The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1911-06-30

a.
49, nation OF King George v.
glance back over the corona
ton ceremonies of English kings of the
past, considering only those whose
coronations presented unusual fea.
lures. is OF interest.
Prior to 1858 all coronations are said
to have taken place on a Sunday or a
festival day. Indeed, sixteen OF the
twenty-one early English coronations
occurred on a Sunday. William the
Conqueror was crowned on q Sunday,
Christmas day. 1865. and was the first
king to receive his sovereignty In West
minister. The building was crowded
by a joyous, shouting throng at the
beginning of the ceremony. In some
way the Royal Horse guards misinter-
preted their shouts and set fire to the
gates. The spectators. panic stricken,
rushed out and were slaughtered by
the Norman cavalry. Therefore the
coronation ceremony OF William the
Conqueror was contaminated In an al
most empty building.
An Early Coronation.
The best authentic description of an
early coronation procession is to be
found in manuscript form in the Brit
ish museum. 1t describes the corona
ton of Richard L. Richard the Lion
Hearted" on Sept. 8, 1889. in West.
minister abbey.
1t is recorded that the spectators
were terrorized by seeing q bat flut-
tering above the throne and consider
ed 1t an evil omen. The conclusion of
the coronation ceremony was marked
by wholesale butchery OF the Jews
They had been ordered to remain away
from the abbey, but came to the cere-
mony with many rich gifts for the
king. The inhamed populace fell upon
them, and the massacre spread from
London to other cities.
Nov. 6, 1920, witnessed the coro-
nation of Henry VI, the first boy
king of England. Although but nine
years Of age. 1t is recorded that he was
attlred in bishops robes.
Henry III. was twice crowned king
Of England. His first coronation was
at Gloucester on Oct. %, 1916, by the
Bishop of Westminster. The second
was held four years later, on May IL,
at Westminster abbey, with the arch.
bishop of Canterbury officiating.
The coronation Of King Richard Ill
on July 8. 1888, is said to have been
the most splendid one up to that date
Crowned on Battlefield.
Immediately after the defeat of
Richard Ill. at Bosworth Henry VII.
was crowned on the battlefield. The
defeated monarch had worn his crown
into the battle. but had lost 1t In the
melee. Lord Stanley. noble found
II in a hawthorn bush and, In the
presence Of the entire army. picked II
up and placed 1t upon the head Of the
new King Henry. A little more than
two months later, however. Henry was
recrowned in Westminster abbey. His
| queen, Elizabeth of York, was not
crowned until nearly a month after
his coronation.
At the coronation Of Queen Mary,
1853. three crowns were used--that OF
Edward the Confessor, the imperial
crown Of England and another one
made expressly for her. Each in turn
was placed upon her head. One his
torian narrates a peculiar circum-
stance of her coronation. She was to
have been anointed. it seems. with
oil said to have been given st. Thomas
of Canterbury by the Virgin Mary.
At the last minute. however, 1t was
feared that the oil had lost its effl-
cacy. and fresh supply was forth
with consecrated. She also refused to
sit In the coronation chair. claiming
that It had been desecrated by her
Protestant brother. Edward. and used
another one sent by the pope.
The coronation of Queen Eliza beth
Jan. Is, 1858. was an unusually UNIQUE
and stormy one. To be a prisoner In
the Tower one minute and the queen
OF England the next is certainly far
out Of the ordinary. The entire cere-
mony was fraught with misunder-
standings and strife. despite the fact
that an astrologer had declared the
day a propitious one. TO begin with.
there was the change from the old
Catholic order of procedure to the
Protestant AS an instance. Elizabeth
agreed to kiss the pax" or wafer,
but would not recognize the old for
mula to any further extent.
No little trouble was experienced In
obtaining a church dignitary to per-
form the ceremony. The see of Can
terbury was vacant. The primate Of
York objected to reading the litany In
English and refused to oficiate. FL
nally the bishop Of Carlisle consented
to fill the role
0minous Happenings.
The superstitiously inclined found
full justification of their views in the
coronation of Charles |. on Feb. 2.
1926. AS the chosen day happened to
be the Feast Of the Publication and
as white was the proper color for that
day the kings robe was OF white in
stead Of the usual purple velvet Now.
| white was always considered an I'M