This is the Cinderella among Elgar's marches. The main reason for its neglect seems to be that it does not follow the standard Pomp and Circumstance model. It was written for the coronation of King George V in June 1911. Contemporary of the Second Symphony, its musical substance eludes the predictable jubilating noise of similar works. It opens with a percussion roll, but contrary to what could be expected, what follows is not an extroverted fanfare but a somber proclamation in the low brass with an organ pedal, of noble character and in minor mode. Without break, the material develops in what would could be believed to be a section of the Symphony. The music turns to major and reaches a certain celebratory intensity in a fanfare section ornamented by a fast string swirl, followed by a brief typically Elgarian "nobilmente" passage before being precipitated into the darkness again by the return of the opening theme. A varied restatement of the second section is next. After the fanfare, the noble theme offers a serene resting point before the coda recapitulates the main themes.

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