157-614: The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (French: Médaille du couronnement de la Reine Élizabeth II ) is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir from the Queen to members of the Royal Family and selected officers of state, members of the Royal Household, government officials, mayors, public servants, local government officials, members of
314-410: A commemorative medal was issued. It was the first British coronation to be fully televised; television cameras were not allowed inside the abbey during her parents' coronation in 1937. Elizabeth's was the fourth and final British coronation of the 20th century. It was estimated to have cost £1.57 million (c. £53,571,428 in 2023). The one-day ceremony took 14 months of preparation: the first meeting of
471-523: A cross on her forehead, hands and breast with holy oil made from the same base as had been used in the coronation of her father. A gold canopy borne aloft by four Knights of the Garter on poles shielded her, and at her request, the anointing ceremony was not televised. From the altar, the dean passed to the Lord Great Chamberlain the spurs , which were presented to Elizabeth and then placed back on
628-534: A monarch dies. It also gave the planning committees adequate time to make preparations for the ceremony. During the service, Elizabeth took an oath , was anointed with holy oil , was invested with robes and regalia , and was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa , Pakistan , and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka ). Celebrations took place across the Commonwealth realms and
785-500: A number of hitches, described above, the coronation ran relatively smoothly. It has been somewhat overshadowed in history by the larger Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953; the Abbey's sacrist, Jocelyn Perkins, said that the 1953 event was "out and away the most impressive" of the 1953, 1937 and 1911 coronations. Nonetheless, a number of those present, the King included, commented privately on
942-620: A pair of gold shoes for the occasion. The sandals featured jewel-encrusted heels and decorative motif on the upper sides, which was meant to resemble "the fleurs-de-lis pattern on the St Edward's Crown and the Imperial State Crown ". Elizabeth chose to wear the Coronation necklace for the event. The piece was commissioned by Queen Victoria and worn by Queens Alexandra , Mary , and Elizabeth at their respective coronations. She paired it with
1099-417: A piece, but he caught influenza and then had to deal with flooding at Aldeburgh, so nothing was forthcoming. Edward Elgar 's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D was played immediately before Bax's march at the end of the ceremony. An innovation, at the suggestion of Vaughan Williams, was the inclusion of a hymn in which the congregation could participate. This proved controversial and was not included in
1256-522: A record time of 53 hours 28 minutes. The worldwide television audience for the coronation was estimated to be 277 million. Additionally, 11 million in the UK listened to the broadcast on radio. Along a route lined with sailors, soldiers, and airmen and women from across the British Empire and Commonwealth, guests and officials passed in a procession before about three million spectators that were gathered on
1413-539: A remnant of Edward VIII's modernising attitude, it was now an art-deco design, adorned with stylised heraldic beasts and tapestries belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch . For each coronation, special seating was also constructed to accommodate the large number of guests; 1937 was the first year to make use of metal structures to support the seats, in the form of tubular steel. Four hundred tons were used alongside 72,000 cubic feet (2,000 cubic metres) of wood, with 400 men working on
1570-567: A result, ABC beat the other two networks to air by more than 90 minutes and at considerably lower cost. However, the Canadian broadcast was the first in North America, viewers in eastern Canada watching the ceremony a half hour before Americans did. Although it did not as yet have a full-time television service, film was also dispatched to Australia aboard a Qantas airliner, which arrived in Sydney in
1727-515: A total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of the Commonwealth countries and Crown dependencies and other possessions of the Crown . The award of the medals was then at the discretion of the government of each territory, which was left free to decide who was to be awarded a medal and why. A total of 129,051 medals were awarded, including: The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
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#17328550496061884-432: A wood engraving for such a large and complex design. She also designed the personal invitation that Prince Charles received to the coronation. Norman Hartnell was commissioned by the Queen to design the outfits for all members of the royal family, including Elizabeth's coronation gown . His design for the gown evolved through nine proposals, and the final version resulted from his own research and numerous meetings with
2041-595: Is a silver disk, 1.25 inches in diameter. The obverse features a crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II , facing right, in a high-collared ermine cloak and wearing a Tudor Crown along with the collar of the Garter and Badge of the Bath . There is no raised rim and no legend. The reverse shows the Royal Cypher E II R surmounted by a large crown. The legend around the edge reads "QUEEN ELIZABETH II CROWNED 2nd JUNE 1953". The medal
2198-483: The Daily Mail said: "When the King and Queen appeared the picture was so vivid that one felt that this magical television is going to be one of the greatest of all modern inventions." The coronation service of George VI was the first to be filmed; the 40 camera crew inside the Abbey were required to wear evening dress . It was later shown in edited form as a newsreel in cinemas across the British Empire . The service
2355-677: The Ampulla , which had been poured onto the Anointing Spoon . In preparation for his crowning, the King, still on St Edward's Chair, was invested with the two coronation robes, the Colobium Sindonis and the Supertunica by the Dean of Westminster. Next, he was invested with the regalia, each of which symbolised his progress to kingship. First, the Lord Great Chamberlain touched the King's heels with
2512-475: The Duke of Norfolk ; all led by Garter Principal King of Arms George Bellew . The Archbishop of Canterbury asked the audience in each direction of the compass separately: "Sirs, I here present unto you Queen Elizabeth, your undoubted Queen: wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?" The crowd would reply "God save Queen Elizabeth!" every time, to each of which
2669-635: The Gold State Coach from Buckingham Palace at 10:43; their procession was by far the longest and included numerous military contingents and delegates from Britain, the Dominions, and the colonies, as well as members of the War Office , the Army, Naval and Air Boards and the personal aides-de-camp. The first to arrive in procession were the royalty and foreign representatives; they arrived ten minutes after departing
2826-825: The Golden Spurs ; the Great Sword of State was deposited in St Edward's Chapel and the Jewelled Sword of Offering was passed to the King by the Archbishops and Bishops, who said "With this sword do justice"; the King then offered this sword at the altar. Seated again, the Lord Great Chamberlain fastened the Armills and the Dean invested the King with the Robe Royal ; the Archbishop passed him
2983-777: The Honours of Scotland , the Scottish crown jewels. Following a carriage procession through the city escorted by the Royal Company of Archers , the service, led by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland , James Pitt-Watson , was attended by a congregation of 1,700 drawn from all sections of Scottish society. The high point of the event was the presentation of the Honours, which
3140-691: The Household Brigade . Behind the marching troops was a carriage procession led by the rulers of the British protectorates, including Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga, the Commonwealth prime ministers, the princes and princesses of the blood royal, and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Preceded by the heads of the British Armed Forces on horseback, the Gold State Coach was escorted by the Yeomen of
