We have also cabled Mr. Mordred Booth, the well-known correspondent, who
was, to our knowledge, in Plazac for his own purposes, to send us full
(and proper) details. We take it our readers will prefer a graphic
account of the ceremony to a farrago of cheap menus, comments on his own
liver, and a belittling of an Englishman of such noble character and
achievements that a rising nation has chosen him for their King, and one
whom our own nation loves to honour. We shall not, of course, mention
our abortive correspondent's name, unless compelled thereto by any future
utterance of his. FROM "_The London Messenger_." THE CORONATION OF KING RUPERT OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. (_By our Special Correspondent_, _Mordred Booth_.) PLAZAC,
                                                       _October_ 17, 1907. Plazac does not boast of a cathedral or any church of sufficient
dimensions for a coronation ceremony on an adequate scale. It was
therefore decided by the National Council, with the consent of the King,
that it should be held at the old church of St. Sava at Vissarion--the
former home of the Queen. Accordingly, arrangements had been made to
bring thither on the warships on the morning of the coronation the whole
of the nation's guests. In St. Sava's the religious ceremony would take
place, after which there would be a banquet in the Castle of Vissarion. The guests would then return on the warships to Plazac, where would be
held what is called here the "National Coronation." In the Land of the Blue Mountains it was customary in the old days, when
there were Kings, to have two ceremonies--one carried out by the official
head of the national Church, the Greek Church; the other by the people in
a ritual adopted by themselves, on much the same basis as the Germanic
Folk-Moot. The Blue Mountains is a nation of strangely loyal tendencies. What was a thousand years ago is to be to-day--so far, of course, as is
possible under the altered condition of things. The church of St. Sava is very old and very beautiful, built in the
manner of old Greek churches, full of monuments of bygone worthies of the
Blue Mountains. But, of course, neither it nor the ceremony held in it
to-day can compare in splendour with certain other ceremonials--for
instance, the coronation of the penultimate Czar in Moscow, of Alfonso
XII. in Madrid, of Carlos I. in Lisbon. The church was arranged much after the fashion of Westminster Abbey for
the coronation of King Edward VII., though, of course, not so many
persons present, nor so much individual splendour. Indeed, the number of
those present, outside those officially concerned and the Press of the
world, was very few. The most striking figure present--next to King Rupert, who is seven feet
high and a magnificent man--was the Queen Consort, Teuta. She sat in
front of a small gallery erected for the purpose just opposite the
throne. She is a strikingly beautiful woman, tall and finely-formed,
with jet-black hair and eyes like black diamonds, but with the unique
quality that there are stars in them which seem to take varied colour
according to each strong emotion. But it was not even her beauty or the
stars in her eyes which drew the first glance of all. These details
showed on scrutiny, but from afar off the attractive point was her dress. Surely never before did woman, be she Queen or peasant, wear such a
costume on a festive occasion. She was dressed in a white _Shroud_, and in that only. I had heard
something of the story which goes behind that strange costume, and shall
later on send it to you. {2}

When the procession entered the church through the great western door,
the national song of the Blue Mountains, "Guide our feet through
darkness, O Jehovah," was sung by an unseen choir, in which the organ,
supplemented by martial instruments, joined. The Archbishop was robed in
readiness before the altar, and close around him stood the Archimandrites
of the four great monasteries. The Vladika stood in front of the Members
of the National Council. A little to one side of this body was a group
of high officials, Presidents of the Councils of National Law and
Justice, the Chancellor, etc.--all in splendid robes of great
antiquity--the High Marshall of the Forces and the Lord high Admiral. When all was ready for the ceremonial act of coronation, the Archbishop
raised his hand, whereupon the music ceased. Turning around, so that he
faced the Queen, who thereon stood up, the King drew his handjar and
saluted her in Blue Mountain fashion--the point raised as high possible,
and then dropped down till it almost touches the ground. Every man in
the church, ecclesiastics and all, wear the handjar, and, following the
King by the interval of a second, their weapons flashed out. There was
something symbolic, as well as touching, in this truly royal salute, led
by the King. His handjar is a mighty blade, and held high in the hands
of a man of his stature, it overtowered everything in the church. It was
an inspiriting sight. No one who saw will ever forget that noble
flashing of blades in the thousand-year-old salute . . . The coronation was short, simple, and impressive. Rupert knelt whilst
the Archbishop, after a short, fervent prayer, placed on his head the
bronze crown of the first King of the Blue Mountains, Peter. This was
handed to him by the Vladika, to whom it was brought from the National
Treasury by a procession of the high officers. A blessing of the new
King and his Queen Teuta concluded the ceremony. Rupert's first act on
rising from his knees was to draw his handjar and salute his people. After the ceremony in St. Sava, the procession was reformed, and took its
way to the Castle of Vissarion, which is some distance off across a
picturesque creek, bounded on either side by noble cliffs of vast height. The King led the way, the Queen walking with him and holding his hand . . . The Castle of Vissarion is of great antiquity, and picturesque beyond
belief. I am sending later on, as a special article, a description of it
. . . The "Coronation Feast," as it was called on the menu, was held in the
Great Hall, which is of noble proportions. I enclose copy of the menu,
as our readers may wish to know something of the details of such a feast
in this part of the world. One feature of the banquet was specially noticeable. As the National
Officials were guests of the King and Queen, they were waited on and
served by the King and Queen in person. The rest of the guests,
including us of the Press, were served by the King's household, not the
servants--none of that cult were visible--but by the ladies and gentlemen
of the Court. There was only one toast, and that was given by the King, all standing:
"The Land of the Blue Mountains, and may we all do our duty to the Land
we love!" Before drinking, his mighty handjar flashed out again, and in
an instant every table at which the Blue Mountaineers sat was ringed with
flashing steel.