Coronation Anecdotes Part 20

His Royal Highness the Duke of Suss.e.x, wearing his Coronet, and his Train borne as before.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, wearing his Coronet, and his Train borne as before.

His Royal Highness the Duke of York, wearing his Coronet, and his Train borne as before.

The High Constable The High Constable of Scotland, of Ireland. wearing his Coronet.

Four Serjeants at Arms.

The Deputy Earl The sword which The Lord High Marshal had been redeemed, Constable, wearing his borne naked by wearing his coronet. the Duke of Dorset, coronet.

wearing his coronet.

The Lord High Steward, wearing his coronet.

The Sceptre with the Dove, borne by the Duke of Rutland, wearing his coronet.

THE KING,

In his Robes of purple velvet, furred with ermine, and the Crown Twenty of state on his head, Twenty Gentlemen bearing in his right Gentlemen Pensioners hand St. Edward's Pensioners with with Bearer. Sceptre, with the Cross, the Lieutenant.

The Bishop and in his left the Orb The Bishop of Oxford, with the Cross, under of Lincoln, wearing his his canopy, supported wearing his cap. as before, and his train cap.

borne as before.

Captain of the Yeoman Gold Stick of the Captain of the Band of the Guard, Life Guards in of Gentlemen Pensioners, wearing his coronet. waiting, wearing wearing his his coronet. coronet.

Lords of the Bedchamber.

The Keeper of his Majesty's Privy Purse.

Grooms of the Bedchamber.

Equerries and Pages of Honour.

Aides-de-Camp.

Gentlemen Ushers.

Physicians. Surgeons. Apothecaries.

Ensign of the Yeomen Lieutenant of the Yeomen of of the Guard. the Guard.

His Majesty's Pages.

His Majesty's Footmen.

Exons of the Yeomen Yeomen of Exons of the Yeomen of the Guard. the Guard. of the Guard.

Gentleman Harbinger of the Band of Gentlemen Pensioners.

Clerk of the Cheque Clerk of the Cheque to to the Yeomen of the Guard. the Gentlemen Pensioners.

Yeomen of the Guard, to close the Procession.

As the procession entered the Hall, the fifes, drums, and trumpets went to their gallery, and the several other persons composing it were directed to their respective places by the officers of arms.

On entering the Hall, the barons of the Cinque Ports, bearing the canopy, remained at the bottom of the steps. His Majesty ascended the elevated platform, and retired in his chamber near the state.

The company at the table then sat down; and the barons of the Cinque Ports carried away the canopy as their fee.

It is mentioned above that the several orders of knighthood returned wearing their hats. This was the case until they got to the entrance of Westminster Hall. There all the knights of the Bath took off their hats, as did some of the bishops and several other individuals who took part in the procession. There were only two knights of the Garter who appeared in the full dress of the order. These were his Royal Highness the Prince Leopold and the Marquess of Londonderry. The n.o.ble marquess, as attired in his robes, added very considerably to the splendour of the scene by his graceful and elegant appearance. His lords.h.i.+p's hat was encircled with a band of diamonds, which had a most brilliant effect. As his Majesty pa.s.sed up the Hall he was received with loud and continued acclamations--the gentlemen waving their hats, and the ladies their handkerchiefs: his Majesty seemed to feel sensibly the enthusiasm with which he was greeted, and returned the salutations with repeated bows to the a.s.semblage on both sides. The peers took their seats at the table appointed for them, and began to partake of the banquet. During the interval between this and the return of his Majesty, the greater part of the ladies and gentlemen who had previously occupied the galleries retired for refreshments, or descended into the Hall, which they promenaded for a considerable time. There were also a great number of persons admitted into the Hall, who it was evident had not been in before. This occasioned some slight inconvenience to those whose duty obliged them to be present. We ought here to remark that the procession, on its return to the Hall, was not conducted with any thing like the same regularity which had distinguished its departure. This was probably owing to the great fatigue which all the parties had undergone, and to their consequent anxiety to get to their seats. Some slight derangement was occasioned by the aldermen, who, either from the cause just mentioned, or from a mistake with respect to the regulations of the heralds, had no sooner got within the triumphal arch, than they walked over to one of the tables, leaving several of those behind who ought to have preceded them. This trifling mistake was soon corrected by one of the heralds, who brought the worthy magistrates back to their former station in the procession.

