Tanulmányok Budapest Múltjából 27. (1998)

PICTURES OF THE LAST CORONATION IN HUNGARY - Katalin Földi Dózsa: HISTORY OF THE EXHIBITED PICTURES

square and on the Gellérthegy salutes of guns boomed and in the midst of solemn chime and enthusiastic applause the Queen with the Crown Prince and her retinue left the church at 11 o'clock to return to the Royal Palace. The following ceremony was the initiation of the Knights of Golden Spur. The great honour was conferred upon forty officiers whose behaviour in the war had been deemed as especially brave. Bánffy allowed himself a "joke". His memories: "The ceremony began with grand names and galas. Then followed my people. None of them had a Hungarian gala dress, they had to be dressed by me, since I was the costume designer of the coronation. I knew what to do at once. I should not dress them up. Let them appear as though coming from the trenches, wearing pikegray, brushed-up but shabby, mended, with belts stitched up and tanned rifle-slings, in laced boots that had been trampling in trenches. Let the front, the wet and muddy nights, the gun-fire and the explosion come into the coronation church with them. Let the gold and silver medals shine on their uniforms, the medals to which so much blood and death adhere."

26 Those present were shocked, mentioning a scandal, but according to the euphemistic Memory "even the King himself was deeply moved."

27 After the initiation the King left the church. "With the crown of St. Stephen on his head, dressed in the coronation cloak, with the Sword of State at his side, the Sceptre and the Orb in his hands, he mounted the stage at the votive pillar. He was followed by ringing cheers." He changed the Sceptre and the Orb for a Crucifix and took the traditional oath. "Eyes hardly remained tearless at this scene." The procession moved again toward Dísz tér to the Coronation Hill. Behind His Majesty's stallion of Bábolna gala dressed hussars ended the procession. The King galopped up to the Hill and with St. Stephen's sword "took the four historical cuts towards the four cardinal points of the country."

28 After this ceremony the festive banquet took place in the great ball-room of the Royal Palace. "Meals and drinks were served by notabilities dressed in Hungarian gala. Nobody ate anything as the meal was only symbolic. After serving up the meals vice palatine count István Tisza stood up and, with a golden cup full of Tokay vine in his hand, he said to the King: "Long live the King!" Ovation was of long duration. Then it was the King who rose from his seat and taking a gold cup in his hand, he said: "Hungary for ever!"

29 All were deeply touched, even count Ottokár CZERNIN Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister: "that was the moment I realized why the coronation was so important for the Hungarian nation. Once you have seen such a thing, you will never forget it. The nation approach the heart of their sovereign not only by splendour and grandeur of the coronation, but also through their enthusiasm. There might not be any other people that would be capable of passing their feelings onto others like the Hungarian."

30 At that evening the Majesties and their retinue left Budapest. "There were a lot of people who misinterpreted the rapid departure of the Royal Couple and considered as a lack of sympathy with the nation"

31

—at least according to István KRAY courtly assistant secretary. 10