GREAT BRITAIN: Liege-Lord

In the Peerage of England, the illustrious Howards stand next to the Blood Royal. His Grace the Duke of Norfolk is empowered, as the hereditary Earl Marshal of England, to bear ”in the King’s presence or absence” a golden staff, the upper part adorned with the arms of the Royal Family, the nether part with those of the Family of Howard. The great Duke of Norfolk is charged as Earl Marshal with the proclamation of a new King’s accession, with the supervision of the funeral of a late King, of the Coronation of his successor and thereafter, if a bachelor King marries, of his nuptials.

With all this before him, 27-year-old Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, in whose London town house King George III was born, busied himself last week first with proclaiming his friend Edward as King. Proclaiming is accomplished by the numerous Kings of Arms, the Heralds and the Pursuivants, appointments to these coveted offices being under control of the Duke of Norfolk. Last week precisely at 10 a. m. in colorful and resplendent uniforms, there stepped out upon the ivy-clad and scarlet-draped main balcony of St. James’s Palace the young Duke as Earl Marshal, the Garter King of Arms, the Norroy King of Arms and the Clarenceux King of Arms; the four Pursuivants, namely Bluemantle, Portcullis, Rouge Croix and Rouge Dragon; the Herald of York, the Herald of Windsor, the Herald of Richmond, the Herald of Chester, the Herald of Somerset and the Herald ,of Lancaster; two mace bearers and the workaday state heralds who raised silver trumpets and blew a triple flourish.

A salute of 41 guns began in adjoining St. James’s Park as the Garter King of Arms. Sir Gerald Woods Wollaston, unrolled a great parchment and began to read, his words drowned from time to time by the crash and thunder of the guns. Full text: “We. therefore, the Lords spiritual and temporal of this realm, being here assisted with these of His late Majesty’s Privy Council, with numbers of other principal gentlemen of quality, with the Lord Mayor. Aldermen and citizens of London, do now hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the high and mighty Prince Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David is now. by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful, rightful Liege-Lord. Edward VIII, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas. King, Defender of the Faith. Emperor of India:

“To whom we do acknowledge all faith and constant obedience with all hearty and humble affection: beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless (he royal Prince Edward VIII with long, happy years to reign over us.”