Misplaced Pages

#299700

113-717: Cherhill White Horse is a hill figure on Cherhill Down , 3.5 miles east of Calne in Wiltshire, England. Dating from the late 18th century, it is the third oldest of several such white horses in Great Britain, with only the Uffington White Horse and the Westbury White Horse being older. The figure is also sometimes called the Oldbury White Horse . Facing towards the north-east, Cherhill White Horse lies on

226-606: A higher level than that of the chalk surface around it. In 1922, M. Oldfield Howey noted that "At the time of writing (1922) this horse is sadly in need of scouring, as due to the Great War all such things have had to be neglected, but we understand that a local lady has come to its rescue and asked permission to restore it. Formerly the Lord of the Manor was its groom!" In the week of the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937,

339-464: A lost figure. Its existence is suggested by infrared photography . If it is a lost figure, its age is uncertain, and unlikely prehistoric in origin, as only one figure in the UK has been shown to be of this age, the Uffington White Horse . While presumed to be of prehistoric origin, surviving examples may have been created only within the last four hundred years. Of these giants only two survive: one near

452-500: A number of hitches, described above, the coronation ran relatively smoothly. It has been somewhat overshadowed in history by the larger Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953; the Abbey's sacrist, Jocelyn Perkins, said that the 1953 event was "out and away the most impressive" of the 1953, 1937 and 1911 coronations. Nonetheless, a number of those present, the King included, commented privately on

565-539: A remnant of Edward VIII's modernising attitude, it was now an art-deco design, adorned with stylised heraldic beasts and tapestries belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch . For each coronation, special seating was also constructed to accommodate the large number of guests; 1937 was the first year to make use of metal structures to support the seats, in the form of tubular steel. Four hundred tons were used alongside 72,000 cubic feet (2,000 cubic metres) of wood, with 400 men working on

678-496: A sediment analysis by the National Trust indicated an origin in the date range of 700 CE to 1100 CE, surprising historians who did not expect it to be medieval. In 2008, overgrowth forced a re-chalking of the giant, with 17 tonnes of new chalk being poured in and tamped down by hand. The Long Man of Wilmington is located on one of the steep slopes of Windover Hill, six miles (9.7 km) northwest of Eastbourne . The figure

791-581: A steep slope of Cherhill Down, a little below the earthwork known as Oldbury Castle . It can be seen from the A4 road and the nearby village of Cherhill . A good viewpoint is a lay-by alongside the westbound carriageway of the A4 where it passes below the horse. From near here, a footpath climbs the hill towards the horse. Near the horse is an obelisk called the Lansdowne Monument , visible in some photographs of

904-408: Is 227 feet (69 m) tall and designed to look in proportion when viewed from below, and is shown holding two staves. The earliest record was made by the surveyor John Rowley in the year 1710. This drawing suggests that the original figure was a shadow or indentation in the grass, rather than the solid outline of a human figure. The staves were not depicted as a rake and scythe as was once thought, and

1017-463: Is a nearly-lost hill figure which can be seen with the aid of infrared photography . Now looking more like a small ear of corn or a strange weapon than a human figure, there is a legend suggesting that a giant called Gill was once cut on this same hill and that he was considered an adversary of the Long Man of Wilmington not far away. According to one story, the giant on Firle Beacon threw his hammer at

1130-492: Is common, as well as more abstract symbols and, in the modern era, advertising brands. The reasons for the creation for the figures are varied and obscure. The Uffington Horse probably held political significance, since the figure dominates the valley below. It probably dates to the British Iron Age since coins have been found exhibiting the symbol. The Cerne Abbas Giant might have been a work of political satire likely of

1243-470: Is made of compacted chalk, and the edges of the figure are well defined. In the 19th century, the horse had a glittering glass eye, formed from bottles pressed neck-first into the ground. The bottles had been added by a Farmer Angell and his wife, but by the late 19th century they had disappeared. During the 1970s, a local youth centre project added a new eye made of glass bottles, but these also disappeared. The eye now consists of stone and concrete and sits at

SECTION 10

#1732855297300

1356-415: Is natural vegetation covering the figures. In the case of chalk figures, natural vegetation encroaches from the edges and can grow on soil washed onto the figure by rain. Water erosion can also be a problem on steep or gentle slopes, because rain can wash the chalk off the horse, or soil onto the horse. Larger horses are more susceptible to this. If chalk is washed off the horse, the horse gradually creeps down

1469-539: The Daily Mail said: "When the King and Queen appeared the picture was so vivid that one felt that this magical television is going to be one of the greatest of all modern inventions." The coronation service of George VI was the first to be filmed; the 40 camera crew inside the Abbey were required to wear evening dress . It was later shown in edited form as a newsreel in cinemas across the British Empire . The service

1582-742: The Ampulla , which had been poured onto the Anointing Spoon . In preparation for his crowning, the King, still on St Edward's Chair, was invested with the two coronation robes, the Colobium Sindonis and the Supertunica by the Dean of Westminster. Next, he was invested with the regalia, each of which symbolised his progress to kingship. First, the Lord Great Chamberlain touched the King's heels with

