The

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...

and his wife, Elizabeth, as

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

and

queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and the Dominions of the

British Commonwealth The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire The B ...

, Emperor and Empress of India took place at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

, London, on Wednesday 12 May 1937. George VI ascended the throne upon the abdication of his brother,

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

, on 11 December 1936, three days before his 41st birthday. Edward's

had been planned for 12 May and it was decided to continue with his brother and sister-in-law's coronation on the same date. Although the music included a range of new anthems and the ceremony underwent some alterations to include the

Dominion A dominion was any of several largely self-governance, self-governing countries of the British Empire, once known collectively as the ''British Commonwealth of Nations''. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of self-governing colony, colon ...

s, it remained a largely conservative affair and closely followed the ceremonial of George V's coronation in 1911. The ceremony began with the

anointing Anointing is the ritual, ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body. By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, ...

of the King, symbolising his spiritual entry into kingship, and then his crowning and enthronement, representing his assumption of temporal powers and responsibilities. The peers of the realm then paid homage to the King before a shorter and simpler ceremony was conducted for the Queen's coronation. The return procession to

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

was over in length, making it the longest coronation procession up to that time; crowds of people lined the streets to watch it, over 32,000 soldiers and sailors took part, and 20,000 police officers lined the route. The coronation was commemorated by the issuing of official medals, coinage and stamps, by military parades across the Empire, and by numerous unofficial celebrations, including street parties and the production of memorabilia. The event was designed to be not only a sacred anointing and formal crowning, but also a public spectacle, which was also planned as a display of the British Empire. May 1937 included a programme of royal events lasting nearly the entire month to commemorate and mark the occasion. As a preliminary to the coronation, guests from across the Empire and around the world assembled at Buckingham Palace and official receptions were held to welcome them; among those attending were

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n princes and, for the first time, native

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n royalty. For the event itself, the

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

s of almost every Dominion took part in the procession to the abbey, while representatives of nearly every country attended. Contingents from most colonies and each Dominion participated in the return procession through

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

's streets. The media played an important part in broadcasting this show of pageantry and imperialism to the Empire. The coronation procession was an important event in the

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, being the country's first major

outside broadcast Outside or Outsides may refer to: * Wilderness Books and magazines * ''Outside'', a book by Marguerite Duras * Outside (magazine), ''Outside'' (magazine), an outdoors magazine Film, theatre and TV * Outside TV (formerly RSN Television), a televi ...

, although the ceremony inside the abbey was not televised. It was also the first coronation to be filmed, as well as the first to be broadcast on radio.

Background

Accession

In January 1936, King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

died and his eldest son,

, succeeded him as king-emperor of the British Empire. He was unmarried at that time, but the American socialite Wallis Simpson had accompanied him on numerous social occasions in years leading up to 1936; she was married to the shipping executive Ernest Aldrich Simpson and had previously been divorced. The relationship had not been reported in the British press, but was receiving considerable media attention in the United States; it was controversial due to her being divorced with her previous spouse still living, a status considered incompatible with the King's position as the nominal head of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

, which did not at that time permit remarriage after divorce if the previous spouse was still living. In October 1936 Simpson filed for divorce (which, when final, would result in two previous spouses still living), and the King informed the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (3 August 186714 December 1947), was a British statesman and Conservative politician who was prominent in the political leadership of the United Kingdom between the world wars. He was prime ministe ...

, that he intended to marry her. Baldwin and several leading imperial administrators advised the King that popular opinion in the dominions was hostile to the proposed marriage; at home, the King also faced opposition from the Church of England and from factions in

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. The widespread unwillingness to accept Simpson as the King's consort, and Edward's refusal to give her up, led to his abdication in December 1936. He was succeeded by his next younger brother,

. Before his accession, George had been known as Prince Albert,

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of List of English monarchs, English (later List of British monarchs, British) monarchs ...

; his

regnal name A regnal name, regnant name, or reign name is the name used by monarchs and popes during their reigns and subsequently, historically. Since ancient times, some monarchs have chosen to use a different name from their original name when they accede ...

was chosen in honour of his late father. In 1923, he had married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the daughter of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.

Coronation ceremony

Although the reign of the British monarch begins on his or her succession to the throne, the coronation service marks their formal investiture. In 1937, the ceremony was organised by a Coronation Committee, established by the Privy Council and chaired by the

Lord President of the Council The Lord President of the Council is the presiding officer of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the fourth of the Great Officers of State, ranking below the Lord High Treasurer but above the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. The Lor ...

, a political appointment; its central component, the Executive Committee, was chaired by the Duke of Norfolk, who inherited the office of

Earl Marshal Earl Marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the U ...

