Coronation of Elizabeth II happened 69 years ago. Here are 15 vivid pictures of the ceremony — a thousands rally, the first telecast, a heavy crown and brawling Prince Charles
- Authors:
- Serhii Pyvovarov, Yevhen Spirin
- Date:
Coronation of Elizabeth II took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. She officially ascended the throne on February 6, 1952. This happened when she was 25 years old, after the death of her father, King George VI. Her reign lasted over 70 years — a record term in the history of Great Britain. Elizabethʼs coronation was the last in British history of the 20th century and the first to be fully broadcast live on television. The event was covered by thousands of journalists from almost a hundred countries. Spectators took their comfortable seats on the way of the ceremonial procession of the new queen and her entourage a day before the ceremony. Elizabeth complained about the stiff carriage, uncomfortable dress and heavy crown. And her eldest son (at that time four-year-old Prince Charles) almost dropped the crown. He almost disrupted the entire ceremony because of that. “Babel” tells about the Elizabeth II coronation in vivid archival photos.
This article was originally published in Ukrainian on June 2, 2021. Its English version is updated on September 10, 2022.
The route of the procession through London was laid out in such a way that as many people as possible could see the new queen. About 30 000 participants of the procession covered the distance of 7.2 kilometers in two hours. In the picture: a procession in honor of the coronation of Elizabeth II in London on June 2, 1953.
People took the best places on the thousands rally route a day before the start of the coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II. Pictured here are Mrs Birch and her eight-year-old son John, spending the night outside Buckingham Palace on June 2, 1953.
There were not enough places on the route of the ceremony. So, people organized their celebrations in honor of the coronation in different areas of London. Here, a girl at the mass gatherindgs during the celebration of the coronation of Elizabeth II in London Industrial East End district, on June 2, 1953.
During the thousands rally, about seven thousand police officers monitored the order. In the picture: a police border during the coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II, on June 2, 1953.
This was the first coronation ceremony in the history of Britain to be fully broadcast live on television. Before that, it was not allowed to film inside Westminster Abbey. 27 million people watched it only in Great Britain. The entire event was covered by more than two thousand journalists from almost a hundred countries. In the picture: Pilots fi…
Coronations of monarchs have taken place in Westminster Abbey since 1066. On Elizabethʼs head is the crown of St. Edward, created in 1661. It is made of pure gold and weighs more than two kilograms. The Queen tried it on before the ceremony to get used to the massive jewelry. She could not even put her head down and read the speech with it. She was…
After the fitting, Elizabeth put the crown aside and focused on preparing for the ceremony. At this time, four-year-old Prince Charles grabbed her. He could have dropped the heavy crown, which would surely have been damaged when it fell. Therefore, the whole ceremony could have been disrupted. But one of the maids of honor noticed it and took the c…
After the coronation, Elizabeth II appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. On her head was the crown of the British Empire, which was a little bit lighter than the previous one. In the picture: Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, on July 2, 1953.
Elizabethʼs grandmother (Queen Mary) did not live to see the coronation of Elizabeth by several months. In her [Mary] will, she asked that her death not affect the planning of the ceremony and that the coronation be held as scheduled. In the picture: Queen Elizabeth II with other members of the British Royal Family and foreign royal houses in the T…
The dress for the ceremony was created by court fashion designer Norman Gartnell. It was made of white satin and decorated with the coats of arms of Great Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations, embroidered with gold and silver threads. According to the Queen, this dress was very uncomfortable. She recalls that "for one moment I just couldnʼt move…
Translated from Ukrainian by Ruslana Stolz.
God protects the British queen, and your donations protect us! Support Babel: Patreon 🔸 paypal@babel.ua🔸donate in cryptocurrency🔸in hryvnia.