The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-13
WHEN THE KING COMES.
Ceremonies That Will Be
Performed by the Col
lege Of Arms.

When the time comes (Which may
heaven delay for new king of Eng
land the College of Arms will pro-
claim him, just as they have proclaim
ed every monarch for hundreds of years
past.
Times change-and dynasties. We
are less like the Engiishmen of Edward
1 than we are like the modern Japs.
We talk different tongue, we eat diff
ferent foods, we wear different
clothes, we think different thoughts
Nothing is the same, except the col
umns on stonehenge and the College
of Arms. The college abides varying
by not so much as detail of procedure
or button on a uniform. What is is
good, and cannot be improved. There
fore the business of proclamation will
be the same in the twentieth century
as it was in the fifteenth.
When the time unheppily comes for
a new king to reign, the privy coun-
Gil will meet and declare the throne to
have devolved on the Prince of Wales.
Orders will at once be given to the Earl
Marshal and the officers of the College
of Arms to proclaim him. The first
proclamation will be made in the court
yard of st. James Palace, where the
guard is. changed.
Garter King, the chief officer Of the
college. will make the proclamation in
solemn form, with the Earl Marshal,
the kings, the horalds and the pursuig
ants in full uniform and mounted hard
by At this proclamation the monarch
is present, sitting at the window,
where all his predecessors have sat.
That is the chieftest of the proclama-
ton; out the news has to be carried
far and wide to the distant city, the
rank of the proclaiming officer des-
cending as the business proceeds. The
second announcement is made at
Charing Cross. and the third at the cor
ner Of Chancedy Lane.
At this proclamation there will be a
modification of the ancient form, ow-
ing to the disappearance of Temple
Bar. Within the city of London the
lord mayor and sheriffs preserve their
ancient sovereignty, and allow no rules
within their gates except after permits
sion asked and granted.
The old form was for the junior puT-
suivant to rap at the gate and show
his warrant Cor proclamation. Then the
lord mayor ordered the gate to be
opened, and Joined in the stately pro-
cession.
The ceremony will doubtless remain,
barring the knock at the gate which
does not exist. The last proclamation
is made either at the corner of Wood
street, Cheapside, or beside the Royal
exchange. In the provinces the procla-
nations are made by the local mayors.
Being proclaimed and crowned, the
king has to offer to fight for his throne.
In the olden times when a king reigned
by the power of his right arm, this
was a necessary formality, and because
it was necessary once it is done still
But the king no longer does his own
fighting. He has champion, the he
reditary champion of England, whose
business it is to do battle with all COM
ers for the crown.
The champion is always member
of the Dymolke family. When the king
is crowned he rides into Westminster
hall, mounted and in full armor, just
as the champion was six hundred years
ago. He is accompanied by the earl
Marshal and the Lord Great Chamber
lain, also on horseback. The hall is
crowded with ticketed sightseers.
A proclamation is read by one of the
heralds challenging anybody who dis
putes the right of the sovereign to COM
bat in an open space. The champion
throws down his gauntlet as a guaran-
tee of good faith, and then the hearts
of all the ladies flutter in anticipation
of fight.
But il is all disappointing sham If
some enterprising person We're to take
UP the challenge and thu gauntlet he
would probably be run in by the police
for creating a disturbance. The herald
takes up the glove and hands it back
to the champion, and then the king II
firmly seated on his throne.-London
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