3297-607: The Lord Great Chamberlain ; the items were then handed over to individual peers, who are listed below. Led by two officers of arms—the Rouge Croix Pursuivant and the Rouge Dragon Pursuivant —and two Gentleman Ushers (Rear-Admiral Arthur Bromley and Lieutenant-Colonel Henry De Satgé), the senior members of the Royal Family arrived at 10:15 and formed their procession into the abbey. The Princess Royal
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#17328550496063454-584: The Queen Consort's Ring , and then crowned her, at which point the Princesses and peeresses donned their coronets. She was then handed the Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross and the Queen Consort's Ivory Rod with Dove , before walking over to her own throne beside the King, where she sat. The Offertory followed, in which the King and Queen offered their regalia on the Altar. They then received Holy Communion from
3611-552: The Queen of Norway and Queen Mary arrived, being received by the Earl Marshal. Their procession took a different form to that of other members. The York and Windsor Heralds led, followed by G.A. Ponsonby (Comptroller of Queen Maud's Household) and then the Queen of Norway, attended by Miss von Hanno and followed by the Richmond and Chester Heralds . Then, Queen Mary's Lord Chamberlain (
3768-543: The Royal Canadian Navy also each included a light carrier in their contingents, HMAS Sydney and HMCS Magnificent . Using the frigate HMS Surprise as a royal yacht , the Queen and royal family started to review the lines of anchored ships at 3:30 p.m., finally anchoring at 5:10 p.m. This was followed by a fly-past of Fleet Air Arm aircraft. Forty naval air squadrons participated, with 327 aircraft flying from four naval air stations;
3925-473: The Royal Cypher in skywriting . After lunch, the Queen in an open car toured the lines of some 300 aircraft that were arranged in a static display. She returned to the central dias for the flypast of 640 British and Commonwealth aircraft, of which 440 were jet-powered. The flypast was led by a Bristol Sycamore helicopter which was towing a large RAF Ensign , while the final aircraft was a prototype Supermarine Swift flown by test pilot Mike Lithgow . Finally,
4082-570: The Sovereign's Orb , put the Sovereign's Ring on his fourth finger and handed to him the two sceptres— with the cross (for Royal power) and with the dove (for "mercy and equity"). The Earl of Lincoln , as Deputy of the Lord of the Manor of Worksop , then handed over a glove , which the King wore. Once adorned with his regalia and seated in St Edward's Chair, King George was crowned with St Edward's Crown by
4239-402: The Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove . With the first two items on and in her right hand and the latter in her left, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned by the archbishop of Canterbury, with the crowd chanting "God save the Queen!" three times at the exact moment St Edward's Crown touched the monarch's head. The princes and peers gathered then put on their coronets and a 21-gun salute was fired from
4396-545: The Tower of London . With the benediction read, Elizabeth moved to the throne and the archbishop of Canterbury and all the bishops offered to her their fealty, after which, while the choir sang, the peers of the United Kingdom—led by the royal peers: Elizabeth's husband; her uncle the Duke of Gloucester ; and her cousin the Duke of Kent —each proceeded, in order of precedence, to pay their personal homage and allegiance. After
4553-491: The abdication of his brother , Edward VIII , on 11 December 1936, three days before his 41st birthday. Edward's coronation had been planned for 12 May and it was decided to continue with his brother and sister-in-law's coronation on the same date. Although the music included a range of new anthems and the ceremony underwent some alterations to include the Dominions , it remained a largely conservative affair and closely followed
4710-753: The dean of Westminster , Alan Don , to be placed on the altar. After she moved to stand before King Edward's Chair , Elizabeth turned, following as Fisher, along with the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain , the Lord Simonds ; the Lord Great Chamberlain of England , the Marquess of Cholmondeley ; the Lord High Constable of England , the Viscount Alanbrooke ; and the Earl Marshal of England ,
4867-418: The litany was sung during the regalia procession before the start of the service, and the sermon was omitted entirely. Even so, the service itself lasted for two and a half hours, excluding the preliminary processions. The first part of the service was the recognition, where the Archbishop of Canterbury called for those present to proclaim their recognition of the sovereign as their rightful king. The King
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5024-459: The state coach , and alterations to the Queen's regalia . The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II followed a pattern similar to the coronations of the kings and queens before her, being held in Westminster Abbey, and involving the peerage and clergy. However, for the new queen, several parts of the ceremony were markedly different. Twenty-seven million people across Britain watched
5181-620: The Archbishop and were passed their crowns before returning to their thrones where they were also given their sceptres back. Te Deum was sung by the choir. A recess followed, during which the King and Queen proceeded to St Edward's Chapel. There, the King delivered the Sceptre with the Dove to the Archbishop who laid it on the altar. The bearers of the Orb, the Golden Spurs and St Edward's Staff delivered these to
5338-453: The Archbishop of Canterbury and the people in the abbey proclaimed loudly "God save the King"; the peers and peeresses wore their coronets (the only time that this happens) and the guns in the Royal Parks were fired to mark the crowning. The ceremony appeared to run smoothly, although there were a few inconspicuous mishaps: the Archbishop of Canterbury almost placed the crown on the King's head
5495-520: The BBC and Honorary Chaplain to the King , read out the rubrics or written directions from the service book from a seat high in the triforium over Saint Edward 's Chapel. During the most sacred parts of the service, the consecration and the Holy Communion , the microphones were turned off and listeners heard hymns being sung by the choir in the Church of St Margaret, Westminster . The ability to project
5652-570: The British Empire. He was unmarried at that time, but the American socialite Wallis Simpson had accompanied him on numerous social occasions in years leading up to 1936; she was married to the shipping executive Ernest Aldrich Simpson and had previously been divorced. The relationship had not been reported in the British press, but was receiving considerable media attention in the United States; it
5809-494: The Chairs of State in front of the royal box. As the King and Queen and the procession proceeded, the choir sang I was glad with the traditional acclamations of Vivat Regina Elizabetha and Vivat Rex Georgius by the King's Scholars of Westminster School . The coronation service itself began once the procession into the abbey was over and the King and Queen were seated. Beginning with
5966-723: The Colonies of Southern Rhodesia , Kenya , Uganda , Tanganyika , Nyasaland , the Gambia , the Gold Coast , Sierra Leone , Somalia , Aden , Transjordan , Malta , the West Indies , British Guiana , Honduras , Ceylon , the Falklands and Hong Kong . In total there were 32,500 officers and men either marching or lining the route. Overall, the procession was 2.0 miles (3.2 km) in length and took 40 minutes to pass any given point. The route of
6123-520: The Commonwealth and 16 from foreign navies, as well as representative vessels from the British Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets. There were more British and Commonwealth naval ships present than at the 1937 coronation review, though a third of them were frigates or smaller vessels. Major Royal Navy units included Britain's last battleship , HMS Vanguard , and four fleet and three light aircraft carriers . The Royal Australian Navy and
6280-573: The Commonwealth marched in a procession that was 2 miles (3.2 km) long and took 45 minutes to pass any given point. A further 15,800 lined the route. The parade was led by Colonel Burrows of the War Office staff and four regimental bands. Then came the colonial contingents, then troops from the Commonwealth realms, followed by the Royal Air Force , the British Army , the Royal Navy , and finally
