The ceremony in which the British monarch is officially declared as the queen or emperor of India in British India is called the Delhi audience ceremony. The first time was held in 1877 for Queen Victoria to become the first queen of India. Queen Victoria didn't attend. She never set foot in British India in her life. The second time was held in 1903 for Edward VII. At that time, George Nathaniel Curzon, the Indian Governor-General, carefully planned the grand celebration, and strongly hoped that Edward VII would attend, but Edward VII, who was concerned about mainland affairs, did not want to go. The third and last time was held in 19 1 1 for George V, and the protagonist finally agreed to take the stage.
George V and Queen Mary attended the ceremony in Delhi.
Unlike his father Edward VII, George V especially wanted to protect the British Empire, so he decided to go to India to be crowned emperor of India in the same year as he was crowned king of England. This decision also caused quite a stir at that time, and officials of * * * felt that this matter was unprecedented and difficult to do.
The first big problem is how to put the crown on the new emperor's head. If the new emperor did not appear, the problem would not exist. Just read an announcement and it's over. Now the new emperor will appear, which is in big trouble, because according to the way Britain crowned the king, this is a sacred religious ceremony presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and he put the crown on the head of the British monarch.
George V and Queen Mary attended the ceremony in Delhi.
However, India does not believe in Protestantism. Randall Davidson, then Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to hold another religious coronation in India in order to safeguard the sanctity of Protestantism. Think about it, George V. Forget it. Just wear the coronation.
Then the second big problem came. What about the crown for coronation? Because British law stipulates that coronation jewels cannot leave Britain, this means that if George V wants to wear the coronation crown, he can only order a new one. This has caused a series of problems. where is the money to come from? What is the shape? Where do you put it? ……
(George V on the left wears the crown of the Indian Empire, and the one on the right wears the crown of the Indian Empire.)
As a result of the final discussion, the Indian affairs department paid the royal jeweler Gerald to make it, and the shape was based on the crown on the European continent. After use, you can't put it in British India, you have to bring it back to Britain ... So the only crown of the British royal family with eight arches-the Indian Imperial Crown was born! The rest of the crowns are either four arches or six arches.
(Crown part of Indian Empire)
It weighs 920g and is inlaid with 6 170 diamonds, 9 emeralds, 4 rubies and 4 sapphires, with a total cost of 60,000 pounds.
19111212 George V and Queen Mary appeared at the ceremony in Delhi in full coronation suits. George V wore the crown of the Indian Empire for three and a half hours, which gave him a headache. However, he never had a chance to appreciate that weight again, and neither did his successors. The coronation crown of the Indian Empire was used once, and it was left idle indefinitely.
(Crown part of Indian Empire)
After the death of George V, his eldest son Edward VIII succeeded to the throne. However, he abdicated voluntarily before the coronation ceremony. The replacement, George VI, originally wanted to follow his father, George V, to attend the ceremony of wearing the crown of the Indian Empire in Delhi. However, World War II shattered the dream of the empire.
(George V and Queen Mary attended the ceremony in Delhi)
1948, George VI can only regret to renounce the title of Indian emperor. So, what should be done with the coronation of the Indian Empire? After all, it was not bought with British money.
Britain is unwilling to give up this visible treasure. George VI consulted with the then British Prime Minister Clement Attlee and reached a preliminary conclusion: unless the country after the disintegration of British India leaves the Commonwealth, the crown of the Indian Empire still belongs to Britain.
Now, after the disintegration of British India, the country is still a member of the Commonwealth. Naturally, the coronation crown of the Indian Empire is still in Britain, and it is kept in the Tower of London for exhibition.
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