1695-635: The Gold State Coach from Buckingham Palace at 10:43; their procession was by far the longest and included numerous military contingents and delegates from Britain, the Dominions, and the colonies, as well as members of the War Office , the Army, Naval and Air Boards and the personal aides-de-camp. The first to arrive in procession were the royalty and foreign representatives; they arrived ten minutes after departing

1808-825: The Golden Spurs ; the Great Sword of State was deposited in St Edward's Chapel and the Jewelled Sword of Offering was passed to the King by the Archbishops and Bishops, who said "With this sword do justice"; the King then offered this sword at the altar. Seated again, the Lord Great Chamberlain fastened the Armills and the Dean invested the King with the Robe Royal ; the Archbishop passed him

1921-518: The Long Man of Wilmington , as well as the "lost" carvings at Cambridge , Oxford and Plymouth Hoe . From the 18th century onwards, many further ones were added. Many figures long thought to be ancient have been found to be relatively recent when subjected to modern archaeological scrutiny, at least in their current form. Only the Uffington White Horse appears to retain a prehistoric shape, while

2034-662: The Lord Great Chamberlain ; the items were then handed over to individual peers, who are listed below. Led by two officers of arms—the Rouge Croix Pursuivant and the Rouge Dragon Pursuivant —and two Gentleman Ushers (Rear-Admiral Arthur Bromley and Lieutenant-Colonel Henry De Satgé), the senior members of the Royal Family arrived at 10:15 and formed their procession into the abbey. The Princess Royal

2147-584: The Queen Consort's Ring , and then crowned her, at which point the Princesses and peeresses donned their coronets. She was then handed the Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross and the Queen Consort's Ivory Rod with Dove , before walking over to her own throne beside the King, where she sat. The Offertory followed, in which the King and Queen offered their regalia on the Altar. They then received Holy Communion from

2260-600: The Queen of Norway and Queen Mary arrived, being received by the Earl Marshal. Their procession took a different form to that of other members. The York and Windsor Heralds led, followed by G.A. Ponsonby (Comptroller of Queen Maud's Household) and then the Queen of Norway, attended by Miss von Hanno and followed by the Richmond and Chester Heralds . Then, Queen Mary's Lord Chamberlain (

2373-570: The Sovereign's Orb , put the Sovereign's Ring on his fourth finger and handed to him the two sceptres— with the cross (for Royal power) and with the dove (for "mercy and equity"). The Earl of Lincoln , as Deputy of the Lord of the Manor of Worksop , then handed over a glove , which the King wore. Once adorned with his regalia and seated in St Edward's Chair, King George was crowned with St Edward's Crown by

SECTION 20

#1732855297300

2486-630: The University of Reading suggests that the figure dates from the 16th or 17th century AD. Until the early 17th century large outline images of the two giants, perhaps Gog and Magog (or Goemagot and Corineus ) had for a long time been cut into the turf of Plymouth Hoe exposing the white limestone beneath. An early and explicit reference was made to them by Richard Carew in 1602. At one time these figures were periodically re-cut and cleaned but no trace of them remains today. Firle Corn in Firle , Sussex

2599-491: The abdication of his brother , Edward VIII , on 11 December 1936, three days before his 41st birthday. Edward's coronation had been planned for 12 May and it was decided to continue with his brother and sister-in-law's coronation on the same date. Although the music included a range of new anthems and the ceremony underwent some alterations to include the Dominions , it remained a largely conservative affair and closely followed

2712-418: The litany was sung during the regalia procession before the start of the service, and the sermon was omitted entirely. Even so, the service itself lasted for two and a half hours, excluding the preliminary processions. The first part of the service was the recognition, where the Archbishop of Canterbury called for those present to proclaim their recognition of the sovereign as their rightful king. The King

2825-467: The "Trendle", or "Frying Pan". Medieval writings refer to this location as "Trendle Hill", but make no mention of the giant, leading to the conclusion that it was probably only carved about 400 years ago. In contrast, the Uffington White Horse  – an unquestionably prehistoric hill figure on the Berkshire Downs  – was noticed and recorded by medieval authors. In 2021,

2938-455: The 'restoration' process distorted the position of the feet, an assertion backed up by several who had been familiar with the figure before 1874, and also by later resistivity surveys. It has also been suggested that it removed the Long Man's genitalia, though there is no historical or archaeological evidence which supports that claim. A wide range of dates of origin have been proposed for the Long Man, but more recent archaeological work done by

3051-620: The Archbishop and were passed their crowns before returning to their thrones where they were also given their sceptres back. Te Deum was sung by the choir. A recess followed, during which the King and Queen proceeded to St Edward's Chapel. There, the King delivered the Sceptre with the Dove to the Archbishop who laid it on the altar. The bearers of the Orb, the Golden Spurs and St Edward's Staff delivered these to

3164-453: The Archbishop of Canterbury and the people in the abbey proclaimed loudly "God save the King"; the peers and peeresses wore their coronets (the only time that this happens) and the guns in the Royal Parks were fired to mark the crowning. The ceremony appeared to run smoothly, although there were a few inconspicuous mishaps: the Archbishop of Canterbury almost placed the crown on the King's head

