“At the coronation of King George VI there had been a moment of hesitation at a very important point in the ceremonies which could have been embarrassing but for the presence of mind of the then Archbishop of Canterbury (Cosmo Gordon Lang).
What happened was this. When the Dean of Westminster brought St Edward’s crown, reposing on its velvet cushion, from the Altar to the Archbishop (who was standing facing the King who was seated in King Edward’s chair), the Archbishop ceremoniously turned and lifted it from its cushion and, with great solemnity, held it aloft for a moment before lowering it reverently on to His Majesty’s head. Suddenly the Archbishop was uncertain as to whether he had got it the right way round, for, as everyone knows headgear simply does not fit back to front, and besides, it would have looked wrong; so he revolved it slowly until he was satisfied and then completed his task successfully. Some of those who noticed this little error, I learned later, were quite happy about it, thinking it symbolised the showing of the crown to the whole world, or something like that.
I was anxious to avoid it this time however. So I suggested to the Archbishop (Geoffrey Fisher) that the crown be marked in such a way that, providing he was able to see the marks, he would know he had the crown the right way round. The marks were two very small gold stars fixed to the red velvet cap inside the crown, one either side of the crown’s front arch. The Archbishop of course sought Her Majesty’s pleasure, which was affirmative, and I sought the Earl Marshal’s approval, which was also affirmative but providing it accorded with Her Majesty’s pleasure.
The Crown Jeweller, Mr Mann of Gerrards, arranged the making of these little guiding stars and fixed them to the velvet cap where they were invisible if you held the crown the wrong way round and almost invisible anyway unless you were looking for them.
At the dress rehearsal, at which the Duchess of Norfolk played the role of the Queen, it worked perfectly. Being a rehearsal and not the real thing, a replica of St Edward’s crown was used, and its guiding stars came from Woolworth. The only hiccup on that occasion was when the Archbishop turned with open arms to take the crown from the Dean (who brings it, you will remember, from the Altar on a cushion), the Dean and his all-important burden were not there, due to the former starting late from the Altar. It was only a matter of a second or two, however, during which the Archbishop, ever resourceful, converted his open arms into what seemed to be a gesture of world-wide benediction.
On the day everything went perfectly and, when it was all over, the Crown Jeweller brought me the two little stars and asked what should become of them. They were so inconsiderable, yet so bright and shiny. I said “You keep one and I’ll keep the other as souvenirs”. Mine I had made into a tie-pin, which I have only worn once, at Royal Ascot. They added not a penny tp the £2,000,000 coronation bill because Mr Mann paid for the making of them himself and for the conversion of mine into a tie-pin.
Towards the end of the coronation ceremonies the Queen removes St Edward’s crown from her head, for the Communion, and the Lord Great Chamberlain reverently takes it from her. He steps back a pace and, turning, holds the crown out for Garter (myself) who is standing close by ready to receive it from him. Garter retreats a few paces, holding the crown before him and then, turning and facing the Altar, drops on one knee, and remains thus for the next ten minutes or so (until the Communion is over). The crown is heavy. Garter’s knee begins to hurt. He is over fifty. His white breeches are too tight. And oh! his shoes! His arms start to ache. His tabard, as ever, and his own crown on his head, are uncomfortable. He stares fixedly at the precious object he is holding, concentrating on its history and the many Sovereign heads it has so weightily adorned, in order to forget his own discomfort. What he is holding is the most significant object in English royal history. Some of the gold from which it is made is said to be the very same gold of which Saint Edward the Confessor’s crown was made – the gold which, so it is also said, was melted down by Cromwell’s orders and later re-fashioned into King Charles II’s crown. It looks rather “tinny” close to, but that’s because the gold is thin, to make it lighter, but it’s gold all right, judging by its weight, which seems to be increasing. To think that the Queen has borne this burden on her head for the last half hour or so, with more to come, and here am I complaining of having to hold it in my hands for ten minutes. And to think … I must pay attention to what’s going on or I’ll miss my cue!
I have mentioned my own crown, and in case you are wondering what I’m talking about may I explain that the Kings of Arms (the three senior and superior heralds) wear crowns at coronations. They are brought to them by Gold-Staff Officers during the ceremonies a few minutes before the Sovereign is crowned, and they place them on their own heads, just as the peers and peeresses do their coronets, at the actual Crowning Moment; and they all wear them thereafter until the Service ends.”
(To be continued)
The Hon, Sir George Bellew, KCB, KCVO, KStJ, FSA.