Life, 1911-06-15 · page 11 of 44
Life — June 15, 1911 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the postponement of King George V's coronation. The illustration depicts "the Primate of All England protests at Dr. Parkhurst's participation"—showing the Archbishop of Canterbury objecting to an American clergyman's involvement in the ceremony. The text describes how the coronation was called off due to a dinner incident where literary men of England gave the correspondent a difficult time. The satire mocks both British pomposity about coronation protocol and American presumption in wanting to participate in such a quintessentially British state occasion. The cartoon ridicules class hierarchies and institutional rigidity: the Archbishop fusses over proper procedure while the Americans represent a more casual, egalitarian attitude—a recurring theme in Anglo-American relations of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Loxvox. (Special correspondence to Lire) ORGAN is here, Parkhurst is here ready to crown King George, and the line of march has been arranged, also the order of precedence. The King and I come first, then Morgan, Asquith, Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, sev- eral chariots which we have borrowed from Barnum’s for the use of the Bench, the House of Lords, the House of Com- mons, Marie Corelli arm in arm with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Ger- man Army, Unemployed Kings and my office force. The whole affair, however, has been temporarily called off, owing to a little dinner that was given to me last night by the literary men of England. Not realizing that I was present, as I was so busy with the King that I could grant scarcely any interviews, the importance of the thing was not appreciated. Suddenly, however, Bernard Shaw heard about me and got all the fellows together. Of course over here a literary dinner takes precedence over everything else. Both Rudyard Kipling and Marie Corelli had engagements for every other night but the eve of the coronation, so that affair had to be postponed. We hope to give it soon. Will let you know full par- ticulars. It was a nice little company that wel- comed me, the whole lower floor of the Savoy having been engaged for the pur- pose. Among those present were H. G. Wells, Rudyard Kipling, Mrs. Humphrey Ward, Alfred Austin, Gilbert Chester- ton, Hilaire Belloc, Henry James, Ber- nard Shaw, August Birrell and myself. I sat at the head of the table, sur- rounded by Shaw, who introduced me to the company. Mr. Shaw said: “This gentleman, so-called, is an American journalist whom I despise al- most as much as I do myself and Shake- speare. He is here for the purpose of assisting in the coronation, of which I need hardly say I don't approve. He probably represents in all of their phases the worst traits in human nature, but inasmuch as at least he isn't a woman, I am rather glad to see him.” Mr. Shaw's speech, so unusually com- plimentary for him, was greeted by pro- found silence, which is the Englishman's manner of emphasizing that he likes it. Mr. H. G. Wells then read a short ai Ie ciel Be Coronation Postponed Owing to Certain Unavoidable Matters Beyond out Correspondent’s Control tis Cathay THE PRIMATE OF ALL ENGLAND PROTESTS AT DR. PARKHURST'S PARTICIPATION tribute to me, which tock only three hours, after which Alfred Austin started a poem, but Shaw grabbed him by the collar, amid the approving smiles of all present, and made.him hide behind Mrs. Ward. Others spoke. We had a bottle of wine for dinner, and as it was passed to me first it went to my head. Of course the next day I was totally unfit and we arranged to have the coronation as soon as I felt better. In the meantime, we are discussing robes. Parkhurst and Morgan want the same robe—a rather full red quilted silk bath- robe, cut bias and festooned with ro- settes of orange and white. Morgan has had a solid gold helmet made, clus- tered with rhinestones or diamonds, I forget which, and Parkhurst wants to carry a mitre. I said, “no mitre for any man who had done work on the Morning Journal.” To me it was superfluous. Besides, I wanted to wear red myself. The whole matter ended by my taking their measurements and ordering some- thing for cach of them that is néat but not gaudy. The K proposition. He must above all things be impres- sive, and how to make him so is the problem. Nature, in making him King, neg- lected some details, which, seemingly un- important, yet add much to the whole effect when seen in perspective. Perspective is what counts first-class coronation. I have had several tailors working over him for days, and I wish now I had brought over a couple of Fifth ave- nue dressmakers, They can make five feet four of attenuated humanity look more like something than anyone I know, We spent the morning in looking over goods. The King himself favors the pajama effect, but I have explained to him that that is no longer worn at coro- nations, He is a hundred years behind the times, anyway. Asquith, who came over to get him to sign the budget, rather favored a , of course, is quite another in any comicbooks.com