6437-660: The Coronation Commission was in April 1952, under the chairmanship of the Queen's husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh . Other committees were also formed, such as the Coronation Joint Committee and the Coronation Executive Committee, both chaired by the Duke of Norfolk who, by convention as earl marshal , had overall responsibility for the event. Many physical preparations and decorations along
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6594-593: The Coronation earrings. Elizabeth rehearsed for the occasion with her maids of honour. A sheet was used in place of the velvet train, and a formation of chairs stood in for the carriage. She also wore the Imperial State Crown while going about her daily business – at her desk, during tea, and while reading a newspaper – so that she could become accustomed to its feel and weight. Elizabeth took part in two full rehearsals at Westminster Abbey , on 22 and 29 May, though some sources claim that she attended one or "several" rehearsals. The Duchess of Norfolk usually stood in for
6751-407: The Dean of Westminster, who laid them on the altar in the chapel. The King was disrobed of his Royal Robe of State by the Lord Great Chamberlain and put on the Robe of Estate. The King, now wearing the Imperial State Crown , was then given the Orb by the Archbishop. While the King and Queen were in the chapel, the Officers of Arms arranged the procession out of the abbey, which was similar in form to
6908-531: The Dominions and the United Kingdom, the actual service and coronation rite needed to be updated to reflect this change in political power within the Empire, which itself was beginning to be known as the Commonwealth . Furthermore, the fact that the service was an Anglican rite excluded other faiths and denominations; in 1937, several Dominions had premiers who were Catholic and, by that time, laws which previously excluded people from public office on religious grounds had been repealed. The Coronation Committee altered
7065-409: The Duchess of Devonshire —to carry. The return procession followed a route that was 5.1 miles (8.2 km) in length, passing along Whitehall , across Trafalgar Square, along Pall Mall and Piccadilly to Hyde Park Corner , via Marble Arch and Oxford Circus , down Regent Street and Haymarket , and finally along the Mall to Buckingham Palace. 29,000 service personnel from Britain and across
7222-405: The Empire. The coronation procession was an important event in the history of television , being the country's first major outside broadcast , although the ceremony inside the abbey was not televised. It was also the first coronation to be filmed, as well as the first to be broadcast on radio. In January 1936, King George V died and his eldest son, Edward VIII , succeeded him as king-emperor of
7379-476: The Empire. There were representative detachments from all the elements of the British armed forces and the reserve forces , the British Indian Army and Royal Indian Navy , contingents from the British Dominions and a contingent representing the defence forces of the Colonial Empire. Contingents taking part represented the following sections of the Empire: India , the dominions of Canada , Australia , New Zealand , Burma , Newfoundland and South Africa , and
7536-526: The Guard and the Household Cavalry and was followed by the Queen's aides-de-camp . So many carriages were required that some had to be borrowed from Elstree Studios . After the end of the procession, the royal family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flypast . The flypast had been altered on the day due to the bad weather, but otherwise took place as planned. 168 jet fighters flew overhead in three divisions thirty seconds apart, at an altitude of 1,500 feet. After being closed since
7693-489: The King informed the Prime Minister , Stanley Baldwin , that he intended to marry her. Baldwin and several leading imperial administrators advised the King that popular opinion in the dominions was hostile to the proposed marriage; at home, the King also faced opposition from the Church of England and from factions in Parliament . The widespread unwillingness to accept Simpson as the King's consort, and Edward's refusal to give her up, led to his abdication in December 1936. He
7850-440: The King's improvement and Logue remained his therapist. As it happened, the King delivered his speech without stuttering. The coronation cost £454,000, which was more than three times the cost of the 1911 ceremony. This cost included the construction of the annexe, which was built as a temporary add-on at the entrance of the abbey for each coronation. In previous years, it had taken the form of an imitation Gothic entrance, but, as
8007-506: The King; the Archbishop of York did so next, followed by each of the Bishops. The Dukes of the Blood Royal then did homage, followed by the Lords Temporal (Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, Barons); six anthems were sung by the Choir during the homage: "O come ye servants of the Lord", " Hear my prayer, O Lord ", "O clap your hands together, all ye people", "All the ends of the world shall remember themselves", "O praise God in His holiness" and "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace". The Queen
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#17328550496068164-411: The Marquess of Anglesey ) led Queen Mary, whose train was borne by four pages (the Earl of Dalkeith, the Marquess of Lansdowne, Gerald Lascelles, and Viscount Errington) and who was attended by the Mistress of the Robes (the Duchess of Devonshire), two ladies of the bedchamber in waiting, her private secretary, comptroller, and three equerries (two ordinary and one extra). A guard of honour had formed at
8321-422: The North side of the Area, or Sacrarium, the Lords Temporal in the South Transept, and the Dowager Peeresses and Peeresses in the North Transept." Before the coronation ceremony begins, there is traditionally a lengthy procession to the abbey. The procession left Buckingham Palace and headed up The Mall , though Admiralty Arch , and down Whitehall , before entering Westminster Abbey. The first to take part in
8478-527: The Princes and Princesses, and then Queen Mary arrived, respectively. Choral works included the traditional plainsong Veni, Creator Spiritus , William Byrd 's Creed and Sanctus , Christopher Tye 's O Come ye Servants of the Lord , Henry Purcell 's Hear My Prayer , Samuel Sebastian Wesley 's Thou Wilt Keep Him in Perfect Peace , Sir George Dyson 's O Praise God in His holiness , Sir Edward Bairstow 's Let My Prayer Come Up into Thy Presence and Dr William Henry Harris 's Offertorium . Despite
8635-505: The Queen ", Elizabeth left Westminster Abbey through the nave and apse, out the Great West Door. Although many had assumed that the master of the queen's music , Sir Arnold Bax , would be the director of music for the coronation, it was decided instead to appoint the organist and master of the choristers at the abbey, William McKie , who had been in charge of music at the royal wedding in 1947. McKie convened an advisory committee with Sir Arnold Bax and Sir Ernest Bullock , who had directed
8792-510: The Queen at rehearsals. Westminster Abbey was closed for five months in preparation for the coronation. Elizabeth's grandmother Queen Mary had died on 24 March 1953, having stated in her will that her death should not affect the planning of the coronation, and the event went ahead as scheduled. It was estimated to cost £1.57 million (c£. 50,300,000 in 2023 ), which included stands along the procession route to accommodate 96,000 people, lavatories, street decorations, outfits, car hire, repairs to
8949-446: The Queen received from the Dean of the Thistle , Charles Warr , and then passed the Crown of Scotland to the Duke of Hamilton , the Sword of State to the Earl of Home , and the Sceptre to the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres . It was the first time that this ceremony had been enacted since 1822 during the visit of King George IV . The Queen was dressed in "day clothes" complete with a handbag, rather than in ceremonial robes, which
9106-452: The Queen would curtsey in return. Seated again on the Chair of Estate, Elizabeth then took the coronation oath as administered by the archbishop of Canterbury. In the lengthy oath, she swore to govern each of her countries according to their respective laws and customs, to mete out law and justice with mercy, to uphold Protestantism in the United Kingdom and protect the Church of England and preserve its bishops and clergy. She proceeded to
