Queen Mother and George VI had 'mystical' Coronation filled with 'pageantry' and tradition
The 86th anniversary of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth's Coronation will come just six days after their grandson King Charles III was crowned.
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King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, were crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 12, 1937 — almost 86 years ago.
Their Coronation came at a particularly turbulent time for the monarchy, which had been launched into crisis following the abdication of the monarch’s brother the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII.
It marked the beginning of the Royal Family as we know it, with George’s accession to the throne triggering a shift in the institution which led to the reigns of both Queen Elizabeth II and her eldest son, the current reigning monarch, King Charles III.
For George and Elizabeth, who were not prepared to become King and Queen Consort, the Coronation was “overwhelming”.
And their biographer claims the couple had an “out-of-body experience” at the historic event.
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Sally Bedell Smith is the author of the recently published book, George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Shaped the Monarchy, which delves into the relationship between the famous royal couple, using documents from the Royal Archives to detail their stoic rule throughout World War 2 and how they raised their daughter to become Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving British monarch in history.
Appearing as a guest on an episode of the To Di For Daily podcast last month, Ms Bedell Smith spoke to host Kinsey Schofield about the day of George and Elizabeth’s Coronation.
Citing the book, Ms Schofield said: “You describe the Coronation in great detail. You use words like ‘mystical’ and you say: ‘They had almost an out-of-body experience because it was just overwhelming.’”
Agreeing, Ms Bedell Smith revealed how intense the momentous occasion was for the couple, and explained: “It was a very long day. They were awakened at 3.30 in the morning by loudspeakers that were being tested, and then they couldn't get to sleep because all the bands started to practice.
“And the procession for the Coronation started at 8.30 in the morning, with one car after another and then carriages and carriages, it went on for two hours before they were able to leave Buckingham Palace in the 24-foot Gold State Coach. And there were millions of people who had shown up for it.”
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George and Elizabeth’s Coronation ceremony largely followed that of King George V almost 26 years earlier — on June 22, 1911.
The service began with the anointing of the monarch, symbolising his spiritual entry into kingship, followed by his crowning and enthronement.
As Ms Bedell Smith explained, the peers of the realm, who sat on the left-hand side of the transept, then paid homage to the monarch. “When the King was crowned, they [the peers] all raised their coronets and put them on their heads,” she said.
A shorter and simpler ceremony was then conducted for the Queen Consort's coronation. And when Queen Elizabeth was crowned, the peeresses — who sat on the “right-hand side of the transept — paid homage in the same way.
Ms Bedell Smith said: “All the peeresses of the realm were just covered in diamonds, wearing these long crimson robes trimmed in ermine and holding their golden coronets and on the other side, were all the peers and they were dressed the same way without the diamonds.”
Noting the “pageantry that went with the golden age,” the author explained the upcoming Coronation will look much different to George and Elizabeth’s.
“First of all, there were 8000 people in Westminster Abbey — it only holds 2000,” she said. “And I don't think we're going to see that magisterial touch.”
George and Elizabeth’s Coronation is “the only prior ordination in modern memory that was of a King and Queen,” and while the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla upheld some of the ceremonial traditions, it will “reflect the 21st century”.
The guestlist was much more slimmed down than the 1937 Coronation — and that of the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose Coronation took place 70 years ago — with guests representing all ages, backgrounds and geographical areas.
Availability for Lords, Peers and Members of Parliament was vastly reduced; out of the 780 members of the House of Lords, less than 100 were invited, and around two dozen MPs were understood to be invited.
Instead, many seats were filled by unsung heroes such as NHS workers and charity representatives.
And while Ms Bedell Smith does not believe the Coronation could have the same “mystique” or “magisterial touch”, it was still a spectacular event.
The plans for the King's Coronation were code-named Operation Golden Orb, with three-day festivities to be held across the country, including a concert at Windsor Castle and a nationwide day of volunteering.
The Coronation Day itself saw two royal processions through the streets of London, culminating in an iconic royal balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace.
Constitutional expert Dr Bob Morris, of University College London, told The Sun: “It will be very grand and will probably eclipse the Queen’s funeral and Platinum Jubilee in terms of pageantry.
“There will be more bands and more people. It will certainly be an amazing sight.”
George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Shaped the Monarchy was written by Sally Bedell Smith and published by Penguin Books Ltd in April 2023. You can purchase it here.