The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-21
THE KING
SPEAKS.
The Lords Hear His
Majesty's First
Address.
A BRILLIANT
ROYAL FUNCTION
Quaint Customs Revived for a
Ceremonial That Rarely
Happens.

/ LONDON, Feb 1.-THE first Parlia-
ment of the reign of King Edward VII
was opened this afternoon by the King
in person. His Majesty was accompan-
led by Queen Alexandra, the Duke OF
iConnaught and many others of the
royal family.
The last state ceremony of the kind
occurred in 1851, when Queen Victoria
topened Parliament, accompanied by
1.-The Prince Consort. and since the death
{of the latter nothing equal to today's
pomp has been witnessed in London in
connection with the opening of the
I Legislature.
Not since the wedding of the then
Prince of Wales and Princess Alexan-
dra has the gorgeous state coach used
! today been seen in the streets of the
icapital.
| In this coach today the King and
Queen rode from buckingham Palace
to the Palace of Westminster.
The route of the royal party, which
Hay through the Mall, the Horse
lGuards' Parade, Whitehall and Parlia-
ment street was guarded by 5000 SOL
Idiers. Thousands of Londoners packed
ST. James park, bordered the route of
the procession and filled windows,
stands and roofs. The cortege was
short but spectacular. The royal coach,
drawn by eight of the famous cream
colored Hanoverians, with postillions in
red and gold liveries and footmen
Heading the horses, which were covered
| with trappingS of Morocco and gilt,
was preceded and followed by Life
Guards in full uniform with silver
breast-plates and red-plumed helmets,
and a small escort of gentlemen-at-
arms, in historic costumes Immediately
surrounded the vehicle.
| Five carriages of state containing
uniformed officials and ladies of the
household, each drawn by six horses
with Positions and outriders, led the
procession. Next came the massive
state chariot, the occupants of which
could be plainly seen through plate
glass windows, the King, who was in
full uniform, saluting constantly and
the Queen bowling on all sides
| ST. James park was densely packed,
the West Enders crowding together.
/ The long steps below Carlton House
terrace were solid mass of people.
The procession moved through sea
of heads and a continuous glitter of
red and gilt. The spectators were
thickest around buckingham Palace,
ppressing against the iron fence for
hours before the procession started.
In the meantime the Horse Guards
arrived and formed in line from the
palace entrance to the principal gate.
The members Of the royal family, in
GLIDING the Duke and Duchess of Con-
nausht. the Duchess of Cornwall the
I he n,alra Of
bridge, Princess Henry of Battenburg
and Prince and Princess Christian of
Schleswig-H olstein, drove out in plain
two-horse coaches, with two f1otmen
in scarlet cloaks on the box. half an
hour before the procession formed.
When the six-horse coaches carrying
the household appeared. the Horse
Guards mounted bands struck up
s'fGod Save the King the people I'M
covered, the state coach rolled out of
the archway in the center of the palace
! and was greeted with a roar of cheer
ing. The Yeomen gentlemen of the
Guard, with halberds, followed. The
Horse Guards took up positions in
front and behind the state coach. The
heroes of the crowd were the members
lof Strathconas Horse, who are just
back from South Africa and who came
in several four-horse brakes, carrying
their carbines and wearing informal
SLOUGH hats and khaki overcoats. They
| alighted in front of the palace and
marched down the line TO position a
short distance from the palace, where
they were drawn up while the process
sion passed.
The King saluted them cordially and
the people cheered them repeatedly.
From buckingham Palace to the
House of Lords the procession proceed
ed without a hitch at a walking pace.
All along the route hats and hand
Ikerchiefs were waved and the greatest
enthusiasm was displayed. The ap-
lproaches to the Houses of Parliament
We're black with people, who We're kept
in their places by Irish and Scots
Guards.
The King and Queen quickly got cut
of the state carriage. which came 10
a standstill at the royal entrance be-
meath the Victoria Tower, and Went up
the marble stairway into the robias
room. Outside the robing room, in the
royal gallery, which leads to the House
of Lords, were about 500 persons, chief
lily women, who had been waiting pa
tiently for hours on stands specially
were many peers and commoners who
were unable to get places within the
chamber.
Before the end Of the procession had
passed out of the royal gallery the
King had entered the House of Lords
and the central feature of the day COM
menced. 1t was 2:15 p. m before The
King arrived in the chamber, where
Ione of the most striking things was the
curious reversal of the customary ap-
purtenances of the sexes. Here for
once the women were sombre- hooking
in black, relieved only by their white
arms and shoulders and the dia-
monds and pearls in their cor
onets, while the men. usually in
black, were radiant with brilliant robes
of scarlet and ermine.
The peers and judges occupied the
front benches.
The monotony of this sea Of red and