, which carries with it, by convention, the responsibility for the organisation and coordination of the coronation ceremony.Strong, ''Coronation'', 2005, p. 421''The Coronation Book of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth'', n.d., pp. 16-17

Preparation

Planning

The Coronation Committee had been delayed when it met for the first time on 24 June 1936:

Ramsay MacDonald James Ramsay MacDonald (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British statesman and politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The first two of his governments belonged to the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, where he led ...

, the

, met the Duke of Norfolk to discuss the proceedings; MacDonald would chair the Coronation Committee as a whole, and the Duke would chair the Executive Committee. While Edward VIII was away, cruising on the '' Nahlin'' with Wallis Simpson, his brother, Albert, Duke of York (the future George VI) sat in his place on the committees. Edward VIII had initially been reluctant to have a coronation at all (asking the Archbishop of Canterbury whether it could be dispensed with), but conceded that a shorter service would be acceptable; his desire for a lower-key event led to the planned abandonment of the royal procession through London the following day, the thanksgiving service at

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

and the dinner with London dignitaries. After the abdication of Edward VIII, the coronation committee continued to plan the event for George VI with minimal disruption; according to Sir Roy Strong, at the next meeting after the abdication "no reference was made at all to the change of sovereign, everything immediately being assumed to have been done for the new king." After the abdication, though, many of the traditional elements that Edward VIII cared less for were restored, with Queen Mary taking an interest in the design of furniture and insisting on a more traditional appearance; indeed, much of the service and the furnishings were to closely resemble those of the 1911 coronation of George V.

Archbishop of Canterbury

Although the Executive Committee was chaired by the Earl Marshal, the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

, Cosmo Lang, was also a driving force behind the preparations for the 1937 coronation; and many of the decisions about the order of service were made by or with him. He was an ''ex officio'' member of both the Executive Committee and the Coronation Committee, which dealt with the detail and, as such, he attended all of the rehearsals. He tended to take a leading role in the planning process, becoming a key mediator when queries arose, and dealing with questions of how the service should be broadcast by the media. Lang also spoke to the nation through the BBC services in the run-up to Coronation Day; he saw the Coronation as an opportunity for the spiritual renewal of the nation, and he organised a campaign of

evangelism Evangelism, or witnessing, is the act of sharing the Christian gospel, the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is typically done with the intention of converting others to Christianity. Evangelism can take several forms, such as persona ...

called ''Recall to Religion'', which he launched on 27 December 1936 with an address on BBC radio. He was also keen to ensure that the King and Queen understood the religious nuances of the service, and held two meetings with the couple beforehand.Beaken, ''Cosmo Lang: Archbishop in War and Crisis'', 2012, pp. 132–133 The Archbishop met the King and Queen on the evening before their coronation, running through the ceremony and explaining the most important parts. He was also concerned about King George's

stutter Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder characterized externally by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses called blocks in which the person who ...

and discussed the matter with Lord Dawson of Penn and Lord Wigram;

Lionel Logue Lionel George Logue (26 February 1880 – 12 April 1953) was an Australian speech and language therapist and amateur stage actor who helped George VI, King George VI manage his Stuttering, stammer. Early life and family Logue was born on 26 F ...

was then the King's speech therapist and the Archbishop discussed replacing him, but decided to monitor the King's improvement and Logue remained his therapist. As it happened, the King delivered his speech without stuttering.

Construction

The coronation cost £454,000, which was more than three times the cost of the 1911 ceremony. This cost included the construction of the annexe, which was built as a temporary add-on at the entrance of the abbey for each coronation. In previous years, it had taken the form of an imitation Gothic entrance, but, as a remnant of Edward VIII's modernising attitude, it was now an art-deco design, adorned with stylised heraldic beasts and tapestries belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch. For each coronation, special seating was also constructed to accommodate the large number of guests; 1937 was the first year to make use of metal structures to support the seats, in the form of tubular steel. Four hundred tons were used alongside of wood, with 400 men working on the construction. The theatre (the area in the

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

for the first part of the ceremony) and sacrarium (the space in front of the high altar) were at floor level for the first time since the Restoration, having traditionally been raised on a platform.

