Calcutta Pageant

A lavish pageant held during the royal visit to India, celebrating King George V’s coronation

This newsreel captures the lavish pageant held in Calcutta on the afternoon of 5 January 1912 during the royal visit to India. Among the military displays, decorated elephants and camels are seen. This was one of many events celebrating King George V’s coronation, the centrepiece of which was the Delhi Durbar. The British Raj held three imperial Durbars - great ceremonial gatherings - in Delhi. The last was held on 12 December 1911 and cost over £1 million, an enormous sum in its day.