h died just about three months before.
During this three months Edward the Fifth is, in theory, considered as
having been the King of England, though, during the whole period, the
poor child, instead of exercising any kingly rights or prerogatives,
was a helpless prisoner in the hands of others, who, while they
professed to be his protectors, were really his determined and
relentless foes.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE CORONATION.

A.D. 1483

Plan for the coronation.--Anne is sent for, and comes to
London.--Procession of barges.--Great crowds of spectators.--The royal
barges.--Arrival at the Tower.--Measures adopted.--The princes
imprisoned.--Richard and Anne proceed to Westminster.--Ceremonies
connected with the coronation.--The royal paraphernalia.--Religious
services.--The king and queen crowned.--The dais.--Ceremonial in
Westminster Hall.--The banquet.--The royal champion.--Grand
challenge.--Gauntlet thrown down.--The spectators.--A largesse.--Modern
largesses.--The torches.

It was on the 26th of June, 1483, that Richard was proclaimed king,
under the circumstances narrated in the last chapter. In order to
render his investiture with the royal authority complete, he resolved
that the ceremony of coronation should be immediately performed. He
accordingly appointed the 6th of July for the day. This allowed an
interval of just ten days for the necessary preparations.

The first thing to be done was to send to Middleham Castle for Anne,
his wife, who now, since the proclamation of Richard, became Queen of
England. Richard wished that she should be present, and take part in
the ceremony of the coronation. The child was to be brought too. His
name was Edward.

It seems that Anne arrived in London only on the 3d of July, three
days before the appointed day. There is a specification in the book of
accounts of some very elegant and costly cloth of gold bought on that
day in London, the material for the queen's coronation robe.

Richard determined that the ceremony of his coronation should be more
magnificent than that of any previous English monarch. Preparations
were made, accordingly, on a very grand scale. There were several
preliminary pageants and processions on the days preceding that of the
grand ceremony.

On the 4th of July, which was Sunday, the king and queen proceeded in
state to the Tower. They went in barges on the river. The party set
out from Baynard's Castle, the residence of Richard's mother, and