Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II: All You Need to Know

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II: All You Need to Know

It is now 68 years since Queen Elizabeth II was crowned and L'Officiel takes a look on her special coronation

On June 2, 1953, 27-year-old Elizabeth Windsor was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey in London. The historic event not only involved a transition of monarchs, but marked the evolution of the media as the first televised coronation.

Those who attended The Crown will be familiar with how the ceremony unfolds, but may not know that Jackie Kennedy was on the guest list or which crown jewels the Queen wore. Find out here the 20 most interesting facts about the Queen's coronation, in honor of the 68th anniversary of the event in 2021.



1. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey, making her the 39th Sovereign to be crowned there.

2. Queen Elizabeth II was the first Sovereign to ascend to the throne while abroad in over 200 years - she was in Kenya when her father died, making her next in line to the throne. She had been technically Queen for over a year before being officially crowned.

3. The all-white coronation bouquet was composed of orchids from Wales and England, lilies of the valley from England, stenotypals from Scotland and carnations from Northern Ireland and the Isles of Man.



4. British designer Norman Hartnell designed the Queen's coronation gown in white satin with silver and gold embroidery.

5. Grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Mary was the first queen to see a grandson ascend to the throne.

6. The coronation service lasted nearly three hours.



7. The service was divided into six parts: recognition, oath, anointing, endowment, enthronement, and homage.

8. More than 8,000 guests attended the Queen's coronation.

9. The coronation chair, St. Edward's chair, was made in 1300 for Edward I and has been used at every coronation since then.



10. Queen Elizabeth II was crowned with the Crown of Saint Edward, made in 1661 of solid gold with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnets, topaz and tourmalines.

11. The Queen was also crowned with the Orb of the Sovereign, also made in 1661. The piece is made of gold, nine emeralds, 18 rubies, nine sapphires, 365 diamonds, 375 pearls, an amethyst and a glass stone.

12. Queen Elizabeth II was also bestowed with England's wedding band during the coronation ceremony. The piece is placed on the Sovereign's fourth finger during the ceremony.



13. The Sovereign's Scepter, presented to the Queen at the coronation, features a 530.2 carat diamond, the largest high-quality cut white diamond in the world.

14. The event went down in history as the first televised coronation on "BBC".

15. Of the 36 million people in the UK at the time, 27 million watched the coronation on television!



16. The event aroused international interest, with representatives from over 129 nations present at the coronation.

17. First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier (now known as Jackie Kennedy) was present at the coronation, working as a journalist for the "Washington Times-Herald".

18. What was served? "Coronation chicken" was invented as a refreshment for foreign guests at the event. The dish consists of cold curry chicken powder and mayonnaise cream sauce.



19. After the coronation, the Queen donned the Imperial Crown of State and the Purple Mantle of the Estate on her way back to Buckingham Palace. The tunic, embroidered with the Queen's cipher, ears of wheat and olive branches, took 3,500 hours to make.

20. Nearly 30,000 men took part in the procession back to Buckingham Palace, mostly from the Army, along with the Navy, police, soldiers and more.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
×