ТНЕ

HISTORY

OF THE

CORONATION, &c.

יז

HE Deliberations on the Ceremony of the Coronation of the late King James II. and of his Royal Confort, were held in fo folemn a Manner, in the Presence of the King himself, by a Committee of all the Lords of the Privy Coun cil, attended by the Board of Green-Cloth, by the Heralds, by the Officers of the Great Wardrobe, the Jewel-Office, and by the other requifite Officers; and the fame was perform'd in fuch an auguft and fplendid Manner, that it was queftionless design'd for the Model of all future Coronations; and accordingly by the King's exprefs Command was recorded in the moft pompous Manner; which has been followed with very little Variation on the three feveral Coronations of King William and Queen Mary, Queen Anne, and his late Majefty King George 1. For which Reafons we thought it might oblige the curious and inquifitive World, to give fuch an Account thereof, as may inform them what they are to expect on the grand Occafion of the Coronation of our prefent Gracious Sovereign King GEORGE II. and his Royal Confort Queen CAROLINE, extracted from Matters of Record, and the moft unqueftionable Authorities, which at the fame time are in few Hands, and very difficult to be come at by the Publick,

We fhall begin with the Letters of Summons that have been ufually fent to the Peers and Peereffes, after the Lift of those

who

who are to attend at this grand Solemnity, has been fettled the Form whereof, for an Earl and his Countefs, is as follows.

R

G. R.

Ight Trufty and Right Well-beloved Coufin, We greet you well.
Whereas We have appointed the

next,

Day of for the Solemnity of Our Royal Coronation : These are therefore to Will and Command You, all Excufes fet apart, That You make Your Perfonal Attendance on Us, at the Time above-mentioned, furnished and appointed as to Your Rank and Quality appertainetb, there to do and perform fuch Services, as fhall be required and belong unto You. And whereas We have alfo Refolved, That the Coronation of Our Royal Confort the QUEEN, fhall be folemnized on the fame Day; We do further hereby require the Countess Your Wife, to make her Perfonal Attendance on Our faid Royal Confort, at the Time, and in the Manner aforefaid: Whereof You and She are not to fail. And fo We bid You heartily Farewel. Given at Our Court at St. James's, the in the First Year of Our Reign, 1727.

Day of

But as it may be fuppos'd, that feveral Peers and Peereffes cannot, without great Prejudice, attend at the Coronation, his Majefty grants them his Royal Difpenfations, the Form whereof to an Earl and his Countefs is as follows.

R

G. R.

Ight Trufty and Right Well-beloved Coufin, We Greet You well. It having been reprefented to Us, That neither You, nor the Countess Your Wife, can, without great Prejudice, attend at the Solemnity of Our and Our Royal Confort the Queen's Coronation, on the Inftant: We have therefore thought fit, and accordingly do hereby difpenfe with Your and Her Attendance upon that Occafion. And fo We bid You heartily Farewel. Given at Our Court at St. James's, the Day of 1727. in the First Year of

Our Reign.

On the Day appointed for this grand Solemnity, the four Troops of Horfe-Guards with their Grenadiers, and the two Regiments of Foot-Guards with their Grenadiers, repair to their

feveral

feveral Parades, between the Hours of five and fix in the Morning, and are pofted at Weftminster before nine.

The Place of the Parade of the First Troop, is ufually the Piazza of Covent-Garden, from whence they march thro' KingStreet into the New Palace-Yard, where they are drawn up three deep, ranging from the great North Door of Westminster-Hall, crofs the faid Palace-Yard. We fhall particularize the ufual Habits and fplendid Appearance of this Troop, omitting those of the others, they being in a manner the fame, except as to the diftinguishing Colour of each Troop; that of the First Troop being Blue, that of the Second Green, and that of the Third Yellow.

The Officers of the First Troop are richly habited, either in Coats of Crimson Velvet, embroidered with Gold and Silver, or of fine Scarlet Cloth, embroidered or laced with Gold or Silver, or both intermixed.

They wear Scarfs about their Waftes, either of Gold or Silver Network, or Crimson Taffata, richly fringed with Gold or Silver on the Edges, and with a deep Fringe of the fame at the Ends.

Their Cloaks are alfo of fine Scarlet Cloth, embroidered on the Capes and down before with Gold or Silver, or both intermixed..

In their Hats they wear Tours of White Feathers: Their Houffes and Holfter-Caps, being of Crimson Velvet, are richly embroidered and emboffed with Gold and Silver: And the Manes, Cruppers and Tails of their Horfes are garnished with large Knots of broad Blue Taffata Ribband.

The Gentlemen of this Troop (200 in Number) are ufually all new cloathed in Coats and Cloaks of Scarlet Cloth, lined with Blue Shaloon: The Facings of their Sleeves, of the fame Stuff, are laced about with a figured Galoon of Silver (edged with Gold) two Inches broad: Their Buttons are of Silver Plate : They are accuftomed to have each of them a good Buff Coat, and a large Pair of Gantlet Gloves of the fame: And in their Hats (which are Black, and turned up on one Side, and edged about with a broad Silver Lace) they wear large Blue Knots of broad Taffata Ribband; which Blue being the diftinguishing Colour of their Troop from the others, the Heads of their Horses are adorned with Knots of the like Ribband.

