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As might be expected for such a momentous event, the coronation required detailed planning for everything from how the Queen would arrive (in a horse-drawn gold carriage) to what she would wear (a gorgeous gown thatshe had a hands-on role in designing) and to who would attend (then-4-year-oldPrince Charlesreceived ahand-painted invitationto the ceremony).
Nearly 70 years later, King Charles is set to be officially crowned King on May 6, 2023. The coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey in front of 2,000 attendees. The church was also where the royal family heldQueen Elizabeth’s funeralin September 2022.
Here is a look at the coronation ofQueen Elizabethin 1953.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Date and Venue
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Queen Elizabethascended the throne following the unexpected death of her father, King George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952. Because no one had any idea that she would be crowned only 16 years after her father, planningQueen Elizabeth’s coronation took time.
The coronation was held on June 2, 1953 — a full year after her father’s passing — at Westminster Abbey.
Prince Philipplayed aninstrumental part in planning the occasion, chairing the Coronation Committee, which was one of two committees created to organize the event.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Carriage
On her Coronation Day, the Queen traveled in a golden horse-drawn carriage. But despite the vehicle’s opulence,Queen Elizabethherself latercalled the transportation “horrible,“before explaining, “It’s only sprung on a lever. Not very comfortable.”
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Three million people lined the streets to seeQueen Elizabethmake her way through London in the gilded carriage.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Gown
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Hartnell also stitched a four-leaf shamrock for good luck on the left side of the skirt, placed precisely whereQueen Elizabeth’s hand would fall during the ceremony. Additionally, the dress was threaded with leeks, the symbol of Wales. As Caroline de Gautaut, deputy surveyor of the Queen’s Works of Art, told PEOPLE, “Back then, the Earl Marshall, who was in charge of everything to do with the protocols of the coronation, was adamant that the leek was the leading emblem of Wales — it does look very beautiful.”
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The gown was onlypublicly displayed three timesduring the Queen’s lifetime, most recently during the Platinum Jubilee in 2022. As de Gautaut explained to PEOPLE, “It’s probably one of the most important dresses made in the 20th century — certainly a great piece of British design. The combination of rich fabrics and beautiful embroideries was really Hartnell’s absolute signature and I think the greatest expression of all his career.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Regalia
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The Queen wore two crowns on her Coronation Day: the St. Edward’s Crown and the Imperial State Crown.
According to theHistoric Royal Palace’s website, the St. Edward’s Crown is “the most important and sacred of all the crowns” and “is only used at the moment of crowning itself.” Originally made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661, the crown weighs nearly 5 lbs and is encrusted with semi-precious stones.
For her departure from Westminster Abbey, the freshly-coronatedQueen Elizabethreplaced the St. Edward’s Crown with the lighter 3 lb.Imperial State Crown, which is made of gold and features diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, pearls and rubies.
Other pieces of the Coronation Regalia (which are part of the Crown Jewels collection) were also used during the coronation, including, the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, the Sovereign’s Orb and the Coronation Spoon.
As coronation expert Alastair Bruce told PEOPLE, the Jewels themselves are well-known, but their importance is often misunderstood. He said, “The Crown Jewels include ‘The Regalia,’ which are used at a coronation when the monarch is invested with the best known, if least understood, symbols of this kingdom.”
Bruce continued, “Post boxes, police helmets, income tax returns and almost every visual expression of the United Kingdom displays a Crown and Orb. The meaning of each of the key objects has evolved from emblems of authority that date way back before the Saxons arrived. Yet there is an enduring relevance to modern leadership wrapped into each symbol that express values of humility, duty and service, while representing total power. Discovering their meaning helps to define what the Sovereign is to the Crown and how that Crown is the property of us all, in the constitutional function of Monarchy.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Broadcast
The event was a major one in the life ofQueen Elizabethand in the history of the United Kingdom as a whole. This was the first televised coronation, a fact that popularized the medium in the country. Up to that point, many considered television “radio’s weaker brother,” but allowing millions of people to enjoy such a momentous event changed that.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Speech
Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation Attendees
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Roughly 8,000 guests were invited to attend the coronation ceremony in person. Among these guests wereQueen Elizabeth’s husband,Prince Philip, and her son,Prince Charles.
While he was not crowned alongside his wife,Prince Philipstill enjoyed the royal treatment during the coronation. He was outfitted in a luxuriousermine-trimmed red robe, under whichhe wore his Admiral of the Fleet uniform. The Duke of Edinburgh was also the first person to pay homage to the new monarch following the Archbishop of Canterbury.
source: people.com
