King Opens Empire Exhibition

Fine footage of some of the incredible pavilions that once surrounded Wembley Stadium from this film of the royal opening in 1924.

The Empire Exhibition at Wembley was opened by King George V on St George’s Day, 1924. Shown here are remarkable, now demolished, pavilions for Burma, Canada and India, the last modelled on the Taj Mahal. The king arrives in a horse-drawn carriage, route flanked by guardsmen, for a ceremony at a packed Wembley Stadium. Includes rare shots of the interior of the India pavilion.

The exhibition celebrated the British Empire, showcasing manufacturing and crafts from numerous countries.