by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017
Revised and expanded 2023

Check out all our British coronation articles at the link below:

• Unofficial Royalty: British Coronations

Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the British throne on February 6, 1952, upon the death of her father King George VI. She was 25 years old at the time and the mother of two young children under the age of four. Queen Mary, the new queen’s grandmother, died on March 24, 1953. Before her death, Queen Mary insisted that the coronation go on as scheduled. The coronation was held on June 2, 1953.  The ceremony in Westminster Abbey, with the exception of the anointing and communion, was televised for the first time.

• Unofficial Royalty: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• BBC: On The Day – 1953: Queen Elizabeth takes coronation oath
• Westminster Abbey: Coronation of Elizabeth II (scroll down)

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Westminster Abbey was closed for five months prior to the coronation so that the construction needed for 8,000 guests could be completed. See the BBC news video below for more details:

• BBC: Preparing for the Queen’s Coronation

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Among the 8,000 guests were the following royal guests:

British Royal Family

• The Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen’s husband and consort
• The Duke of Cornwall, the Queen’s son and heir
• Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the Queen’s mother
• Princess Margaret, the Queen’s sister
• The Princess Royal, the Queen’s paternal aunt
• The Earl of Harewood and Countess of Harewood, the Queen’s first cousin and his wife
• The Honorable Gerald Lascelles, the Queen’s first cousin
• The Duke of Gloucester and Duchess of Gloucester, the Queen’s paternal uncle and aunt
• Prince William of Gloucester, the Queen’s first cousin
• Prince Richard of Gloucester, the Queen’s first cousin
• The Duchess of Kent, the Queen’s paternal aunt by marriage and the Duke of Edinburgh’s first cousin
• The Duke of Kent, the Queen’s first cousin
• Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Queen’s first cousin
• Prince Michael of Kent, the Queen’s first cousin
• Princess Marie Louise, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, the Queen’s first cousin twice removed
• Lady Patricia Ramsay (born Princess Patricia of Connaught, granddaughter of Queen Victoria) and The Honorable Sir Alexander Ramsay, the Queen’s first cousin twice removed and her husband
• Alexander Ramsay of Mar, the Queen’s second cousin once removed
• The Earl of Athlone and Princess Alice, The Countess of Athlone (born Princess Alice of Albany, granddaughter of Queen Victoria), the Queen’s paternal great-uncle and great-aunt, also the Queen’s first cousin twice removed
• Lady May Abel Smith and Sir Henry Abel Smith, the Queen’s first cousin once removed and her husband
• Richard Abel Smith, the Queen’s second cousin

Bowes-Lyon Family

• Albemarle Bowes-Lyon, the Queen’s first cousin
• The Honorable. Mrs. Andrew Elphinstone, wife of the Queen’s first cousin
• James Bowes-Lyon, the Queen’s first cousin once removed

Teck-Cambridge Family

• The Marquess of Cambridge and Marchioness of Cambridge, the Queen’s first cousin once removed and his wife
• Lady Mary Whitley and Peter Whitley, the Queen’s second cousin and her husband
• The Duchess of Beaufort and The Duke of Beaufort, the Queen’s first cousin once removed and her husband
• Lady Helena Gibbs, the Queen’s first cousin once removed

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Family

Greek Royal Family

• Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark (born Princess Alice of Battenberg), the Duke of Edinburgh’s mother and the Queen’s second cousin once removed and mother-in-law
•  The Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Margarita of Greece, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the Duke of Edinburgh’s brother-in-law and sister and the Queen’s second cousins once removed
• Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the Duke of Edinburgh’s niece and the Queen’s third cousin
• The Margrave of Baden and Princess Theodora of Greece, Margravine of Baden, the Duke of Edinburgh’s brother-in-law and sister and the Queen’s second cousins once removed)
• The Hereditary Prince of Baden, the Duke of Edinburgh’s nephew and the Queen’s third cousin
• Prince George William of Hanover and Princess Sophie of Greece, Princess Georg Wilhelm of Hanover, the Duke of Edinburgh’s brother-in-law and sister and the Queen’s second cousins once removed
• Princess Christina Margarethe of Hesse, the Duke of Edinburgh’s niece and the Queen’s third cousin
• Prince and Princess George of Greece and Denmark, the Duke of Edinburgh’s paternal uncle and aunt and the Queen’s first cousin twice removed and his wife representing King Paul of Greece

