Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-08-09

complete. Edward was now king ny
divine right and the grace of God.
Then the canopy was removed and the
king was robed in pure cloth of gold,
heavily embroidered. TWAS beautiful
thing, but very heavy, as much as
strong man ldsupport, and it was only
allowed to remain on the kings shoulders |
a few moments.
Minor ceremonies, presenting the king
with spurs, a sword, ring, sceptre and
orb were then performed. The king
was enjoined to be $50 merciful that you
be not too remiss, so execute justice that
you forget not mercy, punish the wicked,
protect and cherish the just, and lead
your people in the way wherein they
should 60"
The Archbishop, standing before the
altar took the crown in his hands and
PRAYED God to crown the king with all
princely virtues. The king, who had
knelt during this prayer, seated himself
again in the chair and the Archbishop
attended by other bishops and the dean,
advanced to where the king sat, and the
dean very slowly placed the crown
on the kings head. There was absolute
silence and then the moment the crown
touched the kings brow every one
shouted loudly and well together, "God
save the King. The heralds blew their
trumpets and outside guns fired salute.
At the same moment the peers and the
kings at arms put on their own coronets.
The tumult of shouts lasted some
moments. When it had subsidized the
Archbishop prayed and the choir sang the
following strain: "Be Strong and Play
the Nam Keep the Commandments OF
the Lord thy God and Walk in His
Ways.
Then when the king lad been pre-
sented with Bible and blessed by the
Archbishop the choir spiritedly sang the
TIE Deum, while the king returned TO the
chair on the dais near the throne. Now
the Archbishop and bishops and various
peers in their robes escorted him to the
throne on the dais and lifted him into it.
They then arranged themselves on either
side and the Archbishop read an exhorta-
ton. Some slight excitement was caused
during the administration of the commun-
ion. The Archbishop of Canterbury was
nearly overcome with the heat of the
room. He reeled and would have fallen
had he not been caught by the Dean of
Westminster. The archbishop, however,
shortly recovered and proceeded with the
service. Next came the picturesque cere-
mony of doing homage.
The Archbishop OF York then crowned
the queen in much the same manner as
the king had been crowned, but with
less elaborate ritual As the crown
was placed on her head all the peeresses
put on their coronets.
Then came an interesting incident.
In passing to her thro :, which she took
without further ceremony, the queen
bowed low before the king in token of
homage.
When this part of the ceremony was
ended the king andqueen delivered their
sceptres to the nOblemen who had pre-
yiously borne them and went to the steps
of the altar and kneeling there took off
their crowns. The king then offered
bread and wine to be used in the COM
munion service and also as gifts an altar
cloth and an ingot of pure gold OF a
pound weight, which were received by
the bishops and placed on the altar.
The queen also presented an altar cloth
and a smaller piece of gold, which were
also accepted and placed on the altar.
The communion service then pro-
ceeded in the usual form, ArchbishOps and
clergy first partook of the Sacrament and
then the king and queen, who knelt on
the altar steps. No one else received it.
After prayers and thanksgiving the cere-
mony ended. The king and queen were
escorted through door on the south
side of the altar into King Henry's
chapel, where they were Invested of their
coronation robes and arrayed in robes of
purple velvet. The great mobiles then
escorted them to their carriages and the
procession returned to Buckingham
Palace. On the way back the procession
took the longer route through White
hall, Picadilly and Constitution Hill. 1t
was the only occasion upon which the
general public could see the king and
queen wearing their crowns, and they
watched them with enormous interest
and great enthusiasm, the King and
queen bowling to the multitude in the
,noo ntinna