They have their Houffes and Holfter-Caps of Scarlet Cloth, embroidered with the King's Cypher and Crown within a Border of Foliage.

The

The Cornet of Crimson Damask doubled, being two Foot fix Inches flying, and two Foot three Inches on the Staff, is fringed about with Silver and Gold intermixed, three Inches deep, with Strings and Taffels fuitable; and in the middle is embroidered the King's Cypher, enfign'd with a large Imperial Crown of Gold, within a Scroll of Silver, whereon the King's Motto is wrought in Black Silk; and under the Scroll three leffer Imperial Crowns of Gold are embroidered.

The Guydon is alfo of Crimson Damask, made up and embroidered in all refpects as the Cornet, from which it differs only in Form, having a forked Tail, to the Points whereof from the Staff it is about a Yard and three Inches flying.

The Officers of the Firft Troop of his Majefty's Horfe Grenadiers (60 in Number) are alfo richly habited and equipp'd, and ufually parade with the First Troop of Horfe-Guards, unless they are commanded to do Duty on foot, together with the other two Troops of Grenadiers, in which Cafe they are all three drawn up in St. James's-Park, near the Horfe-Guard, and led thro' Kingftreet to their feveral Stations, near their refpective Troops.

The Second Troop of Horfe-Guards (confifting alfo of 200 Gentlemen) draw up at their ufual Place of Parade in the Haymarket; from whence marching by St. James's Stables, crofs the Park into Petty-France, and down Tothill-ftreet; they pass thro' the Gate-house into the Great Sanctuary, and being drawn up three deep, are pofted facing the Weft-end and North West Angle of the Abbey-Church.

The Third Troop of Horfe-Guards parade likewife in the Haymarket, and marching thence by Whitehall into King-ftreet, they proceed thro' the Market-place and the Wool-ftaple into the PalaceYard, where they are alfo drawn up three deep, and pofted oppofite to the great North-door of Westminster-Hall, being on the Right Wing of the First Troop of Grenadiers.

The First Regiment of Foot-Guards (confifting of 26 Companies, and two Companies of Grenadiers) their Officers exceeding richly habited, and the private Soldiers new cloathed in Coats of Red Broad Cloth, lined and faced with Blue, ufually draw up at their Parade within the Rails of the Piazza in Covent-Garden and Guards being detach'd for Whitehall and Somerset-Houfe, the Regiment is formed in a Battalion, and marches down the Strand by Charing Cross and Whitehall into King-ftreet, and the New Palace-Yard, where paffing thro' a Way left open, 'tis drawn up

fix

[]

fix deep, and pofted all along the South-fide of the Rail, ranging from Eaft to Weft, with their Front Northward, oppofite to the Third Troop of Horfe Guards.

The two Companies of Foot Grenadiers ufually march in the Head of the Regiment, and are pofted in a fingle Rank on the South of the Rail, from the Left Wing of the Second Regiment in Palace Yard, thro' Union-freet into King ftreet, and fo to St. Margaret's Church Yard, having on their Left the Company of Foot Grenadiers of the Second Regiment of Foot Guards.

The Second Regiment called Coldstream, (confifting of 16 Companies, and two of Grenadiers) their Officers alfo exceeding richly habited, and the private Soldiers new cloathed, ufually march from their Parade in Lincoln's Inn Fields, thro' CoventGarden, the Strand, and King Street, into the Great Sanctuary; and drawing up as a Batallion, are pofted from St. Margaret's Church Gate Weftward along the Wall of the Church Yard, in a fingle Rank, reaching to the great Weft-door of the Abbey, ranging likewife without the North Rail to the fame great Door in Oppofition.

Early in the Morning of the Day appointed for the Coronation, the Lord Great Chamberlain of England repairs to the King; and with the Affiftance of the Lord Chamberlain of the Houfhold, puts on his Majefty's Shirt, open'd for the Anointing, as alfo his Breeches and Stockings of Crimfon Silk, and his Satten Surcoat, open'd likewife for Anointing, and other upper Apparel fit for the Seafon.

Whereupon his Majefty, having performed his Devotions, and being attended with feveral Noblemen and Officers ufually pales thro' St. James's Park to Whitehall, where the Royal Barge attending at the Privy Stairs, he comes therein privately by Water to Westminster, about Ten of the Clock in the Morning, and lands at the Parliament Stairs, leading up to the Old Palace Yard, and going directly to the Prince's Lodgings, he there repofes him felf, and is invefted with his Surcoat of Crifon Velvet; and after fome Time, with his Royal Robe, or Mantle, of Crifon Velvet furred with Ermine, called his Parliament Robes, with a Cap of Eftate alfo of Crimson Velvet, turned up with Ermine.

The Queen, in the mean Time, having performed her Devotions alfo, and been fully attired at St. James's, and apparelled in her Royal Robes of Purple Velvet, furred with Ermine, by the Ladies of her Bedchamber, affifted by her Women; and on

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her