Page:King Edward VII, his life & reign; the record of a noble career.djvu/18

2 Prince's coronet on an embroidered crimson cushion, walked the principal personage, attended by the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Argyll, the Hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain (an officer distinct from the "Lord Chamberlain" of the Royal household), and Lord Edward Howard, representing the infant Duke of Norfolk, Hereditary Earl Marshal. The Prince was wearing, over the uniform of a general officer, the scarlet robe with ermine bars proper to his rank as Duke of Cornwall. He also wore insignia of the Orders of the Garter, the Golden Fleece, and the Star of India. As he entered the Peers rose in a body, the Lord Chancellor (Lord Westbury) alone remaining seated, covered with his official hat, a circumstance noted by some of the spectators as a point of etiquette on so solemn an occasion. The Prince then advanced to the Woolsack and placed his patent of peerage and writ of summons in the hands of the Chancellor. The oaths were administered to him at the table by the Clerk of Parliament, the titles under which he was sworn being those of Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Rothesay, and Lord of the Isles. After the signing of the Roll of the House by the Prince, the procession moved on, and the Duke of Cambridge having pointed to the Chair of State, on the right hand of the Throne, specially appropriated to the heir apparent on such occasions, the Prince, his head covered with the cocked hat worn by General officers in full dress, seated himself for a few seconds. He then advanced to the Woolsack, shook hands with the Chancellor (who rose, uncovered, at this point) and received his congratulations. The Prince with his attendant Peers and Officials then quitted the House, retiring by the entrance at the right of the Throne. Later on, the Prince re-entered the House in ordinary costume, and took his seat on one of the cross benches as a sign that he had nothing to do with political party. In the evening he attended the debate on the address. We now come to the subject of the marriage alliance between Great Britain and Denmark.

The Speech from the Throne on February 5 referred to the treaty concluded with the King of Denmark (Frederick VII) for the marriage of the Prince of Wales and the Princess Alexandra,