Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-23


scented the King Facing the four sides
of the abbey In succession he announced:
"Sirs: / here present unto you King
George, the undoubted King of this
realm. Wherefore all YOU who are come
| this day to do your homage and ser
vice. are you willing to do the same
As the voice of the Archbishop sound
| ing strangely loud in the impressive 81
| lence that had fallen on the august as
semblage. died away, the spell was brok-
en- by the blast of the trumpeters. and
a mighty chorus Of God save the King!"
fairly shook the great edifce. Cheers
followed and escaping the walls of the
abbey, We're echoed and re-echoed by the
| throngs outside.
Then followed the various rites. Two
bishops sang the Litany and the Com
munion was recited.
After brief sermon. the King kissed
| the Bible and signed the oath. swear
ing to govern according to the laws of
| the land and to maintain the protestant
| Reform religion. the recently modified
! form of this latter declaration being the
single departure from the traditional re
| eitaI
The King was anointed by the Arch
bishop of Canterbury; the Lord Great
| Chamberlain touched His Majesty s
| heels with the spurs, he was girded with
the sword of state; invested with the
imperial robe and orb, and received the
| ring and sceptre
Now. reverently the Archbishop piac-
ed the crown upon the Kings head.
| Again the trumpets sounded and once
more the abbey reseunded with cheers
and the cry God save hIng!"
Ascending the throne the King re-
ceived the homage of the Archbishop
and then of the Prince of Wales the
princessess of the royal blood and peers
who touched the crown and kissed the
monarch's cheek
The more simple ceremony of crown
ing the Queen consort followed Her
Majesty was auointed. the crown re-
placed upon her head. and she received
| the ring, the sceptrc and the ivory rod.
Then the Queen assembled the throne and
was seated by the King.
The obligations at the altar and the
sacrament concluded the chief functions
of the ceremony
The procession was then reformed for
the return to Buckingham palace.
When the actual browning of the King
was signalled to the public by the peal
ing bells in the tower of the abbey.
the host in Parliament Square broke out
in chorus of God save the King"
The strains were taken up at each sue
ceeding section of stands along the
route until perhaps the largest choir
ever known to history, was simultane-
ously singing the national anthem.
Leaving the abbey on the return jour
ney, the order of the professions was
reversed; that of the King and Queen
coming first.
The appearance of Their Maiesties
with their crowns on was the signal for
renewed cheering, the waving of hand
kerehefs and the changing of bells. 1t
was a thrilling show. to which the King
and Queen smilingly bowed their ac-
acknowledgements.
1t was the same all along Whitehall
and through Trafalgar Square. where
the cheering, if anything. was louder,
and where the sailors. soldiers and po-
lice had difficulty in preventing the
way.
Through Cockspur street. in the
shipping offices. Of 9hich many Ameri
cans had seats. and into Pail Mall, the
cavalcade proceeded. everywhere
greeted with cheers and cries of loyal
~ st. James street and Pieeadilly,
where the procession passed under
floral arches, were thronged to their
limit, and although people had waited
here for the whole day without seeing
any of the show. they were rot too
tired to give a noisy welcome. Around
Hyde Park corner the general public
had found some room and they stood
here from carly morning to give Their
Majesties a parting Godspeed as they
of Constitution Hill on their way home
to the palace. They had still, however,
to run the gauntlet of the masses be-
hind the ratings of Green Park, and
again those at the head of the Mall,
who although they had seen them on
their departure earlier i'm the day, had
waited hours to see them again. ROBBED
and crowned.
Those who still waited after the
gold coach had passed into the yard
of buckingham palace were rewarded
as the King and Queen appeared on
the balcony with their crowns on, and
bowed right and lett. The cheer that
went up al this moment surpassed
anything that had preceded it and af-
forded one of the most thrilling mo-
ments of an intensely interesting day.