20 little known facts about The Queen’s Coronation
More than a year after the death of her father King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II entered Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, to be crowned monarch of Britain.
The ceremony was the first ever to be televised to the world, watched by 27 million people in the UK alone and millions more audiences around the world.
This year on June 2 marked 64 years since the Queen pledged to serve God and her country. To honour the momentous occasion, the Royal Family shared some little known facts about the Coronation Day of Queen Elizabeth II. Scroll through the gallery above to see pictures from the day.
1. Westminster Abbey has been the setting for every Coronation since 1066. Before the Abbey was built, Coronations were carried out wherever was convenient, taking place in Bath, Oxford and Canterbury.
2. Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June, 1953 in Westminster Abbey. Her Majesty was the thirty-ninth Sovereign to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.
3. Queen Elizabeth II is the sixth Queen to have been crowned in Westminster Abbey in her own right. The first was Queen Mary I, who was crowned on 1 October, 1553.
4. The Queen succeeded to the Throne on the 6 February, 1952 on the death of her father, King George VI. She was in Kenya at the time and became the first Sovereign in over 200 years to accede while abroad.
5. The Queen's grandmother, Queen Mary, aged 81 was the first Queen to see a grandchild ascend to the throne. However, she died before the Coronation took place.
6. The Coronation service used for Queen Elizabeth II descends directly from that of King Edgar at Bath in 973. The original 14th century order of service was written in Latin and was used until the Coronation of Elizabeth I.
7. The incumbent Earl Marshal is responsible for organising the Coronation. Since 1386 the position has been undertaken by The Duke of Norfolk. The 16th Duke of Norfolk was responsible for The Queen's Coronation in 1953 and he was also responsible for the State funeral of Sir Winston Churchill (1965) and the investiture of The Prince of Wales (1969).
8. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh were driven from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach – pulled by eight grey gelding horses: Cunningham, Tovey, Noah, Tedder, Eisenhower, Snow White, Tipperary and McCreery.
9. The Coronation Bouquet was made up of white flowers – comprising of orchids and lilies-of-the-valley from England, stephanotis from Scotland, orchids from Wales, and carnations from Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.
10. The Duke of Edinburgh wore full-dress Naval uniform for the journey to and from the Abbey. While in the Abbey, he wore a coronet and his Duke's robe over his uniform.
11. The Queen's Coronation dress, designed by British Fashion designer Norman Hartnell, was made of white satin and embroidered with the emblems of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in gold and silver thread.
12. Since the Coronation, The Queen has worn the Coronation dress six times including the Opening of Parliament in New Zealand and Australia in 1954.
13. The Queen's Coronation service began at 11.15am and lasted almost three hours.
14. On her way to the Coronation, Her Majesty wore the George IV State Diadem - the crown depicted on stamps. Made in 1820, the Diadem features roses, shamrocks and thistles with 1,333 diamonds and 169 pearls.
15. The Sovereign's procession was made up of 250 people including Church leaders, Commonwealth Prime Ministers, members of the Royal Household, civil and military leaders and the Yeoman of the Guard.
16. The Archbishop of Canterbury conducted the service, a duty which has been undertaken since the Conquest in 1066. For the first time in 1953, a representative of another Church, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, also took part.
17. The Coronation service fell into six parts: the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture (which includes the crowning), the enthronement and the homage.
18. Prince Charles was the first child to witness his mother's coronation as Sovereign. Princess Anne did not attend the ceremony as she was considered too young.
19. Prince Charles received a special hand-painted children's invitation to his mother's Coronation.
20. A total of 8,251 guests attended The Queen's Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. 129 nations and territories were officially represented at the Coronation service.
To read more interesting facts about the Queen’s Coronation, visit the Royal Family’s website.