3277-569: The BBC and Honorary Chaplain to the King , read out the rubrics or written directions from the service book from a seat high in the triforium over Saint Edward 's Chapel. During the most sacred parts of the service, the consecration and the Holy Communion , the microphones were turned off and listeners heard hymns being sung by the choir in the Church of St Margaret, Westminster . The ability to project

3390-620: The British Empire. He was unmarried at that time, but the American socialite Wallis Simpson had accompanied him on numerous social occasions in years leading up to 1936; she was married to the shipping executive Ernest Aldrich Simpson and had previously been divorced. The relationship had not been reported in the British press, but was receiving considerable media attention in the United States; it

3503-542: The Cerne Abbas Giant may be prehistoric, Romano-British, or Early Modern. Nevertheless, these figures, and their possible lost companions, have been iconic in the English people's conception of their past. In England there are at least fifty landscape figures, the majority of which are in the south. The creation of hill figures has been practised since prehistory and can include human and animal forms. Cutting of horses

Cherhill White Horse - Misplaced Pages Continue

3616-494: The Chairs of State in front of the royal box. As the King and Queen and the procession proceeded, the choir sang I was glad with the traditional acclamations of Vivat Regina Elizabetha and Vivat Rex Georgius by the King's Scholars of Westminster School . The coronation service itself began once the procession into the abbey was over and the King and Queen were seated. Beginning with

3729-723: The Colonies of Southern Rhodesia , Kenya , Uganda , Tanganyika , Nyasaland , the Gambia , the Gold Coast , Sierra Leone , Somalia , Aden , Transjordan , Malta , the West Indies , British Guiana , Honduras , Ceylon , the Falklands and Hong Kong . In total there were 32,500 officers and men either marching or lining the route. Overall, the procession was 2.0 miles (3.2 km) in length and took 40 minutes to pass any given point. The route of

3842-567: The Dean of Westminster, who laid them on the altar in the chapel. The King was disrobed of his Royal Robe of State by the Lord Great Chamberlain and put on the Robe of Estate. The King, now wearing the Imperial State Crown , was then given the Orb by the Archbishop. While the King and Queen were in the chapel, the Officers of Arms arranged the procession out of the abbey, which was similar in form to

3955-692: The Dominions and the United Kingdom, the actual service and coronation rite needed to be updated to reflect this change in political power within the Empire, which itself was beginning to be known as the Commonwealth . Furthermore, the fact that the service was an Anglican rite excluded other faiths and denominations; in 1937, several Dominions had premiers who were Catholic and, by that time, laws which previously excluded people from public office on religious grounds had been repealed. The Coronation Committee altered

4068-454: The Early Modern period. Wiltshire is a county with a large number of White Horses; 14 have been recorded. The figures are usually created by the cutting away of the top layer of relatively poor soil on suitable hillsides. This exposes the white chalk beneath, which contrasts well with the short green hill grass, and the image is clearly visible for a considerable distance. Although most of

4181-405: The Empire. The coronation procession was an important event in the history of television , being the country's first major outside broadcast , although the ceremony inside the abbey was not televised. It was also the first coronation to be filmed, as well as the first to be broadcast on radio. In January 1936, King George V died and his eldest son, Edward VIII , succeeded him as king-emperor of

4294-760: The Empire. There were representative detachments from all the elements of the British armed forces and the reserve forces , the British Indian Army and Royal Indian Navy , contingents from the British Dominions and a contingent representing the defence forces of the Colonial Empire. Contingents taking part represented the following sections of the Empire: India , the dominions of Canada , Australia , New Zealand , Burma , Newfoundland and South Africa , and

4407-648: The King informed the Prime Minister , Stanley Baldwin , that he intended to marry her. Baldwin and several leading imperial administrators advised the King that popular opinion in the dominions was hostile to the proposed marriage; at home, the King also faced opposition from the Church of England and from factions in Parliament . The widespread unwillingness to accept Simpson as the King's consort, and Edward's refusal to give her up, led to his abdication in December 1936. He

4520-440: The King's improvement and Logue remained his therapist. As it happened, the King delivered his speech without stuttering. The coronation cost £454,000, which was more than three times the cost of the 1911 ceremony. This cost included the construction of the annexe, which was built as a temporary add-on at the entrance of the abbey for each coronation. In previous years, it had taken the form of an imitation Gothic entrance, but, as

4633-761: The King; the Archbishop of York did so next, followed by each of the Bishops. The Dukes of the Blood Royal then did homage, followed by the Lords Temporal (Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, Barons); six anthems were sung by the Choir during the homage: "O come ye servants of the Lord", " Hear my prayer, O Lord ", "O clap your hands together, all ye people", "All the ends of the world shall remember themselves", "O praise God in His holiness" and "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace". The Queen

Cherhill White Horse - Misplaced Pages Continue

4746-658: The Marquess of Anglesey ) led Queen Mary, whose train was borne by four pages (the Earl of Dalkeith, the Marquess of Lansdowne, Gerald Lascelles, and Viscount Errington) and who was attended by the Mistress of the Robes (the Duchess of Devonshire), two ladies of the bedchamber in waiting, her private secretary, comptroller, and three equerries (two ordinary and one extra). A guard of honour had formed at

