the King. If Queen Victoria differed widely
from the Georges, so did her Heir Apparent differ
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Will Serve for Table-Talk
widely from the type of Heir Apparents to which
the country had been accustomed. Instead of being
a leader of faction and a centre of intrigue, he was
the most loyal and one of the most hard-working
of her Majesty's subjects. He bore himself in his
difficult position with a tact, a wisdom, and a dignity
which the nation fully appreciated. At his accession
to the Throne he was hailed with enthusiasm and an
assured confidence which count for much, even beside
the memory of the virtues which adorned the late
Queen."

83

PART II
THE CORONATION

"The perfection of Glory consists in these three particulars :
That the People love us ; that they have confidence in us ;
that being affected with a certain admiration towards us, they
thinli we deserve honour." 8S

" 'TpHE sharpest and most difficult profession of
-*¦ the world, in mine opinion " (wrote old
Montaigne, in the middle years of the sixteenth
century), " is to act and play the King. I excuse
more of their faults, than commonly other men
do ; and that in consideration of the down-bearing
weight of their charge." "The person who is the
cause of all this pomp and magnificence is the man
I envy least," Prince Charles Edward is reported
to have remarked (on the authority of David
Hume *) to a gentleman who recognised him in
the Abbey at the Coronation of George HI. On
the other hand, when, at the coronation of
Queen Mary (wife of William the Third), the
Princess Anne kindly remarked to the Queen :
" Madame, I pity your fatigue," " A crown,
sister," said her Majesty — " sharply," so Oldmixon
would have us believe — " is not so heavy as
it seems." * The Gentleman's Magazine, 1773.
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The Coronation of Edward VII
We are inclined to think that, in these our own
times, " the down-bearing weight '' of the King's
charge, not less maybe than his crown, is not
so heavy, perhaps, as might without consideration
appear to be. Truly, his Majesty's charge is
sufficiently onerous in all conscience — in the ordinary
daily duties to be performed, in the time and
personal attention necessary to be given to those
duties, in ceremonial functions to be presided at —
Drawing-rooms, Levees, and the like, in Council
meetings and interviews with Ministers of State,
in a hundred-and-one fatiguing other affairs, which
the King's subjects pray his Majesty from time
to time to take part in, wholly unconnected with
his more serious and imperative duties as Sovereign.
What those daily duties were, and how exacting
they were, in the late Queen Victoria's reign, we
were told by the Queen herself in her letters to

" The King shall have Welcome "
her People. Day in and day out, they had to
be undertaken by the Queen, much as the daily
routine of one of the least important officials
of the State. When one comes to consider
of it, very few would be willing to exchange
the leisure of a subject for the labour of a King.
The amount of business a King disposes of in
the course of a working day must be out of all
proportion greater than the average entailed upon
very many of his subjects. From the standpoint
of merely personal convenience, there is probably
no measure to which his Majesty of England would
more thankfully say " Le Roy le veult " — after the
manner of the Royal assent in old Norman French
given to measures passed by Parliament — than one
for restricting the labours of all Britons, including
himself, to eight hours a day. Such at least is
the opinion of a contemporary London journal.*
To the multifarious and most responsible duties
devolving upon the Sovereign, have been super
added in his Majesty's case a thousand and one
cares arising out of his accession to the Throne.
Few people have any idea of the time and thought
required for the arrangement of such a great Court
* The Daily Telegraph, November 9th, 1901.
89 G

The Coronation of Edward VII
function as the Coronation. When all the machinery
of an historic public ceremony is finally set in
motion, it works so smoothly that those who only
watch its frictionless movement fail to realise that
this very ease is the outcome of months of patient
consideration and forethought. But the busiest
man has always the most leisure at his disposal.

'1 HE King's Guaed at St. James's Palace.

and the King has never allowed these supplemen
tary taxes upon his time to interfere with the first
pledge he gave to the nation to devote his life,
as his ever-to-be-lamented mother did before him,
to the interests and welfare of the Empire over
which he rules. Ministers alone could give a de
tailed account of the care and attention which his
go

" The King shall have Welcome "
Majesty bestows on concerns of State, and their lips
are sealed. But the general public has formed an
adequate idea of the intense devotion of Queen
Victoria to public affairs, and it is in her footsteps
that King Edward is traveUing.
The model of a Constitutional Sovereign ! How
often we have heard that phrase? Englishmen never
fail to point with pride to the fact, that her late
Majesty Queen Victoria was that very model, illus
trious in character and in example alike. The fact
that it is so and was so, does not appear to have
lessened the good Queen's labours one jot. On the
contrary, it probably largely added to them, since
among the chief obligations entailed upon a con
stitutional sovereign is that paramount sense of duty
that impels him alyvays vigorously and religiously to
fulfil his own. '' Every subject's duty is the King's."
How awfully difficult it is for the greatest or meanest
among us, the most eager, the most earnest, the
most prudent, the most unselfish, to come anywhere
near a rigorous and religious fulfilment of ours I
" The appearance of power," wrote Lord North,
" is all that a King of this country can have." We
should imagine — with every feeling of respect be it
added — that a King of England should be very well
91

The Coronation of Edward VII
content to find he has no more. For the King's
trusted Ministers to do all the thinking and
working, and the King himself to have all "the
appearance of power," and (as Lord North added)
" to be treated with all sort of respect and
attention " would, one might suppose, be one of the
happiest conditions in which a King could find
himself placed. Is it going too far to express the
hope that, under such conditions. King Edward
the Seventh will be crowned in the ancient coronation
chair of our kings at Westminster? None of its
former occupants ever had more abundant assurance
than he that the " down-bearing weight " of the
King's charge will be cheerfully lessened by the
affectionate respect and loyalty of his subjects.
Not less fortunately for a King of England,
than for his subjects : " There can be no exercise
of prerogative," so said Sir Samuel Romilly on a
memorable occasion, " in which the King is without
some adviser. He might seek the counsels of any
man however objectionable, but that man would
be responsible for the advice given, and for the
acts of the Crown. There was no Constitutional
doctrine more important than this, for the protection
of the Crown. History had unfolded the evils of
92

"The King shall have Welcome"
a contrary principle having prevailed." Lord
Erskine also on a like occasion, in the House of
Lords, declared : " The King can perform no act
of government himself; and no man ought to be
received within the walls of this House to declare
that- any act of government has proceeded from
the private will, and determination or conscience
of the King. The King as chief magistrate can
have no conscience which is not in the trust of
responsible subjects. When he delivers the seals
of office to the officers of State, his conscience, as it
regards the State, accompanies them. . . . No act
of state or government can therefore be the King's.
He cannot act but by advice ; and he who holds
office sanctions what is done, from whatever
source it may proceed."
According to Lord Macaulay : " The doctrine
that the Sovereign of the United Kingdom is not
responsible, is doubtless as old as any part of
our English constitution. The doctrine that his
Ministers are responsible is also of immemorial
antiquity. That where there is no responsibility,
there can be no trustworthy security against
maladministration is a doctrine which, in our
age, and country, few people will be inclined to
93

The Coronation of Edward VII
dispute. From these three propositions it plainly
follows, that the administration is likely to be
best conducted, when the Sovereign performs no
public act without the concurrence and instrumen
tality of a Minister. This argument is perfectly
sound. But we must remember that arguments
are constructed in one way, and governments in
another. In logic, none but an idiot admits the
premises and denies the legitimate conclusion.
But, in practice, we see that great and enlightened
communities often persist, generation after genera
tion, in asserting principles, and refusing to act
upon those principles. It may be doubted whether
any real polity that ever existed has exactly
corresponded to the pure idea of that polity.
According to the pure idea of Constitutional Royalty,
the prince reigns and does not govern ; and Con
stitutional Royalty as it now exists in England
comes nearer than in any other country to the
pure idea. Yet it would be a great error to sup
pose (the Historian adds) that our princes reign and
never govern." However that may be : " Ours is
the happiest, the best, the most noble Constitution
in the world ; and I do not believe it possible
to make a better." If any should be disposed in
94

" The King shall have Welcome "
these days to disagree in that opinion, perhaps
they might find some degree of justification for
a discussion upon the point, in the fact that the
words were spoken by Lord Bradfield, Lord
Justice Clerk of Scotland's High Court of
Justiciary in Edinburgh, in the year 1793, at
the trial of Thomas Muir for sedition. Even
Judge Jeffreys has found his latter-day apologists.
Perchance Bradfield may find his— not for the
words now quoted, but for some of his acts as
judge. Mr. Gladstone, in one of his constitutional essays,
dwells with characteristic fervour upon the im
measurable gulf between the Crown and the most
highly placed of subjects. Philosophers, conscious
or unconscious, may ask with Uncle Toby, ' What
is all that to a man who fears God ? ' But from
the conventional and constitutional point of view,
Mr. Gladstone was perfectly right. The British
Constitution has been studiously framed to exalt
the person of the Sovereign above all possible
rivalry and amenability to any human tribunal.
When the French King was naughty in the
schoolroom another boy was whipped. For the
acts or omissions of a British Sovereign a British
95

The Coronation of Edward VII
Minister is always responsible. The Sovereign is
approached with profound reverence, he is care
fully shielded from profane observation (this care
is, so it seems to us, less seriously attended to
than formerly), and his name cannot be so much
as mentioned, except as a pure form, in Parlia
mentary debate. Mr. Disraeli was severely and
justly blamed because, after his defeat on the Irish
Church Resolutions in 1868, he intimated to the
House of Commons that the Queen had expressed
a preference for one of two possible courses. That
is precisely the sort of thing which a Minister has
no right to say. The Crown is an impalpable,
intangible entity, which its confidential servants
are bound to shield and to protect. The in
dividual Sovereign may by personal influence, and
still more by personal example, exercise an immense
power for evil or for good. The King had in
one respect a great advantage, while from another
point of view he laboured under a serious difficulty.
He succeeded a very great and a very good woman,
' the pillar of a people's hope, the centre of a
world's desire.' He can hardly hope to surpass
her. But if he follow in her footsteps, he cannot
go far wrong. 96

" The King shall have Welcome "
" The King when he came to the throne was the
oldest Heir Apparent in Europe. He was also the
best known. It is accounted among not the least
of the services which he has rendered to his country,
that he cultivated with perfect success the Royal
families of Europe, and the Republic of France. In
Paris he was always welcome. He showed that he
liked the French, and they welcomed him with cordial
enthusiasm. An excellent linguist, a genial com
panion, and a cosmopolitan man of the world, he
took away, so far as he could, the reproach of
insular coldness and pride which is attached with
more or less justice to the British nation. He
made himself at home in France ; and in Germany
he was at home by nature. With the House of
Romanoff he is doubly connected, and he was on
peculiarly intimate terms with the father of the
present Czar, as he is with the Czar himself.
I " At home the King always set in public an ad
mirable example of what an Heir Apparent should
be, and fulfilled with entire success the singularly
arduous task of being actively neutral in politics.
Interested, and well known to have been inter
ested, in all that was going on, King Edward
when Heir Apparent never, with one exception,
97

The Coronation of Edward VII
showed the faintest preference for one side of a
political controversy against another. That ex
ception was the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill, for
which he always steadily voted. As Prince of
Wales he was equally courteous, agreeable, and
attentive to all leading politicians without regard
for their principles or their votes. The public
did not know whether the King as Prince of Wales
was Liberal or Conservative, Home Ruler or
Unionist, Jingo or Pro- Boer. With all his mother's
Prime Ministers he was on cordial terms. From
the personal prejudice against Mr. Gladstone
which is said to have prevailed in the circles of
the Court, he was conspicuously free. His gracious
and sympathetic kindness to Mrs. Gladstone at the
funeral of her illustrious husband was observed by
every one present. With Lord Beaconsfield and
Lord Salisbury he was on the best of terms.
" Lord Rosebery, the only other Prime Minister he
can have really known, is known to be one of
his most intimate friends. There can, indeed, be
no higher testimony of his fitness for the splendid
position which he fills as King than the fact that
as Prince of Wales all parties respected him,
while no party could claim him for its own.
98

" The King shall have Welcome "
Practical politicians only can realise how much
self-control and self-suppression this means. For
the Prince, like other Englishmen, must have had
opinions. It was his high resolve, which he kept,
that he would act as if he had them not." We
take leave to borrow these excellent and entirely
true opinions from a leading article in the Daily
News of January 24th, 1901, while it was yet
under the editorship of one of the ablest of English
journalists, and represented in its columns generally
the best traditions of the Liberal Party in English
politics. » # » » «
Nihil est tarn populare quam bonitas. Nothing is
so popular as goodness is, " and never was there
time, or place, wherein more assured and great
reward was proposed unto Princes, for goodness
and justice. . . . Let him shine over others with
humanity, with truth, loyalty, temperance, and
above all with justice. ... It is only the People's
will wherewith he may effect what he pleaseth ;
and no other qualities can allure their will so much
as they, as being the profitablest for the people."
So wrote Montaigne, before quoted, at a time
when such virtues in princes were rare — " markes
99

The Coronation of Edward VII
nowadays rare, unknown, and exiled among kings "
as he quaintly observes. " Such markes," — albeit
four centuries of history have wrought vast changes
in the characteristics of kings, no less than in their
kingdoms and people : " such markes," may it not
be said, are of equal value and import now, as in
time past ; for, truly, nothing is so popular as good
ness is, whether in respect of kings or their subjects.
It was this quality, exhibited in such abundant
measure, in the character of Queen Victoria, that
made her so greatly beloved by her subjects, and of
so great fame the world throughout. Her son, our
present King, has shown a disposition to " allure "
the people's will by the cultivation of the same
quality. It has been truly said of him that he
is of an expansive and genial disposition, and
extremely popular with all classes of his siibjects.
As leader of society. King Edward is admirably
equipped. He is celebrated all over Europe for
his perfect manner, his genial and gracious address,
and his remarkable faculty for saying exactly the
right thing at the right moment. His Majesty
has warm personal friends in every European Court,
and near relatives in, one might almost say, each
of them. He has a wide experience of men and
100

" The King shall have Welcome "
affairs, and understands that display and the
panoply of State are absolutely necessary to the
dignity and prosperity of the nation, superficial as
in a sense they are. It is certain that the King, if
not himself partial to State display, has recognised
its importance in the social life of England, and
especially that of London, where in the Season,
so-called, anything of that nature attracts strangers,
and in various degrees contributes to the advantage
of trade, and in no small measure to that section
of trade which, at the West End of London, trusts
so largely to the influence and support of a resident
Court and wealthy aristocracy. For many years
of the late Queen's life London was without a
resident Court. It is likely that King Edward
will stay much more frequently at Buckingham
Palace, than was the case with Queen Victoria,
after the death of the Prince Consort.
Had it not been for King Edward and Queen
Alexandra when Prince and Princess of Wales,
London would have been practically without any
Season at all. No man in public life worked
harder than the Prince to keep things moving. He
was constantly presiding at banquets, and at
public meetings, and doing his utmost to promote
lOI

The Coronation of Edward VII
the success of the Season, often perilously threatened
(for reasons we admit as sufficient) by the absence
of the Court and its entourage. Condemned day
after day to gigantic luncheons, monster dinners,
and interminable festivities of one kind and another,
he seldom hesitated to sacrifice his own personal
ease and comfort to his sense of public duty. The
Prince's labours year after year were interminable,
in so far as state and social functions and festivities
were concerned. His inaugurations of public build
ings and exhibitions, unveiling of statues, laying
of foundation stones, the speeches he never failed
to make on such occasions, and the speeches and
addresses he had to listen to, the multitudinous
meetings he was ever reac^y to preside at : if these
things were related in full, among the other duties
of his Majesty, fulfilled when he was Prince of
Wales, the catalogue of these alone would fill a
volume. King Edward acquired universal popularity by
his willing attention to such duties ; duties
incumbent upon a Prince, whose desire is to gain
and keep the loyalty and affection of those one
day to become his subjects. Irksome as such
matters of daily duty must often have been to
1 02

" The King shall have Welcome "
himself, they are nevertheless important in many
ways in the social and political life of the nation.
# * # # *
" The future King of England," now his present
Majesty Edward the Seventh, to whom God grant
long Life and Happiness, and the full and free
loyalty and goodwill of his subjects ; " the People's
will wherewith he may effect what he pleaseth":
" the future King of England (I read in a book
published some fifteen years ago)* is chiefly dis
tinguished from many of his countrymen by his
complete freedom from arrogance. His courtesy
is exquisite, his grace of manner irresistible. He
throws himself entirely into the matter that for
the moment engages his attention, and makes eaph
favoured person to whom he speaks believe that
he is an object of special consideration. His
friends say, that with them he forgets his rank ;
but it is only on condition that they remember
it ; and his familiarity with others is not theirs
with him." But, these are twice-told tales, scarce
worth the relating now, save in so far as they serve
to illustrate the personal qualities of his Majesty.
Surely England never had a more popular Prince,
• " The World of London," Count Paul VasiH.
103

The Coronation of Edward VII
than he who for so many years signed himself
"Albert Edward, Prince of Wales," now about to
be crowned King in Westminster Abbey. He is
King already " to effect what he pleaseth," by his
people's will, having so stoutly and fairly striven
to gain their goodwill in preceding years, when
Prince of Wales.
* # * * #
As this book seeks to record every important event
in the first year of King Edward the Seventh's
reign, pertaining to his Majesty's circumstances as
Ruler of the Empire, it will be convenient to state
here that his first Parliament passed a measure
authorising certain changes in the Royal title.
It was very generally felt that the creation and
i-nauguration in 1901 of the Australian Common
wealth, together with the overwhelming proofs of
loyalty to the Empire afforded by the Colonies
during the South African war, ought to be
recognised by some change in the Royal style.
Accordingly both Houses of Parliament gave their
ungrudging support to a Bill enabling the King
to accomplish the purpose in view by means of
a proclamation. Such proclamation was made
November 4th, 1901, as follows : —
104

" The King shall have Welcome "
"EDWARD, R.I.
"Whereas an Act was passed in the last Session
of Parliament, intituled ' An Act to enable His Most
Gracious Majesty to make an Addition to the Royal
Style and Titles in recognition of His Majesty's
Dominions beyond the Seas,' which Act enacts that
it shall be lawful for Us, with a view to such recog
nition as aforesaid of Our Dominions beyond the
seas, by Our Royal Proclamation under the Great
Seal of the United Kingdom issued within six months
after the passing of the said Act, to make such addi
tion to the Style and Titles at present appertaining
to the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom and
its Dependencies as to Us may seem fit : And where
as Our present Style and Titles are, in the Latin
tongue, ' Edwardus VH. Dei Gratia Britanniarum
Rex, Fidei Defensor, Indise Imperator,' and in the
English tongue, 'Edward VIL, by the Grace of God
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India,'
We have thought fit, by and with the advice of Our
Privy Council, to appoint and declare, and We do
hereby, by and with the said advice, appoint and
declare that henceforth, so far as conveniently may
be, on all occasions and in all instruments wherein
Our Style and Titles are used, the following addidon
shall be made to the Style and Tides at present
appertaining to the Imperial Crown of the United
Kingdom and its Dependencies ; that is to say, in
the Latin tongue, after the word ' Britanniarum,'
105 H

The Coronation of Edward VII
these words, ' et terrarum transmarinarum quoe in
ditione sunt Britannica ' ; and in the English tongue,
after the words ' of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland,' these words, ' and of the British
Dominions beyond the Seas.' "
Those versed in historical and antiquarian lore
will recall the fact that, in the course of centuries,
the sovereigns of England have frequently changed
their styles. William I. (for example), surnamed
the Conqueror, who was but duke in his own
Normandy, contented himself with the description
" Rex Anglorum," but he is alone in his simpHcity,
possibly because he never felt too secure of
remaining King of England. William II. was
"Dei gratia, rex Anglorum"; Henry II. was
" Rex Angliae, dux Normaniae et Aquitaniae " ;
John, the first to make reference to the sister
island, was " Rex Angliae et dominus Hiberniae " ;
Henry III. added "dux Aquitaniae"; Henry V.
was "Rex Angliae, haeres et regens Franciae et
dominus Hiberniae"; Henry VI. was "Dei gratia,
rex Angliae et Franciae et dominus Hiberniae " ;
Henry VIII. was "Dei gratia, Angliae, Franciae et
Hiberniae rex, Fidei Defensor, et in terri Ecclesiae
Anglicanae et Hibernicae Supremum Caput."
1 06

(C

The King shall have Welcome "

The climax of length was reached when Mary
came to the throne. She and her Consort were
" By the Grace of God, King and Queen of
England and France, Naples, Jerusalem, and Ireland,
Defenders of the Faith, Princes of Spain and Sicily,
Archdukes of Austria, Dukes of Milan, Burgundy,
and Brabant." Elizabeth was merely " Queen of
England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the
Faith." James I. was " King of England, Scotland,
France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith." William
and Mary were the
same, but in the
plural number.
Queen Anne, after
the Union with
Scotland, was
" Queen of Great
Britain, France, and
Ireland." George I.
was " King of Great
Britain, France,
and Ireland,
Duke of Bruns
wick- Luneburg, Queen Elizabeth in her Robes of the
Defender of the Order of the Garter.

107

The Coronation of Edward VII
Faith." George III. on January ist, 1801, discarded
the French title (as well he might) and became, by
Royal proclamation, " Dei gratia, Britanniarum rex,
fidei defensor " ; and her late Majesty was " By the
Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith,
Empress of India." "Empress of India" came in
the latter days of Lord Beaconsfield's administration
of affairs. Queen Victoria was so proclaimed at
Delhi, January ist, 1877.
» # # * »
The King's Tudor Title " Defender of the Faith "
was not permitted to pass unchallenged, in the
various newspaper discussions that arose out of
the " Declaration,'' elsewhere referred to. But, as
was pertinently pointed out, the King, in the
Coronation ceremony, receives a ring from the
officiating Archbishop " as an emblem of kingly
dignity and of defence of the Catholic Faith." The
Church of England, which the Sovereign is solemnly
pledged to maintain and defend, officially and
explicitly teaches that " before all things it is
necessary to hold the Catholic Faith." The
Catholic Faith, defined in the three common creeds
of Catholic Christendom — the Apostles' Creed,
108

" The King shall have Welcome "
namely, the Athanasian and the Nicene, each
professed by Protestants of the Church of England
—is necessarily the same now as when those creeds
were promulgated. It is this Faith of which the
King is styled " Defender." One can hardly help
regretting that any of these religious animosities
were stirred up.

109

THI5-ACT-I3'A5- AN-ANCIENT;,
TALE-NEW-TOLD

A NCIENT, indeed, is the tale of the Coronation
"^ ^ of the Sovereigns of England in Westminster
Abbey : almost as ancient as the very kingdom
itself, and in very truth as ancient as that
venerable and famous historic church, before whose
altar, after an interval of sixty-four years, this act
is once again to be unfolded, to arouse the interest
and quicken the enthusiasm of millions of British
people the world over. The tale will lose nothing
in popular interest, by reason of its antiquity.
The first coronation of a king of England in
Westminster Abbey took place on Christmas Day
of the year 1066; the last, and one of the most
memorable, on June 28th of the year 1838. The
crowning of King ' Edward the Seventh and Queen
Alexandra is appointed to be held, as all now
know, in June of this present year of grace 1902
— a succession of events in England's history
continuing in unbroken sequence from the first of
her Norman kings to the seventh of the House of
no

' The place where resteth the holy bodie and reliques of the
Glqrious King and Confessor, St. Edward."

