Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-24
the royal coach with the king and

the royal coach with the king and
queen approached.
The long awaited moment when
| their majesties were to look In the
faces of their subjects and their sub
jects upon their king and queen had
arrived. There was momentary
hush broken first by the trumpeters
and the crash of brass, and then with
one voice the multitude acclaimed the
sovereigns with roar Of cheers that
preceded and followed them from the
gates of the palace yards to the very
doors Of Westminster abbey.
Smiling and bowling their majesties
acknowledged the greetings The king
wore a long purple robe and velvet cap
trimmed with ermine.
The queen made beautiful picture
in her robe of cloth of gold.
Through the Mall to the admiralty
arch, Charing Cross, White Hail. Par
lament street and Broad Sanctuary
the procession moved.
The arrival of the sovereigns ut the
abbey was proclaimed by the ringing
OF the bells of the abbey and st.
Margaret's church, the firing Of gun
and another outbyrst OF cheering from
the throng on the oficial stands in
Parliament square At the entrance OF
the oafhedral their maJesties were re-
ceived by the earl marshal, the Duke
OF Norfolk, and the pages in waiting.
Scenes In Westminster Abbey.
Westminster Abbey, the lodestar
of all today's ceremonies, was ready
and waiting the arrivals of their mai
estes by the time that the imperial
procession left Buckingham palace.
Nothing could be more impressive than
the customary aspect of the interior
of the abbey but this was all trans
formed today. Where usually is a
gray and somewhat gloomy atmo-
sphere was a mass of blazing color.
All the tombs and the floor of the
great building we're concealed under
immense carpets and hangings Of deep
blue and amber The color scheme
was rich and impressive while it at
forded subdued back ground to the
marvellous mass OF theatrically colored
robes Of state and varigated uniforms
with MASKING decorations.
The floor space in the transept was
wholly covered by the white uphol-
stored chairs of the peer and preeress
those of the peers on the south side
and the peeresses on the north. Back
Of these were immense stands in as
cending tiers filled with the members
Of the house of commons and their
ladies. Many commoners were uni
formed and wore decorations, while
the dresses OF the ladies were rich
and striking.
Heirs to European Thrones Present
At each angle of the transepts were
smaller stands for the accommodation
of the foreign and colonial representa-
tives and other high personages. There
we're the heirs to most Of the thrones
of Europe, a crown prince and princess
Of the German empire, Prince Henry,
the emperor's brother. and his prin-
cess; the duke of Aosti, Prince Henry
of the Netherlands: Yusuf Izzed Din,
the heir to the Turkish throne with
red fezs on his head; Prince Fushini
of Japan, with the heroes of the Rus
sian war; Admiral Togo and General
Nogi in full uniforms with much gold
breasts the American Official con-
tingent, Special Ambassador John
Hayes Hammond with his aides, Ad-
miral vreeland and General Greeley,
Reid with his staff, almost
the only officfals wearing plain clothes,
and the Chinese Prince Tsai-C Chen,
robed in gorgeous embroidered silks.
There, too, was Manuel, the deposed
king Of Portugal. t,s
Above the choir stalls we're arranged
tier after tier Of seats, the fronts of
the boxes displaying the embroidered
arms Of the three kingdoms. Above
the choir stalls were other tiers of
seats, and all Of the nearly 1000 people
were congregateds as closely together
as they 49,. be PACKED. Among them
the only unoflcial Americans were
Chas. P. Taft, the presidents brother,
with Mrs. Taft, and Miss Taft, j. P.
Morgan and eight newspaper cores
pondents. Mrs. Taft wore a white
satin gown embroidered in brilliants
and her jewels we're pearls and dia-
monds Miss Taft's gown was of
white tulle embroidered in pink with,
crystal beads. She wore pearl neck
lace.
Above the choir screen was an
orchestral platform where,there was an
orchestra of eighty musicians and
several hundred male singers selected
from the principal choirs of the king
dom. 49,
The center of all interest was the
area between the choir and transepts
which is called the theater. Five
broad steps led up to it. 1t was COW
cred with a carpet of rich blue on
which was embroidered the emblem
of the order of the garter and other
|heirial designs. There were the two
thrones for the king and the queen,
covered with crimson velvet and silk,
and before them marvellous oriental
rugs 500 years old. On the south side
before the peers were chairs for the
young prince Of Wales, and the duke
Of Connaught.
In front OF the thrones and facing the
altar was the historic King Edwards
chair with the. stone Of destiny set
on it's frame, on which British sover-
eigns successfully have sat for nearly
thousand years.
Peers in their purple velvet robes
and ermine nantes carrying their cor.