Clarenceux King of Arms was tasked with steering the Canopy (plus four Knights of the Garter) out of the South Transept and over King Edward's Chair without colliding with any of the above.
Edited by westendwilly on March 2, 2013, 8:28 pm
It was one of the moments that took a lot of rehearsing, partly because of the numbers involved. It is normally the role of the Lord Great Chamberlain (the Marquess of Cholmondeley in the present reign) to look after ceremonial wardrobe matters. He's in the photo, next to The Queen. However, because The Queen is a woman, the Mistress of the Robes had to do all the hands-on matters, such is unhooking the parliamentary robe.
The Lord Chamberlain (the Earl of Scarbrough in 1953) was also roped in to act as a clothes horse. In other words, they needed somebody to hold onto the Diadem and Garter Chain while the Mistress of the Robes removed the robe. He's standing with his back to the Retable, having handed over his wand to the boy, Marquess of Hartington, thus freeing up his hands.
As you know, the robe was pleated up by the maids of honour into the arms of the Groom of the Robes (Sir Harold Campbell). The Mistress of the Robes then had to remove the necklace, which was literally hung over a spare finger of the Lord Chamberlain.
The linen shift was brought out of the Traverse by the Dean of Westminster and handed to the Lord Great Chamberlain, who, with the Mistress of the Robes, put this on The Queen. Meanwhile, the Duke of Norfolk had come over to transfer the Diadem, Garter Chain and necklace from the full hands of the Lord Chamberlain onto the top of the pile of the Groom of the Robes. The Earl Marshal's wand was held by his page to free up his hands.
All done, The Queen went to King Edward's Chair, supported by the Bishop of Durham and the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and preceded by the Sword of State (the Marquess of Salisbury). Simultaneously, the Earl Marshal, the Lord Great Chamberlain and the Lord Chamberlain, having picked up their wands, made their way to the other side of the Sacrarium, the Dean of Westminster went back to the High Altar and the Groom of the Robes tottered out to the Traverse under his great weight.
As with much of the music that day, all had to be timed perfectly with Handel's 'Zadok the Priest'.
It's hardly surprising there were daily rehearsals for six weeks!
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