Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-10-05
QUEEN WcToRIA,s CORONATION.
A Description Of the Event as Seen by the
Famous Dean Stanley.

A Description Of the Event as Seen by the
Famous Dean Stanley.
The following concerning Dean Stan
ley's view Of the coronation of Queen
Victoria is taken from recently pub
lishcd life Of that remarkable man:
At 1920 another gun announced that
she was at the abbey door, and in
about a quarter of all hour the process
sion appeared from under the organ,
advancing up the purple approach to
the chancel, every one leaning over,
and in they came. First the great dukes,
struggling with their enormous trains,
then bishops, ETC., and then the queen,
with her vast crimson train outspread
by eight ladies all in white, followed
by the great ladies of her court in enor-
nous crimson trains and the smaller
ladies with delicate sky blue trains trail
ing along the dark floor. When she
came within the full view Of the gor-
geous abbey she paused as if for breath
and clasped her hands, The orchestra
broke out into the most tremendous
crash of music I ever heard. 81 was
glad when they saic unto me, Let us
10 into the house of the Lord '"
Every one literally gasped for breath
from the intense interest, and the rails
of the gallery visibly trembled in ones
hands from the trembling Of the specta-
tors. 7 never saw anything like it.
Tears would have been relief One
felt that the queen must sink into the
earth under the tremendous ave. But
at last she moved on to her place by the
altar, and, as heard from my cousin
who had a place close by, threw herself
on her knees, buried her face i'll he1
hands and evidently prayed fervently.
For the first part the silence was SC
great that at my extreme point could
hear quite distinctly the tremulous but
articulate voice of the archbishop. Aft.
erward 1t was quite inaudible. The
great drawbacks were the feeble re-
sponses to the service and the feebleness
Of the acclaination-hardly any at all
at the recognition and only tolerable
at the coronation. That was the crisis
Of the ceremony and the most striking
part The very moment the crown touch
ed her head the guns went off, the
trumpets began and IL shouts. She was
perfectly immovable, like statue. The
Duchess of Kent burst into tears, anG
her lady had to put on her coronet for
her. The amounting was very beautiful
from the cloth of gold. The homage also
from the magnificent cluster in the very
center.
1t was a take off, though a necessary
one, suppose, that throughout her face
was turned away from the spectators
toward the altar. All the movements
were beautiful. She was always accom-
panied by her eight ladies floating about
her like a silvery cloud. It was over at
3:30-that is, she went out then with
her crown, her orb and her scepter.
walked home. The rest lad to wait till
s for their carriage, which was forced
back by the length Of the limo to Ken
nington common The crowd in the
streets to see the return of the procession
was stupendous. 1t was all more like a
dream than reality - more beautiful
than could have conceived possible. /
should wish almost never to see her
again; that, as this was the first image
] had ever had Of her, SO it should be
the last.