Chapter 2379 - 308: The Impact of Imperial Publishing: Hastings’s Offensive of 1838

"The British" June 29, 1838, Coronation Festival Special Edition

"What has the Whig Party brought us? Freedom and progress? No! Disorder and chaos."

On June 28, our Queen, Her Majesty Queen Victoria, finally donned her crown at Westminster Abbey, proclaiming the arrival of a new reign to the 23 million Britons.

The coronation ceremony of Her Majesty was supposed to be a grand occasion, embodying the authority of the monarch and the solemnity of the nation. However, it is heartbreaking that this historic moment was turned into a hopeless farce by an irresponsible government. Under the leadership of the Whig Party, not only did we fail to uphold Britain’s ancient traditions, but with lazy and disorganized attitudes, we turned a solemn ceremony into a historical disgrace.

It is well known that the total length of the parade route for this coronation far exceeded previous ones, being the longest since Charles II in 1660. Consequently, a large portion of the coronation budget was spent on parade expenses, to the extent that there was no budget left for a coronation banquet.

I know that whenever this is mentioned, many supporters of the Whig Party will rote-repeat the excuses the Whig Government uses to pacify the public.

They will emphasize that the primary goal of extending the parade route was to delight ordinary laboring people and involve them in this major national event, and that canceling the coronation banquet was a response to the societal call for frugality, reflecting the government’s response to public opinion.

But if we dissect the budget arrangements for the coronation ceremony, wise gentlemen and ladies will soon discover that it’s all lies!

Although the total budget for the coronation ceremony was only seventy thousand pounds, which is significantly less than George IV’s 24 thousand pounds in 1821, it is, meanwhile, also two and a half times the total budget for King William IV’s coronation ceremony in 1831!

What’s even more unbearable is that the Melbourne Government has discarded the ancient English traditions in the coronation ceremony, not only canceling the banquet at Westminster but also abolishing a series of Middle Ages ceremonies, such as the monarch knight casting down the gauntlet.

Gentlemen, ladies, this is simply outrageous!

Who can tell me how much it would cost to cast down the gauntlet?

If they are willing to grant me a knighthood, I am willing to serve for free!

For those from the Radical Party, the arrangements for the entire coronation ceremony were too extravagant.

For those from the Conservative Party, the Whig Party’s arrangements not only undermined the solemnity of Westminster’s traditional ceremonies but also stripped them of their due dignity with "Benthamite Utilitarianism!"

As for the Whig Party’s claim of rejoicing with the people, it’s absolutely ridiculous!

It is well known that as early as the beginning of June, London’s various commercial associations jointly petitioned, stating that more time was needed to order goods, and thus hoped to postpone the coronation ceremony to August.

Yet the Melbourne Cabinet turned a deaf ear to these voices from the civil sectors, until the respected Marquis of London Derry published a public letter in The Times and personally delivered a speech in the House of Lords, proposing a motion to postpone the ceremony to August to ensure full satisfaction of commercial needs.

However, the Melbourne Government remained indifferent, fearing that delaying the ceremony would ruin their planned fa?ade project and thus affect their political authority.

However, even if we completely accept the views of the Whig Party, anyone with a conscience cannot deny the absurdity displayed during yesterday’s coronation ceremony.

The preparation work for the ceremony was extremely hasty; the prior rehearsals were essentially non-existent. As the Whig Party Cabinet organized the entire event, they failed to ensure a smooth ceremony process, resulting in participants frequently losing themselves in chaos.

What’s even more shocking is that the entire ceremony lasted five hours. Thousands of nobles, soldiers, officials, and foreign guests were forced into Westminster Abbey’s cramped space. And the ceremony participants, including the esteemed bishops and maids, were not allowed any time to rest. It’s rumored that the opposition leader Sir Robert Peel even felt unwell from standing too long, almost causing greater chaos.

Thankfully, Sir Peel’s life was not in danger; otherwise, I believe Scotland Yard should define this event as a political assassination by the Melbourne Cabinet against the opposition!

Of course, we cannot entirely dismiss the government’s ceremonial arrangements, as they at least knew to prepare snacks and refreshments for the guests on-site. As mentioned above, the coronation ceremony lasted five hours, and such a long time without eating or drinking is indeed a severe test for humanity. Thus, the Coronation Committee thoughtfully prepared sandwiches and drinks, facilitating the guests’ enjoyment of these refreshments. The government chose not to place them in the chapel’s rear tea room but instead directly placed them in the center of the altar. Or, more accurately, right behind the Archbishop of Canterbury’s backside.

And when the eight maids holding the Queen’s lavish gown proceeded along the aisle...

I do not intend to criticize these eight beautiful ladies, but I believe all present would agree that their movements were always jerky, and they nearly never stayed in step. As the ladies’ gowns trailed with small trains, they had to hold the Queen’s floor-length dress while managing their own dress trains, inevitably nearly tripping one after another.