Mountbatten Family

• The Marquess of Milford Haven, the Duke of Edinburgh’s first cousin and the Queen’s third cousin
• The Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Countess Mountbatten of Burma, the Duke of Edinburgh’s maternal uncle and aunt and the Queen’s second cousin once removed and his wife
• Lady Pamela Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh’s first cousin and the Queen’s third cousin
• The Marchioness of Carisbrooke, wife of the late Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke,  the Queen’s first cousin twice removed and wife of the Duke of Edinburgh’s first cousin once removed

Rulers of British protectorates

• Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa I of Bahrain
• Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah of Kuwait
• Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III of Brunei
• Sultan Ibrahim IV of Kelantan
• Sultan Hisamuddin and Raja Jemaah of Selangor
• Sultan Ibrahim and the Sultanah of Johor
• Sultan Khalifa bin Harubn and the Sultanah Nunu of Zanzibar
• Sultan Ali III ibn ‘Abd al-Karim al-‘Abdali of Lahej
• Sultan Yusuf Izzuddin Shah of Perak
• Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga
• Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani, representing the Emir of Qatar

Members of Foreign Royal Families

• Crown Prince Olav of Norway, representing his father King Haakon VII of Norway, and Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, the Duke of Edinburgh’s second cousins and the Queen’s first cousin once removed and his wife, the Queen’s second cousin once removed
• Princess Astrid of Norway, the Duke of Edinburgh’s second cousin once removed and the Queen’s second cousin
• Prince Axel of Denmark, representing his first cousin once removed King Frederik IX of Denmark, and Princess Axel of Denmark, the Queen’s first cousin twice removed and second cousin once removed, also the Duke of Edinburgh’s first cousin once removed and second cousin)
• Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland, representing his father King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, the Queen’s second cousin once removed
• Prince Albert, The Prince of Liège, the Queen’s third cousin, representing his brother Baudouin, King of the Belgians
• Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, representing his mother Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Hereditary Duchess of Luxembourg, the Queen’s fourth cousin and third cousin
• Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, representing his wife Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
• The Crown Prince of Laos, representing King Sisavangvong of Laos
• Prince Himalayapratrap Vir Vikram Shah and Princess Princep representing, King Tribhuvan of Nepal
• The Hereditary Prince Nguyễn Phúc Bảo Long of Vietnam, representing Bảo Đại, Chief of State of Vietnam
• Crown Prince Akihito of Japan, representing his father Emperor Hirohito of Japan
• Crown Prince Amha Selassie of Ethiopia, representing his father Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia)
• Prince Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, representing his father King Abdulaziz (Ibn Saud) of Saudi Arabia
• Sardar Shah Wali Khan, representing his nephew King Mohammad Zahir Shah of Afghanistan)
• Crown Prince Abd al-Ilah of Iraq, representing King Faisal II of Iraq
• Prince Sisowath Monireth, representing King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia
• Prince Chula Chakrabongse and Princess Chula Chakrabongse, representing King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand
• Prince Hassan Hamid al-Din ibn Yahya, representing King Ahmad bin Yahya Hamidaddinof Yemen)
• The Nabil Suleyman Daoud representing King Fuad II of Egypt)
• Prince Karl Alfred of Liechtenstein, representing his brother Prince Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein, and Princess Agnes of Liechtenstein
• Prince Pierre of Monaco, representing his son Prince Rainier III of Monaco

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Queen Elizabeth’s coronation gown was designed by her favorite designer Norman Hartnell and featured embroidered floral emblems of the Commonwealth countries: English Tudor rose; Scots thistle, Welsh leek, Irish shamrock, Australian wattle, Canadian maple leaf, New Zealand silver fern, South African protea, lotus flowers for India and Ceylon, and Pakistan’s wheat, cotton, and jute.