Ill

The Coronation of Edward VII
Hanover ; a period embracing, that is to say, more
than eight hundred years, within which period ah
the sovereigns of England, without exception, have
been crowned in Westminster Abbey.
" The place where I was crowned and anointed
King ; the place also of the common sepulture of
the Kings of this Realm, where, within the same,
and among the same kings, . resteth the holy bodie
and reliques of the Glorious King and Confessor,
St. Edward, and divers others of our Noble pro
genitors." Thus in brief is summed up the deep
and abiding national interest, the imperishable fame,
that belongs to the place where that ancient tale,
now in the mouth of many, is presently to be
new told before the people. The words quoted
appear in the " will " of that king who gave to
Westminster Abbey one of its most beautiful
parts, that splendid Tudor structure which still
bears the name of Henry the Seventh's Chapel.
Among that monarch's " noble progenitors," some
wrote of it with no less kingly regard and affection :
King Edward the Third, for example, as "the
Peculiar chapel of our principal Palace, in which
We and Our ancestors received our Coronation,
and all other Royal honours " ; King Edward the
112

An Ancient Tale New Told
Fourth, as a building which is placed " in the
forefront of the world of England ... of ever-
present interest to all of English race . . . founded
by our ancestors, consecrated by the Blessed Apostle
St. Peter, and distinguished by the tomb of the
most saintly Edward, King and Confessor." In the
year 1066 (as we have said), William the Conqueror
was crowned, close to that tomb; and very near
to it every successive king or queen of England —
Norman and Plantagenet, Lancaster and York,
Tudor, Stuart, and Hanoverian— from that day to
this, has received the rite of coronation.
*****
From the popular, or purely spectacular, point of
view, the Pageant and Ceremony of a Coronation in
England consists of the scene in Westminster Abbey,
and the scene in London Streets ; the actual rite and
ceremony, that is to say, of the Coronation itself,
and the State Procession of the Sovereign to and
from Westminster and Buckingham Palace. Time
was, when the ancient usage in England was this :
Early on the day of the Coronation, sometimes
the day before, the Sovereign with all his heralds,
judges, councillors, lords, and great dignitaries rode
in state, from London's ancient palace and fortress
113

The Coronation of Edward VII

within the walls,for
centuries known
as the Tower of
London, to that
hardly lessancient
palace, once
adjoining the
Abbey at West
minster ; or in
times less remote,
to that once
sumptuous town-
residence of
Wolsey, seized at the cardinal's downfall by Henry
the Eighth, originally named York House, and
finally the King's palace of Whitehall. Of these
regal cavalcades, the last and most imposing was
that which passed through London — by way of
Tower Hill, Cornhill, Cheapside, St. Paul's, Ludgate,
Fleet Street, and the Strand — to Whitehall on
April 23rd, 1661, the day when Charles the Second
was crowned. His brother and successor, James
the Second, when he came to the throne, ordered
an estimate to be prepared by his Privy Council,
of the cost of such a procession. It was found
114

An Ancient Tale New Told
that it would amount to something like ^^50,000 —
a very considerable sum of money in those times.
Being of an economical turn of mind, and not
knowing perhaps how soon he might be in need
of such a sum for his own personal purposes,
James saved that amount on the city pageant
and spent it on jewels for his wife.
James the Second's example, as regards omitting
the State procession from the Tower to Westminster,
was followed by all his successors in turn. There
is no reason for supposing that his present Majesty,
King Edward the Seventh, will find it convenient
(even if it were to-day possible) to revive the more
ancient usage of so many of his predecessors, of
sojourning for a night in the Constable's lodgings
of his Majesty's Tower of London, merely for the
sake of gratifying the taste for sight-seeing of
some of his subjects. In point of fact, the Royal
Proclamation, made in London on June 28th, 1901,
practically dispenses with " many ancient Customs
and Usages of this Realm," in respect of the
Coronation ceremonies, including, we may be sure,
that of the old-time procession of the Sovereign
from the Tower to Westminster. The Tower has
little modern accommodation to tempt King Edward,
"5

The Coronation of Edward VII
or for that matter any other King, to linger for
many hours within its precincts — unless perchance
it should be in the hospitable mess-room of the
officers of the Brigade of Guards,
Lord Macaulay, incidentally referring to the parsi
mony, or as some might term it, the shrewdness,
not to say " slimness," of James the Second : Lord
Macaulay adds some " Whiggish " and snappish
remarks, which possiblj' some of us of to-day may
yet be found to agree with : " Sums which well
employed, would have afforded exquisite gratification
to a large part of the nation, were squandered on
an exhibition, to which only three or four thousand
privileged persons were admitted. At length the
old practice was partially revived. On the day of
the Coronation of Queen Victoria, there was a
procession in which many deficiencies might be
noted, but which was seen with interest and delight
by half a million of her subjects, and which
undoubtedly gave far greater pleasure, and called
forth far greater enthusiasm, than the more costly
display which was witnessed by a select circle
within Westminster Abbey." Comparatively few
persons are privileged to witness the interesting
scene of the Coronation within the Abbey itself.
Ii6

An Ancient Tale New Told
The State Procession, on the other hand, may be
viewed by hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The longer the line of Route finally chosen by
the King, in going to and returning from West
minster, the greater obviously the crowds attracted
to London in the hope of seeing it.
State pageants have not been so few and far
between in London, of late, as formerly. Within
the past fifteen years, for example, we have been
witness of two pageants of surpassing splendour
and impressiveness : the state processions through
London, namely, commemorative of Queen Victoria's
jubilees. The coronations of kings, however,
are happily not so frequent in England, or even
in Europe, as to be familiar in their religious
rites, or spectacular parts, to those of us now
living. In the course of 836 years, there have
been but thirty-six coronations in England, or
one on an average in twenty-three years.
But, in earlier time, for one reason or another,
sovereigns' succeeded each other on the English
throne at briefer intervals than now. It would
be easy to conceive, ¦ for example, of a person
having been born in the year of Henry the
Seventh's accession, the first sovereign of the
117

The Coronation of Edward VII
House of Tudor (1485), and of having lived to
witness the Coronation of the last of that House,
Queen Elizabeth (1558); or of a contemporary
(say) of Samuel Pepys having lived through the
reigns of James I., Charles I., the Commonwealth
interval, the reign of Charles II., and to have
witnessed the Coronation of James II. — practically
five successions all included within a period of
eighty-two years. But, it would be accounted a
rare incident, to meet with a person who witnessed
the Coronation of George IV. and who also
witnessed the proclamation at St. James's of
Edward the Seventh as King of England — -four
accessions within a like period of eighty-two years.
There has been but one Coronation, as every one
knows, in Westminster Abbey in the course of
sixty-four years — a fact which should make the
present event of exceptional interest to many
people ; to many thousands of people, at all events,
of the United Kingdom and the Colonies.
However divergent the political opinions of
some of us may be, we are all more or less
interested in pageantry and ceremonial. Your
staunchest republican, as history has over and
over again shown, is as fond of street processions
118

An Ancient Tale New Told
and parades, of gorgeous uniforms, banners and
flags, military music, and the like, as your most
thorough-going royalist. Every one relishes a little
splendour and display at times. Most persons
like to witness regal ceremonies and court
functions. Americans, for example, are quite as
much interested in .such things as ourselves, if
we may judge by their splendid appetite for sight
seeing in London. They generally insist on
seeing all that is set down in the programme of
the London Season. Their ladies go to the Royal
" Drawing-rooms " at times ; and some few of their
men to the Levies. Americans are particularly
active in gaining admission to the Houses of
Lords and Commons, and seem greatly interested
in any official or parliamentary ceremony that
there takes place. They are as keen to view
the ceremony of the Trooping of the Colour on
the Horse Guards' Parade as any average Londoner.
If there be a royal procession to the racecourse
at Ascot, you will always find many Americans in
the crowd. Their people furnished many thousands
of visitors to London on the occasion of the
Queen's jubilees, and sent up the prices of windows
and seats on the line of route accordingly. The civic
119

The Coronation of Edward VII
splendour and generous hospitality of the Guildhall
and the Mansion House have always been appreci
ated by Americans, from the days of Washington
Irving, N. P. Wilhs, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and
Charles Sumner, to those of George Peabody,
Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell,
and Chauncey Depew. Charles Sumner in his-
younger days was never tired of writing to his
Boston friends about the grand sights and cere
monies he had witnessed in England. He found
a seat in Westminster Abbey at the Coronation
of Queen Victoria. Doubtless, a good many of
his countrymen will find seats reserved for them
selves or their ladies at the Coronation of the
King, her son. At all events, we shall hope so.
And we may be pardoned perhaps for further
hoping, that the great majority will take this
book along with them to the Abbey, and there
beguile the tedious time of waiting by looking over
its pages ! It ought to inform some of a good deal
they do not know.
In support of that conjecture I need only to again
recall a striking passage from the Evidence given
by the Very Reverend, the Dean of Westminster
(June 13th, 1890) before the Royal Commission on
120

An Ancient Tale New Told
Westminster Abbey : " There is no doubt," said the
Dean, " that William the Conqueror, who always
asserted himself to be the heir chosen by the child
less King Edward (that is, the Confessor), and lost
no opportunity of paying all outward homage to
his memory, was crowned close to the grave of
his predecessor on Christmas Day, 1066. On or
near that spot, every successive king, or queen,
who has reigned in England, from that day to
this, has received the rite of Coronation." This
must be allowed to be a fact of much interest
at the present time, confirmed by the high
authority of the Dean of Westminster himself.
Other facts hardly less so will be found scattered
through the pages of this book, which may be
expected to serve the two-fold purposes of a guide
to the uninformed, and a literary memento of «i
memorable historic event.

121

EVERYTHING relating to state ceremonials
and court functions is regulated by pre
cedent. Turning over the leaves of an old
manual of " Rank and Nobility," my eye chanced
to fall upon a footnote as follows: " This was the
Precedent for the Coronation of his late Majesty,
George III., .and Queen Charlotte, as well as his
present Majesty, George IV. ; and is taken from
an account published, by his present Majesty's
command, by Francis Sandford, Esq., Lancaster
Herald of Arms." The matter to which the
footnote referred is a full official account, taken
from contemporary Privy Council records, of
the ceremonial at the Coronation in 1685 of
King James the Second and Queen Mary, later
noted. The appointing — as was done in the present in
stance, by Royal Proclamation of June 28th, 1901
— of a " Court of Claims " by the sovereign, is
122

The Court of Claims
one of the first acts preliminary to every Coronation
in England. Certain persons, noblemen and others,
are bound by tenure of inheritance, or otherwise,
to perform various services at that ceremony, and
it is their duty to have their pretensions adjudi
cated upon by the high political, ecclesiastical,
and judicial personages whom the King nominates
for the purpose. This Court of King Edward VII.
was required to sit in the Council Chamber at
Whitehall — better known as the Privy Council
Office — five members forming a quorum. It began
its deliberations nearly a year before the Corona
tion was appointed to take place, on Wednesday,
July 17th, 1901, namely. Until the beginning of the
last century the Coronation had invariably consisted
of four distinct ceremonies : the assembling in
Westminster Hall, the procession thence to the
Abbey, the religious ceremony, and the coronation
banquet. William the Fourth was ready (as we
have elsewhere said) to dispense with his corona
tion altogether ; but matters were compromised by
the omission of everything except the ceremony
in the Abbey, preceded, of course, by the Pro
cession through the streets. The late Queen at
one time apparently contemplated a revival of all
123

The Coronation of Edward VII
the ancient ceremonials ; but finally it was made
known that the Abbey procession and the West
minster banquet would not take place. King Edward
follows this example, having specially commanded
that the Court of Claims should " exclude from
their consideration such claims that may be sub
mitted to them in respect of rights and services
connected with the parts of the ceremonial here
tofore performed in Westminster Hall and with
the Procession." It is the services associated with
the omitted functions — the service of the King's
Champion and many others — which possess most
antiquarian interest. The right to perform them
has not ceased, but remains in abeyance until
again revived. Consequently, the duties of the
Court of Claims were not very onerous.
Privy Council Office,
Whitehall, S.W.
COURT OF CLAIMS.
^•jth July, 1901.
.'VDMIT the BEARER. BY ORDER.
124

THE REGALIA

No. IV

The
Spurs

Coronation Gloves The
The Anointing Spoon , ^TP''J^'.? ,
for the Oil of
Coronation Anointing
Bracelets

The Court of Claims
With that authority in hand, written in bold hand
writing on a black-bordered, gilt-edged card, and
initialled by the gentleman of the Council Office
who was so courteous as to grant it, the present
writer passed into the Court of Claims on the above-
named date at the appointed hour of eleven.
One of the lords of the executive committee, who
happened to walk through the hall where the
writer was waiting, inquired of the doorkeeper :
" The place of meeting, I believe, is the old Council
Chamber ? " " Yes, my lord," was the reply ; and
so in due time some dozen of us in all — gentlemen
of the press, officials of the Privy Council, and
one or two privileged spectators, walked up the
staircase to the old Council Chamber, where in time
past Sir Robert Walpole and many another statesman
of the Hanoverian sovereigns must have frequently
discussed matters of state policy and messages from
the King. The committee now assembling were
summoned to discuss a message from the King
— " These our Letters Patent " — '' By the King
himself, signed with the King's own hand " — as the
Clerk of the Crown, standing to the left of the
Lord Chancellor, read aloud, from what appeared
to be an imposing roll of parchment, doubtless
125

The Coronation of Edward VII
now duly placed among the archives of the Privy
Council, of the first year of the reign of King
Edward the Seventh.
With the Reader's permission, I propose to add
something about the Council Chamber itself later
on. Its old associations moved me more than
anything I heard or witnessed, at the first meeting
of the " Court of Claims "¦ — its first meeting since
the year 1837, when good Queen Victoria first
ascended the throne and preparations were being
discussed for her own Coronation in the year which
was to follow.
Albeit there was a notable, if somewhat meagre
company of Peers " all and singular great men "
present ; to wit, the Lord High Chancellor of
England (Earl of HaLsbury), the Hereditary Earl
Marshal of England (Duke of Norfolk), the Lord
President of the Council (Duke of Devonshire),
the Lord Chamberlain (Earl of Clarendon), the
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord
James of Hereford, who might and would have
been, some years ago. Lord High Chancellor of
England, but for the waywardness of politics), a
Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (Lord Robertson),
the Lord Chancellor of Ireland (Lord Ashbourne),
126

The Court of Claims
the Master of the Rolls (Sir Archibald Smith),
and Sir Francis Jeune, Judge of the High Court :
although "all and singular great men" these
personages of State were present in person, the
eye searched in vain for any outward or visible
tokens of their greatness. Of coat-armour, robes,
or coronets bore they none. Save for the crimson
cloth furniture of the Council Chamber, there
was not a particle of colour to be seen in the
place. Their lordships entered in ordinary morning
attire ; the Hereditary Earl Marshal of England,
Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter,
etc., etc., in, to our experienced eye, the most
ordinary attire of all. It is obvious that Lord
Chesterfield's Letters, incidentally touching on the
always interesting topic of dress, are of no account
with the peerage of England now. Alas, for historic
continuity and the ancient traditions of the Court
of Claims, that it should so happen that at the
very first function (if we may so consider it) con
nected with the Coronation of King Edward VII.,
lineal descendant of Norman, and Plantagenet,
Houses of Lancaster and York, Tudor, Stuart, and
Hanoverian king.s, his Majesty's "right trusty and
127

The Coronation of Edward VII
entirely beloved Cousins and Councillors," should
assemble in council in ordinary morning attire !
Robes and coronets, at least, might have been
looked for ; if not ribbons and orders of knight
hood. But, the common or everyday Bond
Street variety of frock-coats ! Who cares to see
a great officer of state — Hereditary Earl Marshal,
Lord Steward, Lord Chamberlain, or the Keeper
of the King's Conscience — in a plain frock-coat
(we even noticed a " shooting-jacket " among the
number) that you or I might buy any day in the
Strand for a five-pound note !
Briefly, this " Court of Claims " finds its origin
in the ancient prerogatives of the Lord High
Steward, who sat judicially in the hall of the
King's Palace at Westminster, to receive the
applications, and decide upon the claims, of all
who held lands on the tenure of performing some
personal service at the King's Coronation. Thus
a postmortem inquisition, dated the Vllth year
of Edward tha Third (1334), speaks of the tenure
of the Manor of Scrivelsby Court, Lincolnshire,
formerly in possession of the Dymokes, hereditary
King's Champions, as follows : " That the Manor
of Scrivelsby is holden by Grand Serjeantry to
128

The Court of Claims
wit, by the service of finding on the day of
Coronation an armed knight, who shall prove by
his body if need be, that the King is true and
rightful heir to the Kingdom." By Act of Parlia
ment (59 George III., c. 46) the ancient trial
and battle were abolished altogether ; so that the
Champion's lands, after being held with manifest
peril for centuries, at last became a peaceable
possession of his heirs ; and consequently all
dispute respecting the crown fully disposed of.
The last of the Dymokes, however, in direct line, in
the person of Sir Henry Dymoke, died in 1865, so
that there is now no hereditary King's Champion
of England living, even if his former high and
ancient office had not become obsolete — at all events
since the reign of George IV. The Manor of
Scrivelsby still stands where it did ; but not held
now by its interesting old-time tenure. The Barony
of Burghley (1571), belonging to the Marquis of
Exeter, is held in right of that peer's office
of Hereditary Grand Almoner, whose duties
anciently were, and still are, to collect and distri
bute certain moneys at the Coronation from a
silver dish, which the Almoner claims for his fee.
He was also entitled to the cloth on which the
129

The Coronation of Edward VII
King walked in procession from the door of
Westminster Hall to the Abbey. The office of
Chief Butler at the Coronation is hereditary in the
Dukes of Norfolk as Earls of Arundel. Lordship
of the Isle of Man was formerly also another
tenure held of the Kings of England, by some
personage presenting the sovereign with two
falcons on the day of his Coronation. The Duke
of AthoU, of George III.'s time, held the manorial
rights of the Island by such tenure, which dates
from at least Henry IV.'s reign, if not much
earlier. Any stranger casually peeping in at the door on
the " Committee of Claims " might have mistaken
the great noblemen there foregathered, " right trusty
and entirely beloved Cousins and Councillors " of
the King, to consider of the King's Coronation, for
any half-dozen borough or town councillors, met
together to discuss some commonplace question
of rates and taxes. When the Clerk of the Crown
— all persons being commanded to keep silence —
had read the message " by the King himself, signed
with the King's own hand " — " Let all persons
withdraw" was the sentence forthwith pronounced
by the Registrar of the Privy Council. So we all
130

The Court of Claims
passed out, curious to learn (among other things)
what this digression might mean. In a quarter of
an hour, we were recalled. Their lordships had
been merely discussing procedure.
The Registrar of the Privy Council now proceeded
to read out some of the petitions received as
follows :
The Earl of Lauderdale, to carry the King's
ensigns of war, as hereditary standard-bearer for
Scotland. Henry Scrymgeour Wedderburn, to carry the
Royal Standard, as hereditary standard-bearer for
Scotland. The Walker Trustees [whoever these may be],
to exercise the office of Usher of the White Rod
for Scotland by deputy.
G. T. J. Sotheron-Estcourt, to exercise the duty
of Chief Larderer, as owner of the manor of Shipton
Moyne. The Duke of Norfolk, to act as Chief Butler of
England. Mr. Frederick Oddin Taylor, as lord of the manor
of Kenninghall, to act as Chief Butler.
The Marquis of Exeter, to exercise the office of
Almoner, as possessor of the barony of Burghley.
131

The Coronation of Edward VII
The Earl of Ancaster and the Marquis of Chol-
mondeley, as exercising the office of Lord Great
Chamberlain of England, to perform the duties
and services thereof. [These claims gave rise to a
trial before the House of Lords.]
The Duke of Newcastle, as holder of the manor
of Worksop, to provide a glove and support the
King's arm.
The Bishop of Durham and the Bishop of Bath
and Wells, to support their Majesties at the
Coronation. The Duke of Somerset, to carry the Orb.
The Earl of Erroll, to walk as Lord High
Constable of Scotland, and to have a silver baton
tipped with gold.
Robert Henry Potter, nature of services not
stated. The Dean and Chapter of Westminster, to instruct
the King and Queen in the Rites and Ceremonies,
and to assist the Archbishop of Canterbury, and
to have cloth, etc., for fees.
Lord Grey de Ruthyn, to carry the golden spurs.
Lyon King of Arms and the Heralds and
Pursuivants of Scotland, to be present at the
Coronation. 132

The Court of Claims
The borough of Camberwell, to be represented
at the Coronation.
Colonel C. G. Brown, as baron and jurat of
Fordwich, to bear the canopy over the King and
Queen — a privilege accorded to the barons of the
Cinque Ports.
The Registrar also said notice of other petitions
had been received, including the following :
Lord Hastings and Lord Grey de Ruthyn, to
carry the great spurs.
The scholars of St. Peter's College, Westminster,
(Westminster School), to be present at and take
formal part in the Coronation.
The Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot, (i) to carry
a white staff as Lord High Steward of Ireland ;
and (2) to provide a glove for the King's right
hand and support his hand whilst holding the
sceptre. Sir Windham Carmichael Anstruther, to exercise
the office of Hereditary Grand Carver for Scot
land. The Duke of Buccleuch, as Gold Stick for
Scotland, to ride by his Majesty's carriage.
The Marquis of Winchester, to carry the Cap of
Maintenance. 133

The Coronation of Edward VII
We are almost afraid to mention a brief observa
tion on all these matters, which we overheard pass
from one gentleman to another, in the ante-room
of the Council Chamber : " Ridiculous, but some
what amusing ! " It seemed to us that some of their
lordships themselves might have felt not indisposed
to agree, had it not been that they were present
as principals in the proceedings, rather than as
spectators. There was a good hearty laugh from
one of the peers present, when all was ended.
Truly, it does seem a trifle ridiculous that the
Lord High Chancellor of England should be
troubled with a point, as to whether some
distinguished gentleman is to exercise the office
of " Hereditary Grand Carver for Scotland " — with
probably no baron of beef anywhere forth
coming worthy of his skill ; or whether another
gentleman is to carry a silver baton tipped with
gold ; or a third a white staff; or another is " to
bear the canopy over the King and Queen " — doubt
less greatly to his own discomfiture, since most
regal canopies would require at least six or eight
gentlemen to support them. However, honour to
whom honour is due, and let all things be done
decently and in order. We hope that every claim
134

The Court of Claims
Was held good, and will be allowed on the day
of Coronation. # # * # *
The Council Chamber where the committee sat
is interesting for more reasons than one. It is of
respectable antiquity, its progenitor having been
born, according to our reckoning, some time in
the days of Wolsey's chancellorship. It smacks
of regality, of history, and of law ; topics which
generally command the interest of a good many.
During a long and intimate acquaintance with
this cheerful wilderness of London, I have met
with but one person of the commonalty, or, more
properly speaking, perhaps, general public, who
could say that he had entered the Council Chamber,
Whitehall — and he, as a matter of course, was an
American ! Truly, the American knows much more
of London, than the Londoner himself There can
¦hardly be a place of any interest in London hidden
from us that has not been revealed to him, whose
insatiable curiosity and spirited enterprise in searching
out and looking up things, surely entitle him to
the distinction of a master's degree in the art of
sight-seeing. I doubt if one Londoner in a hundred knows
135

The Coronation of Edward VII
the precise whereabouts of the Council Chamber,
and what business is generally transacted there.
To satisfy a not unreasonable curiosity at this
particular time, let us at once say, that the Privy
Council Office is within a stone's throw of the
First Lord of the Treasury's official residence in
Downing Street, one of the oldest streets remain
ing in Whitehall, if not quite the oldest. The
historic chamber itself is mostly reserved now to
the occasional meetings of the "Judicial Committee
of the Privy Council," direct successors (sq a
learned and courteous official of the Privy Council
assures us) of the far more famous — or infamous —
" Star Chamber," anciently attached to the Courts
at Westminster. Its reputation was such that the
legend, " Abandon hope all ye who enter here,"
might much more aptly have been inscribed over
its narrow oaken doorway, than the golden chiselled
star, emblem of better promise, which in fact
appeared there. In the legal annals of England,
no court ever earned a more evil reputation than
the Star Chamber of Westminster adjoining the
Abbey, if we exclude that of the Western circuit
of the " Bloody Assize," presided over by Judge
Jeffreys. 136

The Court of Claims
Not to know one's Star Chamber, so to say, is
to admit but a very insufficient knowledge of
English history. Its proceedings in the days of
Stuarts generally ended in the cropping of ears,
branding of foreheads, the public pillory, exorbitant
money fines, and close imprisonment, not seldom
for life. Its iniquitous and cruel sentences roused
the indignation of the citizens of London, and had
not a little to do with the outbreak of the Civil
War and the execution of King Charles the- First
in front of the banqueting-house. over yonder.
Originally founded by Henry VIII. in the old
palace of the kings at Westminster, it was con-
;tinued as a court of law till the seventeenth year
of Charles I. The judges of the court were the
Privy Council. Its most famous prosecution was
.that of Prynne, a barrister of Lincoln's Inn, by the
notorious Attorney-General Noy. In the year 1641,
the Star Chamber was abolished by statute. It
really took the name (as we believe) from its
ceiling of oak ornamented, among other devices,
with golden stars. Its sittings were held in Term
time, once a week at the least, usually on Wednes
days and Fridays, from nine till eleven ; the Lord
Chancellor, the lords and others of the Privy
137 K

The Coronation of Edward VII
Council, and the Lord Chief Justice of Eng
land constituting the court. Somewhat similar
arrangements hold good now in respect of the
Judicial Committee of Privy Council, except that the
judges of the High Court of Justice are increased
in number. The two Archbishops, Canterbury and
York, and the Bishop of London sit in appeals
under the Clergy Discipline Act.
The most interesting reminiscences of the Council
Chamber are its records kept in an office below.
The gentleman who had them in charge was good
enough to unlock the bookcase where they are
carefully bestowed and to hand us a weighty
volume bearing on its back in gold lettering the
words "Ehzabeth and Mary, 1558-1559." It was
bound in ancient leather, curiously tooled, and
strengthened at back with leathern straps, stitched
with catgut. The paper and handwriting are
in as good state of preservation as when first
made, and penned. The first page reported a
deliberation of Queen Elizabeth's Privy Council at
the palace at Greenwich. The records run (we
doubt, however, if in unbroken sequence) from
those days to the reign of her Majesty Queen-
Victoria. My attention was attracted to a volume
138

The Court of Claims
of Charles the First's, maybe recording the aboli
tion of the famous, or infamous. Star Chamber, of
which, as the gentleman in charge of these interest
ing records reminded us with some share of
pardonable satisfaction — " We of this office are the
direct successors."

