Although British monarchs don't really believe in their divine right to rule anymore, they
still have a fancy ceremony to officially assign them that power. From the crowns to
the robes to the impressive guest list, this is the untold truth of Queen Elizabeth II's
coronation.
Elizabeth II's father and predecessor, George VI, died in his sleep at the family estate
Sandringham on February 6, 1952, which was shown in the first season of Netflix's The
Crown. Per BBC History Extra, the cause was later found to be a blood clot. Princess Elizabeth
was in Kenya on official royal business at the time. As was custom, she and the rest
of the British royal family went into a three-month period of mourning. In June 1952, preparations
for her coronation got underway, with the first meeting of the coronation committee
meeting on June 16. The date of the coronation was set for just under a year later, on June
2, 1953.
Elizabeth was officially queen for 16 months before her coronation. In contrast, George
VI only waited six months, from December 1936 to May 1937, between ascending the throne
and his coronation.
Some have blamed Prime Minister Winston Churchill for postponing Elizabeth II's coronation,
but historically, George VI was the exception. Queen Victoria, Edward VII, and George V all
waited at least a year between becoming the monarch and their coronation. The reason George
VI didn't have to wait that long was because coronation plans were already underway for
his brother, Edward VIII, who abdicated for the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson,
leaving his shy younger brother to step into the role.
"You are royal by blood. You can rule."
The British royal family typically prioritizes accident of birth over proven skill, and it's
how they got their own status, after all. So it's not super surprising that the person
nominally in charge of organizing the coronation got the job not through a rigorous interview
process, but because of an archaic tradition.
According to the royal family's official website, the task of organizing a coronation belongs
to the Earl Marshal. Since 1386, the Earl Marshal has been whoever happens to be the
Duke of Norfolk. By 1952, Britain was on its 16th Duke of Norfolk, which was Bernard Marmaduke
Fitzalan ‐Howard. With a name like that, you'd definitely trust him to know how to
pull off a huge royal ceremony.
To be fair to the duke, he had already overseen several major royal events. By Elizabeth II's
coronation, he'd organized the coronation of George VI, and the funerals of George V
and George VI. He would later arrange the state funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965
and Charles' investiture as the Prince of Wales in 1969. However, the Duke of Norfolk
ultimately found himself reporting to another person filling a role he was also born into.
Fitzalan‐Howard chaired the executive and joint coronation committees, which served
under the coronation commission, headed by the Duke of Edinburgh, the queen's husband.
By 1953, the people of Britain who didn't spend their time wandering around palaces
and cutting ribbons really needed something happy to look forward to. It had only been
eight years since the end of World War II. Although Britain had come out of the war in
better shape than some other countries, many families lost loved ones, many of those who
did return were traumatized, and six years of war had torn other families apart. Several
major cities were also badly damaged.
On the economic front, the war had bankrupted Britain, and once it was over, the country
could no longer receive regular funding from America. Exports had been badly affected,
and industries like railways and coal were under-resourced. Britain couldn't afford to
import food, which meant that food products and other necessities that had been rationed
since 1940 would continue to be limited until as late as 1954.
In addition, the British Empire was crumbling, as the government could no longer afford to
resist calls for independence. Once a source of misplaced pride, this loss seemed to signal
that Britain was losing its status as a world power.
By 1953, Britain had been crowning monarchs for nearly 900 years, yet no one who didn't
have a written invitation had ever witnessed a coronation. For George VI's coronation in
1937, only a small segment of the return procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace
had been broadcast on TV by the BBC. But by 1953, the network had more experience filming
large events, including Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's wedding in 1947. Prime Minister Winston
Churchill, the Archbishop of Canterbury Geoffrey Fisher, the Palace, and the Duke of Norfolk
all opposed televising the coronation. They argued that the cameras would be intrusive,
and that it would cheapen the serious occasion.
However, the BBC's Director of Television, George Barnes, countered their concerns by
pointing out that the cameras were barely noticeable, and that there was great public
demand. He was right. Newspapers and members of the public flooded MPs with complaints.
The MPs complained to Churchill, who ultimately changed his mind. As was his way, he dragged
everyone else with him.
The broadcast became a pinnacle moment in the history of British TV. At that point,
only two million people had paid for a TV license, but it's estimated that 20 million
watched the broadcast. Friends, family, and even whole streets crowded around a single
set for the chance to see the crowning of a queen. According to the CBC, 277 million
people watched worldwide.
Britain is a famously rainy nation. The committee tasked with planning the Coronation did consider
the possibility the queen would get soaked. They selected June 2 for the big day because
meteorologists had estimated that it would be the least likely day of the year to experience
rain. How wrong they were. Although the morning was sunny, by the time the queen and her VIPs
emerged from Westminster Abbey, the heavens had opened.
"Horrible. That's not meant for traveling in at all."
This wasn't such a problem for the queen and the attending dignitaries, who rode in closed
carriages from doorstep to doorstep. But it somewhat dampened the atmosphere for the thousands
of onlookers. Fortunately, Brits are attuned to wet weather. And one monarch braved the
downpour to reward their patience. Queen Salote of Tonga won over the soaking crowds when
she refused to raise the roof on her carriage, being the only participant not to do so. At
the time of the coronation, Queen Salote was the only other female monarch in the Commonwealth.
