The 2nd June 2013 marked the 60th anniversary of the
Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
In front of more than 8,000 guests, including prime ministers and heads
of state from around the Commonwealth, she took the Coronation Oath and is bound
to serve her people and to maintain the laws of God. Almost 60 years after that
ceremony, the Queen’s Coronation remains
part of our popular memory, the great spectacle that ushered in the new
Elizabethan age and set the tone for her reign.
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Coronation Regalia |
The full proceedings of a coronation in medieval times, and
up to Elizabeth I’s and beyond, fell into four parts. The new monarch had first
to take possession of the Tower: the significance of that move is obvious
enough, it was to make the traditions associated with the Tower continued to be
adhered to. The second stage was the sovereign’s progress through the city to
Westminster on the eve of the coronation. The third was the coronation itself
in Westminster Abbey, with the procession to it. The fourth was the banquet in
Westminster Hall after the ceremonies in the Abbey.
Although Elizabeth had succeeded her father King George VI
on his death the year before, it was not until June 2, 1953, that she was
crowned. And as the world watched, dazzled by the ancient rituals and
awe-inspiring pomp, the 26-year-old made a solemn promise to serve her country.
There were 8,250 crammed into Westminster Abbey, a further three million people
lining the streets of London, and in homes across the land an estimated 27
million saw the first ever televised Coronation.
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Church Street decorated for the Coronation |
Meanwhile along with the rest of the country Liverpool
celebrated by decorating the streets of the city centre with flags and bunting,
even the entrance to the Mersey tunnel was decorated. An in hundreds of streets
throughout the city, friends and neighbours gathered together to put up
decorations and prepare food for street parties. Although the war was over
there was still some rationing in force and general austerity meant that food
wasn’t plentiful, but this didn’t stop the people of Liverpool. Everywhere mums
gathered together and pooled their resources to ensure that everyone had a good
feed and enjoyed the day.
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Rhyl St Coronation Party, Photo courtesy, Mark & Les, Liverpool Picturebook - Facebook |
And finally here
are some facts about the Coronation…..
129 nations and
territories were officially represented at the Coronation service.
It took the
Royal School of Needlework 3,500 hours to complete the gold embroidery on the Queen’s Coronation robe.
29,200 officers
and men took part in the royal procession or lined the route.
Among those
camping in The Mall to catch a glimpse of the newly- crowned Queen were a
family who had sailed from Australia for the occasion.
A dish of
precooked cold chicken, raisins, herbs and spices, and a creamy,
mayonnaise-based sauce was invented for guests to enjoy and known as Coronation
Chicken.
A young Prince
Charles received a hand-painted invitation to watch his mother’s Coronation.
But the four-year-old looked bored during the proceedings.
The Ministry of
Food granted 82 applications for people to roast oxen, if they could prove that
an ox had been roasted at previous Coronations.
The BBC chose
its 30 shortest cameramen so they could cram into tiny spaces, particularly
above the organ loft in the Abbey.
An estimated
27million people in Britain watched the ceremony on TV, while 11million listened
on the radio.
Also on June 2,
1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest. The
Queen had the idea of presenting all 14 members of the expedition with special
edition Coronation medals, with the extra wording “Mount Everest Expedition”.
"As this
day draws to its close, I know that my abiding memory of it will be, not only
the solemnity and beauty of the ceremony, but the inspiration of your loyalty
and affection.
I thank you
all from a full heart.
God bless you
all".
Queen
Elizabeth II (from her speech) following the Coronation
Original Footage
of the coronation