9263-406: The Queen's accession for coronation preparations, Westminster Abbey was opened at 6 am on Coronation Day to the approximately 8,000 guests invited from across the Commonwealth of Nations ; more prominent individuals, such as members of the Queen's family and foreign royalty, the peers of the United Kingdom , heads of state, members of Parliament from the Queen's various legislatures, and
9420-421: The Queen: a white silk dress embroidered with floral emblems of the countries of the Commonwealth at the time: the Tudor rose of England, Scottish thistle , Welsh leek , shamrock for Northern Ireland, wattle of Australia, maple leaf of Canada, the New Zealand silver fern , South Africa's protea , two lotus flowers for India and Ceylon, and Pakistan's wheat, cotton and jute . Roger Vivier created
9577-483: The Royal Household and the Diplomatic Corps. Led in by the Rouge Croix Pursuivant (P.W. Kerr) and the Rouge Dragon Pursuivant ( E.N. Geijer ); they were escorted to their seats in the choir. Following tradition dating back to the reign of King Charles II , the regalia were brought to the Deanery of Westminster the night before the coronation. Staff started working at 4 a.m., while guests began arriving two hours later. The Imperial State Crown had been remade for
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#17328550496069734-423: The UK. We are happy to attend and witness the Coronation of the Sovereign of the UK but we are not direct participants in that function." The Coronation Commission announced in June 1952 that the coronation would take place on 2 June 1953. Invitations for the coronation were designed by the illustrator Joan Hassall ; she had to use scraperboard to produce the final design as there was not enough time to produce
9891-440: The United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London . She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI , on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive councils shortly afterwards. The coronation was held more than one year later because of the tradition of allowing an appropriate length of time to pass after
10048-404: The abbey by the Lord High Steward of England , the Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope flanked by two other peers. The archbishops and bishops assistant (Durham and Bath and Wells) of the Church of England , in their copes and mitres , waited outside the Great West Door for Queen Elizabeth II's arrival. When she arrived at about 11:00 am, she found that the friction between her robes and
10205-590: The abbey in the Gold State Coach drawn by eight grey geldings. The Royal Mews staff placed a hot water bottle under the coach's seat to keep the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh warm. Attached to the shoulders of her dress, the Queen wore the Robe of State, a 6-yard (5.5 m) long, hand woven silk velvet cloak lined with Canadian ermine that required the assistance of her maids of honour — Lady Jane Vane-Tempest-Stewart , Lady Anne Coke , Lady Moyra Hamilton , Lady Mary Baillie-Hamilton, Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby , Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill and
10362-477: The abdication of Edward VIII, the coronation committee continued to plan the event for George VI with minimal disruption; according to Sir Roy Strong , at the next meeting after the abdication "no reference was made at all to the change of sovereign, everything immediately being assumed to have been done for the new king." After the abdication, though, many of the traditional elements that Edward VIII cared less for were restored, with Queen Mary taking an interest in
10519-452: The altar where she stated, "The things which I have here promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God", before kissing the Bible and putting the royal sign-manual to the oath as the Bible was returned to the dean of Westminster. From him the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland , James Pitt-Watson, took the Bible and presented it to Elizabeth again, saying, Our gracious Queen: to keep your Majesty ever mindful of
10676-435: The altar. The Sword of State was then handed to Elizabeth, who, after a prayer was uttered by Fisher, placed it herself on the altar, and the peer who had been previously holding it took it back again after paying a sum of 100 shillings . Elizabeth was then invested with the Armills (bracelets), Stole Royal , Robe Royal and the Sovereign's Orb , followed by the Sovereign's Ring , the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross and
10833-432: The assembly shouted "God save Queen Elizabeth. Long live Queen Elizabeth. May the Queen live for ever!" Having removed all her royal regalia, Elizabeth knelt and took the communion, including a general confession and absolution , and, along with the congregation, recited the Lord's Prayer . Now wearing the Imperial State Crown and holding the Sceptre with the Cross and the Orb, and as the gathered guests sang " God Save
10990-413: The beginning of the anointing of the monarch, when the Archbishop of Canterbury marks the monarch's head with oil to symbolise the introduction of the Holy Spirit. The Choir sang Handel 's Zadok the Priest and the Archbishop prayed, before the King was disrobed and sat in St Edward's Chair, with the Canopy borne by four knights of the Garter placed over him. The Archbishop then anointed him with oil from
11147-402: The carpet caused her difficulty moving forward, and she said to the Archbishop of Canterbury , Geoffrey Fisher , "Get me started!" Once going, the procession, which included the various high commissioners of the Commonwealth carrying banners bearing the shields of the coats of arms of their respective nations, moved inside the abbey, up the central aisle and through the choir to the stage, as
11304-439: The ceremonial of George V's coronation in 1911. The ceremony began with the anointing of the King, symbolising his spiritual entry into kingship, and then his crowning and enthronement, representing his assumption of temporal powers and responsibilities. The peers of the realm then paid homage to the King before a shorter and simpler ceremony was conducted for the Queen's coronation. The return procession to Buckingham Palace
11461-642: The ceremony by Stanley Cursiter , the offending handbag was tactfully omitted. On 15 July 1953, the Queen attended a review of the Royal Air Force at RAF Odiham in Hampshire . The first part of the review was a march past by contingents representing the various commands of the RAF, with Bomber Command leading. This was followed by four de Havilland Venoms of the Central Fighter Establishment making
11618-703: The ceremony was organised by a Coronation Committee, established by the Privy Council and chaired by the Lord President of the Council , a political appointment; its central component, the Executive Committee, was chaired by the Duke of Norfolk , who inherited the office of Earl Marshal , which carries with it, by convention, the responsibility for the organisation and coordination of the coronation ceremony. The Coronation Committee had been delayed when it met for
11775-528: The choirs of Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral , the Chapel Royal , and Saint George's Chapel, Windsor . In addition to those established choirs, the Royal School of Church Music conducted auditions to find twenty boy trebles from parish church choirs representing the various regions of the United Kingdom. Along with twelve trebles chosen from various British cathedral choirs, the selected boys spent
11932-516: The choirs sang I was glad , an imperial setting of Psalm 122 , vv. 1–3, 6, and 7 by Sir Hubert Parry . As Elizabeth prayed at and then seated herself on the Chair of Estate to the south of the altar, the bishops carried in the religious paraphernalia—the Bible , paten and chalice —and the peers holding the coronation regalia handed them over to the archbishop of Canterbury, who, in turn, passed them to
12089-525: The clergy and Elizabeth, Fisher asking, "O God... Grant unto this thy servant Elizabeth, our Queen, the spirit of wisdom and government, that being devoted unto thee with her whole heart, she may so wisely govern, that in her time thy Church may be in safety, and Christian devotion may continue in peace", before reading various excerpts from the First Epistle of Peter , Psalms, and the Gospel of Matthew . Elizabeth
12246-437: The committees. Edward VIII had initially been reluctant to have a coronation at all (asking the Archbishop of Canterbury whether it could be dispensed with), but conceded that a shorter service would be acceptable; his desire for a lower-key event led to the planned abandonment of the royal procession through London the following day, the thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral and the dinner with London dignitaries. After
