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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1953-05-21, Page 7NAY, 195111 COliONATIQN IMPLI37M 1NT Ead Marshal Of England, Duke Of Norfolk Responsible for Details Of Great Ceremony On the eve of June 2nd, 1953, the eyes of the world .will be focussed upon Westminster Abbey and the historic cere- money to be enacted there. Hyde Park will be crowded with sleepers (there were 50,000 last time) determined to be first in place along the procession route. The annexe to the Abbey will have been built, the precious tickets entitling the bearers to enter the Abbey will have been issued, and everyone will have been assigned a place in the coronation procession itself. The Grown Jewels will be in •the Abbey under guard. Everything will be in readiness, and within a few hours the spectacle,* with all its incredible complexity and colour, will begin to unfold. There will be mounting excitement, but one man will be calm through it all. He is the Earl Marshal of England, His Grace the Duke of Norfolk, who by hereditary right is responsible for every detail of great ceremonial occasions. Although only 44, he has carried out his duties since the age of 27. These have included arrangements for the funeral of Ring George V, the coronation of Ring George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937, the wedding of our present Queen and the funeral of Ring George VI. On the last occasion he had only ten days in which to make the immensely detailed preparations, yet the disciplined solemnity of that sad occasion won him high praise. In his vivid scarlet tunic, crossed with the blue sash of the Order of the Garter, and carrying his golden baton, the emblem of his ancient office, he was an -impressive figure. The Duke is head of the College of Arms and of the Kings -of -Arms, Heralds and their Pursuivanta; some of their titles, such as Rouge Dragon and Bine- mantle Pursuivant, e,re as roman- tic as their uniforms, He is a multi -millionaire, has estates in Sussex (Arundel Castle is his fav- ourite home), Sheffield, Dumfrie- shire (Caelaverock Castle), Suf- folk and Oxfordshire. His fancily plate is said to weigh a ton. He is a Roman Catholic, and has four daughters but no son. Masterly' Organizer The Earl Marshal's habitual ex- pression is one of quiet, unruffled attention. He is a masterly or- ganizer, and likes economy in words, clear thinking and action, Whether as a farmer, magistrate, soldier or state official, these qualities have all been remarked upon by those who work with him. Even so, nobody hasenvied him his burden. He has planned the route of the procession and co-or- dinated with the police plans for security and order. These were con- sultations with the heads of Serv- ice departments on the contingents` and representatives of the various services in the procession, and for the lining of the route. The most precise arrangements were made with the Constable of the Tower of London for the transport and guarding of the priceless crown jewels. The biggest headache, undoubt- edly, was the allocation of tickets for the ceremony itself. Normally the Abbey holds about 2,500 people but at the last Coronation the seating capacity was increased to 7,700, tiers and galleries being erected within the Abbey. Hun- dreds of workmen erected the scaf- folding, laid protective covering on the stone floor, and arranged temporary openings for ingress and egress. Glass was removed from slime windows so that specta- tors can go straight to their seats, Many Problems Among the most difficult de- cisions to make were those regard- ing the guest lists. Who should be invited and where should they be placed? Nobody must be offended, but there just isn't room for every- one. Every Dominion, Colony, De- pendency and the representatives of every foreign power had to be considered. Such was also the case in the claims of heredity. Canada is important, but tiny San Marino had to be remembered also. Nor could the limited seating be al- located solely on the basis of Em- pire unity, diplomatic precedence or historic predecent;• for public service must also be considered. At the last Coronation ordinary work- ing people, the widows or depen- dents of some who had fallen in war, had seats which were refused to the rich or high-ranking. Timing Important The timing of everything is supremely important. "Norfolk, Scene in Westminster Abbey during the Coronation of King George VL This will be re-enacted when Queen Elizabeth II is crowned :tune 2nd. —British Travel Association Photo The Duke of Norfolk taken in uniform as Earl Marshall at the Proclamation at St. James' Palace. E. M.," as he signs himself, tells bishops and ambassadors, knights and newspapermen, where to put themselves and when to arrive. The contingents of the procession must know where to be and when to join up. And there are number- less, physical details—the laying of an immense carpet, 173 feet long the preparation and placing of all equipment used in the ritual, Works With Commission Much of the advance planning was done by the Coronation Commission, of which the Duke of Edinburgh is chairman and the Earl Marshal his deputy. It in- cludes 36 representatives of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon (India, being a Re- public within the Commonwealth and not, unlike other Dominions, acknowledging Queen Elizabeth as Queen of India, has no member on the Commission). It also includes the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Fisher, prominent ministers and representatives of the main poli- tical parties. Numberless matters of delicacy are involved in the arrangements. There were raised eyebrows at the last Coronation for instance when the Russian and• German ambassa- dors were placed next to each other. The Earl Marshal's vast experi- ence was needed at sessions of Queen's Busy IAay Continued from Page E (Continued Page 2) • verbatim proceedings of the House of Commons and the House of Lords—to be read. There will be appeals from municipalities, chari- ties and public institutions of all kinds, hoping that she can grace their proceedings. to take up his duties. India's new High Commissioner in London must be received. The president and secretary call to submit