Show GEORGE VI ELIZABETH CROWNED Five Million V Voices Cry God Save the tIle King as Guns Boom m Glad Glad Tidings From Historic Tower To of London God Godsave Godsave London England sav save the King As the great guns of the Tower of London boomed forth the news that the Archbishop Archbishop Archbishop Arch Arch- bishop of Canterbury had placed the weighty Crown of St. St Edward the Crown of England upon the head of George VI the cry came forth in a mighty swell from five million throats as from the throat of one man This was the climax of the greatest greatest great great- est show on earth a show for which a generous share of the throng which lined the six and one-half one miles of the processional route had waited without moving from their places through the dampness of ot a London spring night and indeed through part of f th the preceding day Those of the Kings King's subjects who had not been able to afford 2 to for a n seat scat that would assure them a glimpse of their new monarch monarch monarch mon mon- arch on his proudest day began marking off space along the curb on the afternoon of May 11 Smart alecks who thought they could put off air ff their vigil until sunrise of Coronation Coronation Coronation Cor Cor- Day were doomed to stretch their necks an Inch or two in twelve hours of straining to see over several several several sev sev- eral rows of earll earlier r arrivals A fA Quiet Empire It was a heavy day of work at atthe atthe atthe the end of many breaking back weeks of preparation for the gentlemen and ladies Indies of the peerage peerage peerage peer peer- age whose rank and purse entitled them to sit for an entire day in hi 10 to 25 pounds of clothing per capita on a hard seat 19 inches wide without without with with- out ever moving But it was a magnificent magnificent magnificent mag mag- show The Lord give you fruit fruitful lands and healthful seasons said the archbishop in hi the benediction which followed the crowning cro of the King victorious fleets and armies and a n quiet Empire No one in Britain could deny that in hi a time tune of world-wide world unrest a time of urgent necessity for imperial imperial imperial im im- strength and unity the political political political cal expediency of a quiet Empire Empire Empire Em Em- pire prompted the government to tomake tomake tomake make of this the most splendid coronation coronation cor cor- in all history The government government government gov gov- expense in the crowning of George VI has been estimated to tobe tobe tobe be double that in hi the coronation of his father 26 years ago its backing of the dazzling pageantry required expenditures of of public public pub pub- lic lie funds not counting an estimated ed spent by the royal household household household house house- hold in entertaining royal and foreign foreign for for- eign guests In the vast coronation pageant the government hoped to lend new emphasis to that sentiment which is the real bond holding the empire together and which is symbolized by the crown and the man who wears it There is still an nn undercurrent undercurrent undercurrent under under- current of dissatisfaction diss over the abdication of Edward VIII The new King and Queen must be popularized popular popular- to the fullest possible extent The coronation was an opportunity to accomplish this and the government government government govern govern- ment could afford to let none of it slip past The show and the crowd lived up to all advance billing It was estimated estimated es es- es that there were visitors visitors vis visitors vis- vis who had to cross the ocean All AU London's hotel rooms were sold out Souvenir manufacturers manufacturers and vendors did the expected land office business The drink bill for ton toasting sting the new King was guessed at Queen Goes First Pomp and regal solemnity were byword of the day from the time the King and Queen boarded the coronation coach at Buckingham Palace in hi mid Eight magnificent magnificent magnificent mag mag- cream cream-col cream colored red horses drew the ancient ton four-ton vehicle down the st streets it has traversed since 1761 when It was built for Queen Anne In its heaVily y ornate gold and jewels It carried the thc spectators back through the pages of ot history to those days before tile the American colonies had revolted and prevented the British Empire from including the lions lion's share of North America The ancient coach a tradition at coronations bore the royal couple down the mall to the Abbey where the Queens Queen's procession left the King Kingto to enter first so that she could stand and wait for fOt him by the chairs of state or recognition chairs in front of the thc royal box where the theother theother theother other members of the royal family were seated Peers and peeresses were in their places before the central figures of the coronation n drama arrived And before them the real martyrs had assumed their positions These were the eight newspaper photographers the government had permitted to be present the thought of flash flashbulbs flashbulbs flashbulbs bulbs marring the solemnity of such an occasion but still anxious that pictures be taken officials hit upon a solution They provided camouflaged camouflaged camouflaged camou camou- quarters for camera men in false pillars and other positions which blended into the thc background of the Abbey Narrow slits in the walls of ot these thes refuges enabled the I cameras to peer out at the thc spectacle But the poor They had to be set up before anyone en g v fj r r n Y Y r t rT l 6 4 p iE iEr r 1 rr i ArL Y Yx x r r s. s s ft I 1 sr r c Y LL Kin King Bing George VI and Queen Elizabeth officially crowned in hi one of history's most spectacular and colorful coronations the Abbey and maintain their cramped positions for eight or nine hours They were not permitted to withdraw until everyone everone else hac lc left t. t History's Greatest Gem Display A general color scheme of blue and gold with rich soft velvet hangings hangings hangings hang hang- ings made a brilliant background for the cast and for the spectators I in their