12403-586: The construction. The theatre (the area in the transept for the first part of the ceremony) and sacrarium (the space in front of the high altar) were at floor level for the first time since the Restoration , having traditionally been raised on a platform. In 1911, standards of the Dominions —autonomous communities of the British Empire—were borne during the procession. But, after the 1931 Statute of Westminster , which established legislative equality between
12560-585: The coronation was followed by a procession through London's streets from Westminster Abbey to the Royal residence, allowing the public to view the new king and queen. In 1937, this return route was extended significantly. From Westminster Abbey, it passed around Parliament Square and up the Victoria Embankment (where 40,000 schoolchildren were waiting) and then along Northumberland Avenue, into Trafalgar Square , up Cockspur Street through to Pall Mall ; from there,
12717-598: The coronation, A Queen Is Crowned , narrated by Laurence Olivier , was one of the most popular films in British cinemas that year. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and was the first winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film . On 15 June 1953, the Queen attended a fleet review at Spithead , off the coast at Portsmouth . Commanded by Admiral Sir George Creasy were 197 Royal Navy warships, together with 13 from
12874-415: The couple beforehand. The Archbishop met the King and Queen on the evening before their coronation, running through the ceremony and explaining the most important parts. He was also concerned about King George's stutter and discussed the matter with Lord Dawson of Penn and Lord Wigram ; Lionel Logue was then the King's speech therapist and the Archbishop discussed replacing him, but decided to monitor
13031-827: The day a national holiday and presided over celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa , where the Queen's coronation speech was broadcast and her personal royal standard flown from the Peace Tower . Later, a public concert was held on Parliament Hill and the Governor General hosted a ball at Rideau Hall . In Newfoundland, 90,000 boxes of sweets were given to children, some having theirs delivered by Royal Canadian Air Force drops, and, in Quebec , 400,000 people turned out in Montreal, some 100,000 at Jeanne-Mance Park alone. A multicultural show
13188-461: The design of furniture and insisting on a more traditional appearance; indeed, much of the service and the furnishings were to closely resemble those of the 1911 coronation of George V . Although the Executive Committee was chaired by the Earl Marshal, the Archbishop of Canterbury , Cosmo Lang , was also a driving force behind the preparations for the 1937 coronation; and many of the decisions about
13345-399: The designated peers; King George wore his great robes of state, which had to be carried by nine pages of honour : The Queen was attended by six maids of honour : The royal couple walked past the choir, in which sat the foreign representatives and delegates, before passing through the screen; after this, they sat or stood in their designated area and the King and Queen took their seats in
13502-492: The dominions were also on the guest list. Working-class representatives included representatives of the trade unions and co-operative societies, while native Africans were allowed to attend for the first time. The abbey's doors were closed to guests at 8.30 on the morning of the coronation. The official record of the ceremonial, published in the London Gazette , describes the seating plan: "The Lords Spiritual were seated on
13659-481: The eve of the coronation, the King made a live broadcast from Buckingham Palace which was heard throughout the British Empire. The Coronation ceremony itself was not televised, but it was the first coronation service to be broadcast on radio; 28 microphones were placed around the Abbey to capture the music and speech. There was no commentary, but the Reverend Frederic Iremonger , Director of Religion at
13816-484: The event live on the BBC Television Service , many having purchased or rented television sets specifically for that purpose. The number of license holders doubled from approximately one and a half million to three million. The coronation was the first to be televised in full; the BBC's cameras had not been allowed inside Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth II's parents' coronation in 1937 and had covered only
13973-451: The event live via skywave direct from the BBC. However, the station was unable to establish a broadcast-quality video link on coronation day, due to poor atmospheric conditions. The struggling ABC network arranged to re-transmit the CBC broadcast, taking the on-the-air signal from the CBC's Toronto station and feeding the network from WBEN-TV , Buffalo 's lone television station at the time; as
14130-503: The event were Sir Winston Churchill; the prime ministers of Burma, India and Pakistan, U Nu , Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohammad Ali Bogra ; and Col Anastasio Somoza Debayle of Nicaragua. 129 nations and territories were represented by their dignitaries at the service. Foreign and Commonwealth representatives were also invited to two banquets hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The Queen later revealed that some peers had hidden sandwiches underneath their coronets to fuel them through
14287-512: The first time on 24 June 1936: Ramsay MacDonald , the Lord President of the Council , met the Duke of Norfolk to discuss the proceedings; MacDonald would chair the Coronation Committee as a whole, and the Duke would chair the Executive Committee. While Edward VIII was away, cruising on the Nahlin with Wallis Simpson, his brother, Albert, Duke of York (the future George VI) sat in his place on
14444-418: The first time, native African royalty. For the event itself, the prime ministers of almost every Dominion took part in the procession to the abbey, while representatives of nearly every country attended. Contingents from most colonies and each Dominion participated in the return procession through London 's streets. The media played an important part in broadcasting this show of pageantry and imperialism to
14601-626: The form of a bow. The medals were issued unnamed, except for the 37 issued to the British Mount Everest Expedition . These were engraved "MOUNT EVEREST EXPEDITION" on the rim. Some orders of precedence are as follows: The following list includes notable New Zealanders who received the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, and is not an exhaustive list of recipients. Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II The coronation of Elizabeth II as queen of
14758-480: The formation was led by Rear Admiral Walter Couchman flying a de Havilland Sea Vampire . After the Queen transferred to Vanguard for dinner, the day concluded with the Illumination of the fleet and a fireworks display. During a week-long visit to Scotland, on 24 June 1953, the Queen attended a national service of thanksgiving at St Giles' Cathedral , Edinburgh, during which she was ceremonially presented with
14915-628: The further trip to Montreal . In all, three such flights were made as the coronation proceeded, with the first and second Canberras taking the second and third batches of film, respectively, to Montreal. The following day, a film was flown west to Vancouver , where the CBC Television affiliate had yet to sign on. The film was escorted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to the Peace Arch Border Crossing , after which it
15072-762: The glove over to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household and the Sceptre with the Cross to the Lord of the Manor of Worksop. The Benediction followed and then the King moved over to the other throne, accompanied by the Bishops of Bath and Wells and of Durham, the Great Officers of State, the Lords carrying the swords and the Lords who had carried the regalia. The Archbishop knelt and paid homage to
15229-559: The great officers of state, the archbishops of Canterbury and York, the lord mayor of London, the officers of arms of England and Scotland, the standards of each dominion, the prime ministers of the UK and of each of the dominions, and the most senior and highest-ranking officials in the Royal Household. They were followed by twelve members of the Yeoman of the Guard and six of its officials. The King and Queen walked surrounded by their regalia, borne by
