Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-15
KINGS Do NOT DIE
Reign Begins With Passing of
Predecessor.
TAKE FIRST OATH AT ONCE
Preparations for the Coronation of
George of England.
EXPENSE REACHES MILLIONS
Growing Not Essential to Author
ity, Merely an Inaugural Func-
ton and Display.
EXPENSE REACHES MILLIONS
By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

b1 WILLIAM r.. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Preparations for the coronation of
George Of England are proceeding with
increasing absorption in London. There
are many things to do and millions of
dollars to spend in order to comply with
precedents and observe the formalities
that have become as essential and sacred
as the unwritten constitution of the Brit
ish people. There is no haste. The
king is king. The king never dies. AS
the gasping breath of one expires. the
reign of the next begins the moment he
takes the oath. That is all that is re-
quired of him.
You will remember how the prime min
lister and the Archbishop of Canterbury
woke up that interesting young woman,
Victoria of Kent. in the middle of the
night at Kensington Palace to tell her
administer the oath to an astonished girl
with her beautiful hair hanging loosely
down her back and wrapper hastily
thrown over her nightgown. A corona
ton is not essential to authority: it is
simply an appropriate ceremony like the
parade and the delivery Of an address at
the inaugural of the President of the
United States. Several of the most i'm
portant kings Of Europe have never been
crowned. The Kaiser of Germany and
the King of Spain, the King of Sweden
and others have never had such a cere-
mony.
Reasons for Haste.
In ancient times aspirants to the
throne used to hasten the coronation
lest one Of their rivals should go through
that ceremony and use the fact as an
argument to sustain their claims. James
II was crowned forty-five days and Queen
Anne forty-three days after the death of
their predecessors. George l went over
from Hanover two months after the
death Of Queen Anne to fill the vacant
months after his father died, but some
body suggested to George III that it was
not respectful to make such haste or to
have pageant during the recognized
year; George w waited eighteen months
and twenty days; William ", fifteen
months and twelve days; Queen Victoria,
one year and eight days; King Edward,
one year and five days. and King George
V will wait about the same length Of
time, a year being considered the proper
interval of mourning, and as soon as it
has expired the first favorable day, the
anniversary OF a patron saint or some
other date of special significance or of
religious or historical association, is
selected.
The official records of the British gov
eminent go back to the coronation of
Ethelred II at Winchester. Edward the
Confessor was crowned Easter day, 1913,
at Winchester. but before his death he
issued a decree that future coronations
should take place in the great abbey of
Westminster, and prepared the ritual
which Is still used.
William the Conqueror was crowned at
by the ArchbiShop of York
with much pomp and magniicence on
Christmas. 1866 and on that day began
the Norman rule. William died in Nor
mandy In September, 1887. and seventeen
days after his death his son, William the
Red, FASTENED back to England bearing
his fathers signet ring and had himself
anointed at Westminster Sunday, after
September c6.