gorgeous uniforms and gowns Peeresses wore robes of crimson velvet trimmed in hi ermine unless they happened to be of royal I blood in which event they were required required required re re- re- re to don don don- the purple velvet of I royalty royally The court gowns worn underneath underneath underneath un un- un- un were of white cream silver silver silver sil sil- sil- sil ver or gold Fashion experts estimated estimated estimated es es- es- es that the most economical of them cost at least 1200 Uniforms Uniforms Uniforms Uni Uni- forms of the men started at about and went up from there This did not of course include the jewelry or the coronets The cheapest coronet could hardly have been purchased for less than The t total tal of all the rings bracelets necklaces etc worn by the present must have run into the thc millions millions mil mil- lions and was probably the most most costly and magnificent display of I II I II I r The Crown of St St. Edward or Crown of En England land made for Cor Charles II in 1662 and worn because of its excessive weight for Cor but a fleeting moment by George VI during the coronation ceremony gems ever worn in hi one place at atone atone atone one time in the worlds world's history Rank of the members of the nobility nobility nobility no no- was indicated by the amount of ermine on the robes of the women women women wom wom- en and the length of their trains A duchess was marked by four rows of ermine on her robe and md a train two yards long A marchioness was permitted three and one-half one rows of ermine and a three one yard fourths-yard train a countess half halfa a row less of ermine half halt a Q yard less train rank was further graded down at half halt a row and half hah a yard per classification The head hend of the procession which had included a great list of dignitaries dignitaries dignitaries the Kings King's representatives and royal persons with their families families fam fam- from all over the thc world had been waiting at the west door of the Abbey and as the royal coach conch approached filed In hi to await their monarch Following them came carne the chaplains deans denns and officers of Westminster then the archbishops with the he Queen consort and the ladies ladles and gentlemen of the court Noblemen close behind bore the staff and the sceptre with the cross and the golden spurs and the three swords which signify mercy temporal temporal temporal tem tem- justice and spiritual justice These were the trappings of St. St Ed Ed- ward with which English kings are invested Then came more dignitaries and the Kings King's sceptre with the dove symbolic of mercy and equity the Kings King's gold and diamond orb s surmounted surmounted sur sur- r- r mounted by the Christian cross the crown of St. St Edward the patent and the chalice and the Bible Then entered George VI in the crimson robes of state to join his Queen and march through the choir and up the stairs to the theatre Passing the thrones they then I kneeled at the before the recognition chairs to offer prayers Next they proceeded about the Abbey Abbey Abbey Ab Ab- Ab- Ab bey to all four sides before the view of the assemblage The King went to his chair and once more faced each side of the Abbey as the Archbishop in loud tones announced announced an an- him After the regalia had been brought and placed by the dean of Westminster upon the altar the Archbishop asked the King according according according accord accord- ing to ritual Sire is yo your r Majesty willing to take the oath and the King answered I am willing He gave his oath to govern the peoples of the British Isles and the Empire according to their laws and customs customs cus cus- customs toms to maintain the profession of the thc Gospel and the Church of Eng land After he had kissed the Bible and signed the oath the King repeated repeated re re- re and subscribed to the declaration declaration declaration dec dec- required by parliament and with the assemblage prepared prepared pre pre- pared for lor the communion service Following this lengthy service the King having first removed the cap and robes of state ascended to the throne of St. St Edward the ancient ancient an an- chair which contains beneath its seat the historic Stone of Scone upon which the kings of Scotland sat as they were crowned a thousand years ago After a silken pall had been put over the King the Archbishop Archbishop Arch Arch- bishop anointed him upon the thc hands breast and face with the holy oil and he was wa ready to be presented presented pre pre- I with the spurs and the sword King Receives Ills His Crown These given George VI removed the pall and was clothed for the first time in inthe the royal robe of purple The orb and cross were brought from rom the altar by the Dean of Westminster Westminster Westminster West West- minster and placed in the Kings King's hands by the Archbishop He was next invested with the ring arid and the sceptres Then as the King bowed his head hend the Dean of Westminster brought the Crown of St St. Edward and the Archbishop receiving it from him held it but momentarily upon the head of the King its weight is ter ter- terrific rifle This was the signal for the trumpets trump trump- ets and the guns in hi the Tower of London for the thc peers and peeresses to cry God save the King KingI Kingl and for the millions who along the processional processional processional pro pro- line outside had been waiting for that moment to toss their hats in the air and cry likewise likewise like like- wise God save save the King Kingl The peers were now allowed to put on their coronets There followed more religious ceremonies of great length and solemnity solemnity solemnity sol sol- sol sol- and then the coronation of the Queen following which the peeresses peeresses peeresses peer peer- esses cried God save the Queen and donned their coronets Still more long hours of cere mony Then in the early evening the Kings King's coach at last passed once more down the processional route and the thc millions who had waited all allda allday allday da day for the sight went home happy Western Newspaper Union |