Fascinating Facts About The Queen's Coronation
Many of us have only seen one coronation in our lifetimes: that of the 25-year-old Queen Elizabeth II. And now that Charles III is king, we can't help but look back on his mom's history-making coronation day back in 1953. The glitz and glamour of the event was unparalleled, and it's hard to imagine Charles III's coronation reaching the same level of magnificence. So while we watch Charles don the St. Edward's Crown from our smartphones, let's go back to the day millions of people watched from their grainy black and white TV sets — except this time, we'll have a front row seat.
1. A coach fit for a fairytale
Obviously, stories like Cinderella aren't exactly true-to-life portrayals of royalty. Queen Elizabeth II's coronation was noticeably missing mice-turned-horses and a magical fairy godmother! But one thing Elizabeth did have was a spectacular carriage called the Gold State Coach. It was led to Westminster Abbey by eight horses, one of whom was fittingly named Snow White. It's unknown whether or not the coach transformed into a pumpkin after the ceremony was over!
2. We hope you're comfortable...
British coronations are so steeped in history that it shouldn't come as a surprise that the ceremonies themselves aren't for the faint of heart... or for those with short attention spans. With all the processing, oath-taking, anointing, and praying, the ceremony capped off at about three hours long! It was undoubtedly a beautiful ceremony, but we can see why then-Prince Charles looked a little antsy.
3. Her impressive procession
Remember when your cousin had 14 bridesmaids, and you thought, that's a bit much? Well, Queen Elizabeth II blew that out of the water. Her procession was made up of pretty much every high-ranking official in the country, adding up to a whopping 250 people. Guests watched as leaders of the church, military, and different Commonwealth countries paraded past, along with members of the royal family and finally the Yeoman of the Guard.
4. The same location since the Middle Ages
A coronation is, at least for most of us, a once-in-a-lifetime event. But that doesn't mean that Elizabeth's ceremony at Westminster Abbey was totally unique. The abbey has actually been the backdrop for most coronations since way back in 1066. When she walked down the aisle that day as Queen, she was following the footsteps of monarchs including William the Conqueror (the first sovereign to be crowned in the abbey) and the first Queen Elizabeth.
