Queen Victoria, her girlhood and womanhood eBook

The Lords Spiritual, headed by the Primate, began the homage by kneeling, and kissing the Queen’s hand.  Then came the Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge, who, removing their coronets, and touching them to the Crown, solemnly pledged their allegiance, and kissed their niece on the left cheek.  Her manner to them was observed to be very affectionate.  Then the other Dukes, and Peers on Peers did homage by kneeling, touching coronet to crown, and kissing that little white hand.  When the turn of the Duke of Wellington came, the entire assembly broke into applause; and yet he was not the hero of the day, but an older and far more infirm Peer, Lord Rolle, who mounted the steps with difficulty, and stumbling at the top, fell, and rolled all the way back to the floor, where “he lay at the bottom of the steps, coiled up in his robes.”  At sight of the accident the Queen rose from her throne, and held out her hands as though to help him.  It was a pretty incident, not for the poor Peer, but as showing Her Majesty’s impulsive kindness of heart.  The old nobleman was not hurt, but quickly unwound himself, rose, mounted the steps, and tried again and again to touch the crown with the coronet in his weak, uncertain hand, every plucky effort being hailed with cheers.  At length the Queen, smiling, gave him her hand to kiss, dispensing with the form of touching her crown.  Miss Martineau, who witnessed the scene, states that a foreigner who was present was made to believe by a wag that this ludicrous tumble was a part of the regular programme, and that the Lords Rolle held their title on condition of performing that feat at every coronation, Rolle meaning roll.

This most tedious ceremony over, finishing up with more anthems, trumpets, drums, and shouts, the Sacrament was administered to the Queen —­she discrowning herself, and kneeling while she partook of the holy elements.  Then a re-crowning, a re-enthronement, more anthems, and the blessed release of the final benediction.  Passing into King Edward’s chapel, the Queen changed the Imperial for the Royal robe of purple velvet, and passed out of the Abbey, wearing her crown, bearing the sceptre in her right hand, and the orb in her left, and so got into her carriage, and drove home through the shouting multitude.  It is stated that Her Majesty did not seem exhausted, though she was observed to put her hand to her head frequently, as though the crown was not, after all, a very comfortable fit.

After reigning more than a year, she had been obliged to spend nearly five fatiguing hours in being finished as a Queen.  How strange it all seems to us American Republicans, who make and unmake our rulers with such expedition and scant ceremony.

CHAPTER XIII.

Pictures and descriptions of the Queen—­Her love of pets—­Her passion for horseback exercise—­Her spirited behavior in the first change of her Ministers.