The Arms of Queen Elizabeth.

139

Thi2 ^ay proelaimizd.
THE Day of the Coronation was announced in
accordance with old-time regulation by Royal
Proclamation in London and elsewhere ; in the pre
sent instance six months in advance of the actual
date fixed. To students of history, the document
will be interesting,, not, Jess as a reminder of the
lengthy continuity of 'the English monarchy, than
as embqdying some of the terms, of similar State-
papers .published by the .sovereign in times long
past. . For , exarnple the fincient phrase in which
the Proclamation ,5umm.ons , " all persons of what
rank or ¦qualitj> soever they be,'' having service to
render at the Coronation, to attend '' in all respects
furnished and appointed, as to so great a solemnity
appertaineth," is in itself a vivid i-eminder of the
unique heritage of long tradition, s}''mbolised in the
celebration in the second year of the twentieth
century of a new succession to the British Crown.
That crown belongs to the supreme head of an
Empire more extensive and wonderful by far, as
.140

The Day Proclaimed
it now is, than any over which a Monarch, whether
of ancient or modern times, was ever before
summoned to become Ruler.
In the second week of December, 1901, the
following was published in a supplement of the
official London Gazette : —
" By the KING.
"A PROCLAMATION.
" For appointing a Day for the Celebration of the
Solemnity of the Coronation of Their Majesties.
EDWARD, R.I.
" WHEREAS, by Our Royal Proclamation, bearing
date the twenty-sixth day of June last. We did
(amongst other things) publish and declare Our Royal
intention to celebrate the Solemnity of Our Royal
Coronation and of the Coronation of Our dearly
beloved Consort the Queen, upon a day of June
next to be thereafter determined, at Our Palace at
Westminster ; and whereas We have resolved by the
favour and blessing of Almighty God to celebrate
the said Solemnity upon Thursday, the twenty-sixth
day of June next : We do, by this Our Royal Pro
clamation, give notice thereof, and We do hereby
strictly charge and command all Our loving subjects
whom it may concern, that all persons, of what rank
or quality soever they be, who either upon Our Letters
to them directed, or by reason of their offices and
141

The Coronation of Edward VII
tenures, or otherwise, are to do any service at the
time of Our Coronation, do duly give their attend
ance at the said Solemnity on Thursday, the twenty-
sixth day of June next, in all respects furnished and
appointed as to so great a Solemnity appertaineth
and answerable to the dignities and places which
every one of them respectively holdeth and enjoyeth,
and of this they or any of them are not to fail, as
they will answer the contrary at their perils, unless
upon special reasons by Ourself under Our hand to
be allowed, We shall dispense with any of their
services or attendances :
" Provided always, and We do further by this Our
Royal Proclamation signify and declare, that nothing
herein contained shall be construed to change or
alter Our Royal determination as more fully declared
in Our Royal Proclamation bearing date the twenty-
sixth day of June last, whereby We did signify it
to be Our Royal Will and Pleasure, upon the occa
sion of this Our Coronation, to dispense with that
part of the Ceremonial which heretofore took place
in Westminster Hall, and that part thereof which
consisted of the Procession.
" Given at Our Court at Saint James's, this tenth
day of December, in the year of our Lord one
thousand nine hundred and one, and in the
first year of Our Reign.
" GOD save the KING."

142

eers reeresses and other t\
•People «

LONDONERS City -wards travelling, well enough
know by sight the Heralds' College in Queen
Victoria Street : a picturesque brick building with
forecourt, reminiscent historically of Tudor days, and
architecturally of those of the Stuarts. It was, in
fact, built after " the great Fire of London," as we
still continue to name that event. " A gorgeous
idea of colours," as Leigh Hunt suggests, falls on
the mind of him who happens to recall his
English history in passing it. Not many of us
have had the privilege of seeing in state-dress the
Kings at Arms — Garter, Clarencieux, and Norroy —
who preside over its mysteries. A story is told
— a story too good, we fear, to be true ; but
related on the authority of Langton, Dr. Johnson's
life-long friend — that an Irish King at Arms,
who waited upon an Irish bishop to summon
him to the national Parliament in Dublin, and
being dressed, as the ceremony then required,
in his heraldic attire, so mystified the bishop's
143

The Coronation of Edward VII
servant with his appearance, that not knowirig
what to make of it, and carrying off but !a
confused" notion of, his title, he announcerf^hi'm to
his master thus : " My lord, here is the King of
Trumps ! "
Garter, principal King at Arms, is one of the'
most fantastic and gorgeously attired officials of
any Court. His state-dress, only worn on great
occasions, reminds one of nothing so much as that
of the pictured kings in a pack of playing-cards : a
frock, or tabard, of rich crimson and gold, on which
is emblazoned, back and front, the royal quarterings
of the United Kingdom — the lions of England,
the " ruddy lion rampt in gold " of Scotland, the
golden harp of Ireland. The other so-named kings
in English heraldry, associated with Garter, are
Clarencieux (a title of Norman origin) of the
south, and Norroy (Nord Roi) of the north. The
heralds associated with these three are Lancaster,
Somerset, Richmond, etc., only less gorgeously
caparisoned than the Kings at Arms ; and then
there are the four pursuivants (attendants or
messengers) severally entitled Rouge Croix, Rouge
Dragon, Portcullis, and Blue Mantle, with hues as
lively, and appellations as quaint, as the attendants
144

Peers, Peeresses, and other People
on a fairy court. All these historic officials of
England have their place in the King's Corona
tion, under their chief, the Earl Marshal of
England, the Duke of Norfolk. For gorgeous-
ness of dress, inysteriousness of origin, and
in fact for similarity of origin (a knave being
nothing less than an esquire), a knave of cards
in design and colour is not unlike a herald in
his tabard.
By the way, the unlearned generally attribute
to the Royal shield, three Leopards ! But these
(so-called) " leopards," two of which William the
Conqueror took for the Royal arms and to which
Henry II. added the third, are in fact "leo-pards"
or " leos-pardes," that is to say, lions passant
guardant ; one being the ancient device of Nor
mandy, the other that of Poitou, and the third
the Lion of Aquitaine.
These reminiscences of bygone times, of kings
and queens, Plantagenet, York and Lancaster, and
Tudor, of bannered halls (such as we have in
Henry VII. 's Chapel of Westminster Abbey and
St. George's Chapel, Windsor), of proceissions of
chivalry, and of the fields of Crdcy and Poictiers,
and of the famous meeting on the Field of the
I4S

The Coronation of Edward VII
Cloth of Gold : these historic reminiscences recall
the times of vizored knights distinguished by their
coats and crests. A coat of arms, so called, is in
heraldry nothing but a pictorial representation of
the knight himself, from whom the wearer, or bearer,
is descended. The shield, so named, supposes his
body ; there is the helmet for his head, with the
crest upon it ; the flourish is the mantle ; and he
stands upon the ground of his "motto," or moral
pretension. The " supporters," if he be noble, or of
a particular class of knighthood, are thought to be
the pages that waited upon him, designated by the
curiously fantastic dresses of a lion, bear, leopard,
stag, unicorn, etc., which they originally sometimes
wore, or are supposed to have worn. Heraldry is
full of colour and imagery, and attracts the fancy
like a book of pictures. One might spiend half
an hour not unprofitably, in looking over the pages
of Debrett's " Peerage and Baronetage," and studying
some of the coats of arms, mottoes, and supporters
of the ancient aristocracy of England. Many a
forgotten, but interesting and eventful, lesson in
history might be thus revived.
* * * « #
Not to wander too far from the point ; some
[46

Peers, Peeresses, and other People
have supposed the late Lord Beaconsfield (Benjamin
Disraeli, of that name) to have been an aristocrat
of the aristocrats. Read what he puts into the
mouth of one of the personages of his books.* He
wrote the book we refer to, it is right to add, before
he became Peer of the Realm himself; but the
quotation we append probably truly expressed his
own personal opinion on such matters : —
" ' Ancient lineage ! I never heard of a Peer with
an ancient lineage. The real old families of this
country are to be found among the Peasantry. The
gentry, too, may lay some claim to old blood. I
can point you out Saxon families in this county
[maybe his own county of Buckingham] who
can trace their pedigrees beyond the Conquest.
I know of some Norman gentlemen whose
forefathers undoubtedly came over with the Con
queror. But, a peer with an ancient lineage is
to me quite a novelty. No, no ; the thirty years
of the wars of the Roses freed us from those
gentlemen. After the battle of Tewkesbury a
Norman baron was almost as rare a being, as
a wolf is now. * Millbank, in "Coningsby."

The Coronation of Edward VII
" ' I have always understood,' said Coningsby,
' that our peerage was the finest in Europe.'
" ' For themselves,' said Millbank, ' and the heralds
who paint their carriages. But, I go to facts.
When Henry VII. called his first Parliament*
there were only twenty-nine temporal peers to be
found ; and even some of those took their seats
illegally, for they had been attainted. Of those
twenty-nine, not five remain, and they, as the
Howards, for instance, are not Norman nobility.
We owe the English peerage to three sources :
the spoliation of the Church ; the open and flagrant
sale of its honours by the elder Stuarts ; and the
borough-mongering of our own times. Those are
the three main sources of the existing peerages of
England, and in my opinion disgraceful ones. But
I must apologise for this frankness in speaking
to an aristocrat'
" ' Oh, by no means, sir ; I like discussion.'
"'And where will you find your natural aris
tocracy?' asked Coningsby.
" ' Among those men whom the nation recognises
as the most eminent for virtues, talents, and pro
perty, and, if you please, birth and standing in
* November 1485.
148

Peers, Peeresses, and other People
the land. They guide opinion, and therefore they
govern. I am no leveller. I look upon an artificial
equality as equally pernicious with a factitious
aristocracy ; both depressing the energies and
checking the enterprise of a nation. I like a man
to be free, really free ; free in his industry as
well as in his body. What is the use of Habeas
Corpus, if a man may not use his hands and
brains when he is out of prison ? ' "
Thus the late Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Beacons
field, Knight of the most Noble Order of
the Garter, who used at least one of his
.hands, and all his brains, to notable purpose.
. No application of " Habeas Corpus " either fettered
or aided him. He was far too clever ever to
fall within its cognisance. And, he came of the
People. Walter Savage Landor puts much the same
thoughts into the mind of Andrew Marvell, in his
" Imaginary Conversation " with Bishop Parker :
" It is probable that many among the poor and
; abject are of very ancient families, and particularly
in our county . [York], where the contests of the
York and Lancaster broke down in many places
149

The Coronation of Edward VII
the high and powerful. Some of us may look
back six or seven centuries and find a stout
ruffian at the beginning; but the great ancestors
of the pauper, who must be somewhere, may stand
perhaps far beyond."
* # * * #
The great Officers of State of the King's house
hold — each of whom plays an important part in
arranging the details of the King's Coronation —
are the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Steward, and
the Master of the Horse. We may as well state
their respective duties in the King's household.
The first-named has the care of all the officers
and servants belonging to the King's chambers,
except those belonging to his bedchamber, who
are under an officer named the Groom of the
Stole — from " stole," a robe, or better derived from
a verb meaning " to array." The Lord Chamberlain
(not to be confounded with the Lord Great Cham
berlain, a high official personage of the House of
Lords) has the oversight of the officers of the ward
robe, of tents (as in olden time), of revels, music,
comedians — an officer is still entrusted with the
duty of licensing stage-plays, called " the Examiner
of Plays," and the Lord Chamberlain himself has
ISO

Peers, Peeresses, and other People
jurisdiction over certain of the London theatres —
of handicrafts and artisans ; and, although a layman,
the Lord Chamberlain has the oversight also of all
the King's heralds, chaplains, physicians, and apothe
caries. It is his duty to inspect the charges of
coronations (but the Cabinet usually has something
to say about these, first of all), marriages, public
entries, cavalcades, and funerals ; also of all
furniture — such, at all events, used to be the case ;
it may not, however, be so now — in the House of
Lords, and the rooms of access to the King.
The state palaces of Windsor Castle, Buckingham
Palace, St. James's, may be said to be generally
under his charge ; and all functions, such as Drawing-
rooms and Levies, State Balls and State Concerts,
he, in the main, oversees.
The Lord Steward has the estate of the household
entirely committed to his care ; and all his commands
in this particular are to be obeyed. His authority
reaches over all officers and servants of the King's
house, except those of his chamber and chapel. The
office at Buckingham Palace where the accounts of
the household are kept is still known as "the Board of
Green Cloth." The Treasurer, Comptroller, Master,
Paymaster, etc., are under his control ; as also

The Coronation of Edward VII
are all affairs of the kitchen and cellars. At
State Banquets it is he who calls the toast to
the King.
The Master of the Horse has the charge and
government of the Royal Mews, the stables and
horses of the sovereign. He has also power over
the equerries, pages, footmen, grooms, coachmen,
farriers,' smiths, etc., etc., and all other trades con
nected with the stables. In State Processions, he
rides next behind the King. He has the privilege
¦ of applying to his own use one coachman, four
footmen, and six grooms in the King's pay, and
wearing the royal livery — which, by the way, is
scarlet, faced with blue and edged with gold.
t tF yp tF Tr^ ifr I
It may interest those privileged to be ipresent in
¦ the Abbey to know how they may discover one
¦ Peer or Peeress from another Peer or Peeress by
the glory of his or her apparel worn at the Coro-
- nation ¦ " of their Most Sacred Majesties King
' Edward the Seventh and Queen Alexandra."
The robe or mantle of the Peers is of crimson
velvet, edged with miniver, the cape furred with
.miniver pure, and powdered with bars or rows of
ermine {i.e., narrow pieces of black fur), according
152

Peers, Peeresses, and other People
to their degree. Thus : Barons wear two rows ;
Viscounts, two rows and a half ; Earls, three rows ;
Marquises, three rows and a half ; Dukes, four
rows. The mantles or robes are worn over full
Court dress, uniform, or regimentals. The coronets
are of silver gilt ; the caps of crimson velvet
turned up with ermine, with a gold tassel on the
top ; and no jewels or precious stones are permitted
to be used in the coronets, or " counterfeit pearls
instead of silver balls." Such is the Earl Marshal's
order. The coronet of a baron has on its circle or rim
six silver balls at equal distances ; the coronet of a
viscount has on its circle sixteen silver balls ; the
coronet of an earl, in the like position, eight silver
balls, raised upon points, with gold strawberry-leaves
between the points ; the coronet of a marquis, in
the like, four gold strawberry-leaves and four silver
balls alternately, the latter a little raised on points
above the rim ; and the coronet of a duke has on
the circle eight gold strawberry-leaves.
All Peeresses who attend wear the robes or mantles
appertaining to their respective ranks over the usual
full Court dress required of ladies. The robes of
the peeresses are, if anything, more effective, ladies
153 L

The Coronation of Edward VII
may be satisfied to learn, than those of the peers.
The entire dress is carried out in rich crimson
velvet, bordered with miniver. First, there is the
kirtle of the velvet opening over a petticoat of
white satin and lace, of which the details may be
slightly varied if the selected colour and material
are alike. The edges of the kirtle are waved and
bordered with miniver ; and it falls gracefully back
on each side, nearly meeting at the waist, but
widening out well at the feet. The corsage is cut
with a plastron of white miniver reaching from the
decolletage to the waist, whilst the sleeves reach
the elbow, and are cut and slashed and edged with
fur, and there are two narrow bands of fur above
the slashings, which are deemed to be strictly regu
lation. The sleeves are finished with full frills of
lace. The long train hangs from the shoulders.
It is lined with white silk and bordered with white
miniver, which varies in width according to the
rank of the wearer. The length of the train also
varies in the same manner. For whereas a duchess
is entitled to the full glory of two yards upon the
ground, the marchioness may only have one and
three-quarters, 'and a baroness one yard. The
official regulations are as follows : —
154

Peers, Peeresses, and other People
The robe or mantle of a Baroness is of crimson
velvet, the cape furred with miniver pure, and
powdered with two bars or rows of ermine (i.e.,
narrow pieces of black fur). The said mantle
is edged round with miniver pure two inches in
breadth, and the train to be three feet on the
ground ; the coronet according to her degree —
viz., a rim or circle with six pearls (represented
by silver balls) upon the same, not raised upon
points. The robe or mantle of a Viscountess is like that
of a Baroness, only the cape is powdered with two
rows and a half of ermine, the edging of the mantle
two inches as before, and the train a yard and a
quarter ; the coronet according to her degree — viz.,
a rim or circle with pearls (represented by silver
balls) thereon, sixteen in number, and not raised
upon points.
The robe or mantle of a Countess as before, only
the cape is powdered with three rows of ermine,
the edging three inches in breadth, and the train a
yard and a half. The coronet is composed of eight
pearls (represented by silver balls) raised upon points
or rays, with small strawberry-leaves between, above
the rim. iSS

The Coronation of Edward VII
The robe or mantle of a Marchioness as before,
only the cape is powdered with three rows and a
half of ermine, the edging four inches in breadth,
the train a yard and three-quarters. The coronet
is composed of four strawberry-leaves and four
pearls (represented by silver balls) raised upon
points of the same height as the leaves, alternately,
above the rim.
The robe or mantle of a Duchess as before, only
the cape is powdered with four rows of ermine, the
edging five inches broad, the train two yards. The
coronet is composed of eight strawberry leaves, all
of equal height, above the rim.
The caps of all the coronets are of crimson
velvet, turned up with ermine, with a tassel of gold
on the top.
All these matters are more or less interesting;
interesting in much the same way that old books,
old castles, old churches, and the like are interesting.
They speak to us of the Past. They serve to
remind us of other men, other times, and other
manners in old England. You and I, dear Reader,
as " the great week-day preacher " * once wrote
in one of the many sermons he scattered through
* Thackeray. 1 56

Peers, Peeresses, and other People
his works ; you and I know the exact value of
heraldic designs — of coat-armour, strips of ermine,
coronets, and the rest. " We know that though
the greatest pleasure of all is to act Hke a gentle
man, it is a pleasure, nay a merit, to be one ; to
come of an old stock, to have an honourable
pedigree, to be able to say that centuries back our
fathers had gentle blood, and to us transmitted
the same. There is good in Gentility. The man
who questions it is envious, or a coarse dullard
not able to perceive the differences between high
breeding and low. ... In the matter of gentlemen,
democrats say, ' Psha ! give us one of nature's
gentlemen and hang your aristocrats.' And so,
indeed, Nature does make some gentlemen — a
few here and there. But, Art makes most : good
birth, that is good, handsome, well-formed fathers
and mothers, good home training, good food,
good education, cleanly and wholesome lives,
few cares, pleasant easy habits of life, and
luxuries not too great or enervating, but only
refining : a course of these going on for a few
generations are the best gentlemen-makers in the
world, and beat Nature hollow.''
Few would dispute these opinions, even when
157

The Coronation of Edward VII
weighed against the following from the pen of
one of greater authority than Thackeray : —
"From lowest place when virtuous things proceed.
The place is dignified by the doer's deed ;
Where great additions swell, and virtues none,
It is a dropsied honour; good alone
Is good without a name.
. . . That is honour's scorn,
Which challenges itself as honour's born,
And is not like the sire : Honours thrive,
When rather from our acts we them derive
Than our fore-goers."

