Coronation 1953

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was one of the most iconic events of the 20th century, a twenty-five year-old monarch undergoing an age-old ritual which was watched by a modern audience through the wonder of television. We have recently added a superb colour reproduction of Terence Cuneo's coronation painting (main image above) reproduced in The Illustrated London News to accompany an article by the artist. Look out too for a page of sketches from life Cuneo made for the painting as well as the key which identifies most of the recognisable figures present at the ceremony including, of course, the four-year-old Prince Charles.

See our selection of photographs on this unforgettable event.

Rituals and Tradition

The monarchy had made many concessions to the modern age, but the affirming rituals of the coronation, the pageantry, the theatre and the symbolism - are centuries old.

This selection takes you on a tour of the coronation regalia and stages of the solemn ceremony as well as some obsolete elements of historic coronations, such as the tradition of the King's Champion entering Westminster Hall or the sovereign's herbwoman, whose job was to scatter herbs in the monarch's path during the Coronation procession.

Precision Planning

From the moment the date of the coronation is announced by the Earl Marshal, preparations begin for an event that has to run with clockwork precision. Click here to discover how Westminster Abbey was temporarily transformed to accommodate a huge congregation and the ceremony, the arrival of dignitaries and troops from around the world and even the grooming of the monarch's horses in preparation for pulling the state coach. Look out too for some nifty needlework embroidering ceremonial textiles as well as the silkworms that kindly spun the silk for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation gown.

Illustrated London News

Since the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902, the Illustrated London News and its sister titles, The Graphic and The Sphere were THE publications that could be relied upon to pull out all the stops when it came to recording a coronation in all its pomp and splendour for special commemorative issues.

We have been working hard over the past few weeks to make more fascinating material available from the archive. These include portraits of peers and other participants in past ceremonies including the famous Dymokes who were originally the King's Champion up until the early 19th century and then became bearers of the royal standard. We also love the series of illustrations by J. Finnemore in the 1902 Sphere showing preparations for the coronation such as coronets and robes being retrimmed with velvet and miniver , or lady peeresses inspecting a miniature model of recommended robes as endorsed by Queen Alexandra.

Click here to discover some of the best cover designs, illustrations and magazine spreads on past coronations.

Coronation Fever

Mass celebration and public participation have always been part of coronation since the medieval era, but the twentieth century witnessed celebrations reach a new level. From merchandise created for King Edward VIII (the king who was never crowned) to ornate swags and decorations adorning department stores (we even have a special booklet guide to Selfridge's 1937 Coronation decorations), not forgetting of course the all-important street parties. We are particularly enamoured with the 1953 advertisement for Chiver's jelly with a suggestion for a very wobbly edible crown!

Our selection covers street parties, celebrations and more.

Ask the Expert

Our Head of Sales & Research, Luci, is author of the Shire book 'Royal Coronations' and has written widely on the subject, including as contributor to the forthcoming Illustrated London News King Charles III special Coronation bookazine, hitting newsagents and booksellers in the next couple of weeks.

Do get in touch if you have any questions or need specialist research. We are still happy to comb our archives to find anything unusual or specific you may be searching for. We look forward to being of assistance.