the business of the Royal Academy' of Arts. Grasps Essentials Readily A host of official documents must be examined; the cabinet agenda, the contents of those red - leather covered despatch boxes from the Foreign' Office; the min- utes and proceedings of defence committees. There' will be corres- ipondence ox visits from her person- al representatives abroad, such as ambassadors and governors-gener- al. The state documents which go to the Prime Minister go also to the Queen, and she has already astonished those about her by her ready grasp of essentials, These constitutional duties are not purely formal because if things are done in the name of the/Queen, she must keep well informed about them. Every da'y, for instance, she reads a detailed summary of the Commoitwe'alth newsliapersi Many Documents to Read Documents are usually dealt with- in ithin the morning. The Queen sees her private secretary as soon as she has read the newspapers, consults cabinet papers and then goes over the business of the day. Various other documents come for consid- eration, and then correspondence is answered. There is Hansard—the Song Competition For Coronation Year the hist and Barra Association of Glasgow, Scotland, is organizing a competi- tion for a new song by a bard from the islands of Uist or Barra, or for a new song composed in honour of either island. At lunch there is usually some important visitor. Afterwards there may be public duties, often •necessitating a long journey by train. There may be discussions with the Keeper of the Privy Purse on the details of management of the royal estates. There are details of the Coronation to discuss with the Earl Marshal of England; per- haps the new designs for postage stamps or the new coinage will have to be examined, or the ar- rangements for some state function approved, Heavy Correspondence Correspondence is often very heavy, and Buckingham Palace has, nattyraIly enought its own post of- fice. And on special occasions, such as •the death of King George VI, the incoming mail can be enor- mous; on that occasion over 15,000 letters and telegrams were receiv- ed in a single day. The duties of a monarch have in- creased immensely during the last 50 years, mainly because participa- tion in public life as distinct from constitutional and ceremonial Iife, has grown as civiiizaton has be- come more complex. Remembering the strain to which the late King was subject, and with an uneasy feeling that his uncomplaining ae- ceptance of heavy burdens may have blinded us to the fact that they were too heavy, even for a robust man, hopes have been ex- pressed that moderation will be Leisurely View Of Coronation Coach For Many Britons "Few people are ever able to take a leisurely and detailed view of the Coronation Coach and its es- cort. They see it only as it passes on the crowded Coronation route But a pre -view is to be provided this year—three months before the Queen is crowned. A replica in full colour and exact detail .on.a two-thirds scale was made by artists and sculptors for presenta- tion at the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia, London, March 3-28). This representation—which ins eludes the eight grey horses, out- riders, walking men, Yeomen of the Guard, and the escorting offi• cers of the Household Cavalry--,. has cost many times the amount of the original coach when it was built in 1762. 'o The British Council of Industrial Design has announced a competi- tion for designs of outdoor seat for parks, beaches, bus -stops, and so on. Since many local authori- ties plan to commemorate the Cor- onation by providing new public seats, the Council hopes to •assist by fostering a high standard o design. the Court of Claims, an ancient tribunal which, ever since the ac- cession of Richard II in 1377, has met to consider claims to perform certain serviees for the Sovereign, The Court usually meets In th4 Privy Council Office in Whitehall with either the Lord Chief Justice or Lord Chancellor as president. The most p> oninent of citizens concerned with the Coronation presented their claims in the normal way. Thus the claim front the Dean and Chapter of West.. minster Abbey was "to instruct the Queen in the Rites and Cere- monies and to assist the Arch- bishop of Canterbury ...." There was another claim ... "to carry the Royal Standard of Scotland as Hereditary Royal Standard Bearer for Scotland." All claimants trace their rights through ancestry or historic pre- • cedent. But not all claims are easy to resolve. Should there, for in- stance be a Queen's Champion? The King's Champion used to be one of the most interesting feat- ures of the Coronation. A banquet at Westminster Hall once followed the Coronation, at which, before food was served, the Lord High Constable and Earl Marshal, ac- companied by the King's Cham- pion, entered on horseback. The Herald would then proclaim that "if any person, of what degree soever, high or low, shall deny or gainsay our sovereign lord ... here is his Champion, who saith that he lieth, and is a false traitor, being ready in person to combat with . The King's Champion then threw down the gauntlet which lay there until the Herald picked it up anis returned it to him. Three times the glove was thrown (nobody in history ever accepted the challenge) and then the King drank the Champion's health. A pleasant custom, but it went into disuse in 1821. A claim to exercise the right of Champion may be made and heard; however. Not Remunerative What pay will the Earl Marshal get for arranging the greatest and solemn pageant in history? His salary is £20 a :year. Being a rich man, 19s 6d in every' £i goes In income tax, so in fact he will re- ceive ten shillings for Ms year's gruelling labour. shown in public demands upon the Queen. The Queen, however, has taken up her duties with unruffled en- thusiasm and great understanding, She• has a mission whicht though well within her capacities, few people in this world could under- take suceessfuIly. There was an exhibition of Westminster Abbey's treasures in St. James's Palace during Febru- ary and March. Plate, vestments, historic objects and works of art were shown including a portrait of Richard shown, which is believed to be the earliest painted portrait of an English sovereign.