The Washington herald., 1911-03-13
NEWS AND GOSSIP
OF OTHER LANDS


vas taken after the opening of Parlia-
ment Their majesties wore their robes
in which they appeared in the House of
Lords, and it will form a historic record
Of the Kings first speech from the
throne. The most popular royal picture
ever published Was -Four Generations
of Queen Victoria, King Edward, King
George, and the present Prince of Wales
Immense success attended the portrait of
Queen Alexandra as a young mother,
with Princess Louise, pick-a-back fash
ion. The success was repeated when
Queen Mary, as Princess of Wales. was
photographed with little Prince John on
her back in the same way.
One of the most remarkable royal
photographs ever taken was one at
Windsor, a little more than three years
ago. The scene was in the red drawing
room after lunch. Queen Alexandra, the
Empress of Germany, the Queen of
Spain, the Queen of Norway. and Queen
Amelia of Portugal came into the room,
and the last-named said:
But it's no good without the men.
Where are the men,
So King Edward, Emperor William, and
King AlphonsO were sent for and con-
sented to stand behind the royal ladies.
This group of eight crowned heads has
a melancholy interest now because of
two of those composing liking Edward
is dead, and the Queen Of Portugal is an
exile.
Another group taken on the same oc-
casion was even more memorable, be-
cause, besides the sovereigns and royal
consorts already enumerated, it COM
prised King George, Queen Mary, the
Duke and Duchess OF Connaught. Prince
Arthur of 'COnnaUght. Princess Patricia,
Princess Victoria. the Grand Duke Nlad-
irnir, the Grand Duchess Vladimir Prince
and Princess Johann Georg of Saxony,
Prince Olaf of Norway. the Infanta Isa-
bel of Spain, Princess Henry of Batten-
berg, and the Duchess of Aosta-
The ceremony OF opening Parliament
has varied much through the ages. In
the earliest days the forms in many
respects differed very widely from those
now observed. At that time the monarch
almost lived constantly in the palace
OF Westminster and as parliaments were
customarily held in inc or the other
Of its rooms. there was little scope for
display apart from that associated with
the ordinary everyday life of the court.
Moreover. It is not difficult TO under
stand that the Norman and Plantagenet
kings did not feel impelled to emphasize
by spectacle the existence Of the con-
trolling authority, which from time to
time set itself TO oppose their arbitrary
DEGREES.
The earliest authentic record in any de-
tail Of the opening OF Parliament is of
the assembly summoned at Westminster
by Henry III, January %. 12is. On this
occasion there does not appear to have
been any speech from the throne. The
mOnarCh's demands, which were for
financial aid to prosecute a war with
France for the recovery Of his lost pos
sessions. were voiced by certain peers
and prelates To them Parliament gave
an unfavorahle answer in a memorable
document which constitutes the first
recorded instance of a reply TO tho
Crown. And 1t was not nearly so humble
in its terms as Is now the usage. Two
years later. when pressing necessities
constrained the King again to seek the
assistance Of his subjects. he acted as his
own spokesman. A similar cogrse was
adopted by him on subsequent occasions
Indeed. with the lapse Of time and tho
growth OF the popular discomfort at the
Kings misgovernment. the proceedings of
Parliament largely partook of the char
acter of an alteration between Henry
and his barons.
As Parliament developed in power. the
proceedings became more regular and
protracted and the relations Of the King
with the assembly grew less intimate In
course Of time the custom arose Of the
King having his speech delivered by the
lord chancellor. Almost simultaneously
there was established the practice, fol-
lowed to this day Of a debate on the
speech, terminated by the adoption of an
address to the Crown. Authorities assign
the delivery Of the first regular reply to A
royal speech to the reign of Edward III.
It is certain that from that period dates
much of the procedure of Parliament as
we know it today.
With little variation the procedure at
the opening Of Parliament remained as
it was in Henry Wis reign until the i'm
perious Elizabeth came to the throne.
The Virgin Queen, with her love of dis
play and her dominating force of char
acter, infused a new personal element
into the ceremony. giving it a briIliancy
and Importance that had never marked
il previously. The industrious d'Ewes, as
watChful for picturesque incident as the
latter-day parliamentary sketch writer,
has left some vivid word pictures of these
functions, as follows:
Her majesty came about II O'Clock
her the gentlemen sworn to attend her
person. her majesty sat in her
coach in her imperial robes and a wreath
or coronet Of gold. set with rich pearls
and stones, over her head: her coach,
drawn by two palfries. covered with rich
crimson velvet drawn out. embossed and
embroidered very richly. Next after her
chariot followed the Earl of Leicester,
master of the horse. Then forty-seven
ladies and women OF honor. After service
In the abbey she entered into the upper
house of Parliament, and there sat in
seeming and princely comfort Then her
majesty stood up in her regal seat and
with princely grace and singular coun-
tenance, after a long stay, spake a few
words, ordering the lord keeper to show
cause of the meeting of Parliament
In reading the above it is impossible
to avoid being struck with the small de-
parture from the order OF procedure that
has been made in the centuries that
have elapsed since these descriptions.
In all main essentials the ceremony is
the same to-day as 1t was then, many
of the details even are identical. When
James mounted the throne, d'Ewes was
stiI1 at his post. assiduous as ever in COM
mittfng to paper his impressions OF par
Iiamentary events. Highly amusing some
of these records are in their quaint di-
rectness of language and their photo
graphic completeness. One of the most
characteristic descriptions is that which
relates to the opening of the Parliament
of 1870. On this occasion d'Ewes noted
the following features of the royal pro-
cession as 1t passed from Whitehall to
" chr 20 koT