Today will see the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom, a ceremony that has generated anticipation following the long reign of his predecessor. Very few remember Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. It was scheduled for 10:30 am on Tuesday, June 2, 1953, and it was a historic event for the United Kingdom (Kelley, 1997). She was the sixth queen of England—and the third of Scotland—in fourteen centuries. To prepare for the coronation in 1952, the UK Cabinet consulted with Commonwealth realms, and took into account local government elections, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and the Epsom Derby to consider an appropriate date. The date chosen by the Queen was June 2, 1953, as "the first practicable day after Whitsun". This decision was criticized in the press because hotels would be full during Derby week, and blooming trees would obstruct views of the procession (Torrance, 2023).
Following the death of King George VI, black armbands had disappeared, and for a year it seemed that in newsrooms, pubs, boardrooms, and drawing rooms across the country, people spoke only of the coronation of the Queen. The importance of Elizabeth II's coronation carried within it echoes of England's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. After years of sacrifice and regeneration, the coronation of a young queen filled the nation with hope for a new future, the advent of a "new Elizabethan era," as British media reported. Comparing the marvels of her Tudor predecessor's reign to what might happen under Queen Elizabeth II (Kelley, 1997, p. 143). Although months after her coronation, when she was on a six-month tour of the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II herself stated in her Christmas broadcast from Auckland, New Zealand:
Some people have expressed the hope that my reign will mark a new Elizabethan era. Frankly, I do not feel at all like my great Tudor predecessor, who was blessed without husband or children, who ruled as a despot and never left her native land.
Elizabeth II, 1953
In this way she distanced herself from her Tudor predecessor, presenting herself to her subjects wrapped in the trappings of marriage and motherhood. In 1953, a festive atmosphere for the coronation took hold of London, throughout the British Isles, and its colonies. Housewives across Britain still carried ration books that controlled their butter, cheese, margarine, meat, and sugar; suddenly there were no more sugar restrictions, and people who hadn't tasted cake, candy, or cookies in fourteen years began to eat sweets with voracity. The wartime paraphernalia of rifles, gas masks, and helmets gave way to ceremonial swords, diadems, and crowns. In honor of this new "Elizabethan era," London transformed into a city adorned with triumphal arches and bright lights. Main streets were decorated with purple banners and golden pennants featuring elaborate motifs of crowns and scepters (Kelley, 1997).
In less than two weeks, British subjects withdrew twenty-five million dollars from personal savings accounts to spend on celebrations, which included songs, fireworks, and street fairs. Elizabeth II considered it a necessary diversion for her impoverished country because, in her view, the monarchy was Britain's most precious heritage, symbolizing its historical continuity. In addition to that, the coronation attracted a large number of tourists to London. Specifically, around two hundred thousand foreigners were expected to visit the capital during that week. Spending one million six hundred thousand dollars each day. Due to the great interest this event generated, the BBC proposed televising the coronation, but royal courtiers opposed it because they believed only the aristocracy should witness it. It would be a commercial intrusion on a sacred ritual. Even Winston Churchill was indignant and privately stated (Kelley, 1997):
I do not see why the BBC should have a better view of my monarch's coronation than I
Pearson, 1991
It was the Queen's insistence and negative press coverage that allowed the coronation to be televised. The decision by the Queen enabled the world to witness a six-and-a-half-hour ceremony live, without interruption. It was the first time a sovereign had been crowned before millions of viewers, making it unique in the history of monarchy. The ceremony, attended by 8,251 people, set an audience record with three hundred million spectators (Kelley, 1997). The event cost around £18 million in today's money and became the most expensive coronation in British history (Kelley, 1997; Torrance, 2023).
The press criticized the enormous expense of the coronation for the United Kingdom, but the Queen, undeterred, continued to prepare every detail for the ceremony. She learned to maintain a majestic pace while carrying a twenty-meter-long train, walking through Buckingham Palace corridors with sheets on her shoulders. She studied official documents in her office wearing St Edward's Crown to get used to balancing three kilograms of weight on her head. She examined sixty-three designs before choosing the coronation seal and selected from fifteen hundred photos the one that best captured her likeness for the official portrait.
Subjects saw their Queen as an example of nobility, respectability, and rectitude, whose power emanated from God. It is important to note that during World War II, the royal family increased support and credibility by traveling daily between Windsor and London during bombing raids. This earned respect and veneration for the House of Windsor, reinforced by the splendor of palace life and the overwhelming grandeur of parades (Kelley, 1997).
Bibliography
- Elizabeth II. (December 25, 1953). The official website of the Royal Family. Retrieved from Christmas Broadcast 1953: https://www.royal.uk/christmas-broadcast- 1953.
- Kelley, K. (1997). The Windsors: A Portrait of the British Royal Family. Barcelona: Plaza & Janés Editores S.A.
- Pearson, J. (1991). The Private Lives of Winston Churchill. London: Bloomsbury.
- Torrance, D. (2023). The Coronation: History and Ceremonial. UK Parliament: House of Commons Library.
Comments