15386-446: The images from three Emitron television cameras could be sent to the transmission centre at Alexandra Palace . Commentary was by Frederick Grisewood , who was with the cameras at Hyde Park Corner . The coverage of the procession is regarded as being the BBC's first outside broadcast . In reviewing the broadcast, The Daily Telegraph commented: "Horse and foot, the Coronation procession marched into English homes yesterday," while
15543-565: The inclusion of George Frederick Handel 's Zadok the Priest (1727) and Hubert Parry 's I was glad (1902). New work written for the occasion included Confortare (Be strong and play the Man) by Walford Davies and the Festival Te Deum in F Major by Ralph Vaughan Williams . Perhaps the best known work from the 1937 coronation is Crown Imperial , an orchestral march by William Walton . It
15700-599: The insufficient ranks of regular footmen. The first royal coach left Buckingham Palace and moved down the Mall , which was filled with flag-waving and cheering crowds. It was followed by the Irish State Coach carrying Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , who wore the circlet of her crown bearing the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Queen Elizabeth II proceeded through London from Buckingham Palace, through Trafalgar Square , and towards
15857-457: The international nature of the coronation; however, officials from other Commonwealth realms declined invitations to participate in the event because the governments of those countries considered the ceremony to be a religious rite unique to Britain. As Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent said at the time: "In my view the Coronation is the official enthronement of the Sovereign as Sovereign of
16014-516: The law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, we present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom; This is the royal Law; These are the lively Oracles of God. Elizabeth returned the book to Pitt-Watson, who placed it back with the dean of Westminster. The communion service was then conducted, involving prayers by both
16171-524: The leading composers of the day: Ralph Vaughan Williams composed a new motet O Taste and See , William Walton composed a setting for the Te Deum , and the Canadian composer Healey Willan wrote an anthem O Lord our Governor . Four new orchestral pieces were planned; Arthur Bliss composed Processional ; Walton, Orb and Sceptre ; and Arnold Bax, Coronation March . Benjamin Britten had agreed to compose
16328-548: The like, arrived after 8:30 a.m. Queen Sālote of Tonga was a guest, and was noted for her cheery demeanour while riding in an open carriage through London in the rain. General George Marshall , the former United States secretary of state who implemented the Marshall Plan , was appointed chairman of the US delegation to the coronation and attended the ceremony along with his wife, Katherine. Among other dignitaries who attended
16485-438: The month beforehand training at Addington Palace . The final complement of choristers comprised 182 boy trebles, 37 male altos, 62 tenors and 67 basses. The orchestra, of 60 players, was drawn from the leading members of British symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles. Each of the 18 violinists, headed by Paul Beard , was the leader of a major orchestra or chamber group. The conductor was Sir Adrian Boult , who had conducted
16642-419: The music for the previous coronation. When it came to choosing the music, tradition required that Handel 's Zadok the Priest and Parry's I was glad were included amongst the anthems . Other choral works included were the anonymous 16th century anthem "Rejoice in the Lord alway" and Samuel Sebastian Wesley 's Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace . Another tradition was that new works be commissioned from
16799-527: The name Responsibilities of Empire , and also broadcast The Empire's Homage featuring messages from colonial officers and citizens from across the Empire. The BBC's Empire Service broadcast the whole service, lasting two-and-a-half hours. The procession was broadcast on the BBC Television Service , which had only been operating since the previous November. Several tons of television cables, measuring 8 miles (13 km), were laid across central London, so that
16956-417: The nation through the BBC services in the run-up to Coronation Day; he saw the Coronation as an opportunity for the spiritual renewal of the nation, and he organised a campaign of evangelism called Recall to Religion , which he launched on 27 December 1936 with an address on BBC radio. He was also keen to ensure that the King and Queen understood the religious nuances of the service, and held two meetings with
17113-621: The navy, army, air force and police in Britain, her colonies and Dominions. It was also awarded to members of the Mount Everest expedition, two of whom reached the summit four days before the coronation. It was struck at the Royal Mint and issued immediately after the coronation. For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that the authorities in the United Kingdom decided on
17270-460: The occasion by the Crown Jewellers, Garrard & Co . Queen Elizabeth's crown was new and made from platinum ; it featured the Koh-i-Noor diamond from the crown of Queen Mary . Queen Elizabeth wore a gown made of silk satin , with pure gold thread embroidery in a rose and thistle pattern. The ermine-lined velvet robe had a floral pattern with a gold outline. The goldwork on the gown and
17427-522: The orchestra at the previous coronation. In the evening on 2 June, the Queen made a live radio broadcast to thank the public. All across the Queen's realms, the rest of the Commonwealth, and in other parts of the world, coronation celebrations were held. The British government announced an extra bank holiday that fell on 3 June and moved the last bank holiday in May to 2 June to allow for an extended time of celebrations. The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
17584-417: The order of service were made by or with him. He was an ex officio member of both the Executive Committee and the Coronation Committee, which dealt with the detail and, as such, he attended all of the rehearsals. He tended to take a leading role in the planning process, becoming a key mediator when queries arose, and dealing with questions of how the service should be broadcast by the media. Lang also spoke to
17741-585: The palace. The royal members were led in by two officers of arms—the Bluemantle Pursuivant ( R.P. Graham-Vivian ) and the Portcullis Pursuivant ( A.R. Wagner )—followed by two Gentleman Ushers (Captain Humphrey Lloyd and Colonel Vivian Gabriel ), and were led to their seats in the royal gallery. The foreign representatives followed in at roughly 09:00 and were greeted by senior members of
17898-583: The procession into the abbey. The King and Queen then joined the procession, with the King carrying the Sceptre with the Cross in his right hand and the Orb in his left, while the Queen carried her Sceptre with the Cross in her right hand and the Ivory Rod with the Dove in her left. They proceeded to the West Door of the Abbey as the National Anthem, " God Save the King ", was sung. As in the 1902 and 1911 events,
18055-490: The procession outside. There had been considerable debate within the British Cabinet on the subject, with Prime Minister Winston Churchill against the idea; Elizabeth refused his advice on this matter and insisted the event take place before television cameras, as well as those filming with experimental 3D technology . An experiment in colour television , separate from the BBC's black and white television broadcast,
18212-454: The procession was the longest on record, at six and a quarter miles (10.1 kilometres). Before and after the event, the British and Dominion troops were accommodated in temporary camps at Kensington Gardens , Regent's Park , Primrose Hill , Olympia and Hampton Court ; the Colonial troops were housed in various London barracks . The musical director for the service was Ernest Bullock , who
18369-445: The procession went up St James' Street, joining Piccadilly, then up Regent Street, then west along Oxford Street , before turning past Marble Arch and then down East Carriage Road, alongside Hyde Park ; from there, the procession passed through Hyde Park Corner and then through Wellington Arch , on to Constitution Hill and then back into Buckingham Palace. The progression included a large number of military personnel from across
