George V, King of Great Britain and Ireland, visited India to be crowned Emperor of India in a grand durbar in Delhi on 12 December 1911. The durbar was held in northwest Delhi, and a tent city grew up over 25 square miles. The King’s pavilion, which covered 85 acres, was at the heart of the camp. There were camps for officials and Indian princes in order of precedence as well.
The King-Emperor wore the Imperial Crown of India with eight arches, 6170 exquisitely cut diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and a velvet and miniver hat, all weighing 34 ounces, as the royal couple arrived at Coronation Park in their Coronation robes. A 101-gun salute, parades, obeisance by princely state rulers, medal distribution to military officers, and the proclamation were all part of the festivities.
After the ceremony, King George’s visited Nepal to hunt tigers and rhinoceros. The King and his party killed 18 rhinos, 39 lions, four sloth bears, numerous porcupines, and leopards during these ten hunting days. Predators were enticed by cattle tethered at the jungle’s edge. The prime minister of Nepal provided them with a young live rhino, which was then transported to the London Zoo. British diplomat and naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson reported over 560 species of birds (with 9,500 specimens), 900 mammals, and 80 reptiles during the hunting expedition.