4859-422: The North side of the Area, or Sacrarium, the Lords Temporal in the South Transept, and the Dowager Peeresses and Peeresses in the North Transept." Before the coronation ceremony begins, there is traditionally a lengthy procession to the abbey. The procession left Buckingham Palace and headed up The Mall , though Admiralty Arch , and down Whitehall , before entering Westminster Abbey. The first to take part in

4972-405: The Pewsey White Horse at its centre. Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The coronation of George VI and his wife, Elizabeth , as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth , Emperor and Empress consort of India took place at Westminster Abbey , London, on Wednesday 12 May 1937. George VI ascended the throne upon

5085-527: The Princes and Princesses, and then Queen Mary arrived, respectively. Choral works included the traditional plainsong Veni, Creator Spiritus , William Byrd 's Creed and Sanctus , Christopher Tye 's O Come ye Servants of the Lord , Henry Purcell 's Hear My Prayer , Samuel Sebastian Wesley 's Thou Wilt Keep Him in Perfect Peace , Sir George Dyson 's O Praise God in His holiness , Sir Edward Bairstow 's Let My Prayer Come Up into Thy Presence and Dr William Henry Harris 's Offertorium . Despite

5198-420: The Rev. Francis Wise in 1742. A bold theory for the origin of the first Wiltshire horse is that it commemorates Alfred the Great 's victory over Guthrum and the Danes at the Battle of Ethandun , in 878. Another is that it was carved in the early 18th century as a show of loyalty to the new royal house, the House of Hanover , the white horse being a heraldic symbol of the Electorate of Hanover . One writer on

5311-483: The Royal Household and the Diplomatic Corps. Led in by the Rouge Croix Pursuivant (P.W. Kerr) and the Rouge Dragon Pursuivant ( E.N. Geijer ); they were escorted to their seats in the choir. Following tradition dating back to the reign of King Charles II , the regalia were brought to the Deanery of Westminster the night before the coronation. Staff started working at 4 a.m., while guests began arriving two hours later. The Imperial State Crown had been remade for

5424-418: The White Horse. The Cherhill horse may have been inspired by the first such Wiltshire horse, that at Westbury, which had just been remodelled. The origins of the Westbury horse are more obscure. Unlike the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire (historically Berkshire ), which has been shown to date from the Bronze Age , the earliest evidence of the existence of the Westbury horse is in a paper published by

5537-409: The Wilmington giant and killed him, and that the figure on the hillside marks the place where his body fell. As a publicity stunt for the opening of The Simpsons Movie on 16 July 2007, a giant Homer Simpson brandishing a doughnut was outlined in water-based biodegradable paint to the left of the Cerne Abbas Giant. This act angered local neopagans , who pledged to perform "rain magic" to wash

5650-477: The abdication of Edward VIII, the coronation committee continued to plan the event for George VI with minimal disruption; according to Sir Roy Strong , at the next meeting after the abdication "no reference was made at all to the change of sovereign, everything immediately being assumed to have been done for the new king." After the abdication, though, many of the traditional elements that Edward VIII cared less for were restored, with Queen Mary taking an interest in

5763-413: The beginning of the anointing of the monarch, when the Archbishop of Canterbury marks the monarch's head with oil to symbolise the introduction of the Holy Spirit. The Choir sang Handel 's Zadok the Priest and the Archbishop prayed, before the King was disrobed and sat in St Edward's Chair, with the Canopy borne by four knights of the Garter placed over him. The Archbishop then anointed him with oil from

SECTION 50

#1732855297300

5876-439: The ceremonial of George V's coronation in 1911. The ceremony began with the anointing of the King, symbolising his spiritual entry into kingship, and then his crowning and enthronement, representing his assumption of temporal powers and responsibilities. The peers of the realm then paid homage to the King before a shorter and simpler ceremony was conducted for the Queen's coronation. The return procession to Buckingham Palace

5989-480: The ceremony was organised by a Coronation Committee, established by the Privy Council and chaired by the Lord President of the Council , a political appointment; its central component, the Executive Committee, was chaired by the Duke of Norfolk , who inherited the office of Earl Marshal , which carries with it, by convention, the responsibility for the organisation and coordination of the coronation ceremony. The Coronation Committee had been delayed when it met for

6102-437: The committees. Edward VIII had initially been reluctant to have a coronation at all (asking the Archbishop of Canterbury whether it could be dispensed with), but conceded that a shorter service would be acceptable; his desire for a lower-key event led to the planned abandonment of the royal procession through London the following day, the thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral and the dinner with London dignitaries. After

6215-471: The construction. The theatre (the area in the transept for the first part of the ceremony) and sacrarium (the space in front of the high altar) were at floor level for the first time since the Restoration , having traditionally been raised on a platform. In 1911, standards of the Dominions —autonomous communities of the British Empire—were borne during the procession. But, after the 1931 Statute of Westminster , which established legislative equality between

