A herald then went through the line of peers, marshalling each according
to the order of their creation--the junior first. They were a second
time called over, and ranged in a double file on each side of the middle
space of the Hall by Mr. Mash.
Before the King entered, the peers were all ranged on each side of the
Hall, none being left on the platform but the great officers of state
and the royal family.
Precisely at ten o'clock the King entered the Hall from the door behind
the throne, habited in robes of enormous size and richness, wearing a
black hat with a monstrous plume of ostrich feathers, out of the midst
of which rose a black heron's plume. His Majesty seemed very much
oppressed with the weight of his robes. The train was of enormous length
and breadth. It was of crimson velvet adorned with large golden stars,
and a broad golden border. His Majesty frequently wiped his face while
he remained seated. He went through the ceremonies, which we have
described, with much spirit and apparent good humour. In descending the
steps of the platform his Majesty seemed very feeble, and requested the
aid and support of an officer who was near him. Instead of standing
under the canopy, his Majesty, perhaps afraid of the awkwardness of the
barons, preceded it. The canopy was therefore always borne after him.
When his Majesty had got a little way down the Hall, he turned to his
train-bearers, and requested them to bear his train farther from him,
apparently with a view to relieve himself from the weight. As he went
down the Hall he conversed with much apparent cheerfulness with the
bishop of Lincoln, who was on his right hand.
* * * * *
It will behove the historian to record the unsuccessful attempts of her
Majesty to obtain the usual honour of Queen-Consort on the preceding
occasion, _i.e._ that of a joint coronation with her husband; and too
much public attention was excited to the subject at the period of the
coronation to render our sketch of that august ceremony complete without
adverting to it.
Her Majesty first presented a memorial, desiring to know in what way she
was to attend the coronation; to which it was replied, that it rested
with the King to nominate who should be present, and his Majesty was
advised that he could not allow her to be present.
The Queen rejoined, that she should be present if not absolutely
prohibited; and it was farther replied, that his Majesty's ministers
advised that she could not be received.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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