Imperial Pomp: The Delhi Durbar of 1911

The Delhi Durbar of 1911. George V and Queen Mary are seated upon the dais under the large canopy.

     On this day in 1911, King George V and Queen Mary attended their Durbar in Delhi as Emperor and Empress of India, which took place following their coronation as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions.

     Previous durbar’s had been held in 1877 (for Queen Victoria) and 1903 (for Edward VII), but this was first occasion in which the reigning monarch was present for the event.

     The Durbar was basically a gathering of the Indian princes, nobleman, landed gentry, British colonial administrators, and other important persons who came to pay homage to the Emperor and Empress. One of its purposes was to cement and reaffirm the relationship between the princes’ of India and the British Crown, for the British Raj depended on the support of these native rulers.

     For the momentous event, a new crown was specially commissioned for George V because the existing Crown Jewels that had been used for his coronation in London could not be removed from the UK.

TIM The Emperor and Empress of India.

     Designed and manufactured by long-time crown jewelers Garrard & Co., the Imperial Crown of India weighs 2.13 lbs and is formed from a gold-laminated frame that features 6,100 diamonds. There are 16 alternating clusters of diamond lozenges, sapphires, and emeralds along the diamond-encrusted band, above which are four fleurs-de-lis (containing emeralds) alternating with four crosses-pattée (containing rubies). Rising from here are eight half-arches cast in a pattern of stylized leaves and buds, which taper toward the center and terminate in scrolls under a monde that is surmounted by a cross-pattée containing an emerald.

George V and Queen Mary seated on the dais for the Durbar.

     Despite the intense heat, King-Emperor George and Queen-Empress Mary wore full robes and other regalia (including the crown) throughout the 3 ½ hour outdoor ceremony, which was attended by over 100,000 people, during which the King-Emperor made the surprise announcement that India’s capital would be moved from Calcutta to Delhi. A ceremony for laying the foundation stones for New Delhi was held three days later.

     In addition to the Durbar, there were several other official ceremonies the lasted from December 7^th to December 16^th, including the appearance of Their Imperial Majesties on the balcony at the Red Fort, where they received the greetings of over half a million common people. 

George V and Queen Mary looking out over the crowds from the Red Fort balcony.

     For their participation in the Durbar, 26,800 men and officers of the British and Indian Armies were awarded Delhi Durbar Silver Medals of 1911. One-hundred Indian princes’ and high-ranking government officials received gold versions of these medals.

     The 1911 Durbar was arguably the biggest imperial pageant held during the existence of the British Empire. Certainly, Britain’s power as a world leader was at its height during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, and the Durbar was an expression of that power. It was also the personal desire of the King-Emperor George V to be seen by thousands of his Indian subjects halfway across the world where no reigning British monarch had yet stepped foot.

     In time, it would prove to be the last Durbar to be held. When Edward VIII succeeded his father in January 1936, a Durbar could not be planned since Edward abdicated in less than a year. His brother George VI announced in 1937 that he looked forward to his Durbar as soon as it was possible to do so, but the coming of World War II and Indian independence prevented this from occurring.

The Imperial Crown of India

     As for the Imperial Crown of India, it was taken back to the UK and placed with the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, where it remains on display to this day as a reminder of Britain’s imperial power.


Photo Credit: Pietro & Silvia via Flickr cc