• Wikipedia: Coronation Gown of Queen Elizabeth II

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The Queen traveled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach which was built in 1762 and has been used for the coronation of every monarch since King George IV. It is estimated that 3 million people lined the streets of London that day.

• Wikipedia: Gold State Coach

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Queen Elizabeth II with her maids of honor, Lady Moyra Hamilton, Lady Anne Coke, Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill, Lady Mary Baillie-Hamilton, Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, Lady Jane Vane-Tempest-Stewart 

Upon arrival at Westminster Abbey, Queen Elizabeth was attended by six aristocratic young women, all daughters of peers, who served as Maids of Honor. On the sixtieth anniversary of the coronation, all six were still alive.

• Lady Moyra Hamilton (1930 – 2020) age 22, daughter of James Hamilton, Marquess of Hamilton, later 4th Duke of Abercorn, married Peter Campbell-Grove, had two children, was lady-in-waiting to Princess Alexandra of Kent from 1954 to 1964
• Lady Anne Coke (born 1932) age 20, daughter of Thomas Coke, 5th Earl of Leicester, married Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner, had five children, was lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon from 1971 until the Princess’ death in 2002
• Lady Jane Vane-Tempest-Stewart (born 1932), age 20, Robin Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 8th Marquess of Londonderry, married (1) Max Rayne, Baron Rayn, had four children (2) Robert Lacey, British historian and biographer, no children
• Lady Mary Baillie-Hamilton (1934 – 2022), age 19, daughter of George Baillie-Hamilton, 12th Earl of Haddington, married (1) Adrian Bailey, had three children (2) David Russell, had two children
• Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby (born 1934), age 18, daughter of James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster, unmarried; Her father was the third and last Earl of Ancaster. On his death in 1983, the earldom became extinct, but according to the rules of succession to the ancient peerage, she succeeded him as 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby
• Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill (born 1929), age 23, daughter of John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough, married Charles Robert Muir, had three children,

Daily Mail: They were the aristocratic beauties who almost stole the show at the Coronation 60 years ago. Now they share their behind the scenes stories

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After the Queen’s procession into Westminster Abbey, the coronation service started.  The main elements of the British coronation service and the form of the oath taken by the sovereign can be traced to the order of service devised by St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury for the coronation of King Edgar the Peaceful in 873 at Bath Abbey.  Although there have been revisions in the order of the service, the sequence of taking an oath, anointing, investing of regalia, crowning, and enthronement found in the Anglo-Saxon text have remained constant.

• An Anglican Liturgical Library: Form and Order of the Service of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
• Westminster Abbey: Music Played at the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Recognition: The Archbishop of Canterbury along with Lord Chancellor, Lord Great Chamberlain, Lord High Constable, and Earl Marshal proceeded to the East, South, West, and North sides of the coronation theater. Each time the Archbishop said, “Sirs, I here present unto you Queen ELIZABETH, your undoubted Queen: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, Are you willing to do the same?” The People replied each time, “God Save Queen Elizabeth.”

The Oath: The Queen, seated in the Chair of Estate, took the Coronation Oath administered by the Archbishop of Canterbury. She then proceeded to the altar and solemnly swore the Oath with her right hand on the Bible. Afterward, she kissed the Bible and signed the Oath.

The Communion Service: Traditional service of the Anglican Church

The Anointing: After being disrobed of her crimson robe, the Queen sat in the Coronation Chair, also called St. Edward’s Chair and King Edward’s Chair. Four Knights of the Garter held a canopy over her. The Dean of Westminster took the Ampulla which held the Holy Oil and poured some into the Spoon. The Archbishop then anointed the Queen in the form of a cross on the palms of both hands, the breast, and the crown of the head. The canopy was removed and the Queen was dressed in the Colobium Sindonis, a simple sleeveless white linen shift, and the Supertunica, a long coat of gold silk that reaches to the ankles and has wide-flowing sleeves.

