The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth took place on the 2nd of June, 1953. The 25-year-old Queen had already ascended on the throne after the death of her father King George II, in February 1952. The Coronation ceremony was delayed as a period of mourning had to be strictly kept, according to tradition. Apparently, sixteen months of meticulous planning and preparation took place so that the ceremony would proceed without the slightest flaw, the smallest hitch. It was the first major event that was televised, in black and white, by the BBC. The ceremony took place in Westminster Abbey and was shown to millions of spectators in the United Kingdom and films were flown over the world, beating time.
To revert to my story, we landed in Liverpool on the 2nd June 1953. We booked a hotel and walked around to see the city. We stopped to admire an interesting old church when a clergyman came out of the garden gate and said: "We have a television set, do come in and watch Coronation Ceremony". We accepted with pleasure and we sat there among twenty strangers, who were talkative, jubilant and very proud of their young Queen.
With eyes glued to the screen, we watched the royal procession, being greeted at Westminster Abbey by the high officers of the state and the high ecclesiastics that would perform the Coronation. Also, the nobles appointed to carry the regalia, all dressed in magnificent robes. The Queen wore an elegant white dress by Norman Hartnell which was beautifully embroidered with the emblems of the Empire. Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh stood handsome next to his young wife.
The Coronation ceremonial rites lasted about 2 1/2 hours. After being given the four symbols of authority, the orb, the sceptre, the rod of mercy and the royal ring with the sapphires and rubies, The Archbishop of Canterbury placed St Edward's crown on the Queen's head and completed the Ceremony. The congregation shouted "Long Live the Queen" and their stentorian voices echoed loud in the streets of London, and all over the country. "Long Live the Queen" the whole nation celebrated.
We left Liverpool for London and we stayed in a hotel in Kensington and for about a month the question was always the same: "Did you watch the Coronation". In restaurants, dishes were renamed like "Coronation Chicken" or "Buckingham Treacle Tart" or "Crown Apple Crumble". Needless to say, that Queen's pudding was very trendy in Great Britain in 1953.
To revert to my story, we landed in Liverpool on the 2nd June 1953. We booked a hotel and walked around to see the city. We stopped to admire an interesting old church when a clergyman came out of the garden gate and said: "We have a television set, do come in and watch Coronation Ceremony". We accepted with pleasure and we sat there among twenty strangers, who were talkative, jubilant and very proud of their young Queen.
With eyes glued to the screen, we watched the royal procession, being greeted at Westminster Abbey by the high officers of the state and the high ecclesiastics that would perform the Coronation. Also, the nobles appointed to carry the regalia, all dressed in magnificent robes. The Queen wore an elegant white dress by Norman Hartnell which was beautifully embroidered with the emblems of the Empire. Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh stood handsome next to his young wife.
The Coronation ceremonial rites lasted about 2 1/2 hours. After being given the four symbols of authority, the orb, the sceptre, the rod of mercy and the royal ring with the sapphires and rubies, The Archbishop of Canterbury placed St Edward's crown on the Queen's head and completed the Ceremony. The congregation shouted "Long Live the Queen" and their stentorian voices echoed loud in the streets of London, and all over the country. "Long Live the Queen" the whole nation celebrated.
We left Liverpool for London and we stayed in a hotel in Kensington and for about a month the question was always the same: "Did you watch the Coronation". In restaurants, dishes were renamed like "Coronation Chicken" or "Buckingham Treacle Tart" or "Crown Apple Crumble". Needless to say, that Queen's pudding was very trendy in Great Britain in 1953.
No comments:
Post a Comment