THE BANQUET.

Precisely at twenty minutes past five the lord great chamberlain issued his orders that the centre of the Hall should be cleared. This direction occasioned much confusion, not only because many strangers had been allowed to enter the lower doors for the purpose of surveying the general arrangements, but because those who had tickets for the galleries had descended in considerable numbers to the floor. Lord Gwydyr was under the necessity of personally exerting his authority, with considerable vehemence, in order to compel the attendants of the earl-marshal to quit situations intended for persons more immediately connected with the ceremony. A long interval now occurred, during which the various officers, and especially the heralds, made the necessary arrangements for the n.o.bility expected to return with his Majesty.

During this pause silence was generally preserved, in expectation of the return of his Majesty from his chamber.

The entrance of the King was announced by one of the princ.i.p.al heralds, who was followed into the Hall by the lord great chamberlain and the Dukes of York, Clarence, Cambridge, Suss.e.x, and Gloucester. Prince Leopold had for some time previously been engaged in conversation with some of the foreign amba.s.sadors.

His Majesty returned in the robes with which he had been invested in the Abbey, wearing also the same crown. In his right hand he carried the sceptre, and in his left the orb, which, on taking his seat on the throne, he delivered to two peers stationed at his side for the purpose of receiving them.

The first course was then served up. It consisted of 24 gold covers and dishes, carried by as many gentlemen pensioners: they were preceded by six attendants on the clerk comptroller, by two clerks of the kitchen, who received the dishes from the gentlemen pensioners, by the clerk comptroller, in a velvet gown trimmed with silver lace, by two clerks and the secretary of the Board of Green Cloth, by the comptroller and treasurer of the household, and serjeants at arms with their maces.

Before the dishes were placed upon the table by the two clerks of the kitchen, the great doors at the bottom of the Hall were thrown open to the sound of trumpets and clarionets, and the Duke of Wellington, as lord high constable, the Marquis of Anglesey, as lord high steward, and Lord Howard of Effingham, as deputy earl marshal, entered upon the floor on horseback, remaining for some minutes under the archway. The Duke of Wellington was on the left of the King, the earl marshal on the right, and the Marquess of Anglesey in the centre. The two former were mounted on beautiful white horses gorgeously trapped, and the latter on his favourite dun-coloured Arabian.

THE CHALLENGE.

Before the second course, the great gate was thrown open at the sound of trumpets without. The deputy appointed to officiate as King's Champion for the lord of the manor of Scrivelsby, in Lincolns.h.i.+re, entered the Hall on horseback, in a complete suit of bright armour, between the lord high constable and deputy earl marshal, also on horseback, preceded by--

Two Trumpeters, with the Champion's Arms on their Banners.

The Serjeant Trumpeter, with his Mace on his Shoulder.

Two Serjeants at Arms, with their Maces on their Shoulders.

The Champion's two Esquires, in half Armour, one on the right hand bearing the Champion's Lance, the other on the left hand with the Champion's Target, and the Arms of Dymoke depicted thereon.

A Herald, With a Paper in his hand containing the Challenge.

Then followed:--

The The The Deputy Earl Marshal, CHAMPION, Lord High Constable, on Horseback, in on Horseback, in a in his Robes and his Robes and Coronet, complete suit of Coronet, and Collar with the Earl bright Armour, with of his Order, on Marshal's Staff in a Gauntlet in his Horseback, with the his Hand, attended Hand, his Helmet on Constable's Staff, attended by a Page. his Head, adorned by two Pages.

with a plume of Feathers.

Four Pages, richly apparelled, attendants on the Champion.

His helmet was of polished steel, surmounted by a full rich bending plume of white ostrich feathers, next of light blue, next red, and lastly of an erect black feather. He seemed rather pale in the face, which was of a resolute cast, and ornamented with handsome mustachios.

He sat his horse with ease, and the appearance of great firmness, which was no doubt in part attributable to the enormous weight under which the n.o.ble animal that bore him seemed to bend. His armour was extremely ma.s.sive, and deeply lined and engraven: no part of his body was uncovered; and even the broad circular shoulder blades of the armour were so folded over the cuira.s.s, that in action the body could not but be completely defended at all points. The horse was very richly caparisoned, and wore in his headstall a plume of varied feathers.