• Wikipedia: Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom

The Presenting of the Spurs and Sword, and the Oblation of the Sword of Offering: The Spurs were brought from the altar by the Dean of Westminster, and given to the Lord Great Chamberlain who presented them to the Queen. Afterward, the Spurs were returned to the altar. Next, the Archbishop took the Sword of Offering from the altar and assisted by the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of London and Winchester put the Sword in the Queen’s hands and said a prayer. The Queen then went to the altar, returned the sword to its scabbard, and sat down in the Coronation Chair.

The Investing with the Armills, the Stole Royal and the Robe Royal: and the Delivery of the Orb: The Dean of Westminster delivered the Armills to the Archbishop, who said a prayer while putting them on the Queen’s wrists. The Queen stood and was clothed with the Robe Royal. After she sat down, the Sovereign’s Orb was brought from the altar by the Dean of Westminster and delivered into the Queen’s right hand by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Queen then gave the orb to the Dean of Westminster who returned it to the altar.

The Investiture per annulum, et per sceptrum et baculum: The Keeper of the Jewel House gave Queen Victoria’s Coronation Ring, which was set with a sapphire and a ruby cross, to the Archbishop of Canterbury who put it on the fourth finger of the Queen’s right hand, and said a prayer. The Dean of Westminster brought the Sceptre with the Cross and the Rod with the Dove to the Archbishop, who put it in the Queen’s left hand and said a prayer.

The Putting on of the Crown: The people stood up and the Archbishop of Canterbury took St. Edward’s Crown from the altar, then laid it back on the altar, and said a prayer. The Archbishop then proceeded to the Queen who was sitting in the Coronation Chair. The Dean of Westminster brought him the crown and the Archbishop reverently put the crown on the Queen’s head. The people repeatedly shouted, “God Save The Queen.” The Princes and Princesses, the Peers and Peeresses put on their coronets and caps, and the Kings of Arms their crown. Trumpets sounded, and the great guns at the Tower of London were fired.

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The Benediction: Now that the Queen had been anointed and crowned, and had received all the signs of the sovereign, the Archbishop of Canterbury blessed her and all those assembled at Westminster Abbey replied with a loud Amen.

The Enthroning: The Queen went to the throne, and was lifted up into it by the Archbishops and Bishops, and other Peers of the Kingdom. Lords bearing the regalia stood on the steps around the throne.

The Homage: The Archbishop of Canterbury knelt down before the Queen while the rest of the Bishops knelt in their places and did their Homage together. As the Archbishop of Canterbury said the following, each Bishop also said it: “I, Cosmo, Archbishop of Canterbury [Bishops say, I <name> Bishop of <place>] will be faithful and true, and faith and truth will bear unto you, our Sovereign Lady, Queen of this Realm and Defender of the Faith, and unto your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”

Then the Queen’s husband The Duke of Edinburgh took off his coronet and knelt down before the Queen, and pronounced the words of Homage, “I Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, do become your Liege man of Life and Limb, and of earthly worship; and Faith and Truth I will bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of Folks. So help me God.” In the same manner, the Queen’s uncle Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and the Queen’s cousin, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent did their homage.

The most senior peer of each of the five ranks of peerage – Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron – individually knelt before the King. The other peers who were in seats, in turn, knelt down, took off their coronets, and did their homage: the Dukes first by themselves, then the Marquesses, the Earls, the Viscounts, and the Barons. Each rank of peerage, said together, “I, <name> Duke, or Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron of <place> do become your liege man of Life and Limb, and of earthly worship; and Faith and Truth I will bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of Folks. So help me God.

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The Communion: Queen Elizabeth knelt and took communion, in a service that included a general confession and absolution, and, along with the people, recited the Lord’s Prayer.

The Recess: The Queen proceeded to Saint Edward’s Chapel, and gave St. Edward’s Crown, the Sceptre and the Rod to the Archbishop of Canterbury who laid them on the altar in the chapel. The Queen was then disrobed of the Robe Royal and clothed in a Robe of purple velvet and the Imperial State Crown. The Archbishop of Canterbury put the Sceptre with the Cross into her right hand and the Orb in her left hand. The Queen left the St. Edward’s Chapel to the singing of the National Anthem and then proceeded up the aisle.

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