Coronation of King George VI

The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth as the King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth as well as Emperor and Empress of India at Westminster Abbey in London on this day in 1937.

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King George VI and Queen Elizabeth rode from Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach to Westminster Abbey, where the King was crowned with Edward the Confessor’s Crown and anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Queen was crowned with her new Crown, which featured the famous Koh-i-Noor Diamond. Afterwards, the King and Queen processed through the streets of London in the Gold State Coach, following which the Royal Family appeared on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace, when the King changed into the Imperial State Crown.

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Among the attendees were Queen Mary (wearing her Crown), Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, Queen Maud of Norway (wearing her Maltese Circlet Tiara), Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (wearing her Honeysuckle Tiara), Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (wearing the Kent Fringe Tiara and her girandole earrings), Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood (wearing the Harewood Scroll Tiara), Princess Helena Victoria (wearing her Honeysuckle Tiara), Princess Marie Louise (wearing her Cartier India Tiara), Lady Patricia Ramsay (wearing the Connaught Fringe Tiara), Princess Arthur, Duchess of Fife (wearing the Fife Tiara), Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk (in Queen Alexandra’s Amethyst Tiara), Lady Elphinstone (wearing the Lotus Tiara), Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (wearing the Teck Ears of Wheat Tiara), and the Marchioness of Carisbrooke (wearing Queen Victoria’s Strawberry Leaf Tiara) among most members of the British Aristocracy.

Foreign Royal Guests included Crown Prince Olav of Norway and Crown Princess Martha of Norway (wearing Queen Josephine’s Emerald Parure), Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Crown Princess Louise of Sweden (wearing the Braganza Tiara), Crown Princess Juliana (in the Dutch Sapphire Tiara) and Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Ingrid of Denmark (wearing the Pearl Poiré Parure), Prince Paul and and Princess Olga of Yugoslavia (wearing the Ruby Wreath Tiara), the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hesse (wearing the Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara), Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla of Sweden (in the Cameo Tiara), and Prince George and Princess Eugenie of Greece (wearing a Cartier Diamond Tiara).

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2 thoughts on “Coronation of King George VI

  1. You wrote: “Afterwards, the King and Queen processed through the streets of London in the Gold State Coach, following which the Royal Family appeared on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace, when the King changed into the Imperial State Crown.”
    Actually, The “Crown of Edward the Confessor” is worn ONLY at the Abbey. It is used to Crown the sovereign. After the ceremony, the newly crowned King or Queen exchanges the Coronation Crown for the Imperial State Crown, which is then worn for the procession back to Buckingham Palace… and every year for the State Opening of Parliament. The Coronation Crown is never worn again in a Monarch’s lifetime. Because he is Not Yet King, Prince Charles did Not wear the crown at yesterday’s Opening of Parliament. Instead, the Imperial State Crwon rested on a pillow…in place of the Queen’s Throne. It represented her symbolically.

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