She was a regal, charming person, who was 6 foot 3 inches, and rarely seen not smiling.
Her gesture reportedly so touched the British public that racehorses, songs, and babies
were named in her honor.
The best way to assert yourself as the one monarch to rule them all is to make sure a
bunch of other monarchs and heads of state attend your coronation, where they can observe
your power and jewels for themselves. The guest list for Elizabeth II's coronation was
full of foreign and domestic royalty, and important political figures. According to
the official Palace website, 8,251 guests squeezed into Westminster Abbey. Attendees
included the heads of the Commonwealth states and various prime ministers, including Britain's
then-prime minister Winston Churchill, who was said to have received the only cheer equal
to the one the crowd gave for the queen.
These distinguished guests also rode in the processions from Buckingham Palace to Westminster
Abbey and back. So did the Queen Mother and the children of monarchs and grandchildren
of royal male lineages. Notably absent, however, was the controversial Duke of Windsor and
his wife Wallis Simpson. Elizabeth also had her own entourage, in the form of the Duke
of Edinburgh and six maids of honor, chosen from high-ranking families by the Duke of
Norfolk.
One of the least-famous guests present would later be the center of attention herself.
Jacqueline Bouvier covered the wedding for the Washington Times-Herald, and married then-Senator
John F. Kennedy just three months later. In 1961, the First Couple met the queen one-on-one
when they visited Buckingham Palace for a formal dinner.
Another good way to exert your status as a monarch is to have loyal subjects line the
streets, cheering for you. This was also a strong feature of the 1953 coronation. People
who had no chance of getting an invitation to Westminster Abbey turned up a day early
and camped out along the procession route, for the chance to glimpse the queen as she
passed. According to BBC History Extra, some waited up to 20 hours for this moment. And
let's not forget that it rained throughout the night, and on and off the next day. It's
estimated that as many as three million people showed up to stand in the soggy London streets
and cheer the procession on.
Some were there for business rather than pleasure. Military personnel lined the streets, and
some marched in the procession. Of the approximately 30,000 service members who took part in the
coronation, 3,600 were from the Royal Navy, 16,100 were from the Army, and 7,000 were
from the Royal Air Force, while the Commonwealth collectively sent 2,000, and 500 people came
from the Colonies.
If there's one thing the British have historically loved more than watching their tax money being
spent on inducting a non-elected official to rule over them, it's conquering other lands.
So June 2, 1953 proved to be doubly triumphant for the nation. On May 29, a British-sponsored
expedition made up of Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal, and New Zealand explorer Edmund
Hillary became the first team to officially reach the peak of Mount Everest. Since Mount
Everest is pretty remote, it took a few days for the news to spread around the world. Elizabeth
II heard about it before the rest of the country. She was told the night before the coronation,
but newspapers broke it the following morning, on June 2.
Norgay and Hillary missed the coronation, but they both met the queen. Later in 1953,
Elizabeth II awarded Norgay the George medal, and knighted Hillary and expedition coordinator
John Hunt. According to the Evening Standard, Hillary and Elizabeth met "many times" until
his death in 2012, and she sent a personal message of sympathy to his family.
"Today, we need a special kind of courage."
The coronation started when Elizabeth II and Prince Philip left Buckingham Palace for Westminster
Abbey at 10:26 am, drawn in the Gold State Coach by eight grey horses. They arrived at
the Royal Entrance at 11 am, where they were met by various archbishops and Officers of
State, and at 11:15, the procession into the Abbey began. The ceremony lasted nearly three
hours, and was separated into six stages: the recognition, the oath, the anointing,
the investiture, which included the actual crowning, the enthronement, and the homage.
The anointing was considered too sacred to be broadcast on television, so this part was
performed under a golden canopy held by four Knights of the Garter. But we know it involved
removing the Robe of State and the George IV Diadem, and the Archbishop drawing a cross
on the queen's palms, chest, and forehead using a blend of orange, roses, cinnamon,
musk, and ambergris, poured from a solid gold jug shaped like an eagle. The anointment signaled
that the queen had been blessed to rule by the God of the Church of England.
After that came the investiture, when the queen was presented with various symbols of
monarchy, including the famous orb and sceptres, and was finally officially crowned with St.
Edward's Crown.
Elizabeth II's wardrobe for her coronation was incredibly extravagant and symbolic. She
started with a beautiful white dress, designed by British designer Norman Hartnell, who joined
the project in October 1952. The final version had short sleeves, a sweetheart neckline,
and a full skirt. Elizabeth also asked for embroidered images symbolizing the four countries
in the United Kingdom. The dress is embroidered in pearls, diamantes, and gold bugle beads
in patterns shaped like Welsh leeks, the English Tudor rose, Scottish thistles, and the shamrock
of Northern Ireland. Hartnell disliked the leeks, but the queen was a fan of the end
result, and she wore the dress a further six times.
