Whitchurch Festival - Coronation of King Edward VII and Alexandra in 1902

The coronation of Edward VII and his wife, Alexandra, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on 9^th August 1902.  Originally scheduled for 26^th June of that year, the ceremony had been postponed at very short notice, because the King had been taken ill with an abdominal abscess that required immediate surgery.

By the time of his accession, the 59-year-old Edward was overweight and fond of large meals and cigars. He launched himself into his new role, but his first busy months on the throne were bedevilled by a succession of illnesses and injuries.  On 23^rd June 1902, three days before the date set for the coronation, Edward and his wife, Alexandra, returned from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace in preparation.  It was noted that he appeared "worn and pale" and was leaning heavily on his cane. That evening, the King and Queen hosted a formal dinner for seventy British and overseas royal guests.

The following day at noon, a telegram marked "OFFICIAL" was dispatched around the Empire, with the news that the coronation was postponed and that the King was undergoing an operation.  Shortly afterward, a bulletin was released from Edward's medical team, stating that "The King is suffering from perityphlitis.  The condition on Saturday was so satisfactory that it was hoped that with care His Majesty would be able to go through the Coronation ceremonies.  On Monday evening a recrudescence became manifest, rendering a surgical operation necessary today".  It was undersigned by, among others, Lord Lister and Sir Frederick Treves, who actually carried out the operation on a table in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, to drain his abdominal cyst.

On 26^th June itself, a "solemn service of intercession" was held at St Paul's Cathedral, which was attended by many of the British and foreign dignitaries who were in London for the coronation. Although workmen immediately received instructions to begin dismantling the wooden stands that had been erected along the route of the procession, Edward was insistent that regional celebrations and a planned "Coronation Dinner for the Poor of London" should go ahead.  Organised by Sir Thomas Lipton, 500,000 dinners were served to Londoners on 5^th July at 800 locations around the capital. The King personally contributed £30,000 toward the cost and there were donations by commercial companies and wealthy individuals.  The confectionery maker Rowntree's provided each diner with a tin of chocolate and a rather better one for the 60,000 people who had acted as stewards on the grounds that they would "be of greater influence socially than the poor".

 

One of the places that organised a Coronation Festival was Whitchurch (there are a number of Whitchurch's in the UK - I believe that the item below is from Whitchurch, Bristol because the programme below was printed by a Bristol printer, Bennett Bros Ltd.).  

The Programme of Sports on the reverse of the card are quite interesting, especially perhaps item 13 - "Washing Competition (Ladies), competitors to find own pail".