ISS

I

Crown Jewels ^^

used in
The Coronations of the
Kings and ^eens of England

OOME persons would not wish to see even the
^^ " mock-pearls " of History trampled under
foot. It may be just as well, however, to remind
admirers of such pearls that the present Regalia
of England is not that consecrated by the religious
rites and observances of Coronations prior to the
reign of Charles II. The crown jewels now occa
sionally used possess no claim to be considered even
copies of the ancient Regalia which, as students
of English history know, were taken out of the
" Treasury Chest " of Westminster Abbey, and later
sold by order of the Parliament of Cromwell. The
story runs, that to Henry Martin was entrusted
" the welcome task " of breaking open the huge
iron chest in the ancient chapel of the " Treasury,"
where the crown jev\els had been mostly preserved
for some six hundred years. It is said that
Martin dragged out the crown, the sceptre, orb,
and coronation robes, and .put them on George
i6i

The Coronation of Edward VII
Withers the poet, "who did first trail about the
town with a stately garb, and afterwards with a
thousand apish and ridiculous antics exposed those
sacred ornaments to contempt and laughter." This
most probably is a mock-pearl of history ; for if
so displayed in the streets on the person of George
Withers the poet, it is amazing that the crown
jewels ever fell into the custody of Parliament.
They were much more likely to have been stolen.
From the days of the early kings of England
down to the time of the Commonwealth, the
" Treasury," once so named as containing the Regalia,
had been in the custody of the Deans and Chapter
of Westminster. On January 23rd, 1643, a motion
was made in the House of Commons that the
Dean, Sub-Dean, and Prebendaries should be re
quired to deliver up the keys ; and the question
put, whether, upon the refusal of the keys, the
doors of the " Treasury " should be broken open ?
So strong, it would seem, was the deference shown
to the ancient rights of the Chapter that, even in
those excited times, the question was lost by s8 votes
against 37 ; and when the doors were finally forced,
it was only permitted to be done on the under
standing that an inventory should be taken, new
162

THE REGALIA

No, 5

¦ «^'>^'

Salt Spoon
State Salt Cellars

Sacramental Flagon

state
Salt Cellar

The Regalia of England
locks put on the doors, and nothing removed till
upon further order of the House of Commons ; and
this was carried by a vote of 42 against 41.
Cromwell's Parliament in fact got hold of the
Regalia, and unfortunately for us of to-day who
find an interest in antiquarian matters, the six-
centuries old Crown Jewels of Plantagenets and
Tudors were broken up and sold, and perforce we
have now to be content with the sight of a Regalia
only some 2S8 years old. Neither Charles the Second
nor James the Second appear to have been greatly
disturbed by their loss. James contrived to find
and lay out more than ;^ioo,ooo in dressing his
Queen and saved some thousands of pounds more,
so history says, in omitting the time-honoured
procession from the Tower to Westminster.
The Regalia of Charles II.'s reign were, and are
yet, called by the old names, and though now
permanently kept in the Tower of London, are still,
by a shadowy connection with the past, deposited
in the Dean of Westminster's custody on the eve
of the Coronation, either in the Jerusalem Chamber
or in one of the private closets in his Library.
Among the other time-honoured privileges of the
Deans (it may be mentioned), derived fro.m those
163

The Coronation of Edward VII
of their ancient predecessors, the Abbots of
Westminster, is that of instructing or directing the
sovereign in the details of the Coronation Service.
Of all the clergy of England, the Dean and Canons
of Westminster alone are privileged to stand by
the side of the Prelates in administering the historic
rites. The Dean has still the charge of the " Liber
Regalis " referred to (p. 232), containing the ancient
" order " of the service ; and the duty (we believe)
devolves upon him, and not on the bishops present,
of consecrating the sacred oil used in the ceremony
of anointing. # # * # *
Turning sharp round to the right, as you pass
under the ancient gateway of the Bloody Tower,
over against the lodgings of the Keeper of the
Jewels, which stand above Traitor's Gate, is the
Wakefield Tower. In a small apartment of that
building is his Majesty's Jewel House where the
Crown Regalia is kept — a very splendid display
of rich gold and jewels, crowns, sceptres, orbs,
swords, dishes, flagons, salt-cellars, sacramental
plate, maces, state trumpets, used at the Corona
tion of the kings and queens of England. The
public was first permitted to view these jewels
164

The Regalia of England
of state in Charles II.'s reign, by a kind of
dereliction of duty on the part of their then
custodian, an officer formerly known as the Master
of the Jewel House. He was a court functionary
of some importance, being esteemed " the first
Knight Bachelor of England," having the appoint
ment of " Goldsmith to the King " in his gift.
His profits and perquisites were originally very
considerable ; but when Charles II. came to his
own, the Master of the Jewel House (Sir William
Talbot) got little enough for his portion. In brief,
his profits had to be made the best way he could.
So he allowed his confidential servant to take fees
for showing the Regalia to strangers, which fees
went into his own pocket. When that servant died
an offer of five hundred old broad-pieces of gold
was made to Sir William for the place. From which
fact we may conclude, that both master and servant
made a tolerably good thing by surreptitiously show
ing the Regalia to those of the citizens who were
curious to see them. The old Jewel House, which
was originally a strong chamber in the Martin
Tower, was not open to the public, save on pay
ment of a somewhat excessive fee, till somewhere
about the year 1842, when the Regalia was removed
16S

The Coronation of Edward VII
to another stronghold near where the officers' mess-
room now stands. That in its turn gave place to
the present chamber in the Wakefield Tower, where
the Crown Jewels may be viewed by any one on
" free days," and on any other day on payment of
a small fee.
With the Reader's permission, I now propose to
describe the Crown Regalia, of which we publish
full-page illustrations in colours.
» * » # *
The Imperial Crown in the centre was made for
the Coronation of Queen Victoria. It is composed
of a cap of purple velvet, enclosed by hoops of
silver, richly dight with gems in the form shown
in the illustration. The arches rising almost to a
point, instead of being depressed, are covered with
pearls, and are surmounted by an orb of brilliants.
Upon this is placed a Maltese or cross patt^e of
brilliants. Four crosses and four fleurs-de-lis sur
mount the circlet, all composed of diamonds, the
front cross containing the "inestimable sapphire,"
of the purest and deepest azure, more than two
inches long, and an inch broad ; and, in the circlet
beneath it, is a rock ruby of great size and ex
quisite colour, which tradition says was worn by
1 66

The Regalia of England
the Black Prince at the battle of Cressy, and by
Henry V. at the battle of Agincourt. The circlet
is enriched with diamonds, emeralds, sapphires,
and rubies. The crown was altered' from one
constructed expressly for the Coronation of King
George IV. The superb diadem then weighed
si lb, and was worn by the King on his return
in procession from the Abbey to the Hall at
Westminster ; but on arriving at the Hall, he
exchanged this crown for one about half the
weight, made by the then Crown Jewellers, Messrs.
Rundell and Bridge, for the occasion, the jewels
being lent for the purpose. This lighter crown
was broken up immediately afterwards.
The Old Imperial Crown (St. Edward's) is
the one whose form is familiar from its frequent
representations on the coin of the realm, the royal
arms, etc. It was made for the Coronation of
Charles II., to replace the one broken up and sold
during the Civil Wars, which was said to have
been worn by Edward the Confessor. With St.
Edward's Crown, the act of Coronation is performed.
It is of gold, and consists of two arches crossing
at the top, and rising from a rim or circlet of
gold, over a cap of crimson velvet, lined with white
167

The Coronation of Edward VII
taffeta, and turned up with ermine. The base of
the arches on each side is covered by a cross
pattee ; between the crosses are four fleurs-de-lis of
gold, which rise out of the circle ; the whole of
these are splendidly enriched with pearls and
precious stones. On the top, at the intersection
of the arches, which are somewhat depressed, are
a mound and cross of gold, the latter encircled
with a fillet, the former richly jewelled, and
adorned with three pearls, one on the top, and
one pendent at each limb.
The Prince of Wales's Crown, so named, is
of pure gold, unadorned by jewels. On occasions
of State, it is placed before the seat occupied by
the Heir Apparent to the Throne in the House of
Lords. The Queen's Diadem, or circlet of gold, was
made for the Coronation of Marie d'Este, consort
of James II. It is richly adorned with large
diamond.^ curiously set, and the upper edge of
the circlet is bordered with a string of pearls.
The Queen Consort's Crown is the one
used at Coronations when the sovereignty exists
in the male branch, as on the present occasion.
It is of gold, set with diamonds of great value
i68

The Regalia of England
intermixed with pearls and other costly jewels.
The cap is of purple velvet, faced with ermine. It
is understood that considerable alterations will be
made in the crown that will be used for Queen
Alexandra's Coronation, enhancing both its worth
and beauty. It is unnecessary to remind the
Reader that no two crowns exactly fit the same
head, and that a Queen Consort's crown is smaller
in size — not merely officially, but actually— than a
King's. Be that as it may, at all Coronations the
crowns of King or Queen, with the possible exception
of the old Imperial Crown (St. Edward's), is altered
in size, and sometimes also in the general setting
of the jewels by the Crown Jewellers ; the suggested
alterations being of course first of all submitted to
the reigning sovereign for his sanction and approval.
* # as # #
The Imperial Orb, or Mound (Fr. monde), is
an emblem of sovereignty said to be derived from
Imperial Rome ; and to have been first adorned
with the cross by Constantino, on his conversion
to Christianity. It first appears among the royal
insignia of England on the coins of Edward the
Confessor ; but, Strutt authenticates a picture,
" made in the year 996," which represents that
169 M

The Coronation of Edward VII
prince kneeling between two saints, who' bear
severally his sceptre and a globe, surmounted by
a cross. This part of the regalia being indicative
of supreme political power, has never been placed
in the hands of any but Kings or Queens Regnant.
In the anomalous case of William and Mary as
joint sovereigns, another orb was made, and that
spare orb (so to say) is still to be seen among
the royal jewels of England. This orb is a ball
of gold, 6 in. in diameter, encompassed with
a band of gold, set with emeralds, rubies, and
pearls. On the top is a remarkably fine amethy.st,
nearly i| in. high, which serves as the foot or
pedestal of a rich cross of gold, 3^ in. high,
encrusted with diamonds ; having in the ceqtre, on
one side, a sapphire, and an emerald on the other ;
four large pearls at the angles of the cross, a large
pearl at the end of each limb, and three at the
base ; the height of the orb and cross being 1 1 in.
The Queen's Orb is of smaller dimensions than
the preceding, but of similar fashion and materials.
* T * » *
We now come to the Six Sceptres. First is
The Temporal Sceptre of gold, 2 ft. 9 in.
in length ; the staff very plain, but the pommel
170

The Regalia of England
oramented with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds.
The fleurs-de-lis with wjiich this sceptre was origin
ally adorned have been replaced by golden leaves,
bearing the ro.se, shamrock, and thistle. The cross
is variously jewelled, and has in the centre a large
table diamond.
The Spiritual Sceptre, Rod of Equity, or
Sceptre with the Dove, is also of gold, 3 ft. 7 in.
long, set with diamonds and other precious stones.
It is surmounted with an orb, banded with rose
diamonds, bearing a cross, on which is the figure
of a dove with expanded wings.
The Sceptres, Temporal and Spiritual
(William IV.), differ from the preceding, as shown
in the illustration (Plate III.).
St. Edward's Staff is a large golden rod 4 ft.
7^ in. long, with pike of steel at the lower end,
about 4| in. The staff has foliated ornaments,
and a mound and cross at the top. It is carried
before the Sovereign in the procession to the
Coronation. The Queen's Ivory Sceptre was made for
Marie d'Este, consort of James II. It is mounted
in gold, and terminated by a golden cross, bearing
a dove* of white onyx. This sceptre has been
171

The Coronation of Edward .VII
named, but without any historical authority, the
sceptre of Queen Anne Boleyn.
The Ampulla is an antique vessel of pure
gold, used for containing the holy oil at Coronations.
It resembles an eagle with expanded wings, and
is finely chased ; the head screws off at the middle
of the neck, for pouring in the oil, and the neck being
hollow to the beak, the latter serves as a spout,
through which the consecrated oil is poured into —
The Anointing Spoon, also of pure gold, has
four pearls in the broadest part of the handle,
and the bowl of the spoon is finely chased within
and without. F"rom its extreme thinness it appears
to be sufficiently ancient ; but of what date, we
know not.
The Spurs (one of which is shown) are also used
at Coronations. They are of gold, elaborately wrought
at the edges and the fastening : they have no rowels,
but end in an ornamented point, being what are
commonly denominated prick spurs. New richly
embroidered velvet straps were added to them f#r
the Coronation of George IV.
The ARMILL.E, or Bracelets, are of solid fine
gold, chased, ij in. in breadth, edged with rows
of pearls. They open by a hinge, and are enamelled
172

The Regalia of England
with the rose, fleur-de-lis, and harp. Probably the
fleur-de-lis will be altered for the thistle.

The Royal Swords are named Curtana, or
the Sword of Mercy, sheathed ; the Sword of
Justice to the Spirituality, which is obtuse ; the
Sword of Justice to the Temporality, which is
sharp at the point ; and the Sword of State. Of
these, the last alone is actually used in the Corona
tion, being that with which the Sovereign is girded
after the anointing ; the rest are only borne in the
procession by certain great officers of State.
A plain Gold Ring, with a large table ruby
on which is engraved a plain or St. George's cross,
is always prepared for the Coronation ; but, of course,
it must be newly made, or, at least, set, for each
sovereign. * # * « *
In the same chamber with the Crowns, Sceptres,
and other Regalia used in the sacred ceremonial
of the Coronation, is a very interesting collection
of Plate, formerly used at Coronation Festivals ;
together with Fonts, etc. Among these are
The Baptismal Font of silver, gilt, tastefully
chased, and surmounted with two figures, emblematic
173

The Coronation of Edward VII
of the baptismal rite : this font was formerly used
at the christening of the Royal Family ; but a new
font, of more picturesque design, was manufactured
for her Majesty Queen Victoria.
The Salt-cellars are worth the inspection of
the curious, both for their singular forms and rich
workmanship. The most noticeable is the Golden
Salt-cellar of State, which is of pure gold, richly
adorned with jewels, and grotesque figures in
chased worked. Its form is castellated, and it has
hence been called a " model of the White Tower,"
to which, however, it bears a very slight resem
blance : the receptacles for the salt are formed by
the removal of the tops of the turrets. There
are, besides, in the Collection, two massive Corona
tion Tankards, of gold ; a Banqueting Dish ; and
other dishes and spoon.s, of gold, used at Coronation
Festivals ; besides a beautifully wrought service of
Sacramental Plate, employed at the Coronation,
and formerly also used in the Chapel of St. Peter
in the Tower.
It is interesting to read the following particulars,
delivered by command to George the Fourth, drawn
up by " the Master of the Jewels and the Commis
sioners of the Great Wardrobe," of such things as were
174

The Regalia of England
required to be delivered to the Bishop of Rochester,
for the Coronation of King James the Second and
Queen Mary. Those particulars run thus : —
FOR THE KING
I. The Colobium Suidonis, a kind of surplice with
out sleeves, of fine linen or sarsenet.
2. The Supertunica, a close coat of cloth of gold,
lined with crimson taffeta, and girt with a
broad girdle and cloth of gold, to be put
over the Colobium.
3. The Armilla, in fashion of a stole, of cloth of
gold, to be put about the King's neck, and
fastened above and beneath the elbows with
silk ribbons.
4. A Pall of cloth of gold, in fashion of a cope.
S. A Pair of buskins, of cloth of gold.
6. A Pair of sandals, of cloth of gold.
7. A Shirt of fine Linen, to be opened in the places
for the anointing.
8. Another Shirt of red sarsenet to be put over it.
9. A Surcoat of Crimson Satin, made with a collar
for a band, both opened for the anointing,
and closed with ribbons.
10. A Pair of under trousers and breeches to go
175

The Coronation of Edward VII
over them, with stockings fastened to the
trousers, all of crimson silk.
II. A Pair of Gloves of linen.
12. A Linen Coif.
13. Three Swords: the Curtana or pointless sword
called also the Sword of Mercy ; the Sword
of Justice to the Spirituality ; and the Sword
of Justice to the Temporality.
14. A Sword of State, with a scabbard richly
embroidered.
15. Two Imperial Crowns set with jewels: one to
crown the King ; the other to be worn after
his Coronation.
16. An Orb of gold, with a cross.
17. A Sceptre with a cross, called St. Edward's
Sceptre.
18. A Sceptre with a Dove.
19. A Staff of gold with a cross at the top, and
a pike at the foot, called St. Edward's Staff.
20. A Ring with a Ruby.
21. A Pair of gold Spurs.
22. An Ampul, or vessel of gold to hold the
anointing oil, in shape of an eagle, and a
spoon.
23. Two Ingots of gold, one weighing a pound,
176

The Regalia of England
and the other a mark, for the King's two
offerings.
24. The Parliament Robes, viz., a Surcoat of Crimson
velvet, with a hood furred with ermine and
bordered with gold lace.
25. A Cap of State turned up with ermine.
26. The Robes of State of purple velvet of the
same fashion as the former, and two caps of
purple velvet turned up with ermine for the
two crowns.
It is deserving of note, that those things men
tioned and numbered consecutively 13 to 26, are
still used in the Coronation of the Sovereign.
A second list headed, " Delivered to the Proper
Officers for the Queen," runs thus : —
I. A Surcoat, or kirtle, of purple velvet, the sleeves
turned-up and powdered with ermine.
2. A Robe, or Mantle, of purple velvet, with a
long train, the cape and lining powdered
with ermine, to. wear over the surcoat.
3. A Circle, or Coronet of gold, to be worn before
anointing.
4. A Crown with which she is to be crowned.
5. A smaller Crown to wear afterwards.
6. A Sceptre of gold with a cross.
177

The Coronation of Edward VII
7. An Ivory rod with a Dove.
8. A Ring.
It is to be noted that all these things (the first
two somewhat altered in fashion) were used in the
Coronation of Queen Charlotte, wife of George III.,
and also of Queen Adelaide, wife of William IV.
* * * * »
The old Regalia were strictly Anglo-Saxon by
their traditional names : The crown of .Mfred, or of
St. Edward, for the King ; the crown of Edith,
wife of the Confessor, for the Queen. The sceptre
with the dove is said to have been typical of King
Edward's peaceful days after the expulsion of the
Danes. The gloves were a reminder of his abolition
of the Danegelt — a token that the King's hands
should be moderate in taking taxes. The ring with
which, as the Doge tO the Adriatic, so the King to
his people .was wedded, was the ring of the pilgrim.
The " great stone chalice " which was borne by the
Chancellor to the altar and out of which the Abbot
of Westminster administered the sacramental wine
was believed to have been prized at a high sum
" in Saint Edward's days." The form of oath
retained till the time of James II. was to observe
" the laws of the glorious Confessor." A copy
178

The Regalia of England
of the Gospels, purporting to have belonged to
Athelstane, was the book on which, as early as the

The Coronation, or King Edward's, Chair.

fifteenth century, it was believed that the Coronation
oath was taken.
The ancient chair (of which we publish a sketch)
in which our Kings are crowned, known as " The
179

The Coronation of Edward VII
Coronation, or King Edward's, Chair," is considerably
over six hundred years old. It originally came
from Scone, in Scotland, whose. Kings had also
been crowned in it. Edward the First of England
carried it away with him- in 1297, from its ancient
repository in Scotland, and rendered it (along with
other of the old Scottish regalia, the golden sceptre
and crown among the number) as a solemn offering
at the .shrine of Edward the Confessor. Ever
since then it has stood in the " Chapel of the
Kings " (the Confessor's Chapel) and been known
as, St. Edward's Chair, being so designated in the
Coronation offices. In length, it is about 6 ft.
7 in. ; in breadth, at the seat, 38 in. ; in depth, 24 in. ;
and from the seat to the bottom, 25 in. Four
lions support each corner, leaving a space of 9 in.
between the chair and the bottom board, within
which space is enclosed a stone named " Jacob's
Stone " or the " Fatal Marble Stone " which King
Edward also brought out of Scotland, with the
ancient charter called " Ragman's Roll."
No end of legends have grown up around the
Coronation Chair and the Stone of Scone, so called.
The origin of any stone being there at all, appears
to be traced to the primitive practice of raising
180

The Regalia of England
the kings of Gothic and Celtic race into an
elevated seat, generally of some natural stone, at
the time of their crowning. On the " Kings' stone,''
as we have elsewhere said, at Kingston-on-Thames,
the Anglo-Saxon sovereigns were crowned. And, in
Westminster Hall, dating .back from a very early
period, the King, before he passed from the Palace
to the Abbey, was lifted to a marble seat, some
twelve feet long by three feet broad, standing at
the upper end of the Hall — probably where the
steps now lead to the House of Commons — then
known as " the King's Bench." Dean Stanley in
his " Memorials of Westminster Abbey" tells us
that " the Stone " of the Coronation Chair most
probably is the " stony pillow on which Columba
rested, and on which his dying head was laid in
his Abbey of lona." " If so " (adds the Dean) " it
belongs to the minister of the first authentic
Coronation in Christendom " — the Coronation of
Aidan by Columba, A.D. 571. Edward I. brought
it out of Scotland from the Abbey of Scone. On
it he himself had been crowned King of the Scots.
We are told by the Dean, that in the last year, of
Edward's reign the " venerable chair which still
encloses it was made for it by the order of its
181

The Coronation of Edward VII
captor ; the fragment of the world-old Celtic races
wa^ embedded in the new Plantagenet oak." This
is a grand old legend of an ancient and famous
historical chair ; and in so far as antiquarians have
been able to collect and consider all the evidence, for,
or against the truth of the legend, there is strong
presumptive evidence that this, in fact, is none
other than the famous Stone of Scone.
There is no doubt that in the Coronation Chair
of Westminster Abbey, which so many of us have
seen, every English sovereign has been crowned.
Even Cromwell was installed in it, as Lord Protector,
in Westminster Hall, whither it was carried from
the Abbey for that singular and special occasion.
When used at the Coronation it is cushioned, and
richly covered with gold-beaten tissue, the better
to disguise its time-stained and worm-eaten condition.
There is also another coronation chair, similar in
appearance to that described, save as to the four
supporting lions, and enclosed stone, made for the
use of Queen Mary II., when crowned with her
consort, William of Orange. Needless to say that
this second chair is also splendidly adorned, like
the other, when brought into use for the crowning
of the consort of the sovereign. We need not
182

The Regalia of England
repeat the fable of " Jacob's stone." A legend
goes that it was used as " a scat of justice " by
some one living in the time of Moses ! To accept
of that statement, is to be endowed with a measure
of credulity inconceivable in these days.

183

CROWNS OF THE
KINGS OF ENGLAND
FROM THE TIMES OF THE ANGLO-
SAXON SOVEREIGNS TO THOSE
OF THE HOUSE OF STUART
When the Imperial Crown took the
Form as Illustrated in
THE REGALIA

185

Crowns of the Kings of England

Edgar
(Cotton MS.)

Edgar
(Cotton MS.).

Edward the Confessor
(Bayeux Tapestry).

I^^W^

Edward the Coxfessor
(Silver Coin, British Museum).

Harold II.

,5=^-

tj7

[Frankish].

[Frankish].

WlLUAM |I.

187

The Coronation of Edward VII

William I

P^^5^:i?

\o 0 O o o O 0

William. I.

William I

William II.

William IL

Henry 1.

Henry II.

1 88

Richard I.

Crowns of the Kings of England

John.

Henry III.

\o o o o o

Edward I.

Edward II.

Edward III.

Richard II.

Henry IV.

189

Henry V.

The Coronation of Edward VII

Henry VI.

Henry VI.

Edward IV.

Richard III.

Henry VII.

Henry VIII.

Edward VI. Mary.
I go

Crowns of the Kings of England

Coronation Medal of Queen Anne.
191

The Coronation of Edward VII
Among the Coronation paraphernalia, the State
Coach may be legitimately included, since it is not
only the most interesting of its kind in England,
but is said on good authority to be the most superb
state-carriage ever built. It was designed by Sir
William Chambers in 1761 for George III., and
cost in building something like ;^8,ooo. That king,
and his successors George IV., William IV., Queen
Victoria all used it for State purposes ; King
Edward VII. at the opening of his first and second
Parliaments in 190 1-2.
The paintings, which are by Cipriani, are very
rich. The front panel depicts Britannia seated on
a throne, holding in her hand a staff of Liberty,
attended by religion, justice, wisdom, valour, forti
tude, commerce, plenty, and victory, presenting her
with a garland of laurel. In the background is a
view of St. Paul's and the River Thames. On the
right door Industry and Ingenuity, giving a cornu
copia to the Genius of England, are presented,
while the panels on either side of the door depict
History recording the reports of Fame, and Peace
burning the implements of war. On the back panel
appear Neptune and Amphitrite issuing from their
palace in a triumphant car drawn by sea-horses,
192

Crowns of the Kings of England
attended by the winds, rivers, Tritons, Naiads, etc.,
bringing the tribute of the world to the British
shore. The Royal Arms appear on the upper
part of the back panel. They are beautifully
ornamented with the Order of St. George,
with the rose, shamrock, and thistle entwined.
The left door shows Mars, Minerva, and Mercury,
supporting the Imperial Crown of Great Britain,
while the liberal arts and sciences protected are
displayed on the panels on each side of the left
door. The whole of the carriage and body is richly
ornamented with laurel and carved work, beautifully
gilded. Weighing four tons, the coach is 24 ft. long by
8 ft. wide and 12 ft. high. The body is composed
of eight palm trees, which, branching out at the
top, sustain the roof; and four angular trees are
loaded with trophies suggestive of the victories
obtained by Great Britain. The trees are supported
by four lions' heads. On the centre of the roof
stand three cherubs, representing the Genii of
England, Scotland, and Ireland, supporting the
Imperial Crown of Great Britain, and holding in
their hands the sceptre, sword of State, and ensigns
of knighthood. The figures are adorned with
^93

The Coronation of Edward VII
festoons of laurel, which fall from thence towards
the four corners.
Internally the Star, encircled by the Collar of
the Order of the Garter, appears in the centre of
the roof Both are surmounted by the Imperial
Crown, pendant, the George and Dragon. In the
corners are the rose, shamrock, and thistle entwined.
The hind lounge is ornamented with the badge of
the Order of St. Michael and St. George, and on
the front appears the badge of the Order of the
Guelph and Bath, ornamented with rose, shamrock,
and thistle. The hind seat fall has the badge of
St. Andrew, and on the front the badge of St.
PatricTc. The stately vehicle is richly gilded and entirely
upholstered in crimson satin, with carpets, lace, and
curtains to match. Crimson velvet covers the glass
frames and the gun-metal shutter blinds. The
hammcrcloth is gorgeous, and the supports are
decorated with ornate carving.
It is not unlikely that an open coach, of m.ore
modern and convenient construction, which has been
recently designed and built, may be used by the
King and Queen on one of the days of the State
Procession — possibly on both days. The design is
194

Crowns of the Kings of England
most elaborate, and the cost of the carriage will be
considerable. It is upholstered in rose-pink or
crimson satin, like that used for the interior
fittings of the State Coach.
The design for the Coronation medals is the
work of the celebrated Austrian artist M. Pouch,
who was summoned to Osborne to take a cast of
Queen Victoria's features, prior to the removal of
the remains to the chapelle ardente. On the obverse
of the medal is a profile of the King and Queen, with
an inscription around. On the reverse side is an
elaborate and highly effective design, somewhat after
the style adopted on the penny. Britannia is seated
on a shield emblazoned with the Royal arms. Just
above the shield is the date of the Coronation,
June 26th, 1902. To the right of the figure of
Britannia is a view of Westminster Abbey.

