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King George V's Coronation Durbar at Delhi

Jaw-dropping pomp and pageantry at the 1911 Delhi Durbar

Non-Fiction 1912 8 mins Silent

Overview

This film captures the jaw-dropping pomp and pageantry of King George V's Coronation Durbar in Delhi, the third and final such Durbar to be held under the British Raj. Thousands of members of Indian royalty were invited to the coronation of the King and Queen Mary as Emperor and Empress of India. According to BD Garga, former Viceroy Lord Mornington believed that "the image was an essential component in advancing the cause of British rule in India." Accordingly, extravagant, orderly queues of dignitaries and cavalcades extended to the horizon, sweating in the sun.

British law forbade the Crown Jewels to be taken out of England for the coronation in India. A new crown, estimated at £60,000, was considered too excessive for the English taxpayer - so the Indian taxpayer paid for it. The Crown now rests in the Tower of London. Although this film was made by Pathe's Animated Gazette, the American Charles Urban officially filmed the Durbar, using Kinemacolour, the first commercial colour film system. British troops guarded Urban's tent - where he developed the film - from jealous rivals. He buried the negatives in a pit dug under the tent, and placed his bed over it. Full Bollywood drama. Meenakshi Shedde

Genres

Non-Fiction

Country

United Kingdom

Language

No Dialogue with English subtitles

Subjects

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