Show AIX P 4 S 1 a 2 1 el 41 77 ar 1 44 1 g 1 N I 1 V 7 7 nj N j r e I 1 4 D I 1 1 X 4 V 4 4 v king george VI queen elizabeth line london streets to view coronation procession london england special A full day of mortal toil for the principals concerned and a day and night of heroic vigil for thousands of spectators were required before george VI and elizabeth his queen returned turn ed to buckingham palace full fledged ruler and consort oi of britain by virtue of one of the most splendid and spectacular coronations coro nations the world has ever seen five million persons it was estimated lined the processional route over which the king and queen in the ancient coronation coach rolled solemnly the six and one half miles from the palace to westminster abbey in midmorning mid morning and back again in the early evening the solemnity of the occasion was observed by the crowd even by the mostly ddn no n britons who had come from across the seas to witness it but the cheers were 1 1 arlie I 1 IP 0 1 W A 1 I 1 1 W heir presumptive to the most im formant throne on earth is charming ten year old princess elizabeth hale and hearty and the attitude vas yas one of celebration as the roar of the guns in the historic tower of london split the air of the spring afternoon it was the signal that george VI had worn upon his head for the first time the crown of st edward or crown of england and called for the cry from 5 throats as one god sa save e the kingl king hotels sold out this was probably the most important point in the entire coronation ceremony which was heavily religious throughout and extremely burdensome to the principals as well as to the peers and their ladies who gathered in old westminster abbey to do homage to their king ding and to display for one day jewels and trappings the cost of which ran far into the millions it was the climax of the occasion for which souvenir manufacturers had been planning for many months for which every hotel and boarding house room in london and its environs was sold out for which apartments rented up to for a single day for which the government had spent with a prospect of getting back perhaps from the sale of seats along the processional route at 2 to a head souvenir manufacturers distracted at first over the abdication of king edward VIII for they had struck his likeness off of on millions of medals spoons plates and other articles later became jubilant for the souvenir collectors were so anxious to obtain the mistaken souvenirs that the latter sold at a premium that the sentiment for the crown which is the chief bond holding the empire together lives healthy and strong was apparent from the thousands who not being able to afford reserved seats took their stand along the curbs long before the setting of the sun on may 11 all night they had to stick to their watch and all the next nex A d day ay yet they did not even see the coronation ceremony itself they witnessed only the procession as it passed up the mall mail queen precedes kin king the ceremony at the abbey abbay was only for the peerage the persons of royal blood and the kings representatives senta tives with the clergy they were waiting at the west door of the handsome gothic edifice taking their places inside as the approach of the coronation coach an ornate vehicle made for queen anne in 1761 was noted once inside they were doomed to sit for seven hours in their heavy trappings of crimson or purple velvet and ermine ne never ver moving from the 19 inch seat spaces allotted them until the end 0 of f the day after the king and queen had departed when the coach pulled up queen elizabeth proceeded ahead to the recognition chairs there to await her lord WI when ten K king ing george entered to the sound of anthems and prayers he was introduced to the four sides of the assemblage assern 1 ge by the archbishop of canterbury who assumed the mastery of the ceremonies ies from that point on it was the archbishop who a few min minutes utes later was to ask the king sir is your majesty willing to take the oath the king answered according to the ritual 1 I am willing and the archbishop questioned him will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of great britain ireland canada australia new zealand and the union of south africa of your possessions and the other territories to anny any of of them belonging or pertaining and of your empire of india indi a according to their respective laws and customs 1 I solemnly promise to do so the king replied will you to your power cause law and justice in mercy to be ba executed in all your judgments the archbishop asked and the king r replied c 1 I will he promised further to uphold the clergy and the church of england king given his vestments there followed a long drawn out communion service during which the king was presented with the various jewels with which the of nee fice and was anointed upon the hands breast and face with the holy oil among the jewels presented him were th the e staff and sceptre tre with the cr cros Os s and golden spurs handed down from the time of st edward the three jeweled swords signifying mercy temporal justice and spiritual justice the kings sceptre with the dove symbolic of mercy and equity the sword of state the kings gold and diamond orb surmounted by the christian cross the crown of state and the imperial crown of india ni the jewels used in the ceremonies are reputed to be worth at least then as the king kneeled before the altar the archbishop placed the crown of st edward upon his heau head but only for a fleeting moment for its weight is unbearable he prayed ngod god crown you with a crown of glory and righteousness that by the ministry of this our benediction having a right faith and manifold fruit of good works you may obtain the crown of an everlasting kingdom by the g gift if t 0 of f him hi m whose kingdom en dureth forever the choir sang be strong and play the man keep the commandments of the lord thy god and walk in his ways solemn thought provoking advice for the il man who 0 must wear the crown of one of the most important im por nations na t io n on 0 n earth in times when the seething caldron of the worlds hate threatens hourly to boil over |