Throughout the day, the queen added multiple robes over the dress. She entered Westminster
Abbey wearing the crimson Robe of State, also known as the Parliament Robe, which she wears
during the State Opening of Parliament every year. During the Anointing, she removed the
robe and crown and added a plain white dress over her dress. For the Investiture, she put
on the gold, coat-like Supertunica, also known as the Robe Royal, the gold, scarf-like Stole
Royal, and the gold, cloak-like Imperial Mantle. At the end of the ceremony, these were removed,
and the robe she wore out of the Abbey was the Robe of Estate, a purple, velvet, satin-lined
robe, which took 12 embroiderers 3,500 hours to embroider with wheat ears and olive branches.
Elizabeth II wore a grand total of three crowns at her coronation. She traveled to Westminster
Abbey wearing the George IV State Diadem. Made for its namesake's coronation in 1820,
the frame is gold-lined silver with a pearl border, encrusted with 1,333 diamonds, set
into four crosses and four bouquets of a Scottish thistle, Irish shamrock, English rose, and
Welsh daffodil.
The diadem was removed during the anointing portion of the ceremony. Elizabeth was officially
crowned with St. Edward's Crown, which is only used for coronations, starting with Charles
II's in 1661. St. Edward's Crown is made of solid gold, encrusted with 440 precious gems,
including rubies, sapphires, and amethysts. Previously these were rented, but were permanently
set in 1911, for the coronation of George V, making the crown weigh in at five pounds.
After the ceremony ended, Elizabeth II exchanged St. Edward's Crown for the Imperial State
Crown, which was made for her father George VI's coronation in 1937, and which she still
wears to open Parliament every year. In a rare interview, Elizabeth II recalled that
it was, quote, "unwieldy." She added,
"There are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise, they're quite important things."
"Fortunately, my father and I had about the same size head."
When Elizabeth II became Queen, her husband, Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, did not become
king. The only men who can become kings of England are those who inherit the position
in their own right. Philip had actually given up royal titles in order to marry Elizabeth
on November 20, 1947. He had been Prince of Greece and Denmark, but he renounced these
foreign titles, joined the Church of England, and was appointed Duke of Edinburgh. On Coronation
Day, Philip wasn't a prince. In fact, it wasn't until 1957 that he became Elizabeth II's Prince
Consort.
But Philip was still involved in the coronation arrangements. He was head of the coronation
commission, and was one of the main proponents of televising the ceremony, opposing the older
members.
On the day, Philip accompanied Elizabeth II in the Gold State Coach, wearing his Full
Dress Naval uniform. Before the death of George VI made Elizabeth the monarch, Philip had
served in the Royal Navy, retiring as a commander when it became clear that his wife would inherit
the throne sooner than expected. In Westminster Abbey, the Duke wore a specially made silk
and ermine robe, from the same company that made the queen's, and a coronet. During the
homage, the Duke was the first non-Church official to kneel before the newly crowned
queen.
"You'll be kneeling before God, and the crown, as we all do."
Since the British royal family's purpose is largely symbolic, the coronation itself had
to be stuffed with symbolism. Every shiny thing involved in the investiture part of
the ceremony carried symbolic meaning. From the embroidery on the queen's dress to the
flowers she carried, everything had a deeper meaning. For example, the queen carried a
bouquet of white flowers that each represented the four kingdoms of the UK. The orchids from
England and Wales also reflected the orchids she had carried on her wedding day.
During the investiture, before being crowned, the queen was presented with a series of objects
that represent the "knightly virtues" that the monarch is expected to exhibit, which
include chivalry, wisdom, courage, rewarding good, and punishing evil. These include golden
spurs, golden bracelets, and the Sword of Offering. Kings get to wear the sword, but
queens don't. The other important one is the Orb, a jewel-studded gold globe topped with
a cross to represent the Church of England ruling the world.
After being presented to the queen, all of these objects were offered to the altar. Just
before the crowning, the coronation ring was placed on her right ring finger, and she was
handed the Sceptre with Cross, and the Rod, which symbolize the monarch's control over
their people, like a shepherd and their flock.
The queen returned to Buckingham Palace via a convoluted route that allowed for more waving.
There, still wearing her Imperial State Crown and Robes of Estate, she and her family stood
on the palace balcony for more waving to the cameras and onlookers below. After that, she
hosted what was by then a very late luncheon, which introduced a new dish that is still
eaten today. Named Coronation Chicken, the royal family's official website reports that
it was invented by Constance Spry, a legendary florist who had provided the flowers and apparently
also knew a thing or two about cooking. It contains chicken, rice, green peas, and mixed
herbs, covered in curry cream sauce and served cold.
The family came back to the balcony at 9:45 pm, to oversee the turning on of specially
arranged lights spread out across London. Meanwhile, people across Britain were celebrating
with their own parties. Whole streets were closed off, decorated with bunting and packed
with picnic tables, with everyone bringing sandwiches and cakes to share. After years
of austerity and uncertainty, it was a moment of national pride. People who were there remember
dressing up in historical costumes, children doing pageants and recreations, and, as one
man put it, "lots of alcohol being drunk." Well, it's not every day you crown a queen.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Grunge videos about royal
history are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't
miss a single one.