6328-475: The coronation was followed by a procession through London's streets from Westminster Abbey to the Royal residence, allowing the public to view the new king and queen. In 1937, this return route was extended significantly. From Westminster Abbey, it passed around Parliament Square and up the Victoria Embankment (where 40,000 schoolchildren were waiting) and then along Northumberland Avenue, into Trafalgar Square , up Cockspur Street through to Pall Mall ; from there,

6441-415: The couple beforehand. The Archbishop met the King and Queen on the evening before their coronation, running through the ceremony and explaining the most important parts. He was also concerned about King George's stutter and discussed the matter with Lord Dawson of Penn and Lord Wigram ; Lionel Logue was then the King's speech therapist and the Archbishop discussed replacing him, but decided to monitor

6554-409: The design of furniture and insisting on a more traditional appearance; indeed, much of the service and the furnishings were to closely resemble those of the 1911 coronation of George V . Although the Executive Committee was chaired by the Earl Marshal, the Archbishop of Canterbury , Cosmo Lang , was also a driving force behind the preparations for the 1937 coronation; and many of the decisions about

6667-399: The designated peers; King George wore his great robes of state, which had to be carried by nine pages of honour : The Queen was attended by six maids of honour : The royal couple walked past the choir, in which sat the foreign representatives and delegates, before passing through the screen; after this, they sat or stood in their designated area and the King and Queen took their seats in

6780-437: The dominions were also on the guest list. Working-class representatives included representatives of the trade unions and co-operative societies, while native Africans were allowed to attend for the first time. The abbey's doors were closed to guests at 8.30 on the morning of the coronation. The official record of the ceremonial, published in the London Gazette , describes the seating plan: "The Lords Spiritual were seated on

6893-411: The eve of the coronation, the King made a live broadcast from Buckingham Palace which was heard throughout the British Empire. The Coronation ceremony itself was not televised, but it was the first coronation service to be broadcast on radio; 28 microphones were placed around the Abbey to capture the music and speech. There was no commentary, but the Reverend Frederic Iremonger , Director of Religion at

SECTION 60

#1732855297300

7006-447: The figure away. There are 16 known white horse hill figures in the UK, or 17 including the painted one at Cleadon Hills . The horses in Cockington Green, Georgia and Juárez are all based on the style of or direct copies of the Uffington White Horse. The white horses of Wiltshire, of which there are currently nine, have inspired other sculptures in the county. Julive Livsey's sculpture White Horse Pacified (1987) in Shaw, Swindon

7119-419: The figure referring to the horse. The Cerne Abbas Giant , also referred to as the "Rude Man" or the "Rude Giant", is a hill figure of a giant naked man 180 ft (55 m) high, 167 ft (51 m) wide. The figure is carved into the side of a steep hill, and is best viewed from the opposite side of the valley or from the air. The carving is formed by a trench 12 in (30 cm) wide, and about

7232-540: The figures are of great age, many are relatively new. Devizes in Wiltshire created a large white horse for the 2000 Millennium celebrations and in October 2009 celebrated this with an aerial photo of volunteers making the figure 10 for an aerial photo. Figures must be maintained to remain visible, and local people often work regularly to restore or maintain a local landmark, though two cuttings of military badges at Sutton Mandeville , Wiltshire, are becoming lost. A lost map of Australia at Compton Chamberlayne , Wiltshire,

7345-402: The first time on 24 June 1936: Ramsay MacDonald , the Lord President of the Council , met the Duke of Norfolk to discuss the proceedings; MacDonald would chair the Coronation Committee as a whole, and the Duke would chair the Executive Committee. While Edward VIII was away, cruising on the Nahlin with Wallis Simpson, his brother, Albert, Duke of York (the future George VI) sat in his place on

7458-418: The first time, native African royalty. For the event itself, the prime ministers of almost every Dominion took part in the procession to the abbey, while representatives of nearly every country attended. Contingents from most colonies and each Dominion participated in the return procession through London 's streets. The media played an important part in broadcasting this show of pageantry and imperialism to

7571-400: The glove over to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household and the Sceptre with the Cross to the Lord of the Manor of Worksop. The Benediction followed and then the King moved over to the other throne, accompanied by the Bishops of Bath and Wells and of Durham, the Great Officers of State, the Lords carrying the swords and the Lords who had carried the regalia. The Archbishop knelt and paid homage to

7684-462: The great officers of state, the archbishops of Canterbury and York, the lord mayor of London, the officers of arms of England and Scotland, the standards of each dominion, the prime ministers of the UK and of each of the dominions, and the most senior and highest-ranking officials in the Royal Household. They were followed by twelve members of the Yeoman of the Guard and six of its officials. The King and Queen walked surrounded by their regalia, borne by

7797-421: The head was a helmet shape. Sir William Borrow's drawing of 1766 shows the figure holding a rake and a scythe, both shorter than the staves. Before 1874, the Long Man's outline was only visible in certain light conditions as a different shade in the hillside grass, or after a light fall of snow. In that year an antiquarian marked out the outline with yellow bricks, later cemented together. It has been claimed that

7910-432: The horse was floodlit and the letters GE were picked out in red lights above it, with the power coming from a generator at the foot of the hill. The red letters were lit up for five seconds, followed by the floodlights for ten seconds, in a repeating pattern. The hill above the horse belongs to the National Trust . Thirteen such white horses are known to have existed in Wiltshire. Of these, eight can still be seen, while