The State Coach.
195

REROUTE

ST. JAMES'S," querulously wrote Philip II.
of Spain to Mendoza, one of the many
ambassadors whose despatches he was so fond of
correcting : " St. James's is a house of recreation
which was once a monastery. There is a park
between it and the palace, which is named Huytal ;
but, why it is named Huytal, I am sure I don't
know." " Huytal " stands of course for Whitehall ;
and it was originally so called because of its
whiteness or freshness of appearance, in comparison
of the neighbouring York Place, in Tudor times
the archiepiscopal residence in London of the
Archbishops of York, among whom was Wolsey,
the Cardinal.
The sumptuous palace that he erected on part
of the site of old York Place, and which he
occupied for some time during his chancellorship
and prior to his downfall, was never, in fact,
brought to completion. Had the Cardinal's palace
as projected survived to the present, Whitehall
196

The Route
as now seen would probably have formed part of
its buildings. Needless perhaps to remind the Reader
that Wolsey's palace became the principal London
residence of the sovereign, from Henry the Eighth's
time to that of James the Second, when it was
destroyed by fire. The palace and its appurtenances
extended from near to what is now Northumberland
Avenue, to Parliament Street, and from the river
side to St. James's Park. Wolsey, Henry VIII.,
Elizabeth, James I., Charles I., Cromwell, Charles II.,
and James II. all occupied it in turn. The only
existing reminiscence of this historically famous, and
once extensive and splendid range of buildings is
the familiar Banqueting House, built by Inigo Jones,
which originally served that purpose, then became
a Chapel Royal, and so continued till a few years
ago, when it became the museum of the Royal
United Service Institution. The thoroughfare which
extends from Charing Cross to Parliament Street
is still called Whitehall, having been so known
from the days of Wolsey.
Probably, no other thoroughfare in London has
witnessed so many stirring scenes of state pageantry
as this, or is so interwoven with the history of
nearly every monarch who has occupied the English
197

The Coronation of Edward VII
throne. It formed part of the much frequented
highway from the Tower to Westminster : first East
Cheap, then Cheapside, then St. Paul's leading
down to Ludgate, then the Temple and Temple
Bar, then the Strand, Charing Cross, Whitehall,
and Westminster. Just opposite the Banqueting
House, on the site of the present Horse Guards,
was the Tilt Yard, which in Elizabeth's time was
the meeting-place of all sorts of gallant company.
The Cockpit of the Stuarts was not far away,
in the vicinity of what is now one of the oldest of
London's streets. Downing Street, namely. The
student of English history might people White
hall with the most famous men and women known
to every period of that history, from the days of
William the Norman to those of his present Majesty,
Edward the Seventh ; for in all time it has been the
high road to the King's ancient Palace of West
minster, whereof old Westminster Hall and the
more modern Houses of Parliament are the present-
day representatives ; the first dating back to 1397,
the last-named to 1840. The King's Palace still
survives, as we have before said, in the name of
Palace Yard. # # * » »
198

The Route
St. James's was never much of " a house of
recreation " to the sovereigns of England unless,
may be, to Henry the Eighth, when married to
Anne Boleyn ; and St. James's Palace was never
a " monastery." It was originally a hospital for
lepers, who were not in the condition of paupers.
As a palace, judged by modern standards, it is but
a poor example of such buildings, and its chief
interest to-day centres in its age and history. It
dates from Henry the Eighth, who " attached " it,
like many another place he had set his mind on
having. No part of the original St. James's
Palace of Tudor days survives, except the familiar
gateway facing St. James's Street, and the Chapel
Royal. All the rest of the structure is com
paratively modern, probably of no earlier date than
the time of Queen Anne and the early Georges,
if we except certain parts of the interior, preserved
during the process of rebuilding, of which the
chimney-piece in the Guard Chamber (if we
remember aright) showing the initials of Henry the
Eighth and Anne Boleyn may serve as an example.
Not the least interesting of the historic associations
of St. James's Palace are connected with the Stuart
kings. Although it is well known tliat Charles I.
199

The Coronation of Edward VII
took leave of his children, and passed his last night
on earth in one of its rooms ; it is not, perhaps,
so generally known that the King's body was brought
to St. James's Palace after the execution, was there
embalmed and put in a coffin of lead, " and laid
there a fortnight to be seen of the people." * From
St. James's it was carried to Windsor, where it now
rests in a vault in St. George's Chapel. Neither
Cromwell nor the Parliament seem to have interfered
with the King's friends in seeing to its decent inter
ment, " provided that the expenses of the funeral
did not exceed ;£^soo." It was even allowed to
rest for a day in the King's chamber at Windsor
Castle, whence it was carried to the Deanery and
thence to the chapel.
Charles II. kept himself away from St. James's,
not caring to be reminded of its mournful associa
tions. His brother, James II., set up a society of
Benedictine monks in the palace, and insisted on the
consecration of the Papal Nuncio (Adda) as arch
bishop in the Chapel Royal. It was in the Queen's
apartments, on the evening of the ceremony, that
James, in presence of his court, fell on his knees
before the newly consecrated prelate, and implored
* "England's Black Tribunal set forth,'' etc., 1658.
200

The Route
his blessing. " It was long indeed " (says Macaulay)
" since an English sovereign had knelt to mortal man ;
and those who saw this strange sight could not but
think of that day when John did homage for his
crown between the hands of Pandolph."
William of Orange came here the very night
that James finally fled from Whitehall. Here the
first Lev6e of the prince was held the following
day : " all the rooms and staircases were thronged ;
such was the press that men of the highest rank
were unable to elbow their way into the Presence
Chamber." Queen Anne and the first three of the
Hanoverian kings used it as a palace, much more
than their predecessors ; and for many a long day
— for three centuries at least — functions of State,
Royal Proclamations, Royal Marriages, Christenings,
Balls, Banquets, Drawing-rooms, Levies, have taken
place at St. James's. During the reign of Queen
Victoria, one often read a state document dated " At
the Court at St. James's " ; and most of the Official
Announcements (1901) of King Edward the Seventh
are similarly dated : those, for example, publishing
the facts of his Accession and Proclamation as King.
His first Privy Council, where he announced that he
201 O

The Coronation of Edward VII
took the title of lidward the Seventh (as we have
elsewhere noted), was held here.
The first Queen Mary died in St. James's Palace.
Charles the Second was born here. General Monk
took up his quarters here, while plotting the Restora
tion. Queen Anne considered it " quite the properest
place to act such a cheat in " as that of the so-named
"warming-pan'' plot of James the Second's reign; the
supposed conveyance of the child (afterwards known
as the Old Pretender) to the Queen's bedchamber in
that once familiar implement of domestic comfort.
The two German and English mistresses of
George I. had apartments in the Palace ; as also
had Mrs. Howard (afterwards Countess of Suffolk),
mistress of George II. Here died Caroline, his
queen ; and here also was born George IV. Queen
Charlotte, wife of George III., rescued its memory
from the many questionable associations belonging
to it in the reigns of the King's two immediate
predecessors. In George III.'s time, St. James's
Palace became deadly dull, save for the Levies and
Drawing-rooms periodically held in its state apart
ments. You may read all about the kind of life
passed at St. James's in the concluding years of
the eighteenth century in Madame D'Arblay's
202

The Route
memoirs. The odes of the Poets Laureate were,
in bygone times, recited and sung before the king
and queen in the Council Chamber. Several royal
marriages, including those of George IV. and Queen
Caroline and Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
and some of their children, have been solemnised
in the Chapel Royal, the oblong building situated
between the Colour Court and Ambassadors' Court.
The palace apartments are now chiefly occupied as
offices or by personages of the King's Court. The
Duke of Cornwall and York (now Prince of Wales)
lived for a time in the only residence worthy of
the name, that fronting on Cleveland Row.
So much, then, for St. James's, whose Tudor
gateway is one of the oldest landmarks of
London ; and whose park, street, square, and
adjacent Pall Mall are among its most historic
thoroughfares. The whole district is inseparably
connected with the long history of the palace
itself, and of those kings and queens who either
lived there or at Whitehall, and in later years
at Buckingham^ Palace. Marlborough House, from
1863 to 1901 the residence of King Edward the
Seventh when Prince of Wales, fronts on the Mall.
St. James's Street has been for centuries one of
203

The Coronation of Edward VII
the streets of London fashion and the centre of
English club-life. St. James's Square, in the seven
teenth century, was one of the lordliest places of
residence of the Court quarter. Of Pall Mall, no
more need be said than that probably no other street
is so well known by name and reputation throughout
the world. It is the Club-land of the empire.
# » # # *
When the Duke of Buckingham owned the house
on the site of which Buckingham Palace now stands,
an inscription in Latin ran thus over its main
entrance : " Sic siti laetantur Lares " — the Household
Gods delight in such a situation. That might have
been the case in the days when George the First
was King, and St. James's Park and all the land
westward beyond open country. But times are
changed and London has changed since those days.
The domestic and familiar gods have long since
departed from the place, whose garden was " a little
wilderness full of blackbirds and nightingales," and
whose mansion seems to have been one of the great
attractions of London, no less architecturally than
in location. This mansion came into possession
of George III. by purchase in 1761, and fourteen
years later was settled by Act of Parliament on
204

THE REGALIA

No, 6

Coronation Tankard

State
Salt Cella

state
Salt Cellar

The Route
Queen Charlotte, and then became commonly known
as " the Queen's House." Such are the few lines
of history belonging to the King's principal resi
dence in London, that named Buckingham Palace,
fronting on St. James's Park, and in large part
covering the ground once famous as the Mulberry
Garden of the days of the Stuarts. It is more
than probable indeed that the present north-west
pleasure-grounds of the palace formed part of
these very gardens, made so familiar to us in the
writings of the dramatists of Charles II.'s reign.
No one could well mistake the ownership of
Buckingham Palace, or the use to which it is
appropriated. Its exterior indicates the state
palace at a glance. It is an unsightly structure,
adapted in part from old Buckingham House. Par
liament was chary of money-voting for an entirely
new palace in the reign of George the Fourth,
having already found considerable sums for Carlton
House and similar purposes, during the Regency
and later reign of that king. The palace as we
now see it was built in his day, and completed
in the reign of his successor, William the Fourth,
who, by the way, never lived in it, having freely
expressed his dislike (so it is said) to the general
205

The Coronation of Edward VII
appearance and discomfort of the whole structure.
The late Queen (Victoria) entered upon occupation
of the palace in June 1837 ; but when she was
married considerable additions and alterations had
to be made to it ; and it is probable that her
Majesty least liked it of all the royal residences.
In point of fact, it is less of a home than an
official residence, set apart chiefly to purposes of
state. For such purposes, its several apartments —
Throne-room, Ball-room, Drawing-rooms, and Dining-
room — are well adapted, being spacious, imposing,
and splendidly furnished and decorated. It is now,
however, the one Royal Palace of the Sovereign
in London, used as a residence. St. James's is
practically closed, except for occasional Levees in
the Season ; and Kensington Palace has become a
kind of national memorial of Queen Victoria (but let
us not forget William the Third in this connection) ;
just as Hampton Court has long been of the Tudor,
Stuart, and early Hanoverian sovereigns. Kew is a
mere cottage, interesting perhaps by reason of its
associations with the last sad years in the life of
George the Third.
» * * * #
The roadway leading from Buckingham Palace
206

The Route
to Hyde Park is named Constitution Hill. Whence
the name, and when actually bestowed, we are
unable to say. It used to be, and for aught we
know still is, a closed road for carriages, to all but
those of members of the Royal Family and privi
leged persons. Not so, however, to foot passengers ;
and it has always been a favourite spot with spec
tators of royal cavalcades, which almost invariably
proceed to and from Hyde Park, or to and from
Piccadilly, by this roadway. It was long known as
" tlie King's Coach-way to Kensington " — probably,
first so known in the days of William III., who
lived most of his time at Kensington Palace. Its
name was changed to Constitution Hill, so we are
inclined to think, when Queen Victoria first occupied
Buckingham Palace. The gates of the central arch
way at the northern, or Piccadilly, end are opened
only to carriages of the Royal Family.
*****
Piccadilly begins at Apsley House exactly opposite
that archway — the town mansion for over thirty
years of the first Duke of Wellington, which contains
some fine historical and other pictures chiefly asso
ciated with the memory of the duke's career in the
Peninsula. Piccadilly is a fine open thoroughfare
207

The Coronation of Edward VII
for spectators on foot, and one also exception
ally well favoured in respect of opportunity of
sight-seeing from the windows of houses flanking
its north side. But, those are chiefly aristocratic
mansions or clubs, not available to the commonalty.
There are but two hotels along this section of the
Route ; and for accommodation at either we should
think prices would run high. The same remarks
hold good of St. James's Street, made up of clubs,
banks, insurance offices, and one or two well-to-do
tradesmen's shops, the upper portions of which are
commonly let out as gentlemen's " chambers." St.
James's Street's pavement, right and left, is free,
however, to the King's lieges, and, it need not be
said, to strangers not included within that category.
Pall Mall is, as every one knows, almost wholly
given over to clubs ; the few exceptions being the War
Office on the south side, and a few shops and offices
on the north. If any of these last are available to
spectators, depend upon it that the prices demanded
would not be too moderate. All the way from
Waterloo Place to Trafalgar Square, Whitehall,
Parliament Street, and the precincts of the Abbey,
good vantage ground should be found. Those willing
to take their chance might find this district as
208

The Route
promising as any. In great London crowds, every
one stands a chance of seeing what is going forward ;
and many an indifferent or loitering spectator who
comes upon the scene last, finds that he is as well
placed as the majority who, maybe, have been in
waiting for hours together. The great thing in a
great London crowd is to keep oneself cool, and
to obey the orders of the police. One remarkable
characteristic of a great London crowd, in general, is
its good temper and obedience to authority. The
writer has been in many great London crowds in
his time, and has sometimes found himself in more
than " tight places " ; but he has never failed to find
a way out by keeping cool, and showing a friendly
confidence in his neighbours. Some of them may
be pickpockets, or, more desirably, detectives. In
either case, you will be much more likely to work
out of a tight place, by keeping calm and showing
yourself friendly — even if only for strategic reasons
— than by any exhibition of "battery" or bad temper.
* # * * , *
All sorts of conjectures have been rife as to the
Coronation Procession from the Palace to the Abbey.
One has only to glance at the printed order of
the service within the Abbey itself, to be assured
209

The Coronation of Edward VII
that Coronation Day must be very fatiguing to all
concerned, from King and Queen to spectator. The
length of the religious rite alone would be likely,
one would say, to tire all but the most robust. A
lengthy route of State Procession outdoors, to and
from Westminster on that day, is hardly likely to
be finally selected. We venture to think that one
of three alternatives will be chosen in going or
returning, as follows : either (i) by Constitution
Hill to Piccadilly, St. James's Street, Pall Mall,
Charing Cross, Whitehall ; or (2) by way of Bird
cage Walk and Great George Street ; or (3) by the
Mall of St. James's Park, through the Horse Guards,
to Westminster.
It is generally understood, at the date of this
book going to press, that there are to be two Corona
tion Processions through the streets of London :
that, namely, on Friday, June 27th, the day fol
lowing the ceremony itself, which second state-
pageant is doubtless intended, shall take the place
of the ancient time-honoured state procession from
the Tower, through the City, to Westminster ; and
the principal, as above-stated, from the Palace to the
Abbey on Coronation Day, Thursday, June 26th.
The Pageant of Friday, June 27th, will be so
210

The Route
arranged as to give the People in every part of
London, north and south of the Thames, ample
opportunity and space for seeing one of the most
splendid State Pageants that London has ever
witnessed. It is understood that his Majesty has
approved of the recommendation of the Executive
Coronation Committee, that the route, on the
occasion of the procession, should be the same as
that followed by the late Queen in 1897. It will
be generally recollected that on the occasion of the
" Diamond Jubilee '' the Royal procession started
from Buckingham Palace shortly after eleven o'clock,
and proceeded by Constitution Hill, Piccadilly, St.
James's Street, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square (north
side), Duncannon Street, Strand, Fleet Street, and
Ludgate Hill, to St. Paul's Cathedral. After the
ceremony the procession returned by the way of
the south side of St. Paul's Churchyard to Cheapside,
the Mansion House, King William Street, London
Bridge, Borough High Street, Borough Road, St.
George's Circus, Westminster Bridge Road, West
minster Bridge, Parliament Street, Whitehall, the
Horse Guards, and the Centre Mall to Buckingham
Palace. It has been stated that one purpose of the lengthier
211

The Coronation of Edward VII
Procession is in some sort to revive the old-time
associations of Westminster Hall with the King's
Coronation. His Majesty, it is said, will make a
call there to receive the addresses of various public
bodies, and perhaps for the taking of oaths of
allegiance. If this last incident should prove to be
included in the day's proceedings, that would prob
ably mean an abridgment of this part of the historic
rite in the Abbey, more particularly referred to else
where in the printed religious services of the day.
*****
We may take it that prices for seats to view the
Procession will not rule higher than those asked
on the day of Queen Victoria's Jubilee — that is to
say, if the Route be not restricted solely to Con
stitution Hill, Piccadilly, St. James's Street, Charing
Cross, Whitehall. Of course, the lesser the oppor
tunity of seeing the Pageant, the higher will be
the prices asked for accommodation. But, we
should say — seeing we have had so many grand
State processions of late years, and surely few
could excel in splendour and interest that of June
1897: we should say that a guinea or so should
command a seat, from which conveniently to view
either of the Coronation Processions of 1902.
212

The Route
"The Diamond Jubilee" of 1897 gave London a
foretaste of what London can produce in the way
of accommodation for the general public bent on
sight-seeing. At the last Coronation in 1838
speculators were not perhaps so exacting or so
numerous as on the occasion named ; but there
were a good many spacious timber structures —
galleries they were called — built on the line of
procession, seats in which commanded prices vary
ing from los. to 30J. The front of Westminster
Hospital, for example, was covered with a stand
capable of holding some seven hundred persons, each
of whom paid a guinea for a seat. The public
stands extended all the way from Charing Cross
down Whitehall to the Abbey. Even the equestrian
statue of Charles I. was hemmed in by a wooden
gallery. Prices for seats at the windows of houses
on the line of route appear to have ranged from
lOJ. to ;^5 5J. ; and the whole frontages of such
houses were let for sums ranging from ;^5o to
^300. In St. James's Street (then not so given
over to clubs as now) several houses were let for
;f200. The old Reform Club-house was let to a
speculator for ;£^200, who realised ;£soo by his
bargain. 213

IF Pageantry be of any account in politics — and
he would be a bold, not to say ill-informed
citizen who should say to the contrary — it is of
service in striking the imagination of the multitude.
Otherwise, why a taste for flags and banners when
political elections come round ? Why the stitching
by fair fingers of lovely silken rosettes of red, white,
blue and the like, and the display of such rosettes
on coats and gowns when the town is at fever heat
with patriotism- or "jingoism?" Why the hiring
of bands of music, banner-men, carriages, trumpeters,
and so on, and the arranging of processions, when
men take it into their heads to display their rejoicing,
that some particular section of the People are at
some particular juncture (say) in a worse position,
politically speaking, than themselves ? Why, in
a word. State Processions through London's streets
at the King's Coronation, unless it be to show the
people that grandeur, splendour, soldiery, rank,
magnificence, the brilliance of coaches, the glitter of
214

The People

robes, jeweLs, uniforms, etc., etc., are part of the
paraphernalia of kings, offered in exchange, may
we not say, for the loyalty, goodwill, and support
of their people ?
Even Demos himself, when the opportunity serves,
is not averse to appearing in public in state, so to
speak. He decorates with broad coloured sashes and
rich golden tassels, glistening stars of silver, medals,
aprons of white and blue, hats with plumes of
feathers, or other sightly and attractive insignia
peculiar to the guild, " mystery," brotherhood, or
other association to which perchance Demos and
his fellows to-day belong. Your thorough-paced
Radical, elected by the suffrages of his political
friends to County, Borough, or City councils, would
seem to consider that a scarlet or blue fur-trimmed
gown of broad-cloth, contributes not a little to the
dignity or imposing character of his office, or why
does he wear it ? It would hardly be suggested, we
think, that every member of the Worshipful Court
of Aldermen of the City of London is an aristocrat ?
No gentlemen are more ready to gratify the citizens
with a sight of gowns of scarlet, or " mazarine,"
of gold chains of office, maces, swords, cocked-
hats, plumes, uniforms, court dress, etc., than that
215

The Coronation of Edward VII
promiscuous gathering of gentlemen which to their
own credit, no less than to the advantage and
satisfaction of the City of London at large, carry
on its municipal government.
Even the very Judges, the Clergy, and the Doctors
are not averse to a little exhibition of display at
times. The dignified judges of England, in full-
bottomed wigs, scarlet robes, and ermine tippets,
are quite as pleased to show themselves to the
people, passing in procession to the opening of the
High Courts of Justice in London, in Michaelmas
Term, as the people are pleased to see them. As
for the clergy who, from time immemorial, have been
disposed to lecture their flocks — by the way, the last
sermon preached by Bishop Latimer, before King
Edward the Sixth, was in deprecation of finery ;
as for the clergy, who are always preaching against
the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, among
the which may be rightly included pomp and luxury
of dress, some of themselves have been and still
are among the greatest of sinners in these respects.
The magnificence of Archbishop a Becket, we
are told, was " incredible." Before the coming of
Wolsey (so the chroniclers say) none wore silks
and embroideries in England among the commonalty.
216

The People
The fact is, the most of us relish a little display, and
all of us greatly relish a State display : all, perhaps,
but those more immediately concerned in arranging
and taking part in it.
The world sometimes thinks that kings and princes
are very agreeably entertained, when they stand the
central figures of the foremost group in some great
function of State, surrounded by a splendid throng
of statesmen, ambassadors, lords chamberlain, lords
steward, masters of ceremonies. Crown equerries,
gentlemen-at-arms and the rest, for the express
purpose (in not a few instances) of gratifying a
number of other people, whom they have never seen,
and to whom the throne-room of the palace is not
generally accessible. Many persons, I doubt not,
view with envy the splendid positions that some of
these great functionaries of a Court occupy, and
doubtless would willingly forego their own indepen
dence to be allowed to stand for a time in their
place. The great personages themselves, on the
other hand, are only too delighted, we should
imagine, to exchange the richly embroidered coat
of scarlet and gold, or bullion and blue, for a plain
everyday suit of honest " Cheviot " ; and, excepting
for duty's sake, are no more entertained by the
217 P

The Coronation of Edward VII
proceedings of State processions, Foundation-stone
layings. Levies, Drawing-rooms, State Balls, State
Concerts, and the like, than a policeman is enter
tained by staring at the road traffic at Charing Cross.
I was curious to see what Charles Cavendish Fulke
Greville (an aristocrat of the aristocrats, better known
as sometime Clerk of the Privy Council and, later,
author of the " Memoirs ") might have to say about
the Coronation of Queen Victoria, at which he, of
course, was present. He gossips about it in a
couple of pages, or so, and describes in a few words
the scene in the Abbey. This is how he sums up
his impressions : " The thing best worth seeing was
the Town itself, and the countless multitudes through
which the procession passed. . . The great event
of this Coronation is, that it was done for the people.
To interest and amuse tltem [the word is printed in
italics] seems tc have been the principal object."
And, as if to emphasise what was passing in his
mind at the moment he wrote this, he mentions
incidentally that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
told him he had been informed, on good authority,
that " i^200,ooo had been paid for seats alone." A
Coronation is undoubtedly in a marked degree a
serious, and imposing, historic and religious rite ;
2l8

The People

but the purely spectacular parts of the ceremony,
the grand processions through London, the splendid
scene in the Abbey, the attendant Court rejoicings
and festivities : these are what mainly interest tho.'^e
who have not the good fortune to take any personal
part in the ceremonial proceedings. Those who do
happen to be appointed to take part in them find
that " the thing best worth seeing is the Town
itself." Coronations were made for crowds. Apart from
the national and political significance belonging to
the act itself, and the interest inseparable from the
solemn and imposing religious ritual connected with
the ceremony, such great spectacles were planned
and intended to interest and attract the People,
and to arouse their loyalty and enthusiasm. It
would be an original idea to give representatives
of every rank of the King's subjects opportunity
of witnessing the religious ceremonial, instead of
reserving the whole space within the Abbey, as is
usual, to the aristocratic and privileged few. On
the eve of the Coronation, Westminster Abbey
passes for the time into possession of the Crown
and its officers ; so that there is not much chance,
we fear, for " the great unknown " to mingle with
219

