The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-03
REEVES QJA|NT CUSTOMS
ACCESSION OF AN ENGLISH KING
CALLS FOR SOME ODD
CEREMONIES
CURIOUS AND PICTURESQUE
Various Offices to BE Performed by
Various Professionalism
OF a Sovereign
Feature.

De followed IN the ceremonies incident TO
the formal installation of Edward VII
as the successor of his lamented mother,
Queen Victoria, says the Brooklyn Eagle
No one is now living who was active in
or present at the coronation of the queen
but 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.
To anybody but an Englishman, or at
least 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 po-
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 a new sovereign not a few
of the customs and forms Of court Ell
quette, with which even the average
Englishman may not be familiar, will be
revived.
Inc CGTSuOulGS U6IOIG anu dLIGI Inc
fact of coronation proper include many
curious and picturesque customs. For
example, this is the only state occasion
on which the hereditary grand almoner
appears. Upon him devolves the cere-
nony 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 almener for this service is all the
,I1I Co.. ic oil !
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, it
is his duty to serve the sovereign with
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 Cboth of silver used for this
purpose 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 aIe
regulated by an official order, even the
length of the train Of the wcmens
gowns being prescribed by such reguia-
TONS The wife of a baron, for example,
must limit her train to a length of one
yard on the ground. But a viscountess
long, a countess q yard and half,
marchioness a yard and three-quarters,
while the train of a 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 q sovereign is one Of
the important features of coronation. 1t
is the belief of Englishmen that the 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
being anointed, sat under a canopy held
by 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 the
amounting oil used. which was paid
All of the state regalla is kept in the
Tower Of London in a special room, and
inclosed in a huge glass case surrounded
by iron ratings. The official keeper Of
this rogalia is entitled to the fees paid
by the public for the privilege Of viewing
1t Several weeks before the coronation
of Queen Victoria all Of this regalia was
handed over to the queens jewelers. for
the necessary alterations, cleaning and
repairing. The result was that the tower
custodian Of the regain was deprived OF
considerable revenue as represented by
the fees which would have been paid
him had the articles been on exhibition.
He put in a bill for large compensation
for this loss and the bill was paid. AS it
will be necessary to make many altera-
lions in the regalia for the coming cor
onation Of King Edward VII it may be
supposed that the present custodian of
the regaia will be reimbursed In the
same way, and presumably in very
much larger sum.
The Duke of Norfolk, as earl marshal,
has entire jurisdiction Of the abbey dur
ing a coronation, and from him all orders
as to the details OF the ceremonial must
come. IN his capacity as chef butler OF
England a cup OF pEre gold is to be
given to him, and as lord of the Manor
of Worksop he claims the privilege to
find a right hand glove for the use of the
sovereign during tae coronation when the
sceptsr IS placed IN lis hand The glove
presented to Queen Victoria vas enbroid-
cred with the arms Of the Towards, and
on this occasion The Duke claimed. and
was allowed the additional privilege o.
supporting the Queens hand while Shs
held the seepter.
1t is the office Of the lord mayor OF
London TO serve the king with vine in a
gold cup. as assistant to the chief but
Ter. He also has the right 10 keep the
cup and to dine in the hall. The mayor
of Oxford also Is entitled TO a Clip, u2-
cording to the usual ceremonial
The Office Of herb EtreEer involves