8023-446: The images from three Emitron television cameras could be sent to the transmission centre at Alexandra Palace . Commentary was by Frederick Grisewood , who was with the cameras at Hyde Park Corner . The coverage of the procession is regarded as being the BBC's first outside broadcast . In reviewing the broadcast, The Daily Telegraph commented: "Horse and foot, the Coronation procession marched into English homes yesterday," while

8136-565: The inclusion of George Frederick Handel 's Zadok the Priest (1727) and Hubert Parry 's I was glad (1902). New work written for the occasion included Confortare (Be strong and play the Man) by Walford Davies and the Festival Te Deum in F Major by Ralph Vaughan Williams . Perhaps the best known work from the 1937 coronation is Crown Imperial , an orchestral march by William Walton . It

8249-542: The name Responsibilities of Empire , and also broadcast The Empire's Homage featuring messages from colonial officers and citizens from across the Empire. The BBC's Empire Service broadcast the whole service, lasting two-and-a-half hours. The procession was broadcast on the BBC Television Service , which had only been operating since the previous November. Several tons of television cables, measuring 8 miles (13 km), were laid across central London, so that

8362-470: The nation through the BBC services in the run-up to Coronation Day; he saw the Coronation as an opportunity for the spiritual renewal of the nation, and he organised a campaign of evangelism called Recall to Religion , which he launched on 27 December 1936 with an address on BBC radio. He was also keen to ensure that the King and Queen understood the religious nuances of the service, and held two meetings with

8475-512: The occasion by the Crown Jewellers, Garrard & Co . Queen Elizabeth's crown was new and made from platinum ; it featured the Koh-i-Noor diamond from the crown of Queen Mary . Queen Elizabeth wore a gown made of silk satin , with pure gold thread embroidery in a rose and thistle pattern. The ermine-lined velvet robe had a floral pattern with a gold outline. The goldwork on the gown and

8588-542: The order of service were made by or with him. He was an ex officio member of both the Executive Committee and the Coronation Committee, which dealt with the detail and, as such, he attended all of the rehearsals. He tended to take a leading role in the planning process, becoming a key mediator when queries arose, and dealing with questions of how the service should be broadcast by the media. Lang also spoke to

8701-521: The others have grown over. The Alton Barnes White Horse , at Alton Barnes, is known to be based on Cherhill White Horse. 51°25′31″N 1°55′48″W  /  51.42525°N 1.929903°W  / 51.42525; -1.929903 Hill figure Hill figures cut in grass are a phenomenon especially seen in England , where examples include the Cerne Abbas Giant , the Uffington White Horse , and

8814-585: The palace. The royal members were led in by two officers of arms—the Bluemantle Pursuivant ( R.P. Graham-Vivian ) and the Portcullis Pursuivant ( A.R. Wagner )—followed by two Gentleman Ushers (Captain Humphrey Lloyd and Colonel Vivian Gabriel ), and were led to their seats in the royal gallery. The foreign representatives followed in at roughly 09:00 and were greeted by senior members of

8927-631: The procession into the abbey. The King and Queen then joined the procession, with the King carrying the Sceptre with the Cross in his right hand and the Orb in his left, while the Queen carried her Sceptre with the Cross in her right hand and the Ivory Rod with the Dove in her left. They proceeded to the West Door of the Abbey as the National Anthem, " God Save the King ", was sung. As in the 1902 and 1911 events,

9040-454: The procession was the longest on record, at six and a quarter miles (10.1 kilometres). Before and after the event, the British and Dominion troops were accommodated in temporary camps at Kensington Gardens , Regent's Park , Primrose Hill , Olympia and Hampton Court ; the Colonial troops were housed in various London barracks . The musical director for the service was Ernest Bullock , who

9153-445: The procession went up St James' Street, joining Piccadilly, then up Regent Street, then west along Oxford Street , before turning past Marble Arch and then down East Carriage Road, alongside Hyde Park ; from there, the procession passed through Hyde Park Corner and then through Wellington Arch , on to Constitution Hill and then back into Buckingham Palace. The progression included a large number of military personnel from across

9266-491: The procession were lesser members and relatives of the Royal Family and the representatives of foreign royalty and heads of state; they departed Buckingham Palace by car between 08:40 and 08:45 and arrived at the abbey ten minutes later; British and Dominion prime ministers followed half an hour later, leaving at 09:15. At 09:49, members of the Royal Family left the palace (Queen Mary's carriage left Marlborough House shortly afterwards at 10:13). The King and Queen then travelled in

9379-536: The production of memorabilia. The event was designed to be not only a sacred anointing and formal crowning, but also a public spectacle, which was also planned as a display of the British Empire. May 1937 included a programme of royal events lasting nearly the entire month to commemorate and mark the occasion. As a preliminary to the coronation, guests from across the Empire and around the world assembled at Buckingham Palace and official receptions were held to welcome them; among those attending were Indian princes and, for

9492-400: The recognition, the King then took an oath and was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, before being crowned king. As a remnant of the coronation ceremony's feudal origins, the King then received homage from the peers and peeresses of the realm in attendance. There were few departures from the services conducted at previous coronations. Efforts were made to shorten the lengthy proceedings:

9605-542: The rite to reflect this change; the King now swore to maintain "the Protestant Reformed Religion only as established by law in the United Kingdom." During Edward VIII's reign, a committee was established and chaired by the Duke of York to investigate how colonial representatives might be included within the ceremony. The committee failed, though, to implement any changes, except to the Coronation Oath . This

9718-641: The robe was embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework . The gown and the robe also featured designs patriotic to the British Empire. Created by Elizabeth Handley-Seymour , the toile featured the embroidered emblems of the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the other dominions . The national flowers that appeared on the robe included the South African protea and the Indian lotus flower . Intertwined letter Es for Elizabeth were also embroidered on

9831-685: The robe. Norman Hartnell dressed the maids of honour. While the litany was sung, the Choir led the Dean and Prebendaries of Westminster down from the High Altar at 09:55; they were carrying the Crown Jewels and regalia, which they then deposited at the Vestibule. The Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Office then handed the regalia to the Lord High Constable , who in turn handed them to

9944-512: The same depth, which has been cut through grass and earth into the underlying chalk . In his right hand the giant holds a knobbled club 120 ft (37 m) in length. Its history cannot be traced back further than the late 17th century, making an origin during the Celtic , Roman or even Early Medieval periods difficult to prove. Above and to the right of the Giant's head is an earthwork known as

10057-402: The service to citizens of the Empire allowed the Coronation to further Britain's imperial ambitions; as Range wrote, "with the twentieth century there also came a heightened awareness of ... the propagandistic qualities of the event". The BBC and CBC jointly transmitted the proclamation of George VI. In the lead up to the Coronation, the BBC organised talks by Ministers to be broadcast under

10170-578: The slope; or if soil is washed onto the horse, it collects onto the lower edges and the horse gradually climbs up the slope. A solution is to provide drainage, either using run-off drains, as at Uffington White Horse, or a french ditch . Since hill figures must be maintained by the removal of regrown turf, only those that motivate the local populace to look after them survive. Surviving ancient figures all have an associated fair or ceremony that involves maintaining them. Unmaintained figures gradually fade away. Firle Corn at Firle Beacon , Sussex could be

10283-420: The spirituality of the ceremony. Despite recalling it as being "inordinately long" and remembering how heavy the crown and robes were, the Queen said that it was "wonderful and there is a great sense of offering oneself". The King wrote to Lang thanking him for his support and, although he said it was an "ordeal", he also wrote that "I felt I was being helped all the time by Someone Else as you said I would". On

10396-406: The subject has commented "...the hillside white horse can be a slippery creature, and the origins of some are impossible to establish with any certainty." The figure at Cherhill was first cut in 1780 by a Dr Christopher Alsop, of Calne , and was created by stripping away the turf to expose the chalk hillside beneath. Its original size was 165 feet (50 m) by 220 feet (67 m). Dr Alsop, who

10509-722: The swords, were laid on the altar. The King then knelt before the altar and swore on the Bible his coronation oath , a copy of which he then signed. The Archbishop of Canterbury then began the Communion Service, while the Bishop of London read the Epistle and the Archbishop of York the Gospel; after the Service concluded, the King and Queen knelt while the choir sang " Veni, Creator Spiritus ". This marked

10622-520: The vestibule and at the entrance, and the King and Queen arrived at 11:00. On their entry, they were greeted by the great officers of state, the archbishops, and the peers bearing the regalia. They then formed their procession, which was led by the King's chaplain and the Chapter at Westminster, who were followed by representatives of the Free Churches and the Church of Scotland. The procession involved all of

10735-513: The village of Cerne Abbas , to the north of Dorchester , in Dorset and one at Wilmington, Long Man civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex . Examples located at Oxford , Cambridge , and on Plymouth Hoe can no longer be seen with the naked eye. The Osmington White Horse carries a rider ( King George III ) but is not considered an example of gigantotomy due to the name of

10848-633: The whiteish underlying soil, which is not itself dug. Geoglyph is the usual term for structures carved into or otherwise made from rock formations. In 1949, Morris Marples "half-humorously" coined the words "leucippotomy for the cutting of white horses and gigantotomy for the cutting of giants on rare occasions". Though neither word appears in the Oxford English Dictionary , the terms occasionally appear in print. Until recently, three methods were used to construct white hill figures. The biggest threat to white horses and other hill figures

10961-465: The wrong way, one bishop stepped on the King's train, and another obscured the words of the Oath with his thumb while the King was reading it. In the text of the service, this part of the ceremony was described using the archaic term "inthronization". The Archbishop of Canterbury presented the Bible to the King and the King returned it to him, who gave it to the Dean, who placed it on the Altar. The King handed

11074-503: Was Guild Steward of the Borough of Calne, has been called "the mad doctor", and is reported to have directed the making of the horse from a distance, shouting through a megaphone from below Labour-in-Vain Hill. His design may have been influenced by the work of his artist friend George Stubbs , notable for his paintings of horses. Since 1780, the horse has been 'scoured' several times. In 1935, it

