The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-02-09
REEVES QUAINT CUSTOMS
ACCESSION OF AN ENGLISH KING
CALLS FOR SOME ODD ss
CEREMONIES
CURIOUS AND PICTURESQUE
Various Offices to Be Performed BY
Various People-Annointinx
of a Sovereign n .--
Feature.


Queen Victoria, says the Brooklyn Eagle.
NO one is now living who was active in
or present at the coronation Of the queen,
out OF course many elaborate reports Of
that ceremony, and the informal or for
NAL incidents which preceded it, are ex-
tant, and these chronicle the observance
on that occasion Of many Of the customs
whose origin dates back hundreds Of
years.
10 anybody but an Englishman, or at
least a subject of some form Of limited
or absolute monarchy, most of these Gus
toms seem strange enough, while not a
few of them would hardly escape appear
Ing absurd to one who has not been
brought up In a political atmosphere Of
which the genius of royalty is really a
basic element. But it is hardly an exag-
geration to say that the shadow Of this
mediaevalism may be caught today in
many, If not most, Of even the lesser 20
litical institutions of England, and it is
to be expected that in the ceremonials in
cident to an event so important as the
succession Of new sovereign not few
Of the customs and forms of court eti-
quette, with which even the average
Englishman may not be familiar, will be
revived.
The ceremonies before and after the
fact of coronation proper include many
curious and picturesque customs. For
on which the hereditary grand almoner
appears. Upon him devolves the cere-
mOny Of scattering gold coin about West
minister Abbey while the peers are pay
ing homage to the newly crowned SOW
ereign. The perquisite of the hereditary
grand almoner for this service is all the
carpet used in the abbey for this special
occasion. The Lord Great Chamberlain,
on the other hand, lays claim to all the
clothing worn by the sovereign on the
night preceding the coronation, together
with the furniture of the room in which
this night was passed. Furthermore, 1t
is his duty to serve the sovereign with a
basin of water in which he is to wash his
hands before the coronation banquet, and
he takes as his perquisite the basin and
the ever (both of silver used for this
purpose, a silver cup and also an allow
ance Of forty yards Of crimson velvet.
The state robes worn by peers and
peeresses at a coronation usually are
regulated by an official order, even the
length of the train OF the Women's-
gowns being prescribed by such regula-
tions. The wife of a baron, for example,
must limit her train to length of one
yard on the ground. But a viscountess
may wear a train a yard and a quarter
long, a countess a yard and half,
marchioness a yard and three-quarters,
while the train of duchess may be two
yards IN length. Furthermore, the coro-
nets of each degree are to be identical in
material and form, and no jewels may be
added to them.
The amounting of a sovereign is one Of
the important features OF a coronation. 1t
is the belief Of Englishmen that~t spoon
used for this purpose is the only relic Of
the ancient regalia which escaped the
political asceticism of the days Of the
commonwealth. Queen Victoria, while
OF tod bol1
hay four Knights of the Garter, and
doubtless this formality will be observed
at the coronation of the present king
The ceremony of amounting is performed
by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and,
after the last coronation the royal
apothccary put in a bill for $500 for tho
amounting oil used. when was paid.
- All of the state regalla is kept in the
Tower of London in special room, and
mclosed in a huge glass case surrounded
tW iron ratings. The official keeper Of
this regalia is entitled to the fees paid
by the public for the privilege Of viewing
it. Several weeks before the coronation
Of Queen Victoria all of this regalia was
banded over to the queens jewellers for
the necessary alterations, cleaning and
repairing. The result was that the tower
custodian Of the regalia was deprived Of
considerable revenue as represented by
the fees which would have been paid
him had the articlessbee on exhibition.
He put in bill for large compensation
for this loss and the bill was paid. AS 1t
will be necessary to make many altera-
tons in the regalia for the coming cor:
onation Of King Edward VII. it may be
supposed that the present custodian of
the regalia will be reimbursed in the
same way, and presumably in a very
much larger sum-
The Duke of Norfolk, as earl marshal,
hac i,,rf SIi
ing a coronat ton, and from him all orders
as to the details of the ceremonial must
come. In his capacity as chief butler of
England cup of pure gold Is to be
given to him, and as lord Of the Manor
Of Worksop he claims the privilege to
find right hand glove for the use of the
sovereign during the coronation when the
scepter is placed in his hand. The glove
presented to Queen Victoria was embroid-
cred with the arms OF the Towards, and
on this occasion the duke claimed, and
was allowed, the additional privilege OF
supporting the Queens hand while sh 81
held the scepter. s.s zes-E > a ---s+=.
1t is the office of the lord mayor of
London to serve the king with wine in a
gold cup, as assistant to the chief but
Ter. He also has the right to keep the
cup and to dine in the hall. The mayor
of Oxford also is entitled to cup, ac-
rording to the usual ceremonial.
Inc Office OF herb StreWer involves
duties which are picturesque in their eff.
feet and ancient in their significance. I,
is delegated to a young woman, who
with coterie of assistants chosen by
herself, heads the royal procession as il
enters Westminster Abbey, strewine
herbs and flowers in the path of the
sovereign.
80, The form of the invitation to be present
at the coronation sent by Queen Victoria
TO all dukes, read: Right trusted and
right entirely. beloved cousin-We greet
YOU well and command you to appear =
etc All excuses apart
me wording of the homage paid by all
spiritual peers on coming to the throne
Is as follows: Il, Bishop of -, will be
faithful and true, and faith and truth
VIII pear unto you, our sovereign king,
and your heirs, kings and queens of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, and will and do acknowledge
the service of the lands which I hold Of
you as in right of the church, The
sovereign's hand is kissed and the crown
is touched in token of loyal devotion as
this oath is repeated: II, of - do be-
come your hegeman of life and limb, and
of earthly worship, and faith and truth
will bear unto you, to live and die
aga q all manner of folks. So help me
Cod.
a ruby ring. which is placed on the