18526-491: The procession were lesser members and relatives of the Royal Family and the representatives of foreign royalty and heads of state; they departed Buckingham Palace by car between 08:40 and 08:45 and arrived at the abbey ten minutes later; British and Dominion prime ministers followed half an hour later, leaving at 09:15. At 09:49, members of the Royal Family left the palace (Queen Mary's carriage left Marlborough House shortly afterwards at 10:13). The King and Queen then travelled in
18683-536: The production of memorabilia. The event was designed to be not only a sacred anointing and formal crowning, but also a public spectacle, which was also planned as a display of the British Empire. May 1937 included a programme of royal events lasting nearly the entire month to commemorate and mark the occasion. As a preliminary to the coronation, guests from across the Empire and around the world assembled at Buckingham Palace and official receptions were held to welcome them; among those attending were Indian princes and, for
18840-463: The programme until Elizabeth had been consulted and found to be in favour; Vaughan Williams wrote an elaborate arrangement of the traditional metrical psalm , the Old Hundredth , which included military trumpet fanfares and was sung before the communion. Gordon Jacob wrote a choral arrangement of God Save the Queen , also with trumpet fanfares. The choir for the coronation was a combination of
18997-455: The recipe coronation chicken was devised, and a fireworks show was mounted on Victoria Embankment . Further, street parties were mounted around the United Kingdom. The Coronation Cup football tournament was held at Hampden Park , Glasgow in May, and two weeks before the coronation, the children's literary magazine Collins Magazine rebranded itself as The Young Elizabethan . News that Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay had reached
19154-400: The recognition, the King then took an oath and was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, before being crowned king. As a remnant of the coronation ceremony's feudal origins, the King then received homage from the peers and peeresses of the realm in attendance. There were few departures from the services conducted at previous coronations. Efforts were made to shorten the lengthy proceedings:
19311-542: The rite to reflect this change; the King now swore to maintain "the Protestant Reformed Religion only as established by law in the United Kingdom." During Edward VIII's reign, a committee was established and chaired by the Duke of York to investigate how colonial representatives might be included within the ceremony. The committee failed, though, to implement any changes, except to the Coronation Oath . This
19468-587: The robe was embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework . The gown and the robe also featured designs patriotic to the British Empire. Created by Elizabeth Handley-Seymour , the toile featured the embroidered emblems of the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the other dominions . The national flowers that appeared on the robe included the South African protea and the Indian lotus flower . Intertwined letter Es for Elizabeth were also embroidered on
19625-672: The robe. Norman Hartnell dressed the maids of honour. While the litany was sung, the Choir led the Dean and Prebendaries of Westminster down from the High Altar at 09:55; they were carrying the Crown Jewels and regalia, which they then deposited at the Vestibule. The Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Office then handed the regalia to the Lord High Constable , who in turn handed them to
19782-540: The route were the responsibility of David Eccles , Minister of Works. Eccles described his role and that of the Earl Marshal: "The Earl Marshal is the producer – I am the stage manager..." Architect Hugh Casson designed street decorations for Westminster, and Eric Bedford designed the Coronation Arches erected over The Mall. The committees involved high commissioners from other Commonwealth realms, reflecting
19939-710: The royal peers, the 5 most senior peers, one for each rank, offered their fealty as representatives of the peerage of the United Kingdom: Norfolk for Dukes and Duchesses, the Marquess Huntly for Marquesses and Marchionesses, the Earl of Shrewsbury for Earls and Countesses, the Viscount of Arbuthnott for Viscounts and Viscountesses and the Lord Mowbray for Barons and Baronesses. When the last Baron had completed this task,
20096-548: The same day, Operation Pony Express was executed, seeing RAF Canberras fly BBC film recordings of the ceremony across the Atlantic Ocean to be broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the first non-stop flights between the United Kingdom and the Canadian mainland. At Goose Bay , Labrador , the first batch of film was transferred to a Royal Canadian Air Force CF-100 jet fighter for
20253-402: The service to citizens of the Empire allowed the Coronation to further Britain's imperial ambitions; as Range wrote, "with the twentieth century there also came a heightened awareness of ... the propagandistic qualities of the event". The BBC and CBC jointly transmitted the proclamation of George VI. In the lead up to the Coronation, the BBC organised talks by Ministers to be broadcast under
20410-462: The skywriting Venoms spelled out the word "vivat". Coronation of George VI and Elizabeth The coronation of George VI and his wife, Elizabeth , as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth , Emperor and Empress consort of India took place at Westminster Abbey , London, on Wednesday 12 May 1937. George VI ascended the throne upon
20567-420: The spirituality of the ceremony. Despite recalling it as being "inordinately long" and remembering how heavy the crown and robes were, the Queen said that it was "wonderful and there is a great sense of offering oneself". The King wrote to Lang thanking him for his support and, although he said it was an "ordeal", he also wrote that "I felt I was being helped all the time by Someone Else as you said I would". On
20724-620: The streets of London , some having camped overnight in their spot to ensure a view of the monarch, and others having access to specially built stands and scaffolding along the route. For those not present, more than 200 microphones were stationed along the path and in Westminster Abbey , with 750 commentators broadcasting in 39 languages. The procession included foreign royalty and heads of state riding to Westminster Abbey in various carriages, so many that volunteers ranging from wealthy businessmen to rural landowners were required to supplement
20881-594: The summit of Mount Everest arrived in Britain on Elizabeth's coronation day; the New Zealand, American, and British media dubbed it "a coronation gift for the new Queen". In the following month, a pageant took place over the River Thames as a coronation tribute to the Queen. Military tattoos , horse races, parades, and fireworks displays were mounted in Canada. The country's Governor General , Vincent Massey , proclaimed
21038-673: The swords, were laid on the altar. The King then knelt before the altar and swore on the Bible his coronation oath , a copy of which he then signed. The Archbishop of Canterbury then began the Communion Service, while the Bishop of London read the Epistle and the Archbishop of York the Gospel; after the Service concluded, the King and Queen knelt while the choir sang " Veni, Creator Spiritus ". This marked
21195-457: The three-hour ceremony. Guests seated on stools were able to purchase their stools following the ceremony, with the profits going towards the cost of the coronation. Preceding the Queen into Westminster Abbey was the coronation regalia , including the Second Sword, carried by the Earl of Home , Curtana carried by the Duke of Northumberland , the Third Sword carried by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensbury and St Edward's Crown , carried into
21352-414: The vestibule and at the entrance, and the King and Queen arrived at 11:00. On their entry, they were greeted by the great officers of state, the archbishops, and the peers bearing the regalia. They then formed their procession, which was led by the King's chaplain and the Chapter at Westminster, who were followed by representatives of the Free Churches and the Church of Scotland. The procession involved all of
21509-428: The word CANADA , all circumscribed by ELIZABETH II REGINA CORONATA MCMLIII . As at the coronation of George VI, acorns shed from oaks in Windsor Great Park , near Windsor Castle , were shipped around the Commonwealth and planted in parks, school grounds, cemeteries and private gardens to grow into what are known as Royal Oaks or Coronation Oaks . In London, the Queen hosted a coronation luncheon, for which
