Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2013
Revised and Expanded 2023

The Coronation Ceremony of His Most Gracious Majesty King George V in Westminster Abbey. 22nd June 1911 © National Portrait Gallery, London (used with permission)

The Coronation Ceremony of His Most Gracious Majesty King George V in Westminster Abbey. 22nd June 1911
© National Portrait Gallery, London (used with permission)

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King George V became Sovereign upon the death of his father, King Edward VII, on May 6, 1910.  The following year, on June 22, 1911, King George V and his consort, Queen Mary, were crowned at Westminster Abbey.  The guests were all in place by 8:30 am although the service did not begin until 11: am.  At 10:30, King George V and Queen Mary left Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach, in a grand procession to Westminster Abbey.  Following the traditional Coronation ceremony, including the homage of their eldest son, The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII, and Duke of Windsor), the newly crowned King and Queen returned to Buckingham Palace, where they appeared on the balcony several times throughout the day.

Peers and peeresses arrive at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. All peers and peeresses were invited along with all Members of Parliament.

King George V and Queen Mary’s eldest son The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and The Duke of Windsor) and their only daughter Princess Mary (later The Princess Royal) in their coronation garb.

King Georg V and Queen Mary’s coronation was one of the last great gatherings of royalty before World War I. Many of the foreign royals listed below are from monarchies that ceased to exist in the aftermath of World War I or later during the 20th century. Among the 6,000 guests at the coronation service were:

British Royal Family

Foreign Royalty

A photo taken on June 20, 1911, two days before the coronation, shows the Coronation Chair in front of the high altar at Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey, the site of English and British coronations going back to 1066, had closed a month earlier to prepare for the event.  In order to accommodate the 6,000 invited guests, the fixed pews were removed and Chippendale-style chairs were put in place, each carved with a royal coronet and inscribed with the guest’s name.  Afterward, the guests were given the opportunity to purchase the chairs as souvenirs.  A brilliant new carpet was designed and installed, and a special annex was built to serve as the robing room for the King and Queen.

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Over 50,000 troops took part in the festivities, marching in the procession and lining the route.  Special camps were set up around London to accommodate them – in Hyde Park and Kensington Park for the British troops, in Alexandra Park for the Dominion troops, and in Hampton Court Palace for the Indian troops.

G5-M Coronation 1911

Official Coronation photo

King George V re-established the tradition of being crowned with St. Edward’s Crown, last used for King William III at the coronation of King William III and his wife and co-ruler Queen Mary II in 1689.  St. Edward’s Crown was only used for the actual crowning part of the Coronation ceremony, after which the King wore the Imperial State Crown, created for Queen Victoria’s coronation in 1838 and also used for King Edward VII’s coronation in 1902.)  This is the crown he is wearing in the photograph above.

Queen Mary’s Crown as it looked in 1911; Credit – Wikipedia

In keeping with the tradition started by Queen Adelaide in 1831, a new crown was created for Queen Mary, containing the Koh-i-Noor diamond and the Cullinan III and Cullinan IV diamonds.  Previous Queen Consorts used the Crown of Mary of Modena.  Queen Mary’s new crown was designed with eight arches, which were removable so that it could be worn as a circlet.  This is how Queen Mary later wore it to the coronation of her son, King George VI, in 1937. The  Koh-i-Noor diamond was transferred to the Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1937 for her coronation, and it will remain in that crown. Queen Camilla was crowned using Queen Mary’s Crown on May 6, 2023. Modifications included re-setting the crown with the original Cullinan III and IV diamonds, and additionally the Cullinan V diamond, and removing four of its eight half-arches.

A brief extract from the diary of King George V on the day of the Coronation:

“The Service in the Abby was most beautiful and impressive, but it was a terrible ordeal.  IT was grand, yet simple & most dignified & went without a hitch.  I nearly broke down when dear David came to do homage to me, as it reminded me so much when I did the same thing to beloved Papa, he did it so well.  Darling May looked lovely & it was indeed a comfort to have her by my side as she has been ever to me during these last 18 years.”

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