The Coronation of Edward VII
the well-known great, as spectators of the ceremony
itself *****
Our old library friend, Pepys, who, in his time,
saw everything worth seeing in London, reports
that he was " up early " to witness the Coronation
of Charles the Second. " About four " (says he) " I
rose and got to the Abbey, and with much ado
did get up to a scaffold in the north end, where,
with a good deal of patience, I sat from past four till
eleven." That hour seems to have been the appointed
time for the religious ceremony of the Coronation
to begin, from time immemorial. Eleven is, as
every one knows, the Sunday morning church hour
common throughout England ; and as the Coro
nations of England's Sovereigns were generally
arranged to take place on some day appointed as
a Church Festival, it may be that that circumstance
had somewhat to do with the hour named. " At
daybreak" on that June morning sixty-four years
ago when Queen Victoria was crowned, the streets
of London were already thronged ; and grand folk,
an hour or two later, were making their way in
carriages to the Abbey. It might be as well to
note the fact here, for nearly all great State affairs
220

The People

are, as we have before pointed out, arranged and
governed by ancient usage.
On Queen Victoria's Coronation Day, the special
proceedings of the occasion were begun with a
royal salute of twenty-one guns fired in St. James's
Park at sunrise. The people began to form up
in the streets and on the line of route as early as
three in the morning. The doors of the Abbey
were opened to those with tickets at S a.m. The
House of Commons met shortly after 7 a.m., all
members being in full-dress uniform or court dress,
for the purpose of balloting for the places reserved
to its representatives in the Abbey. At ten o'clock
the Abbey doors were closed against all comers
but those included in the . procession of the
Sovereign. It is most likely that the ceremony of
the King's Coronation will be appointed for eleven
or thereabout. Whether Londoners will throng
the streets at " daybreak " on the day appointed
is a point Londoners will decide for them
selves. If they do not, it is probable that others
will. Londoners have seen more of splendid State
pageantry within the last ten or twelve years, than
in all other years of her late Majesty's reign put
together, unless we except the entry of Queen
221

The Coronation of Edward VII
Alexandra into London. For grandeur and in
terest alike, the Jubilee occasions would be hard
to match ; but it is quite likely that the Coronation
Processions to and from the Palace will at least
equal those two memorable pageants in national
interest. The King himself is partial to military
display, which of all others appeals most to the
popular interest. Why a naturally peace-loving
people should be always so delighted with a sight
of the pomp and circumstance of war — and the
greater the military display the more satisfied and
appreciative our non-combatant citizens are ; why
the generally peace-loving citizen should most relish
these warlike displays is a question we might leave
to the consideration of philosophers.
*****
Thackeray, in one of his earlier essays, inci
dentally mentions that he was in a " genteel
crowd" — everything was "genteel" in Thackeray's
time that was not positively vulgar : he was in a
genteel crowd in one of the galleries of the Abbey
at the Queen's Coronation. (We oldsters still cHng
to that dear old name, as if our late and long-time
Sovereign Lady were yet with us.) Thackeray
was in such a crowd, he said, " at the Queen's
222

The People

Coronation." In these times, we should probably
write "a swell crowd." "In point of intelligence,"
he proceeds to remark, " the democrats were quite
equal to the aristocrats " — a comparison, shall we
say, not quite in the style of Thackeray of the
days of " Esmond." " I have never yet been in an
English mob," he continues, " without the same
feeling of respect for the persons who composed it,
and without wonder at the vigorous and orderly
good sense, and intelligence, of the People." When
we remember that Thackeray was somewhat less
familiar with the People than his great contem
porary Dickens, such an admission from him is
worth repeating. When we speak of " the People,"
some of us are apt at times to fancy that we
ourselves are not of their number. The author of
" Vanity Fair," who mostly moved in the upper
circles of society, loved his club, and the well-
arranged households and inviting companionship
of the well-to-do, somewhat condescendingly as it
seems to us, uses the word " mob " to express his
view of a great popular gathering in the streets
of London. Grammatically speaking, no doubt,
"mob" is sufficiently correct. But we usually
employ that word now to signify the rowdier element
223

The Coronation of Edward VII
in popular assemblies. Now, if there be one
feature of our English crowds more than another
that astonishes the stranger, not less than the
Englishman himself, it is the remarkable absence
of rowdyism. " The vigorous and orderly good
sense, and intelligence," and wholesome respect for
the authority of the police, which in general
characterises a great London crowd, or " mob " if
you will, may be classed among the most astoni.shing
and pleasing features of our times.
We venture to say that not the least interesting
of the many interesting sights to be seen in London
on the day of the King's Coronation, will be the
People gathered in numbers overwhelming in its
streets ; hundreds of thousands of the People, of
every class, drawn from near and far, as orderly,
good-tempered, and law-abiding as any to be seen
in any city in the world. That sight, to be seen,
most probably, in the Park fronting on the Palace,
on Constitution Hill, in Piccadilly, in St. James's
Street, in Pall Mall, at Charing Cross, about
Whitehall, at Westminster, and elsewhere, will be
one of the great features of the day of the crowning
of King Edward at Westminster. The crowd will
be in the main attracted, of course, by a desire to
224

The People

see the State pageantry of the Royal Procession
itself to and from the Abbey ; but it will also
be drawn together from all parts of the kingdom,
to show its good-will, and proclaim its loyalty,
to the reigning monarch, son and successor of
Queen Victoria the Well-beloved, who passed this
way to her Coronation, amid the same scenes of
popular rejoicing, now so many years ago.

225

Arrangement, according to Precedent, of the Altar and the
"Theatre" (so-named) in Westminster Abbey at the
Coronation.

226

^«t^m

THE ABBEV

'^^^'>*- ^ — :^-?<i»g!

MOST LOVELY fr LOVABLE THING IV CHRISTENDOM

iSXE

H

E who is without enthusiasm,
if any there be, for this that
has been not unfitly named " the most
lovely and lovable thing in Christen
dom " ; he who may be as yet un
versed in the history and traditions
of London's famous Minster of the
West, would do well to turn for a
moment to the " Memorials of Westminster Abbey "
by the late Dean Stanley, for a little pleasant
and profitable reading, preparatory to that event
of which the Abbey, as heretofore, is the central
point of greatest interest.
He says that " the most continuous succession
of events " the Abbey has witnessed in its eight
centuries of history have been the coronations.
No similar succession of events is recorded of any
other building in the world. The crowning of
the old-time kings of France at Rheims and of
. 227

The Coronation of Edward VII
the Popes of Rome in the Basilica of the Vatican
most nearly approaches to it. But Rheims is now
deserted, and the present Church of St. Peter at
Rome is, by five hundred years, more modern
than Westminster Abbey. Moreover, no other
coronation rite in Europe reaches back to so
early a period, as that of the sovereigns of Britain.
The crowning of Aidan by Columba is the oldest
known ceremony of the kind in Christendom ; and,
from the Anglo-Saxon "order" of the coronation
of Egbert is derived the ancient form of the
coronation of the Kings of F"rance. Only in two
European countries, besides Britain, does the rite
retain its full primitive signification, in Hungary,
namely, and in Russia.
TnP m *** 7P T^
The traditionary place of the first crowning of
a British sovereign is far-famed Stonehenge by
Salisbury Plain. Of the Anglo-Saxon kings of
England, seven were crowned on " the King's
Stone" — so says tradition — "by the first ford of
the Thames " Londonwards travelling from the
west. The stone itself (so at least is commonly
supposed) still stands an interesting memorial in
the market-square at Kingston-on-Thames, that
228

The Abbey
picturesque suburb of London, not too curiously
sought nowadays by strangers and pilgrims, but
which is within a pleasant walk of town by way
of Putney and Wimbledon Common, thence through
Kingston Vale. Winchester Cathedral and St. Paul's
in London — the elder church once standing on the
site of the present metropolitan cathedral — were
likewise coronation places of the Saxon kings of
England. It appears still to be doubtful where
Harold of that line was crowned. But, with his
successor (as we have already pointed out) began
that long series of successive coronations in the
Abbey of Westminster, of which that of King
Edward the Seventh, and his Queen, will be for
some years to come (as we trust) the present
appropriate finale.
Founded in the eleventh century of our era by
his famous ancestor, alike in lineage, and in name,
it is peculiarly befitting and not less interesting that
Edward the Seventh should, in the second year of
the twentieth century, receive the homage of the
nation, and be crowned king in the Church of St.
Peter " of our Palace at Westminster," — for so his
present Majesty's Proclamation of June 26th, 1901,
ran — like all his ancestors of the name. The
229

The Coronation of Edward VII
third of the Henrys kings of England prided
himself on his descent from King Alfred. Henry's
sons were the first of the English princes who
were called by Anglo-Saxon names. That king's
first-born son — the first prince, be it said, ever born
at Westminster — received his name from the Anglo-
Saxon founder of the Abbey — "the first of that
long series of Edwards, which is the one royal name
that constantly reappears, to assert its unchanging
hold on the affections of the English people."
Plainly and briefly stated, the Ceremony of the
Coronation of the King at Westminster is the
recognition, and confirmation, in Solemn Form of
his royal descent, and consequent right of
Accession to the throne. The ceremony itself
is not absolutely necessary, though held essential,
for the security of the title to the Crown. William
the Fourth, "the Sailor King ' of England, was
eager to dispense with it altogether. In theory,
and according to ancient law of the Realm (as
every one knows) the King never dies. The
Queen is dead, live the King ! The throne is
never vacant. At 6.30 p.m. on the evening of
January 22nd, 1901, at Osborne, Albert Edward,
the eldest son of the greatly loved and deeply
230

The Abbey
lamented Queen Victoria, became King in fact
and in person. The Coronation " at Our Palace
at Westminster" is the solemn public confirmation
of King Edward's right.
The ceremonial itself is more splendid, elaborate,
and emblematic in England, than in any other
country of Europe. Its ritual is in the highest de
gree interesting, being so faithfully established upon,
and regulated by, historic precedent. The practice
of anointing with oil, for example, has been con
tinued for upwards of a thousand years in Britain
at the Coronation of the Sovereign. Some of the
forms still in use would appear to be of Judaical
origin, at all events in the religious part of
the ceremonies. It was declared by Thomas a
Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, that " kings are
anointed on the head to signify their glory ; on
the breast to signify their sanctity ; and on the
arm to declare their power." These various acts of
consecration, so many centuries old, are still done
by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Coronation
in Westminster Abbey. The various insignia,
hereinbefore referred to, such as a ring to signify
faithfulness, the bracelet for good works, a sceptre
for justice, a sword for vengeance, the purple robes
231

The Coronation of Edward VII

to attract reverence, the diadem to blazon glory, are
all of much historic interest. The word " king "
(as the text-books say) signifies power, or know
ledge, " wherewith every sovereign should be
endowecf." His formal crowning, apart from the
illustrious honour and dignity thus conferred, tends
to a formal establishment of those rights which the
People claim from a monarch, in return for the duty
and allegiance the People are bound to render him.
There was a book in the keeping of the Abbots of
Westminster, one
of the most in
teresting of the
treasures still in
custody of the
Deans, named the
" Liber Regalis,"
or " Book of the
Royal Offices."
Its date is of
the middle years
of the fourteenth
century. That
book has furnished
Coronation Chair of Queen Mary
Tudor. the precedents

232

The Abbey

for the religious ceremonies of the Coronations
in Westminster Abbey ever since. Queen Mary
was crowned according to the order therein set
forth. Queen Elizabeth's coronation followed the
same order in most respects. King James the
First's took what is known as " the new form,"
which, " with some alterations, has been ' the
Coronation Service ' in use down to the present
day." The service used in 1838, at the coronation
of Queen Victoria, was " edited," if we may so
say — prepared, perhaps, would be a better word —
by Archbishop Howley, then of Canterbury, and
Primate of All England, who presided at the
ceremony. It is undoubtedly based on, or collated
with, that used at the crowning of James the
Second and Queen Mary, which was also the
precedent followed at the crowning of King
George III. and Queen Charlotte, George IV., and
King William IV.
*****
From the time of William the Conqueror, the
Archbishop of Canterbury has (with three excep
tions) always been the chief ecclesiastic at the
Coronations ; and the Bishop of London has usually
preached the sermon. The Archbishop of York
233 Q

The Coronation of Edward VII
is appointed to assist. Dean Stanley says that,
"on these occasions only, these three prelates
take their places, as of right, in the Choir of the
Abbey, but the Archbishop of York has been
obliged to remain content with the inferior
and accidental office of crowning the Queen
Consort, as was originally performed by Aldred
(Archbishop of York) for Queen Matilda, two
years after the Conqueror's coronation." By
I William and Mary, c. 6i, it is enacted " that the
Coronation may be performed by the Archbishop
of Canterbury, or the Archbishop of York, or either
of them, or any other Bishop whom the King's
Majesty shall appoint." The claim of the Archbishop
of Canterbury to preside at the marriage of royal
personages (it may be mentioned) rests on the
theory that the kings and queens of England
are " parishioners " of the see of Canterbury.
Tarenthetically : to illustrate the close connection
that has always existed between the Crown and
Westminster Abbey, it may be mentioned that the
Coronations even to this day — it was so in times
remote, when Tudor and Stuart came to the throne,
and is so now when Edward the Seventh is to be
crowned — are said to take place at " Our Palace at
234

The Abbey
Westminster," whereof the Houses of Parliament
may be said to be the present-day representatives.
They are still referred to as the Palace of West
minster, and the open space in front of the Hall
is still known as Palace Yard, held to be within
the precincts (we believe) of the House of Commons.
At all events, this space is practically closed to the
public when Parliament is in session.
*****
On that eventful Christmas Day of the year 1066,
when William the Norman passed to his crowning
at Westminster, the suburbs of the city, the streets
of London — such as they then were — and all the
approaches to the Abbey were thronged with a
vast crowd. So say the historians. Double rows
of soldiers, horse and foot, kept it in hand. That
king's was a coronation, the like of which (save in
Richard the First's case) has not been seen in
England from those days to these. William was
left almost alone at the altar, with none but
Archbishop Aldred, and his terrified priests, to take
the coronation oath of the Anglo-Saxon kings, to
which, by the way, he added a solemn promise of
his own, to treat his new-found subjects as well
as the best of their kings had done. There was
235

The Coronation of Edward VII
a tumult, and almost a fight, brought about by a
misconception of the meaning of the shouts of
" Yea ! Yea ! " and the uplifting of swords within
the Abbey, when the assembled Normans and
English were asked, in the language of each,
whether they would have William for their king.
The coronation of Richard the First (the Lion
Hearted), who took the crown from the altar with
his own hands, "in signification that he held it
only from God," and delivered it to the Archbishop,
who then placed it on the king's head ; Richard's
coronation, done in such swift and unceremonious
fashion, ended in a wholesale butchering and
plundering of the Jews — though utterly against the
king's will, as old Speed would have us believe.
When Queen Mary was crowned, " a relic of the
true cross " was exposed on the altar. That relic,
spirited away when her successor came to the
throne, turned up in an old box, containing some
antique ecclesiastical vestments, some two centuries
later, and tradition says was long-time kept in the
Benedictine College of St. Gregory near Bath.
Pennant cynically remarks, "an abbey is nothing
without relics " ; and he proceeds to enumerate
some of those in the centuries long past belonging
236

The Abbey

to Westminster Abbey. For example, "the veil and
some of the milk of the Virgin Mary, the blade-
bone of St. Benedict, the fingers of St. Alphage,
the head of St. Maxilla, and half the jaw-bone of
St. Anastasia." What became of these sacred
treasures of the ancient abbey of pre-Reformation
times ? It is strange nowadays to think, that for
at least five centuries the service of the Roman
Catholic Church was daily performed in St. Peter's
in Westminster, and that many of our kings and
queens were crowned there by the archbishops of
that Church and according to its rites. John
Feckenham of Queen Mary's reign, when " the old
religion'' was revived for a while, was (if we
remember aright) the last Abbot of Westminster
who presided at a coronation.
The first detailed account of the ceremonial of the
Coronation as continued to our time dates from
Richard I. (1189): namely, the procession from the
Palace to the Abbey ; the emblematic swords, the
sceptre, the spurs, the fact of the Bishops of
Durham, and Bath and Wells (then first named in
this capacity) supporting the King on the right
hand and left ; the oath ; the anointing ; the crown,
taken by the King himself in this instance from the
237

The Coronation of Edward VII

altar, and given to the Arch
bishop. At the succeeding
coronation of John (1199), a
peculiar function was added.
The barons of the Cinque
Ports were, for services
rendered the King by sea,
appointed to carry the state
canopy over his Majesty as
he passed to the Abbey, and
Richard the Second in his ^Iso at the ceremony of
Coronation Robes (from ^„n\ni-\n<y
THE Portrait in West- anointing.
minster Abbey). ^3 regards incidental
matters of the ceremony, it may be mentioned that
the " Knights of the Bath " are first mentioned in the
procession of Edward III. ; the "King's Champion "
(now an obsolete functionary) also appeared for the
first time then ; the " Yeomen of the Guard " fell into
position first of all at Henry VII. 's coronation ;
the Peers of Parliament in their robes, the Knights
of the Garter in the dress of their order, the great
officers of state in gorgeous uniform, the heralds
in crimson and gold, appear to have been first
seen in all their magnificent setting of to-day,
at the coronation in Westminster Abbey of Queen
238

The Abbey

Anne Boleyn, on Sunday, June ist, 1533; the
King himself of his own design being absent from
that ceremony.
The prayer — " Almighty God, of His Mercy,
let the light of His countenance shine upon your
Majesty, grant -you a prosperous and happy reign,
defend, and save you ; and let your subjects say
Amen — 'God save the King!'" — formed the perora
tion of Archbishop Cranmer's sermon in the Abbey
at the Coronation of the Boy-King Edward VI.
It seems that to Cromwell was first handed the
Bible — "a Book of Books which doth contain both
precepts and examples for good government" — when
he was installed Lord Protector. Cromwell was
not crowned and anointed in Westminster Abbey,
but was solemnly enthroned, girt with a sword of
state, clad in a robe of purple, and presented
with the Bible, in Westminster Hall. The period
of the Commonwealth marks the one break in
the continuity of eight centuries, when he who for
the time was king in all but name and right of
royal succession, was not invested with the attributes
of royalty, the crown, the sceptre, and the orb, in
Westminster Abbey. It is interesting at this
distance of time to note how Cromwell himself
239

The Coronation of Edward VII
respected the ancient traditions of the Abbey as
the place of coronation of the English Kings ;
and was content himself to be enthroned and
invested with the robe of purple in the adjoining
Hall. But, if we are to credit history, Cromwell
was at one time seriously contemplating the step
which would have led him to the more sacred
historic edifice only a few yards away ; probably
some time before that day when the Crown jewels
of the realm were seized in the Abbey treasury by
order of the Parliament, and broken up.
When Cromwell had in turn vanquished and
destroyed King, Lords, and Commons, and seemed
(as the historian says), " to be left sole heir of the
powers of all three," it was within the bounds
of possibility that he might " mount the ancient
English throne, and reign according to the
ancient English polity." According to Macaulay,
Cromwell was not without thoughts of settling the
affairs of the sorely tried kingdom in some such
fashion. " The peers who now remained sullenly
at their country houses, and refused to take part
in public affairs, would, when summoned to their
house by the writ of a king in possession, gladly
resume their ancient functions. Northumberland
240

The Abbey

and Bedford, Manchester and Pembroke, would be
proud to bear the crown, and the spurs, the sceptre,
and the globe before the restorer of aristocracy."
Such things, however, were not to be. " The title
of king was not revived, but the kingly prerogatives
were entrusted to a Lord High Protector. The
sovereign was called not his Majesty, but his
Highness." James the Second ordered Sancroft to abridge
the coronation ritual. The reason given out to
the public was that the day — April 23rd (St.
George's Day), 1685 — was too short for all that
was to be done. The real reason was to forego
that part of the ritual likely to be offensive to
the religious feelings of Roman Catholics. The
Communion Service was left out. The ceremony
of presenting the Bible was omitted. But the
King showed no scruples as to making the
customary oblation on the altar. " He appeared
to join in the petitions of the Litany chanted by
the Bishops. He received from those false prophets
the Unction typical of a divine influence ; and
knelt with the semblance of devotion while they
called down upon him the Holy Spirit of which
they were in his estimation the malignant and
241

The Coronation of Edward VII
obdurate foes. Such are the inconsistencies of
human nature that this man who, from a fanatical
zeal for his religion, threw away three kingdoms,
yet chose to commit what was little short of an
act of apostasy rather than forego the childish
pleasure of being invested with the gewgaws
symbolical of kingly power." So writes Macaulay.
George the Third appears to have studied the
ritual of the coronation beforehand, and knew
more about it than those officials of his court
who should have known most. There is a funny
story told of the answer made by the Deputy
Earl Marshal of that day (the Earl of Effingham)
to some complaint of the King, as to certain
omissions made in the ceremony : " It is true.
Sir," said the Earl, " there has been some neglect ;
but I have taken care that the next coronation
shall be regulated in the exactest manner possible."
If the Deputy Earl Marshal had it no longer in
his power to make good the promise when the
next coronation came, George the Fourth himself
saw to it that no omissions were made in any
part of the ceremony when he was crowned. This
anecdote reminds us of another of a similar kind,
in regard of things which had been better left
242

The Abbey

unsaid. George the Second happened to be
chatting with the beautiful Lady Coventry of
his day on the topic of court pageants. The only
sight, the lady told him, she was now eager to
see, was a coronation ! The old King laughed
heartily and repeated the story in high good
humour at the supper-table. A few months ago
we saw this same story published in a London
newspaper, and attributed to a beautiful American
lady conversing with the Prince of Wales during
Queen Victoria's lifetime. Of such ancient stories
is the gossip of contemporary history made up.
Those interested in omens may perchance know
the story told of one of the finest jewels in the
state crown of George the Third becoming loosened,
and falling to the ground at the coronation banquet
in Westminster Hall. Jesse relates the anecdote,
and further says that many remembered the event
when later the American colonies were lost to
England. A similar story is told of James the
Second. The crown, not fitting well, tottered on
the King's head in the Abbey, and was only
prevented from falling off by Henry, the brother
of the patriot Algernon Sidney, who happened to
be near the King. " It is not the first time. Sir,"
243

The Coronation of Edward VII
he said, " that a member of our family has
supported the crown." Yet a third story is told,
of Charles the First's walking-stick falling to the
floor at his trial in Westminister Hall, and of the
gold head becoming detached. This story is
repeated by many relators of the events of that
time, who also add that the King was greatly
disturbed at the omen, as well he might have
been. It is not impossible that each of these
anecdotes may be traced to ancient writers of
fiction. We merely repeat them for what they are
worth. * iit « * *
Not the least interesting of the treasures belong
ing to the Abbey are the ancient copes, worn (as
some may remember) by the officiating clergy at
the Jubilee of 1887. Some of the existing copes,
purple, crimson, and cloth of gold, were originally
made, we believe, for the Coronation of Charles II.,
though there is one of curious design, which is said
to have been brought from Spain for the Coronation
of Queen Victoria. Time, however, has wrought
sad havoc here, for several of these once-splendid
vestments have lost their colour, and are no longer
suitable for wear. The crimson copes are to figure
244

The Abbey

once more at the Coronation, with others of the
same Royal colour and no less magnificent.
The choirs of the Abbey and the Chapel Royal,
St. James's, will form the backbone of the musical
performers. For many years a prominent position
at the Coronation has been assigned to these two
historic bodies. They will probably be largely re
inforced — indeed, it is possible that efforts will be
made to secure the presence of representatives from
every cathedral choir in the land. In addition to
the time-honoured Coronation anthems of Handel
and Attwood, some musical novelties (such is com
monly the case) may be expected which have never
before been heard in such a service.
There were rumours in London towards the close
of 1901 that the Coronation Office was to be
curtailed. In the belief that this was in contem
plation the Church newspapers of various grades
of opinion, began to protest vigorously against
the possible omission of the celebration of the
Holy Communion and the anointing of the Sove
reign. We should not have mentioned this incident,
except for the fact that it gave occasion for a
leading article in one of the newspapers referred
to, which doubtless presented the view of the
245

The Coronation of Edward VII
" High Church " party, respecting certain parts of
the religious rite.
In that article the writer observed of the ceremony :
" If it is anything more than a mere pageant, a
piece of silly theatrical display, comparable to the
Lord Mayor's Show, it is the solemn consecration of
the King's person for his great office. It is strictly
analogous to the ordination of a priest, the sacring
of a Bishop, and the order of service is constructed
on the same lines. The King's sacring takes place
in the course of the celebration of the Divine Liturgy,
and, as in all similar cases, the person consecrated
partakes of the Holy Communion. Only once in the
long list of English coronations has this rule been
broken. It was in the case of James II., who refused
to communicate with the Church of England. He
consented, with little consistency, to be crowned,
anointed, and blessed by the Archbishop of Canter
bury, but he insisted on leaving the x\bbey without
communicating. The omission of the anointing (if
that indeed be contemplated) is even worse. We
confess that we cannot imagine why the King should
go to Westminster at all, if not for the unction. To
suppose this a mere ceremony, accidentally attached
to the Coronation service, is to miss the whole mean
ing of the rite. It is not too much to say that the
anointing is the one distinctively sacred act by which
the King is set apart for his holy office. . . . The
246

The Abbey

crowning, and the investment of the King with mantle,
sceptre, sword, and the other regalia, however solemn
and significant a ceremony, has nothing of an essen
tially sacred character. It might be done with equal
propriety, if with less solemnity, in Westminster Hall
or in the House of Lords. It might be done by any
high officer of State." *
*****
When one is bidden to a splendid and imposing
«
ceremonial, the most splendid and imposing, indeed,
of any that he can expect to witness in London
in a lifetime ; it is not to be supposed that he is in
the humour for
paying much
heed to reflec
tions on the
vanity of things
in general.
Otherwise,
we might be
tempted to offer
the following —
if the Reader
be not already
familiar with Coronation Medal of Mary Tudor.
* The Church Times, November 22nd, 1901.
247

The Coronation of Edward VII
them — for consideration. They are quite as likely
to provide nourishing food for thought within the
Abbey while patiently waiting for the hour of eleven
to boom forth from Big Ben, as the day's gossip pro
vided by the London journals. We quote from
the one-time largely read Jeremy Taylor : " A man
may read a sermon " (wrote he), " the best and most
passionate that ever man preached, if he shall
but enter into the Sepulchre of Kings. In the same
Escurial where the Spanish princes live in greatness
and power, and decree war or peace, they have wisely
placed a cemetery where their ashes and their
glory shall sleep till time shall be no more. And
where our Kings have been crowned their ancestors
lie interred, and they must walk over their grand-
sire's head to take his crown. There is an acre
sown with royal seed, the copy of the greatest
change — from rich to naked, from ceiled roof to
arched coffins, from living like gods to dying like
men. There is enough to cool the flames of lust ;
to abate the height of pride ; to appease the itch
of covetous desires ; to sully and dash out the dis
sembling colours of a lustful, artificial, and imaginary
beauty. There the warlike and the peaceful, the
fortunate and the miserable, the beloved and the
248

The Abbey

despised princes mingle their dust, and pay down
their symbol of mortality ; and tell all the world,
that v\hen we die, our ashes shall be equal to kings,
and our accounts easier, and our pains, or our
crowns, shall be less."

