47 6 ENGLISH POLITICAL HISTORY 



sor, the country would have a Court of more severity, less inclined to display, less sym- 

 pathetic towards the joyous side of life, high-minded and worthy indeed, but rather 

 dull. In so far as such doubts represented a feat that the new King and Queen, whose 

 pure and happy domestic life was universally recognised and respected, would not 

 enter into the amusements of the people and play a Royal part in the social life of the 

 country, it was soon falsified and disappeared. As Prince of Wales, George V had indeed 

 shown no particular interest in horse-racing and some other kinds of national sport and 

 amusement, though he was known to be one of the best shots in the country! but as 

 King, he and his Consort, after the period of mourning was over, at once removed any 

 misconception in this respect. Not only did they follow King Edward's example in 

 attending race-meetings (the Royal training-stables entering horses for the principal 

 races) and patronising the theatres, but in the summer of 1912 for the first time a state 

 visit was paid to a London music-hall (the Palace) and to Henley Regatta, and the King 

 went to Lord's on the occasion of the Test-match between the Australian and South 

 African cricketers, and had the teams presented to him: so that the tradition of Royal 

 interest in national sport and games was amply sustained. 



The national inclination for pageantry and display, which King Edward had done 

 so much to gratify, found in King George and Queen Mary sovereigns who were ready, 

 at any cost of personal sacrifice and fatigue, to go even further in making 

 Coronation. P u blic ceremony, on appropriate occasions, the magnificent expression of 

 important acts of State. The Coronation at Westminster Abbey on June 

 22, 1911, a solemnity of unparallelled grandeur, attended by representatives from all 

 parts of the Empire and other countries, for which London was decorated as it never 

 had been before, was followed on June 23 by a Royal procession through the streets 

 both north and south of the Thames, on June 24th by a great Naval Review at Spit- 

 head, on June 26th by a gala performance at the Opera, on the 2 ;th by a Royal garden- 

 party at Buckingham Palace in the afternoon and a gala performance at His Majesty's 

 Theatre in the evening, on the 28th by a Royal visit to the Agricultural Show at Nor- 

 wich, on the 2gth by a thanksgiving service at St. Paul's and a luncheon at the 

 Guildhall, on the 3oth by an entertainment at the Crystal Palace given by their Majesties 

 to 100,000 London Elementary school children, and by the King's presentation of medals 

 at Buckingham Palace to 500 Indian and 1400 Colonial soldiers. On July 3rd the King 

 reviewed 1 7,000 officers of the Territorial Army in Windsor Park, and on July 4th, 30,000 

 Boy Scouts gathered there from all parts of the country. 



In order to complete the public assumption of Royal authority throughout the 

 United Kingdom, the King and Queen, with the Prince of Wales and Princess Mary, 

 then made State visits to Ireland (July 7th~i 2th), Wales (July i3th) and Scot- 

 ^ an( ^ (J u ly * 7tr*-2ist). The fact that the Dublin Corporation refused to vote 

 an Address, and that the leaders of the Nationalist party, as usual, held aloof, 

 while " Sinn Fein " even got up local demonstrations against any celebration of the 

 new reign, only detracted in a very slight degree from what the King himself described 

 as the " spontaneous and hearty loyalty " of his reception in Ireland. When the Royal 

 party drove on July 8th from Kingstown to Dublin Castle they had a great popular 

 welcome from cheering crowds all the way; and in the course of the day the new College 

 of Science was inaugurated, and visits were made to Trinity College and to the Phoenix 

 Park races. On Sunday the-gth their Majesties attended Service in St. Patrick's Cathe- 

 dral, and in the afternoon paid a visit to Maynooth College. On the loth the King 

 held a levee and received loyal addresses from deputations sent from various parts of the 

 country, a special address of welcome from 165,000 Irish women being also presented 

 to the Queen; in the afternoon their Majesties went to Leopardstown races, and in the 

 evening gave a State banquet at Dublin Castle. On the morning of the nth the King 

 reviewed over 16,000 troops in Phoenix Park, in the afternoon their Majesties gave a 

 garden-party at the Viceregal Lodge, and in the evening they held a Court at the Castle. 

 On leaving Dublin next day the King gave 1,000 for the relief of the poor, and the 

 occasion was also taken by Lord Iveagh to distribute 50,000 among the Dublin hospitals. 



