Lord Curzon & The Indian States 1899-1905

After Queen Victoria’s death on 22^nd January 1901, the Coronation of her son and successor, Prince Albert Edward, under the popular style and title of King Emperor Edward VII, did not take place immediately. According to practice, as during the reigns of his 4 immediate predecessors, the Coronation was expected to be deferred until the first anniversary of the death of Queen Victoria. In his case the Coronation was delayed for some 6 months more until the 2^nd summer of the new reign. Under the Royal Proclamations of 26^th June and 10^th December 1901, the Coronation was fixed for Thursday, the 26^th June 1902.This was 2 days before the 64^th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s own Coronation.

The prolonged delay before the ceremony was mainly the outcome of vast changes in the structure and constitution of the British Empire. At the beginning of the 20^th century, the position of the British Government in India was quite different from what it had been at the date of the Queen’s accession (20^th June 1837).

Under her the British Empire had grown to a magnificent stature comprising 1/4^th of the entire population with 1/6^th of land area of the world. The additions to the total area of  the Empire approached 4 million sq. miles (with an estimated population of about 124 million) of which 3 million sq. miles were in Africa and 7 million sq miles in India & Burma……..