Confidential report from John W. Dulanty to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)
(No. 6) (Secret)

I send herewith a small brochure giving the Form and Order of the Coronation in 1911¹.

As I mentioned on the telephone yesterday the Archbishop of Canterbury is proposing to bring the Litany immediately after the Preparation and to let the Entrance into the Church remain as it is but to bring the Oath, which previously followed the Sermon (well on into the course of the Church of England service), immediately after the Recognition.

Apparently the Archbishop thinks that this change would have the effect of putting the Oath immediately in front of the beginning of the Church of England service proper.

When Mr. Malcolm MacDonald told me of this last evening I said to him I felt sure my Government would not regard that as satisfactory. Even though no Church of England hymn was sung or C of E prayer said before the Oath was taken it could not seriously be contended that the Litany and the singing of the Psalm did not form an integral part of the Coronation service, and the proposed position with regard to the Oath was really from our point of view as unsatisfactory as before. Surely it was possible for the Oath ceremony to be performed at the entrance to the Abbey. Mr. MacDonald said in view of earlier conversations with me he had put this point to the Archbishop who had said that he felt it would be impossible to have this ceremony at the door so to speak behind the backs of the whole assembly and away from the main centre of the Abbey where the Coronation had taken place all though the centuries.

Mr. MacDonald repeated that if we had any further suggestion to make he would see the Archbishop and endeavour to meet our wishes.