UCH a unique and glorious reign as that of which we have endeavoured to sketch the prinyy cipal features, Jemanded a na-A AY tion with all the "pomp, pride, and circumstance" possible. What forrit the celebration was to take, was a difficult problem to settle. In the first place it was not easy to decide upon a name for the occasion." Record Reign " is an excellent conversational phrase, but it scarcely lends itself to official phraseology. Then some one suggested " Diamond Jubilee the Prince of Wales repeated the term in public, and the great event of 1897 was happily christened. Some critics cavilled at the phrase 4s inaccurate, and others called it clumsy ithas, however, received universal adoption. The name being settled, it became necessary to consider the thing. In most other countries than Great Britain, the longest reign of a sovereign would have been signulised by the erection of some iighty national monument—like the Are de Triomphe, in Paris, or the Denkmark Nationale, on the Rhine. But the Anglo-Saxon race is not one which turns to architecture for the ex pression of its triumphs. Besides, a monument in London would not have satis-fed the loyal enthusiasm of the millions of Queen Victoria's subjects in Greater Britain. So glorious a feature in the glorious reign "of the Queen has been Provided by the expansion of her Colonial Empire, that very great importance was naturally attached to "its: recognition in the Diamond Jubilee festiities, The Queen and the Royal Family, with a perception of this necessity, which is another evidence of their admirable judgment and good taste, determined upon making the chief event of the Diamond Jubilee a great commemoration service, in in which the colonies should be prominently represented. All the premiers of the self-governing colonies of the British Eipire were invited to be present at' this ceremony, and a contingent ut the colonial troops was asked to take part in the procession to the scene of the service. Thus the historical pageant of 22nd June, 1897, in memory of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty's accession, was to be made not only a national but an Imperial function. It was a scudid idea, and it was received with an enthusiasm wich affords the best possible proof of the solidarity of the British Empire. Most of the pre-
TILE ROUTE OF THE PROCESSION, Majesty was understood to prefer Westminster Abbey, endeared to her by so many associations; but_ she consented to the selection of St. Paul's, in order that the crowds of hor subjects might better see the function. And it was also agreed that. the procession should return to Buckingham Palace, by way of London Bridge, Southwark, and Lambeth, in order that some thousands of her very poorest subjects might also witness the pageant. Truly a significant testimony to the kindly feeling which subsists between the British throne and the whole body of those upon whose good-will and respect it stands firmly based.
"Tne details of the thankysiving ceremonial were drawn up by a committee of which the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Connaught were the principal members. The most noticeable feature of their arrange ments was the decision to make the service at St. Paul's an open-air one. This was done primarily to save the Queen the trou-Lie of mounting the steps of the cathedral, but it had the further advantage of offering the opportunity of witnessing the ceremony tothe general public. Never before—not even in the Jubilee of 1887—has there been
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.