Delhi Durbar 1903--Lord Curzon--Producer

Lord and Lady Curzon above

Lord and Lady Curzon above and below


The Delhi Durbar, meaning, "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Delhi, India to commemorate the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. A Durbar was held three times between 1877 and 1911 at the height of the British Empire. The 1911 Durbar was the only one to be attended by the sovereign, in that particular case George V.

The Durbar of 1903 was held to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra as Emperor and Empress of India. In a few short months at the end of 1902, a deserted plain was transformed into an elaborate tented city, complete with temporary light railway to bring crowds of spectators out from Delhi, a post office with its own stamp, telephone and telegraphic facilities, a variety of stores, a Police force with specially designed uniform, hospital, magistrate’s court and complex sanitation, drainage and electric light installations.

Edward VII, to Curzon’s disappointment, did not attend but sent his brother, the Duke of Connaught who arrived with a mass of dignitaries by train from Bombay just as Curzon and his government came in the other direction from Calcutta. The assembly awaiting them displayed possibly the greatest collection of jewels to be seen in one place. Each of the Indian princes was adorned with the most spectacular of his gems from the collections of centuries. Maharajahs came with great retinues from all over India, many of them meeting for the first time while the massed ranks of the Indian armies, under their Commander-in-Chief Lord Kitchner, paraded, played their bands and restrained the crowds of common people.

On the first day, the Curzons entered the area of festivities, together with the maharajahs, riding on elephants, some with huge gold candelabras stuck on their tusks.
The event culminated in a grand coronation ball attended only by the highest ranking guests, all reigned over by Lord Curzon and more so by the stunning Lady Curzon in her glittering jewels and regal peacock gown.

"On it's greatest day, any production of the Greatest Show on Earth paled in comparison to the Delhi Durbar productions" Unbelievable world it was!!!!!