Coronation of British Monarchs


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Although I'm giving away my age, I used to have a Viewmaster disc with pictures of the Coronation. Maybe that's still available... in antiquities shops?
 
iowabelle said:
Although I'm giving away my age, I used to have a Viewmaster disc with pictures of the Coronation. Maybe that's still available... in antiquities shops?

I have those!! And, yes, I'm giving away my age. :lol:
 
Ah what wonderful memories! I'm the same age as Charles:ninja: (actually 11 months older) and as a shy little country girl was taken to the picture theatre in our nearest town to see the Coronation on Movietone news. I can't remember now whether we saw the whole thing or just parts of it( and back in those days it was in black and white and TV hadn't hit our shores back then either) but I was absolutely entranced hence started a life long devotion to Royal watching:D
 
Coronation "Gold Staff Officer"

I am seeking to understand the role of “Gold Staff Officers” at Coronations’, and in particular the names of those at the 1937 coronation of King George VI.

Any pointers would be gratefully received.
 
I am seeking to understand the role of “Gold Staff Officers” at Coronations’, and in particular the names of those at the 1937 coronation of King George VI.

Any pointers would be gratefully received.

Insignia, you might like to try this site: John Thomas Woolrych Perowne (1863-1954) « Family Connections

Otherwise I recommend the following book : CROWNED KING OF ENGLAND - the coronation of King George VI in History and Tradition, by Philip Lindsay, London, Ivor Nicholson & Watson, E.C.4 MCMXXXVII. The first part is on the coronation of George VI (very detailed) and from page 117 on you get summaries of the previous coronations, starting William I to George V. From Page 279 it is bibliography.
 
:previous:
Another book which goes into great detail is "Queens, Crowns and Coronations" by Lewis Broad, revised 1952, originally published as "Crowning the King" in 1937.
 
GVI Coronation Gold Staff Officer

Many thanks indeed for the replies; I will be following up the references. In the meantime does anyone have a photo of the one of the Gold Staff Officers wearing the distinctive Armband or carrying the Baton? Best Wishes.
 
I've been trying to find some details from the older coronations but have had no luck.

The only page I found was here from Westminster Abbey's site, but it gives more details about the processions before and the banquets after than the actual coronation itself.

Westminster Abbey

I believe the coronations changed a great deal with the coronations of George III and George IV. Are there any details of the coronation service before that time?
 
Channel 4 will be showing a 3D film of the Queen's coronation! This is awesome...I can only hope it will be shown in the states at one point. Word is that when the Queen heard they had found the footage that she invited the filmmakers (now in their 80's) to come shoot some more footage! Very very very cool.

The film contains 17 minutes of previously unseen footage:
The film shows the Queen traveling to and from Westminster Abbey, a trip to the Derby at Epson, and footage of the Queen and Prince Philip on the Royal Barge after she was crowned.
.
 
Coronations are pretty thin on the ground.... it will soon be 60 years since the last one...!
and carried out in
Westminster Abbey... even the elite who are present dont see anything
perhaps the choristers are the only ones in the building with a half decent view of proceedings !
but I dare say they wont change the venue for Charles whatever !

(wonder... will Camilla be crowned Queen at the same ceremony ? )
 
Considering the Coronation was shown on Television a lot of people got to see the event, the people at the Abbey got the best view. The only bit that no one gets to see is the Anointing and Crowning.
Westminster Abbey has seen the coronation of 39 Monarchs.
The Queen Consort is crowned immediately before homage is paid to the Monarch.
 
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QUOTE
the people at the Abbey got the best view.
END QUOTE
i BEG to differ.... all the action takes place in an out of sight area
to the congregation.
They might have glimpsed HM passing up the aisle but that is about it
Yes the TV cameras were sighted to film the coronation... but shaky b and white images ! on tiny bakelite TVs !!!!
No doubt next time it will be filmed and televised in superbe quality and watched around the world....
but the poor congregation of elites , royals, dignitaries ... pop stars etc...will see very little ....