21666-418: The wrong way, one bishop stepped on the King's train, and another obscured the words of the Oath with his thumb while the King was reading it. In the text of the service, this part of the ceremony was described using the archaic term "inthronization". The Archbishop of Canterbury presented the Bible to the King and the King returned it to him, who gave it to the Dean, who placed it on the Altar. The King handed
21823-428: Was a very public spectacle; Sir Roy Strong argues that the month-long festivities were designed to "recapture the confidence of the nation" following the abdication crisis. The first week saw receptions for foreign visitors and delegates, while a State Banquet was held on 10 May, but the weeks following the coronation saw more public spectacles; the following day included a royal drive through north London, 16 May included
21980-416: Was also presented to thousands of recipients throughout the Queen's realms and in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK, commemorative coins were issued. Three million bronze coronation medallions were ordered by the Canadian government, struck by the Royal Canadian Mint and distributed to schoolchildren across the country; the obverse showed Elizabeth's effigy and the reverse the royal cypher above
22137-405: Was attended by the King's and Queen's daughters, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret , as well as by the King's mother, Queen Mary . When Mary attended the coronation, she became the first British dowager queen to do so. Members of the extended royal family attended and all peers and members of parliament were invited. Leading colonial administrators, ambassadors, Indian princes and premiers of
22294-417: Was conducted by the Garter King of Arms to St Edward's Chair , and the Archbishop, as tradition dictates, asked: "Sirs, I here present unto you King George, your undoubted King: wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?" The people replied loudly at each repetition "God save King George". The king then sat in the Chair of Estate and the regalia, except
22451-409: Was controversial due to her being divorced with her previous spouse still living, a status considered incompatible with the King's position as the nominal head of the Church of England , which did not at that time permit remarriage after divorce if the previous spouse was still living. In October 1936 Simpson filed for divorce (which, when final, would result in two previous spouses still living), and
22608-441: Was crowned and anointed in a much smaller and simpler ceremony. This began immediately after the homage to the King finished, when the Queen knelt in prayer before the altar. She then went to the Faldstool , which had been placed before the altar, where she knelt under a canopy, which was held by the Duchesses of Norfolk, Rutland , Buccleuch , and Roxburghe . The Archbishop anointed her, placed on her fourth finger on her right hand
22765-409: Was designed by Cecil Thomas . The dark red ribbon is 1.25 inches (32 mm) wide, with 5 ⁄ 64 inch (2 mm) wide white edges and two narrow dark blue stripes in the centre, each 5 ⁄ 64 inch (2 mm) wide and 1 ⁄ 16 inch (1.6 mm) apart. Ladies who were awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal can wear it on their left shoulder with the ribbon tied in
22922-507: Was escorted by the Washington State Patrol to Bellingham , where it was shown as the inaugural broadcast of KVOS-TV , a new station whose signal reached into the Lower Mainland of British Columbia , allowing viewers there to see the coronation as well, though on a one-day delay. US networks NBC and CBS made similar arrangements to have films flown in relays back to the United States for same-day broadcast, but they used slower propeller-driven aircraft. NBC had originally planned to carry
23079-409: Was flanked by The Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, and they were followed by the Duchesses of Gloucester and Kent and then, in pairs, Prince and Princess Arthur of Connaught ; Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone and Lady Patricia Ramsay ; and Princess Marie Louise and Princess Helena Victoria , each with an attendant, train-bearer, or coronet carrier, as applicable. Twenty minutes later,
23236-417: Was later broadcast from these recordings, with the authorities censoring only one small section: a clip of Queen Mary wiping a tear from her eye. Aside from the Coronation ceremony itself, a 23-day-long programme of official events spanned most of May 1937. The 1902 Coronation was the first to see such a programme implemented, but 1937 was nearly twice as long, and, building on similar developments in 1911, it
23393-413: Was organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, in consultation with the Master of the King's Musick , Henry Walford Davies . The Abbey choir was supplemented by choirs from the Chapel Royal , St Paul's Cathedral , St George's Chapel, Windsor and the Temple Church . An orchestra composed of musicians from London's main orchestras was conducted by Sir Adrian Boult . Tradition demanded
23550-438: Was over six miles (9.7 km) in length, making it the longest coronation procession up to that time; crowds of people lined the streets to watch it, over 32,000 soldiers and sailors took part, and 20,000 police officers lined the route. The coronation was commemorated by the issuing of official medals , coinage and stamps, by military parades across the Empire, and by numerous unofficial celebrations, including street parties and
23707-405: Was put on at Exhibition Place in Toronto , square dances and exhibitions took place in the Prairie provinces , and, in Vancouver , the Chinese community performed a public lion dance . On the Korean Peninsula , Canadian soldiers serving in the Korean War acknowledged the day by firing red, white, and blue coloured smoke shells at the enemy and drank rum rations. A documentary film of
23864-456: Was succeeded by his next younger brother, George VI . Before his accession, George had been known as Prince Albert, Duke of York ; his regnal name was chosen in honour of his late father. In 1923, he had married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon , the daughter of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne . Although the reign of the British monarch begins on his or her succession to the throne, the coronation service marks their formal investiture. In 1937,
24021-407: Was taken as a slight to Scotland's dignity by the Scottish press. The decision not to dress formally was made by the Private Secretary to the Sovereign , Sir Alan Lascelles , and Sir Austin Strutt, a senior civil servant at the Home Office, to avoid the service being interpreted as a coronation (the Kingdom of Scotland having ceased to exist upon the Acts of Union 1707 ). In the official painting of
24178-446: Was the desire of Bullock and Davies that the programme should include music from 'Tudor times to the present day' and so new pieces were composed by Arnold Bax , Arthur Bliss and Granville Bantock , as well as Walton and Vaughan Williams. Walton's Crown Imperial was played while the King and Queen progressed up the nave; Edvard Grieg 's Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar and Edward German 's Coronation March were played when
24335-418: Was the first amendment to the oath since the coronation of King William III and Queen Mary II in 1689. Although 1937 saw an increase in the colonial contingents partaking in the procession and an official lunch in Westminster Hall was given to parliamentary representatives of Empire states for the first time, the service itself was barely altered to reflect the new status of the Dominions. The ceremony
24492-412: Was then anointed as the choir sang Zadok the Priest ; the Queen's jewellery and crimson cape were removed by the Earl of Ancaster and the Mistress of the Robes , the Duchess of Devonshire and, wearing only a simple, white linen dress also designed by Hartnell to completely cover the coronation gown, she moved to be seated in King Edward's Chair. There, Fisher, assisted by the Dean of Westminster, made
24649-415: Was transmitted to children at the Great Ormond Street Hospital where an average of 17 people watched each small screen. In Europe, thanks to new relay links, this was the first live broadcast of an event taking place in the United Kingdom. The coronation was broadcast in France, Belgium, West Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands, marking the birth of Eurovision . To make sure Canadians could see it on
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