11187-428: Was a very public spectacle; Sir Roy Strong argues that the month-long festivities were designed to "recapture the confidence of the nation" following the abdication crisis. The first week saw receptions for foreign visitors and delegates, while a State Banquet was held on 10 May, but the weeks following the coronation saw more public spectacles; the following day included a royal drive through north London, 16 May included

11300-405: Was attended by the King's and Queen's daughters, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret , as well as by the King's mother, Queen Mary . When Mary attended the coronation, she became the first British dowager queen to do so. Members of the extended royal family attended and all peers and members of parliament were invited. Leading colonial administrators, ambassadors, Indian princes and premiers of

11413-519: Was conducted by the Garter King of Arms to St Edward's Chair , and the Archbishop, as tradition dictates, asked: "Sirs, I here present unto you King George, your undoubted King: wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?" The people replied loudly at each repetition "God save King George". The king then sat in the Chair of Estate and the regalia, except

11526-457: Was controversial due to her being divorced with her previous spouse still living, a status considered incompatible with the King's position as the nominal head of the Church of England , which did not at that time permit remarriage after divorce if the previous spouse was still living. In October 1936 Simpson filed for divorce (which, when final, would result in two previous spouses still living), and

11639-544: Was crowned and anointed in a much smaller and simpler ceremony. This began immediately after the homage to the King finished, when the Queen knelt in prayer before the altar. She then went to the Faldstool , which had been placed before the altar, where she knelt under a canopy, which was held by the Duchesses of Norfolk, Rutland , Buccleuch , and Roxburghe . The Archbishop anointed her, placed on her fourth finger on her right hand

11752-560: Was dressed with a mixture of concrete and chalk, and it was cleaned up in 1994. A major restoration was carried out in 2002 by the Cherhill White Horse Restoration Group, when the horse was resurfaced with one hundred and sixty tonnes of new chalk, the outline was re-cut, and shuttering was added to hold the chalk in place. This work was supported by a grant of £ 18,000 from the National Trust . The present surface

11865-409: Was flanked by The Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, and they were followed by the Duchesses of Gloucester and Kent and then, in pairs, Prince and Princess Arthur of Connaught ; Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone and Lady Patricia Ramsay ; and Princess Marie Louise and Princess Helena Victoria , each with an attendant, train-bearer, or coronet carrier, as applicable. Twenty minutes later,

11978-538: Was inspired by the white horses. In 2010, Charlotte Moreton created the steel sculpture White Horse for Solstice Park, Amesbury , taking influence from white horses. The Westbury White Horse is depicted on a roundabout and mosaic in the town. An 1872 sketch of the Cherhill White Horse was incorporated into an unofficial flag of Wiltshire . The Town Flag of Pewsey , registered in September 2014, features

12091-417: Was later broadcast from these recordings, with the authorities censoring only one small section: a clip of Queen Mary wiping a tear from her eye. Aside from the Coronation ceremony itself, a 23-day-long programme of official events spanned most of May 1937. The 1902 Coronation was the first to see such a programme implemented, but 1937 was nearly twice as long, and, building on similar developments in 1911, it

12204-623: Was organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, in consultation with the Master of the King's Musick , Henry Walford Davies . The Abbey choir was supplemented by choirs from the Chapel Royal , St Paul's Cathedral , St George's Chapel, Windsor and the Temple Church . An orchestra composed of musicians from London's main orchestras was conducted by Sir Adrian Boult . Tradition demanded

12317-438: Was over six miles (9.7 km) in length, making it the longest coronation procession up to that time; crowds of people lined the streets to watch it, over 32,000 soldiers and sailors took part, and 20,000 police officers lined the route. The coronation was commemorated by the issuing of official medals , coinage and stamps, by military parades across the Empire, and by numerous unofficial celebrations, including street parties and

12430-463: Was restored in 2018. Similar pictures exist elsewhere in the world, notably the far larger Nazca Lines in Peru , which are on flat land but visible from hills in the area. However, these were made in desert terrain rather than on grassy hillsides, so have not become overgrown and thus have survived much longer without maintenance. The Nazca Lines were formed by removing loose stones from the lines to expose

12543-502: Was succeeded by his next younger brother, George VI . Before his accession, George had been known as Prince Albert, Duke of York ; his regnal name was chosen in honour of his late father. In 1923, he had married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon , the daughter of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne . Although the reign of the British monarch begins on his or her succession to the throne, the coronation service marks their formal investiture. In 1937,

12656-446: Was the desire of Bullock and Davies that the programme should include music from 'Tudor times to the present day' and so new pieces were composed by Arnold Bax , Arthur Bliss and Granville Bantock , as well as Walton and Vaughan Williams. Walton's Crown Imperial was played while the King and Queen progressed up the nave; Edvard Grieg 's Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar and Edward German 's Coronation March were played when

12769-476: Was the first amendment to the oath since the coronation of King William III and Queen Mary II in 1689. Although 1937 saw an increase in the colonial contingents partaking in the procession and an official lunch in Westminster Hall was given to parliamentary representatives of Empire states for the first time, the service itself was barely altered to reflect the new status of the Dominions. The ceremony

#299700