St Pauls.. with all that space ... would be a better venue (Charles surprise choice for his wedding )
.... but it aint gonna happen is it guys !
 
Well I stand by that certainly some people will have seen the whole ceremony, and the people in the abbey would have got the better view whether HM was in or out of sight.
Anyway the experience of being sat in the church where the coronation of the Monarch is taking place is the real privelige.
 
On this day. 58 years ago, HM Queen Elizabeth 11 was crowned at Westminster Abbey.

She's stll fulfilling the oaths she made to her peoples that day !

God Save the Queen.
 
June 2nd 1953,58 years to the day today,saw the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
 
What did QE and Margaret wear to George VI's coronation?

There are pictures of them wearing what look like crowns, but I can't find any information about what they were. I wonder if they were ad hoc crowns made for the girls as daughters of the new sovereign?
 
According to an article I found from TheTelegraph these were specially light weight coronets designed by George VI for his daughters,

Getty
 
A question of crowns

Ive been looking at the photos that Cecil Beaton took of the Queen and came across this photo of the coronation King George

Long to reign over us: Queen Elizabeth II in pictures - Telegraph

Its the photo that shows the then royal family on the balcony after the crowning. The King is wearing the coronation crown and then I noticed that the Queen Mother was wearing a rather impressive smaller version of the coronation crown and then noticed that the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret had little gold crowns (the type of crown I used to draw when I was a girl) I was wondering what happened to these crowns? does anyone or has anyone ever wear/worn them after this event and does Prince Philip wear the crown that the Queen Mother is wearing and The queen did she wear the coronation crown that her father had worn.
PHEW! a long question I know would welcome any info on this matter. :)
 
The Queen Mother's crown was last seen at her funeral in 2002 when it was placed on her coffin.

Philip doesn't wear a crown as he isn't a king.

The Queen did wear St Edward's crown at her coronation.

As for the princesses crowns - I have no idea.
 
okay
Im getting it so The Queen Mother could be made a Queen as its inferior to the title of King (who ionherited the title) and therefore Prince Philip remained a prince because if he couldnt be made a king over the QueenII (who inherited the title)

Now I want to know the provenance of those little Princess crowns Im off to have a further look.
 
I believe those little crowns were specially commissioned for the 1937 Coronation.

You are correct - the wife of a King is always a Queen Consort but the husband of a Queen Regnant is not a King but a Prince.
 
thanks for replying I found this information on wikipedia

The Coronation Coronets

In 1937 before the coronation of their parents, it was decided that the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret should receive coronets to wear during the event. Elaborate coronets of gold lined with crimson and edged with ermine were designed by the crown jeweller and brought to the royal couple for inspection. The king and queen decided the coronets were too cumbersome and too ornate to be appropriate. Queen Mary suggested the coronets be simple circlets of silver gilt in a mediaeval style. The king agreed and the two coronets were designed with Maltese crosses and fleur-de-lys. After the coronation Queen Mary wrote "Lilibet [Elizabeth] and Margaret looked too sweet in their lace dresses and robes, especially when they put on their coronets.[29]
 
I believe the late Queen Mother last wore that crown at her daughter's coronation in 1953, with the arches and the velvet cap removed. I'm not sure if she would have worn it at the state openings of Parliament or not. (There was no photography of Parliament in session at the time, and I've never seen a written description of the event from back then. If she did, it would have only been a few times, as ceremony was curtailed quite a lot during the war and its aftermath.)
 
I believe the late Queen Mother last wore that crown at her daughter's coronation in 1953, with the arches and the velvet cap removed. I'm not sure if she would have worn it at the state openings of Parliament or not. (There was no photography of Parliament in session at the time, and I've never seen a written description of the event from back then. If she did, it would have only been a few times, as ceremony was curtailed quite a lot during the war and its aftermath.)

She also wore her crown without the arches at the State Visit of President De Gaulle to the UK a few years later.
 
I have been looking at some pictures of the Queen's coronation and would appreciate if someone could explain why Princess Margaret wore a coronet whereas other Princesses such as Princess Marina & Alexandra wore tiaras.
 
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