The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-25
BY Ex-ATTACHE.

King George, in appointing Lord Kiteh-
ener TO nil the duties or lord high con-
stable of England on the occasion of his
coronation in Westminster Abbey next
June, has bestowed upon the field mar
shall a most signal mark of honor. for
the Office in question is of such dignity
that il will enable the victor OF OmdUr-
man to rank at the ceremony before the
Duke Of Norfolk, although the latter is
not only the first of the dukes by senior
ity of creation and premier peer Of the
realm. but also hereditary earl marshal
of England The Duke OF Fife figured as
lord high constable at the coronation OF
Edward VII. who was his father-in-law,
although il had been generally anticipat-
ed that Lord Roberts would be called
upon TO act in this capacity, for II has
been customary ever since the abolition
OF the lord high constableship as he
reditary Office TO confer it upon great
military commanders, the first Duke Of
Wellington acting as lord high constable
az the successive eoTOnatiOns or George
" of William " and Of Queen Vic
toria
It was King Henry VIII who abolished
the dignity OF lord high constable as a
permanent and hereditary office, on the
ground that il endowed its holder with
TOO much power for any subject TO hold
with due regard. for the prestige and
safety OF the Crown And when Ed
ward stafford. Duke of Buckingham who
had attended the Blue Beard King in
that capacity at his coronation and sub
sequently at the famous meeting OF the
Field OF the Cloth OF Gold, was attained
by Parliament In 1921 on charges OF trea-
son and deprived OF all his hOnors and
distinctions. the office was abolished as
permanent and hereditary and IS only
temporarily revived at coronauons In
fact. SO apprehensive We're some or the
sovereigns lest undue advantage should be
taken OF the vast powers inherent in the
Office of high constable that Queen Eliza
beth in nominating Henry, Earl of Arun-
del to perform its duties at her corona
ton i'm January. 1853. expressly stipulated
/ that his tenure of the dignity should not
extend beyond the day of the actual
ceremony and the day preceding 1t.
Came with Norman Conquest.
In England the office OF lord constable
first came into existence with the Nor
man conquest. and King Williams lord
high constable seems TO have fulfilled
the duties Of quartermaster general OF
the court and of the army. But the
Office grew in Importance. and by the
time of the troubles between King Ste
phen and Empress Maud it was granted
as a hereditary honor. the greatest In
her gift. to Milo of Gloucester, Earl Of
Hereford. who had been her principal
supporter
Al his death il passed. along with his
EarIdom OF Hereford, 70 his only child
and sole heiress, Margaret. married 10
Humphrey de Bohun, whose male line
| became extinct nine generations later IN
! the person of Humphrey de BOhun. Earl
Of Hereford, in 1871. Both OF his daugh-
ters married Plantagenets, and through
the elder OF these daughters. Eleanor, il
passed by the marriage OF her only
daughter, Anne Plantagenet. 20 Edmund,
Earl de Stafford. into the possession OF
the Stafords. who thus became also
Farls OF Hereford and eventually Dukes
Of Buckingham
During the reign Of the Plantagenet
and Lancastrian kings the Office of lord
/ high constable was usually associated
with that Of the cOmmander-in-chlef OF
the army. and this was the case also IN
France where the dignity OF grand con-
notable du rOyaume ranked as the very
first in the kingdom and was frequently
held by a prince OF the house OF Bour-
bon
In view of the past history Of this office
il is appropriate that it should be filled
bv Lord Kitchener at the coronation or
George V Official announcement al
ready has been made that the field mar
shall is 10 succeed Gen. Sir John French
soon after Easter as Inspector general
of the forces, Sir John taking up the in
ferior Office OF chief of the general stan,