249

As regards the interior arrangements of the
Abbey for the Coronation service, from the
great West door, at which the Procession enters,
to the screen which divides Choir from Nave, two
rows of galleries have heretofore been erected ; on
each side, that is to say, of the centre aisle — the
one gallery level with the vaultings, the other with
the summit of the western door. These galleries,
the backs of which would rest against the wall
of the Abbey, have their fronts fluted with crimson
cloth, richly draped at the top, and decorated with
broad golden fringe at the bottom. The seats in
these galleries were supposed to provide accommo
dation for some fifteen hundred persons. It is
somewhat doubtful, however, if galleries so lofty will
be raised now.
On the floor of the centre aisle a slightly raised
platform, or carpeted way, is laid down, along which
the King's and Queen's Procession passes to the
250

The Procession
Choir. This is matted over, and covered with
crimson cloth. On the pavement of the aisle itself
bordering this carpeted way, stand the military
told off to keep the line of the Procession
clear. The " Theatre " (p. 226), where the principal parts
of the opening ceremony are enacted, lies immedi
ately under the central tower of the Abbey, and
is in fact a square, formed by the intersection of
the choir and transepts, extending nearly the whole
breadth of the choir. On this square a platform is
erected, ascended by five steps. The summit of
this platform, and also the highest step leading to
it, is covered with richest cloth of gold. From
that step, down to the flooring of the " Theatre,"
all is covered with carpet of rich red or purple
colour, bordered with gold. In the centre of
this " Theatre," the sumptuously draped chair
is placed for the Sovereign, in which he receives
the homage of the peers ; and a little aside
from it another for the Queen Consort. At the
north-east end of this " Theatre " a pulpit is
erected from which the Coronation sermon is
preached. In the sacrarium, which forms part of the altar-
251

The Coronation of Edward VII
space, the Coronation chairs stand — the ancient
chair known as King Edward's, and that of later
date know as Queen Mary's. It is here the King
and Queen are crowned.
Right of the altar, looking towards it, accom
modation is provided for members of the Royal
Family ; and on the left a bench is provided
for the Bishops, while above them in a kind of
low gallery or " box " are ranged the Foreign
Ambassadors and special envoys. The back of the
altar itself is draped with purple and gold silks ;
and the floor of the sacrarium is covered with a
rich purple and gold carpet. Above the altar
in time past were the galleries reserved to the
members of the House of Commons ; but this
arrangement is hardly likely to be made now.
In the Choir itself, all the ordinary stalls, reading-
desks, and pews are removed. In their places are
erected, on each side of the Choir, five rows of
benches, covered with scarlet drapery and gold,
reserved as seats for the great officers of State
and Household. To the peers and peeresses are
usually allotted galleries in the transepts, north and
south. There they sit in all the glittering pomp
of velvet and ermine. 252

THE REGALIA

No^ 7

Baptismal Font

State
Salt Cellar

The Procession
According to ancient usage, the Procession from
the West door of the Abbey to the Choir was
thus marshalled :
The Prebendaries of Westminster.
The Very Reverend the Dean.
Pursuivants. Heralds.
Equerries-in-Waiting Gentleman Ushers Grooms-in-Waiting
on the King. to the King. on the King.
I The Comptroller The Treasurer of his t/i
^ of his Majesty's Majesty's Household to
^ Household. [bearing the crimson g
i> bag with the Core- i^
§ nation Medals], r-
E« attended by two C
c/2 gentlemen. 5
Private Secretary The Keeper of the
to the King. Privy Purse.
The Vice-Chamberlain, The Lord Steward
acting for the Lord Chamberlain of his Majesty's Household.
of his Majesty's Household,
attended by an officer of the Crown
Jewels Office, bearing on a cushion
the Ruby Ring and Sword
of the King.
The Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President
of the Council.
The Lord Chancellor of Ireland, attended by his Purse-bearer.
The Lord Archbishop of Armagh.
The Lord Archbishop of York.
The Lord High Chancellor, attended by his Purse-bearer.
The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Princesses of the Blood Royal in their Robes of State,
each attended by a Lady and Gentleman of their Household.
THE REGALIA OF THE SOVEREIGN.
St. Edward's Staff, The Golden Spurs, The Sceptre with
borne by a Peer. borne by a Peer. the Cross, borne
by a Peer.

The Coronation of Edward VII

The Third Sword, Curtana, or Sword The Second Sword,
borne by a Peer. of Mercy, borne by borne by a Peer.
a Peer.
Gentleman Usher The Queen Consort's Regalia. Garter Principal
of the Black Rod. King at Arms.
The Lord Great Chamberlain of England.
The Princes of the Blood Royal in their Robes of State,
each attended by two Gentlemen of their Household.

The High Constable
of Ireland.
The Earl Marshal
of England.
The Sceptre with
the Dove, borne by
a Peer.
The Patina,
borne by a Bishop.

The Sword of State,
borne by a Peer.
St. Edward's Crown,
borne by the Lord
High Steward.
The Bible,
borne by a Bishop.

The High Constable
of Scotland.
The Lord High
Constable of England.
The Orb, borne
by a Peer.
The Chalice,
borne by a Bishop.

THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY,
in his
Royal Robe
or Mantle of
Crimson Velvet
furred with Ermine
and bordered with
Gold Lace, The
accompanied by Bishop
her Majesty of
THE QUEEN CONSORT, Durham.
in her Royal Robes
of Purple Velvet
turned up with Ermine,
and wearing a circlet of gold
adorned with jewels.
The trains in each case
borne by Ladies and Gentlemen
of the Royal Household.
Gentlemen-in-Waiting on the King.
Ladies-in-Waiting on the Queen.
The Lord Chamberlain.

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i-t'
¦a
V
o
n
O
n
n
d
a
254
The Procession
The Gold Stick-in- Waiting. The Master of the Horse.
The Captain-General of the Royal Archer Guard of Scotland.
The Captain of The Captain of the
the Yeomen of the Guard. Honourable Corps of
Gentlemen-at-Arms.
Ensign of Lieutenant of
the Yeomen of the Guard. the Yeomen of the Guard.
Clerk of the Cheque.
Exon§ of the Yeomen of the Exons of the
Yeomen of the Guard. Guard. Yeomen of the Guard.
Twenty Yeomen of the Guard.
*****
Let us once again as serviceable reminder when
the occasion comes, glance back at precedent for
the exact times on the last Coronation Day (Queen
Victoria's), when such or such a thing was ap
pointed to take place according to the official
programme published. We have already (p. 221)
referred to some of the details.
First of all, then, the Day itself was inaugurated
with the firing of a royal salute at sunrise — a
quarter before 4 a.m. Soon after that hour, the
privileged spectators, people with tickets for stands,
and windows, on the line of route of the Procession
began to move to their places. The Abbey doors
were opened at 5 a.m. to all comers with tickets ;
but many of the best seats were found to have
been already occupied as early as 3 a.m. By
6 o'clock the arrivals had become very frequent ;
255

The Coronation of Edward VII
and at 7 a.m. the Earl Marshal's ofificers found
more than they could do, to usher peers and
peeresses to their places. The House of Commons
began to assemble at 7 o'clock — "some dressed in
full court dress, many in naval and military uniforms
with orders, and a large number wearing the
Windsor uniform." The Speaker took the chair
at nine o'clock ; and " all the members rose to receive
him." Prayers having been read, the Speaker
informed the House that, " in order to secure
perfect fairness in the allotment of the seats in
the Abbey, reserved to members of the House of
Commons, the counties would be balloted for ;
and requested that the members for each County,
and each Borough within the county, should on
the name of the County being called, leave the
House and proceed to the Abbey." About ten o'clock,
Mr. Speaker himself, preceded by the Mace, his
chaplain, and by the clerks at the table, passed
across to the Abbey.
At 10 a.m., the doors of the Abbey were closed
against all persons but the Sovereign and suite,
the Ministers of State, official attendants, and the
Foreign Ambassadors. At that hour, the great
officers of State, appointed to carry the Regalia,
256

The Procession
along with the Archbishops of Canterbury and York,
and the Bishops of Bangor, Lincoln, and Winchester,
assembled in the Jerusalem Chamber to receive the
different articles which they had to carry at the
ceremony. In that chamber, the Regalia had been
deposited over-night in custody of the Dean of
Westminster. They were now delivered by him
to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household, who de
livered them to the Lord High Constable, who gave
them to the Lord Great Chamberlain, who handed
them over to the several noblemen and bishops
appointed to receive them :

I.

St. Edward's Staff.

2.

The Spurs.

3-

The Sceptre with the Cross.

4-

The Pointed Sword of Temporal Justice.

5-

The Pointed Sword of Spiritual Justice.

6.

Curtana, or Sword of Mercy.

7-

The Sword of State.

8.

The Sceptre with the Dove.

9-

The Orb.

10,

St. Edward's Crown.

II.

The Patina.

12.

The Chalice.

13-

The Bible.

Proceeding at ten o'clock, the Sovereign's Pro-
257

The Coronation of Edward VII
cession began to move from Buckingham Palace.
At 1 1 the solemn and sacred ceremony in the
Abbey was begun. At half-past precisely, a salvo
of artillery (forty-one guns) announced to the people
that the chief act, the actual ceremony of the
Crowning of the Sovereign, had then been done.
At 3.30, the Coronation ceremony was concluded,
so that it actually occupied first to last, in the
Abbey, four hours.
Plleven thousand tickets in all were issued for
seats within Westminster Abbey, a considerable
number of which were allotted to privileged
personages — peers, peeresses, M.P.'s, public officials,
officers of the army and navy, foreign representatives,
etc., etc.

258

PART IV

The
Form and Order
of the
Service and Ceremonies
Observed

m

The Coronations in the
Abbey Church of St. Peter
Westminster
According to Latter-Day Precedent

Ttie CoNTeMT§ of
Ttlll) pfIRT

I. THE ENTRANCE INTO THE CHURCH . . 264
II. THE RECOGNITION . . . . 265
III. THE FIRST OBLATION . . .265
ly. THE LITANY .... . . 267
V. THE BEGINNING OF THE COMMUNION SERVICE. 268
VI. THE SERMON . . .... 270
VII. THE OATH ... . . 270
VIII. THE ANOINTING . . .... 272
IX. THE PRESENTING OF THE SPURS AND SWORD,
AND THE OBLATION OF THE SAID SWORD . 274
X. THE INVESTING WITH THE ROYAL ROBE, AND
THE DELIVERY OF THE ORB .... 277
XI. THE INVESTITURE PER ANNULUM AND BACULUM 278
XII. THE PUTTING ON OF THE CROWN . . 279
261

The Contents of this Part
PACK
XIII. THE PRESENTING OF THE HOLY BIBLE . . 280
XIV. THE BENEDICTION, AND TE DEUM . . . 281
XV. THE INTHRONIZATION  283
XVI. "THE HOMAGE  283
XVII. THE COMMUNION  286
XVIII. THE FINAL PRAYERS ... . . 289
XIX. THE RECESS  290

262

'"PHE particulars hereinafter following, which are at
this moment of historic and general interest alike,
are taken from a copy of the official edition of " The Form
and Order of the Coronation Service," published by the
Queen's Printers in 1838. With some slight necessary
variation in the wording of the Prayers, that Form and
Order is almost certain to be followed on the present
occasion. At all events, the ancient and historic ritual will,
in every probability, be closely kept to.
All such matters in England are based on the ancient
precedents which have from immemorial time, in the
matter at present under review, followed the order of the
" Liber Regalis " of Westminster Abbey, incidentally
referred to on p. 232. The Reader will notice what
we have said on p. 233 touching the precedents followed
at Queen Victoria's coronation. In respect of the crowning
of the Queen Consort, the order of James 11. and Mary
says : " The Queen was then anointed, crowned, invested,
and enthroned with the same ceremonies " — that is, as
the King. Up to that Section, the service will doubtless
be so arranged as to include both their Majesties King
Edward and Queen Alexandia. We have ventured to
make only such slight alterations in the published copy
as would necessarily be made. The Queen Consort's rile
will probably follow the order of George III. and Queen
Charlotte, which (as we have said) followed that of King
James II. and Queen Mary. 263

form and Order of m Service
IN the Morning upon the Day of the Coronation early. Care is
to be taken that the Ampidla be filled with Oil, and, together
with the Spoon, be laid ready upon the Altar in the Aljbey
Church. SECT. I.
The Entrance into the Church.
The King and Queen, as soon as They enter at the West Door of
the Church, are to be received with the following Anthem,
to be sung by the Choir.
Anthem.
T WAS glad when they said unto me. We will go into the
House of the Lord. For there is the Seat of Judg
ment, even the Seat of the House of David. O pray for
the peace of Jerusalem, They shall prosper that love Thee.
Peace be within thy walls, and Prosperity within thy
Palaces. Glory be to the Father, &c.
The King and the Queen in the mean time pass up through the
Body of the Church, into, and through the Choir, and so up
the Stairs to the Theatre* ; and having passed by the
Throne, they make Their humble Adoration, and then
kneeling at the Faldstools set for Their Majesties before
Their Chairs, use some short pri\'ate Prayers ; and, after
* A raised stage or platform erected between the choir and
the sanctuary, of which we publish a sketch, p. 226.
264

Form and Order of the Service
sitting down (not in the Throne, but in Their respective
Chairs before, and below, the Throne), there repose Them
selves. SECT. II.
The Recognition.
The King and the Queen being so placed, the Archbishop
turneth to the East part of the Theatre, and after, together
with the Lord Chancellor, Lord Great Chamberlain, Lord
High Constable and Earl Marshal (Garter King of Arms
preceding them), goes to the other three sides of the
Theatre in this Order, South, West, and North, and at every
of the four sides, with a loud Voice, speaks to the People :
And the King in the mean time standing up by His Chair,
turns and shews Himself unto the People at every of the
four sides of the Theatre, as the Archbishop is at every of
them, and while He speaks thus to the People :
CIRS, I here present unto you King EDWARD, the
Undoubted King of this Realm : Wherefore all you
who are come this Day to do your Homage, Are you willing
to do ihe same ?
The People signify their Willingness and Joy, by loud and
repeated Acclamations, all with one Voice crying out,
God save King EDWARD.
Then the Trumpets sound, SECT. III.
\But see Note preceding {p. 263), as to the crowning of the
(^ueen Consort^
The First Oblation.
The Bible, Paten, and Cup being brought by the Bishops who
had borne them, and placed upon the Altar, the Archbishop
goeth to the Altar and puts on his Cope, and standeth on
the North Side of it : And the Bishops, who are to read the
265 S

The Coronation of Edward VII
Litany, do also vest themselves. And the Officers of the
Wardrobe, &c. spread Carpets and Cushions on the Floor
and Steps of the Altar.
Which being done, the King, supported by the two Bishops, of
Durham, and Bath and Wells, and attended by the Dean of
Westminster, the Great Officers and the Lords that carry the
Regalia going before Him, goes down to the .\ltar, and
kneeling upon the Steps of it makes His First Oblatio7i ;
Which is a Pall, or Altar-Cloth of Gold, delivered by an
Officer of the Wardrobe to the Lord Great Chamberlain,
and by Him, kneeling, to His Majesty : and an Ingot or
Wedge of Gold of a pound weight, which the Treasurer of
the Household delivers to the Lord Great Chamberlain, and
He to His Majesty, kneeling : Who delivers them to the
Archbishop, and the Archbishop standing (in which posture
he is to receive all other Oblations) receives from Him, one
after another, the Pall to be reverently laid upon the Altar,
and the Gold to be received into the Bason, and with the
like Reverence put upon the Altar.
Then the Archbishop saith this Prayer, the King still kneeling :
r~\ GOD, who dwellest in the high and holy Place, with
^-^ them also who are of an humble Spirit, Look down
mercifully upon this Thy Servant EDWARD our King,
here humbling himself before Thee at Thy Footstool,
and graciously receive these Obladons, which in humble
Acknowledgment of Thy Sovereignty over all, and of Thy
great Bounty to Him in particular. He hath now offered up
unto Thee, through Jesus Christ our only Mediator and
Advocate. Amen.
The King having thus offered, and so fulfilled his Command
ment, who said, Thou shalt not appear before the Lord thy
God empty, goes to His Chair set for Him on the South side
of the Altar, where He is to kneel at His Faldstool when the
Litany begins. 266

Form and Order of the Service
In the mean time, the Lords who carry the Regalia, except those
who carry the Sword, come in Order near to the Altar, and
present Every One what He carries to the Archbishop, who
delivers them to the Dean of Westminster, to be by Him
placed upon the Altar, and then retire to the Places and
Seats appointed for Them.
SECT. IV.
The Litany.
Then followeth the Litany, to be read by two Bishops, vested in
Copes, and kneeling at a Faldstool above the Steps of the
Theatre, on the middle of the East side thereof, the Choir
reading the Responses.
(~\ GOD the Father of heaven: have mercy upon us
^^^ miserable sinners, &c.
[After the Prayer, "We humbly beseech Thee,'' &c.,
followeth,]
(~\ GOD, who providest for thy people by thy power,
^""^ and rulest over them in love, grant unto this thy
servant our KING the spirit of wisdom and government
that being devoted unto thee with all His heart. He may
so wisely govern this kingdom, that in His time thy Church
and People may continue in safety and prosperity ; and
that persevering in good works unto the end He may
through thy mercy come to thine everlasting kingdom,
through Jesus Christ Thy Son Our Lord. Ajnen.

T

HE Grace, &c.

The Bishops who read the Litany will resume their Seats.
267

The Coronation of Edward VII
SECT. V.
The beginning of the Communion Service.
Sanctus.
Holy ! Holy ! Holy, Lord God of Hosts ;
Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory ;
Glory be to Thee, O Lord most High ;
Ainen.
Then the Archbishop beginneth the Communion Service.
r^UR Father, &c. Collect.
A LMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts be open, &c.
11 Then shall the Archbishop, turning to the People, rehearse •
distinctly all the Ten Commandments ; and the People,
still kneeling, shall after every Cominandment ask God
Mercy for their transgression thereof for the time past,
and Grace to keep the same for the time to come, as
followeth. Archbishop.
GOD spake these words, and said, &c.
H Then shall follow this Collect for the King, the Archbishop
standing as before, and saying,
Let us pray.
A LMIGHTY God, whose kingdom is everlasting, &c.
The Epistle,
To be read by one of the Bishops.
I Pet. ii. 13.
268

Henry the Seventh's Chapel,
269

The Coronation of Edward VII
The Gospel,
To be read by another Bishop, the King with the People
standing.
S. Matt. xxii. 15.
Then the Archbishop readeth the Nicene Creed ; the King
with the People standing, as before.
T BELIEVE in one God, &c.
The -Service being concluded, the Bishops who assisted will
return to their seats.
SECT. VI.
The Sermon.
At the end of the Creed one of the Bishops is ready in the
Pulpit, placed against the Pillar at the North-East Corner
of the Theatre, and begins the Sermon, which is to be
suitable to the great Occasion ; which the King and
Queen hear sitting in their Chairs on the South side of
the Altar, over against the Pulpit.
On the King's right hand stands the Bishop of Durham,
and beyond him, on the same side, the Lords that carry
the Swords : On His left hand the Bishop of Bath and
Wells, and the Lord Great Chamberlain.
On the North side of the Altar sits the Archbishop in a purple
Velvet Chair ; Near the Archbishop stands Garter King
of Arms : on the South side. East of the King's Chair,
nearer to the Altar, stand the Dean and Prebendaries of
West7ninsier. SECT. VII.
The Oath.
The Sermon being ended, and His Majesty having on
Thursday the 14th day of February, 1901, in the presence
of the Two Houses of Parliament, made and signed the
270

Form and Order of the Service
Declaration, the Archbishop goeth to the King, and
standing before Him, says to the King,
Sir, Is your Majesty willing to take the Oaih ?
And the King answering,
I am willing.
The Archbishop ministereth these Questions ; and the King,
having a Copy of the printed Form and Order of the
Coronation Service in his Hands, answers each Question
severally, as follows.
Archb. Will You solemnly promise and swear to govern
the People of this United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, and the Dominions thereto belonging, according
to the Statutes in Parliament agreed on, and the respective
Laws and Customs of the same ?
King. I solemnly promise so to do.
Archb. Will You to Your Power cause Law and Justice,
in Mercy, to be executed in all Your Judgments ?
King. I will.
Archb. Will You to the utmost of Your Power maintain
the Laws of God, the true Profession of the Gospel, and
the Protestant Reformed Religion established by Law?
And will You maintain and preserve inviolably the Settle
ment of the Church of England and of Ireland, and the
DCctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Government thereof,
as by Law established within England and Ireland, and
the Territories thereunto belonging? And will you preserve
unto the Bishops and Clergy of England and Ireland, and
to the Churches there committed to their Charge, all such
Rights and Privileges, as by Law do, or shall appertain
to Them, or any of Them ?
King. All this I promise to do.
271

The Coronation of Edward VII
Then the King arising out of his Chair, attended by His
Supporters, and assisted by the Lord Great Chamberlain,
the Sword of State being carried before Him, shall go to
the Altar, and there make His Solemn Oath in the sight
of all the People, to observe the Promises : Laying His
right hand upon the Holy Gospel in the Great Bible,
which was before carried in the Procession, and is now
brought from the Altar by the Archbishop, and tendered
to Him as He kneels upon the Steps, saying these Words :
The things which I have here before promised, 1 will
perform and keep. So help me God.
A Silver Standish tb be brought. Then the King kisseth the
Book, and signeth the Oath.
SECT. VIII.
The Anointing.
The King having thus taken His Oath, returns again to His
Chair on the South Side of the Altar ; and kneeling at
his Faldstool, the Archbishop beginneth the Hymn, Veni
Creator Spiritus, and the Choir singeth it out.
Hymn.
r~^ OME, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
^^ .And warm them with thy Heav'nly fire.
&c., &c., &c.
This being ended, the Archbishop saith this Prayer :
r^ LORD, Holy Father, who by anointing with Oil
^"''^ didst of old make and consecrate Kings, Priests,
and Prophets, to teach and govern thy People Israel :
Bless and Sanctify thy Chosen Servant EDWARD, who
by our Office and Ministry is now to be anointed with
this Oil, and consecrated King of this Realm : Strengthen
Hiin, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost the Comforter ;
Confirm and Stablish Him with thy free and Princely
272

Form and Order of the Service
Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Government, the Spirit
of Counsel and Ghosdy Strength, the Spirit of Knowledge
and true Godliness, and fill Him, O Lord, with the Spirit
of thy Hoiy Fear, now and for ever. Amen.
This Prayer being ended, the Choir sing :
Anthem, i Kings i. 39, 40.
V'ADOK the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, anointed
Solomon King ; and all the People rejoiced and
said ; God save the King, Long live the King, May the
King live for ever. Amen. Hullelujah.
At the Commencement of the Anthem, the King lising from
His Devotions, goes before the Altar, attended by His
Supporters, and assisted by the Lord Great Chamberlain,
the Sword of State being carried before Him, where His
Majesty is disrobed of His Crimson Robes.
The King will then sit down in King Edward's Chair placed
in the midst of the Area over against the Altar, with a
Faldstool before it, wherein He is to be anointed. Four
Knights of the Garter hold over Him a rich Pall of Silk,
or Cloth of Gold ; the Anthem being concluded, the Dean
of Westminster taking the Ampulla and Spoon from off
the Altar, holdeth them ready, pouring some of the Holy
Oil into the Spoon, and with it the Archbishop anointeth
the King, in the Form of a Cross,
On the Crown of the Head, and on the Palms of both the
Hands, saying.
Be Thou anointed with Holy Oil,* as Kings, Priests, and
Prophets were anointed :
* At the Coronation of James II., "this Oil was by the
King's order, prepared by James Amond, Esq., Apothecary
to the King and Queen, . . and was solemnly consecrated
on the morning of the Coronation by the Dean of Westminster,
assisted by the Prebendaries." Sandford, p. 91, Note,
273

The Coronation of Edward VII
And as Solomon was anointed King by Zadok the
Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, so be You anointed,
blessed, and consecrated King over this People, whom
the Lord your God hatji given you to rule and govern,
In the Name of the Feather, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen.
Then the Dean of Westminster layeth the Ampulla and Spoon
upon the Altar, and the King kneeleth down at the Faldstool,
and the Archbishop standing on the North side of the Altar,
saith this Prayer or Blessing over Him :
/^UR Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who by his
^^ Father was anointed with the Oil of gladness above
his fellows, by his Holy Anointing pour down upon your
Head and Heart the Blessing of the Holy Ghost, and
prosper the Works of your Hands : that by the Assistance
of his Heavenly Grace you may preserve the People
committed to your charge in Wealth, Peace, and Godhness ;
and after a long and glorious Course of ruling this Tem
poral Kingdom Wisely, Justly, and Religiously, you may
at last be made Partaker of an Eternal Kingdom, through
the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This Prayer being ended, the King arises, and sits down again
in His Chair. SECT. IX.
The presenting of the Spurs and Sword, and the Oblation
of the said Sword.
The Spurs are brought from the Altar by the Dean of West
minster, and delivered to the Lord Great Chamberlain, who,
kneeling down, presents them to the King, who forthwith
sends them back to the Altar. 274

Bronze Gate, Henry the Seventh's Chapel.

275

The Coronation of Edward VII
Then the Lord, who carries the Sword of State, returns the
said Sword to the Lord Chamberlain (who gives it to an
Officer of the Jewel House, to be deposited in .the Traverse
in King Edwardus Chapel) and receiveth in lieu thereof,
from the Lord Chamberlain, another Sword, in a Scabbard
of Purple Velvet, which he will deliver to the Archbishop,
who, laying it on the Altar, saith the following Prayer :
tJEAR our Prayers, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and
so direct and support thy Servant King EDWARD,
that He may not bear the Sword in vain; but may use
it as the Minister of God for the terror and punish
ment of Evil-doers, and for the protection and en
couragement of those that do well, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Then the Archbishop takes the Sword from off the Altar, and
(the Archbishops of Yorli and Armagh, and the Bishops of
London and Winchester, and other Bishops, assisting, and
going along with him) delivers it into the King's Right
Hand, and He holding it, the Archbishop saith :
D ECEIVE this Kingly Sword, brought now from the
Altar of God, and delivered to You by the hands
of us the Bishops and Servants of God, though Unworthy.
Wjih this Sword do Justice, stop the Growth of Iniquity,
protect the holy Chifrch of God, help and defend Widows
and Orphans, restore the things that are gone to decay,
maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform
what is amiss, and confirm what is in good Order: that
doing these things, You may be glorious in all virtue :
and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this
Life, that You may reign for ev^r with him in the Life
which is to come. Amen.
Then the King, rising up, and going to the Altar, offers the
Sword there in the Scabbard, delivering it to the Arch-
276

Form and Order of the Service
bishop, who places it on the Altar ; the King then returns
and sits down in King Edwards Chair : And the Lord
who first received the Sword offereth the Price of it, and
having thus redeemed it, receiveth it from off the Altar,
by the Dean of Westminster, and'draweth it out of the
Scabbard, and carries it naked before His Majesty during
the rest of the Solemnity.
The Archbishops and Bishops who had assisted during this
Oblation will return to their Places.

SECT. X.
The Investing with the Royal Robe, and the Delivery of
the Orb.
Then the King arising, the Lmperial Mantle, or Dalmatic Robe,
of Cloth of Gold, lined or furred with Ermine, is by an
Officer of the Wardrobe delivered to the Dean of West
minster, and by him put upon the King, standing : The
King having received it, sits down, and then the Orb with
the Cross is brought from the Altar by the Dean of West
minster, and delivered into the King's Right Hand by the
Archbishop, pronouncing this Blessing and Exhortation :
DECEIVE this Imperial Robe, and Orb, and the
Lord Your God endue You with Knowledge and
Wisdom, with Majesty and with Power from on High;
The Lord clothe You with the Robe of Righteousness,
and with the Garments of Salvation. And when You
see this Orb set under the Cross, remember that the
whole World is subject to the Power and Empire of
Christ our Redeemer. For He is the Prince of the
Kings of the Earth ; King of Kings, and Lord of Lords :
So that no man can reign happily, who derives not his
277

The Coronation of Edward VII
Authority from him, and directs not all his Actions
according to His Laws.
The King delivers His Orb to the Dean of Westminster, to be
by Him laid on the Altar.
SECT. XI.
The Investiture per Annuliim &¦ Baculum.
Then an Officer of the Jewel House delivers to the Lord
Chamberlain the King's Ring, who delivers the same to
the Archbishop, in which a Table Jewel is enchased ; the
Archbishop puts it on the Fourth Finger of His Majesty's
Right Hand, and saith :
¦p ECEIVE this Ring, the Ensign of Kingly Dignity, and
^ of Defence of the Catholic Faith ; and as You are
this day solemnly invested in the Government of this
earthly Kingdom, so may You be sealed with that Spirit
of Promise, which is the Earnest of an heavenly Inheri
tance, and reign with Him who is the blessed and only
Potentate, to whom be Glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Then the Dean of Westminster brings the Sceptre and Rod to
the Archbishop ; and the Lord of the Manour of Worksop
(who claims to hold an Estate by the Service of presenting
to the King a Right Hand Glove on the Day of His
Coronation, and supporting the King's Right Arm whilst
He holds the Sceptre with the Cross) delivers to the
King a Pair of rich Gloves, and upon any Occasion
happening afterwards, supports His Majesty's Right Arm,
or holds His Sceptre by Him.
The Gloves being put on, the Archbishop delivers the Sceptre,
with the Cross, into the King's Right Hand, saying,
DECEIVP: the Royal Sceptre, the Ensign of Kingly
Power and Justice. 278

Form and Order of the Service
And then he delivers the Rod, with the Dove, into the King's
Left Hand, and saith,
"DECEIVE the Rod of Equity and Mercy: and God,
from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and
all just works do proceed, direct and assist You in the
Administration and Exercise of all those Powers which
he hath given You. Be so merciful, that You be not
too remiss ; so execute Justice, that You forget not Mercy.
Judge with Righteousness, and reprove with Equity, and
accept no Man's Person. Abase the Proud, and lift up
the Lowly ; punish the Wicked, protect and cherish the
Just, and lead your People in the way wherein they
should go : thus in all things following His great and
holy example, of whom the prophet David said, " Thou
" lovest Righteousness, and hatest Iniquity ; The Sceptre
" of Thy Kingdom is a right Sceptre ; " even Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. SECT X|L
The putting on of the Crown.
K. Edward's Crown. — The Archbishop, standing before the
Altar, taketh the Crown into his Hands, and laying it again
before him upon the Altar, saith,
(~\ God, who crownest thy faithful Servants with
^^^ Mercy and loving Kindness ; Look down upon this
thy Servant EDWARD our Kjng, who now in lowly
Devotion boweth His Head to thy Divine Majesty ; and
as thou dost this day set a Crown of pure Gold upon
His Head, so enrich His Royal Heart with thy heavenly
Grace ; and crown Him with all Princely Virtues, which
may adorn the high Station wherein thou hast placed
Him, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be Honour
and Glory for ever and ever. Amen.
279

The Coronation of Edward VII
Then the King still sitting in King Edward's Chair, the
Archbishop, assisted with the same Archbishops and
Bishops as before, comes from the Altar ; the Dean of
Westminster brings the Crown, and the Archbishop taking
it of him, reverently putteth it upon the King's Head.
At the sight whereof the People, with loud and repeated
Shouts, cry, God save the I<[ing, and the Trumpets sound,
and by a Signal given, the great Guns at the Tower are
shot off. As soon as the King is crowned, the Peers, &c.,
put on their Coronets and Caps.
The Acclamation ceasing, the Archbishop goes on, and saith,
D E strong and of a good courage ; Observe the Com
mandments of God, and walk in His Holy ways :
Fight the good Fight of Faith, and lay hold on Eternal
life ; that in this World You may be crowned with
Success and Honour, and when You have finished your
Course, receive a Crown of Righteousness, which God the
Righteous Judge shall give You in that Day. Amen.
Then the Choir singeth this Anthem :
Anthem.
T^HE King shall rejoice in Thy strength, O Lord :
exceeding glad shall He be of Thy Salvation. Thou
hast presented Him with the Blessings of Goodness,
and hast set a Crown of pure Gold upon His Head.
Hallelujah. Amen. SECT. XIII.
The presenting of the Holy Bible.*
Then shall the Dean of Westminster take the Holy Bible, which
was carried in the Procession, from off the Altar, and deliver
* This ceremony was first introduced at the Coronation of
William and Mary, in 1689. But, see the reference to Cromwell
in Chapter " The Abbey." 280

Form and Order of the Service
it to the Archbishop, who with the same Archbishops and
Bishops as before going along with him, shall present it to
the King, first saying these Words to Him :
/^UR Gracious King ; we present You with this Book,
the most valuable thing that this world affords.
Here is Wisdom ; This is the Royal Law ; These are
the lively Oracles of God. Blessed is he that readeth,
and they that hear the Words of this Book ; that keep,
and do, the things contained in it. For these are the
Words of Eternal Life, able to make you wise and happy
in this world, nay wise unto salvation, and so happy for
evermore, through Faith which is in Christ Jesus ; to whom
be Glory for ever. Amen.
Then the King delivers back the Bible to the Archbishop,
who gives it to the Dean of Westminster, to be reverently
placed again upon the Holy Altar, the Archbishops and
Bishops who had assisted returning to their Seats.
SECT. XIV.
The Benediction, and Te Deum.
And now the King having been thus anointed and crowned,
and having received all the Ensigns of Royalty, the Arch
bishop solemnly blesseth Him : And all the Bishops, with
the rest of the Peers, follow every part of the Benediction,
with a loud and hearty Amen.
""PHE Lord bless and keep you : The Lord make the
light of his Countenance to shine for ever upon
you, and be gracious unto you : The Lord protect you
in all your ways, preserve you from every evil thing, and
prosper you in every thing good. Amen.
The Lord give you a faithful Senate, wise and upright
Counsellors and Magistrates, a loyal Nobility, and a dutiful
Gentry ; a pious and learned and useful Clergy ; an honest,
industrious, and obedient Commonalty. Amen.
281 T

The Coronation of Edward VII
In your days may Mercy and Truth meet together, and
Righteousness and Peace kiss each other ; May Wisdom
and Knowledge be the Stability of your Times, and the
Fear of the Lord your Treasure. Amen.
The Lord make your Days many, your Reign prosperous,
your Fleets and Armies victorious ; and may you be
reverenced and beloved by all your Subjects, and ever
increase in Favour with God and man. Amen.
The glorious Majesty of the Lord our God be upon
you : may he bless you with all temporal and spiritual
Happiness in this world, and crown you with Glory and
Immortality in the world to come. Amen.
Then the Archbishop turneth to the People, and saith :
A ND the same Lord God Almighty grant that the
Clergy and Nobles assembled here for this great
and solemn Service, and together with them all the
People of the Land, fearing God, and honouring the
King, may by the merciful Superintendency of the Divine
Providence, and the vigilant Care of our gracious Sovereign,
continually enjoy Peace, Plenty, and Prosperity, through
Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with the Eternal Father,
and God the Holy Ghost, be Glory in the Church world
without end. Amen.
Then the Choir begins to sing the Te Deum, and the King
goes to the Chair on which His Majesty first sate on the
East Side of the Throne, the Two Bishops His Supporters,
the Great Officers, and other Peers, attending Him, every
one in his place, the two Swords being carried before Him,
and there reposes Himself. Te Deu7n.
WE praise Thee, O God ; &c.
282

Form and Order of the Service
SECT. XV.
The Inthronization.
The Te Deum being ended, the King will ascend the Theatre,
and be lifted up into His Throne by the Archbishop and
Btshops, and other Peers of the Kingdom, and being
Lnthronized, or placed therein, all the Great Officers, Those
that bear the Swords and the Sceptres, and the rest of the
Nobles, stand round about the steps of the Throne, and
the Archbishop standing before the King, saith :
CTAND firm, and hold fast from henceforth the Seat
and State of Royal and Imperial Dignity which is
this day delivered unto you in the Name, and by the
Authority of Almighty God, and by the Hands of Us
the Bishops and Servants of God, though unworthy : And
as you see- Us to approach nearer to God's Altar, so
vouchsafe the more graciously to continue to Us your
Royal Favour and Protection. And the Lord God
Almighty, whose Ministers we are, and the Stewards of
his Mysteries, establish your Throne in Righteousness,
that it may stand fast for evermore, like as the Sun before
him, and as the faithful Witness in Heaven. A7nen.
SECT. XVI.
The Homage.
The Exhortation being ended, all the Peers then present do
their Homage publickly and solemnly unto the King upon
the Theatre, and in the mean time the Treasurer of the
Household throws among the People Medals of Gold and
Silver, as the King's Princely Largess or Donative.
The Archbishop first kneels down before His Majesty's Knees,
and the rest of the Bishops kneel on either Hand and
283

The Coronation of Edward VII
about Him ; and they do their Homage together, for the
shortening of the Ceremony, the Archbishop saying :
T M. Archbishop of Canterbury \A71d so evety one of the
rest, I N. Bishop of N., repeatitig the rest audibly after
the Archbishop^ will be faithful and true, and Faith and
Truth will bear, unto you our Sovereign Lord, and your
Heirs, Kings or Queens of the United Kingdom of Great
B7-itain and Irela7id. And I will do, and truly acknow
ledge the Service of the Lands which I claim to hold of
you, as in right of the Church. So help me God.
Then the Archbishop kisseth the King's Hand, and so the rest
of the Bishops present after him.
After which the other Peers of the Realm do their Homage in
like manner, the Dukes first by themselves, and so the
Marquesses, the Earls, the Viscounts, and the Barons,
severally ; the first of each Order kneeling before His
Majesty, and the rest with and about him all putting off
their Coronets, and the first of each class beginning, and
the rest saying after him :
T N. Duke, or Earl, &c., of N. do become your Liege
man of Life and Limb, and of earthly worship, and
Faith and Truth I will bear unto you, to live and die,
against all manner of Folks. So help me God.
{Note, That Copies of this Homage must be provided by the
Heralds for every Class of the Nobility.)
The Peers having done their Homage, stand all together round
about the King ; and each Class or Degree going by them
selves, or (as it was at the Coronation of King Charles the
First and Second) every Peer one by one, in Order, putting
off their Coronets, singly ascend the Throne again, and
stretching forth their hands, do touch the Crown on His
284

Form and Order of the Service
Majesty's Head, as promising by that Ceremony to be ever
ready to support it with all their power, and then every one
of them kisseth the King's Hand.
While the Peers are thus doing their Homage, and the Medals
thus thrown about, the King, if He thinks good, delivers
His Sceptre with the Cross to the Lord of the Manour of
Worksop, to hold ; and the other Sceptre, or Rod, with the
Dove, to the Lord that carried it in the Procession.
And the Bishops that support the King in the Procession
may also ease Him by supporting the Crown, as there shall
be occasion.
During the Performance of the Homage the Choir sing this
Anthem.
""THIS is the day which the Lord hath made, we will
rejoice and be glad in it.
Lord, grant the King a long life : that His years may
endure throughout all generations.
He shall dwell before God for ever : O prepare thy
loving mercy and faithfulness, that they may preserve Him.
Blessed be the" Lord Thy God, who delighteth in Thee
to set Thee on the Throne.
When the Homage is ended, the Drums beat, and the Trumpets
sound, and all the People shout, crying out,
God save King EDWARD.
Long hve King EDWARD.
May the King live for ever.
The Solemnity of the Coronation being thus ended, the
Archbishop leaves the King in His Throne, and goes
down to the Altar. 285

The Coronation of Edward VII

SECT. XVII.
The Communion.
Then the Offertory begins, the Archbishop reading these
Sentences :
T ET your light so shine before men, &c.
The King descends from His Throne, attended by His
Supporters, and assisted by the Lord Great Chamberlain,
the Sword of State being carried before Him, and goes
to the Steps of the Altar, where taking off' His Crown,
which He delivers to the Lord Great Chamberlain to hold.
He kneels down.
And first the King offers Bread and Wine for the Communion,
which being brought out of King Edward's Chapel, and
delivered into His Hands, the Bread upon the Paten by
the Bishop that read the Epistle, and the Wine in the
Chalice by the Bishop that read the Gospel, are by the
Archbishop received from the King, and reverently placed
upon the Altar, and decently covered with a fair linen
Cloth, the Archbishop first saying this Prayer •
DLESS, O Lord, we beseech thee, these thy Gifts, and
sanctify them unto this holy use, that by them we may
be made partakers of the Body and Blood of thine only
begotten Son Jesus Christ, and, fed unto everlasting life
of Soul and Body : And that thy Servant King EDWARD
may be enabled to the discharge of His weighty Office,
whereunto of thy great goodness thou hast called and
appointed Him. Grant this, O Lord, for Jesus Christ's
sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. A7nen.
Then the King kneeling, as before, makes His second Oblation,
a Purse of Gold, which the Treasurer of the Household
delivers to the Lord Great Cha77iberlai7i, and he to His
286

Form and Order of the Service
Majesty. And the Archbishop coming to Him, receives it
into the Bason, and placeth it upon the Altar.
After which the Archbishop says,
r^ God, who dwellest in the high and holy place, with
them also who are of an humble spirit ; Look down
mercifully upon this thy Servant EDWARD ' our King,
here humbling Himself before Thee at thy Footstool ;
and graciously receive these Oblations, which in humble
acknowledgment of thy Sovereignty over all, and of thy
great Bounty to Him in particular. He has now offered up
unto thee, through Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and
Advocate. A7nen.
Then the King goes to His Chair on the South Side of the
Altar, and kneeling down at His Faldstool, the Archbishop
saith :
Let us pray for the whole state of Christ's Church
militant here in earth.
ALMIGHTY and everliving God, cScc.
The Exhortation.
VE that do truly, &c.
The general Confession.
ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
&c. The Absolutio7i.
A LMIGHTY God our heavenly Father, &c.
After which shall be said.
Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto
all that truly turn to him.
COME unto me, &c.
287

The Coronation of Edward VII
After which the Archbishop shall proceed, saying,
Archb. Lift up your hearts.
Answ. We lift the7n up unto the Lord.
Archb. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
Answ. It is 77ieet and right so to do.
Then shall the Archbishop turn to the Lord's Table, and say,
TT is very meet, right, and our bounden duty that we
should at all times, and in all places, give thanks
unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting
God:
"^TTHO hast at this time given us thy Servant our
^ Sovereign King EDWARD to be the Defender
of thy Faith, and the Protector of thy People ; that Under
Him we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all
Godliness and Honesty.
THEREFORE with Angels and Archangels, &c.
The Prayer of Address.
"^77 E do not presume to come to this thy Table, &c.
The Prayer of Consecration.
A LMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, &c.
When the Archbishop, and Dean of West7)iinster, with the
Bishops Assistants, namely, the Preacher, and those who
read the Litany, and the Epistle and Gospel, have com
municated in both kinds, the King advances to the Altar,
and kneels down, and the Archbishop shall administer the
Bread, and the Dean of Westminster the Cup, to Him.
288

Form and Order of the Service
At the Delivery of the Bread shall be said,
""The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c.
At the Delivery of the Cup,
""THE Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c.
The King then puts on His Crown, and taking the Sceptres
in His Hands, again, repairs to His Throne.
Then the Archbishop goeth on to the Post-Co77i7nunion,
saying,
OUR Father, &c.
Then this Prayer.
f~\ LORD and heavenly Father, &c.
Then shall be said,
GLORY be to God on high, &c.
The Choir then sing the following anthem :
Anthem.
LJ ALLELUJAH : For the Lord God Omnipotent
reigneth. The kingdom of this World is become
the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. And he
shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord
of Lords. Hallelujah.
After the Anthem the Archbishop reads the final Prayers.
SECT. XVIII.
The final Prayer.s.
A SSIST us mercifully, O Lord, &c.
289 U

The Coronation of Edward VII
SECT. XIX.
The Recess.
THE whole Coronation Office being thus performed, the King
attended and accompanied as before, the four Swords being
carried before Him, descends from His Throne Crowned,
and carrying His Sceptre and Rodm His Hands, goes into the
Area Eastward of the Theatre, and passes on through the
Door on the South side of the Altar into King Edwardus
Chapel ; and as He passes by the Altar, the rest of the
Regalia lying upon it, are to be delivered by the Dea7i of
Westini7ister to the Lords that carried them in the Procession,
and so they proceed in State into the Chapel, the Organ and
other Instruments all the while playing.
The King being come into the Chapel, and standing before the
Altar, will deliver the Sceptre with the Dove to the Arch
bishop, who will lay it upon the Altar there. The King will
then be disrobed of His L77iperial Ma7itle, and arrayed in His
Royal Robe of Purple Velvet by the Lord Great Chamberlain.
The Archbishop, being still vested in his Cope, will then place
the Orb in His Majesty's Left Hand. And the Gold Spurs
and King Edwardus Sttiff are given into the hands of the
Dean of Westminster, and by him laid upon the Altar.
Which being done, the Archbishop and Bishops will divest
themselves of their Copes, and leave them there, proceeding
in their usual Habits.
Then His Majesty will proceed through the Choir to the West
Door of the Abbey, in the same manner as He came, wearing
His Crown, and bearing in His Right Hand the Sceptre ^'x'Ca.
the Cross, and in His Left the Orb j all Peers wearing their
Coronets, and the Archbishops and Bishops their Caps.

290

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