Imperial considerations

In 1911, standards of the

s—autonomous communities of the British Empire—were borne during the procession. But, after the 1931 Statute of Westminster, which established legislative equality between the Dominions and the United Kingdom, the actual service and coronation rite needed to be updated to reflect this change in political power within the Empire, which itself was beginning to be known as

the Commonwealth ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

. Furthermore, the fact that the service was an Anglican rite excluded other faiths and denominations; in 1937, several Dominions had premiers who were

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and, by that time, laws which previously excluded people from public office on religious grounds had been repealed.Strong, ''Coronation'', 2005, p. 442 The Coronation Committee altered the rite to reflect this change; the King now swore to maintain "the Protestant Reformed Religion only as established by law in the United Kingdom." During Edward VIII's reign, a committee was established and chaired by the Duke of York to investigate how colonial representatives might be included within the ceremony. The committee failed, though, to implement any changes, except to the Coronation Oath. This was the first amendment to the oath since the coronation of King William III and Queen Mary II in 1689. Although 1937 saw an increase in the colonial contingents partaking in the procession and an official lunch in

Westminster Hall Westminster Hall is a medieval great hall which is part of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. It was erected in 1097 for William II (William Rufus), at which point it was the largest hall in Europe. The building has had various functio ...

was given to parliamentary representatives of Empire states for the first time, the service itself was barely altered to reflect the new status of the Dominions.

Guests

The ceremony was attended by the King's and Queen's daughters, Princesses Elizabeth and

Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...

, as well as by the King's mother, Queen Mary. When Mary attended the coronation, she became the first British

dowager queen A queen dowager or dowager queen (compare: princess dowager or dowager princess) is a title or status generally held by the widow of a king. In the case of the widow of an emperor, the title of empress dowager is used. Its full meaning is clear ...

to do so. Members of the extended royal family attended and all peers and members of parliament were invited. Leading colonial administrators, ambassadors, Indian princes and premiers of the dominions were also on the guest list. Working-class representatives included representatives of the trade unions and co-operative societies, while native Africans were allowed to attend for the first time.

British royal family

* The Princess Elizabeth, ''the King and Queen's daughter'' * The Princess Margaret, ''the King and Queen's daughter'' * Queen Mary, ''the King's mother'' **

The Princess Royal Princess Royal is a title customarily (but not automatically) awarded by British monarchs to their eldest daughters. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family. There have been ...

and The Earl of Harewood, ''the King's sister and brother-in-law'' *** Viscount Lascelles, ''the King's nephew'' *** The Hon. Gerald Lascelles, ''the King's nephew'' ** The Duke and

Duchess of Gloucester Duchess of Gloucester is the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Gloucester. There have been five titles referring to Gloucester since the 14th century. The current duchess is Birgitt ...

, ''the King's brother and sister-in law'' ** The Duke and Duchess of Kent, ''the King's brother and sister-in law'' *

Princess Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for ...

and Prince Arthur of Connaught, ''the King's first cousin and her husband, the King's first cousin once removed'' ** Earl of Macduff, ''the King's first cousin once removed'' * Lady Maud and Lord Carnegie, ''the King's first cousin and her husband'' * The Queen of Norway, ''the King's paternal aunt'' ** The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway, ''the King's first cousin and second cousin'' (representing his father, the

King of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty king ...

) * Princess Helena Victoria, ''the King's first cousin once removed'' * Princess Marie Louise, ''the King's first cousin once removed'' * Lady Patricia Ramsay, ''the King's first cousin once removed'' ** Alexander Ramsay, ''the King's second cousin'' * The Earl of Athlone and

Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (Alice Mary Victoria Augusta Pauline; 25 February 1883 – 3 January 1981) was a member of the British royal family. She was the longest-lived Princess of the Blood Royal, and one of the longest-lived Britis ...

, ''the King's maternal uncle and aunt (also first cousin once removed)'' ** Lady May and Henry Abel Smith, ''the King's first cousin and her husband'' * The Marquess and Marchioness of Carisbrooke, ''the King's first cousin once removed and his wife'' ** Lady Iris Mountbatten, ''the King's second cousin'' * The Marquess and Marchioness of Milford Haven, ''the King's second cousin and his wife'' ** Lady Tatiana Mountbatten, ''the King's second cousin once removed'' ** Earl of Medina, ''the King's second cousin once removed'' *

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

and Lady Louis Mountbatten, ''the King's second cousin and his wife'' ** Patricia Mountbatten, ''the King's second cousin once removed'' * The Marquess and Marchioness of Cambridge, ''the King's first cousin and his wife'' ** Lady Mary Cambridge, ''the King's first cousin once removed'' * The Duchess and

Duke of Beaufort Duke of Beaufort ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd D ...

, ''the King's first cousin and her husband'' * Lady Helena Gibbs, ''the King's first cousin'' * Lord Frederick Cambridge, ''the King's first cousin''

Bowes-Lyon/Cavendish-Bentinck families

* The

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the Peerages in the United Kingdom, peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ...

and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, ''the Queen's parents'' ** The

Lady ''Lady'' is a term for a woman who behaves in a polite way. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the female counterpart of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. "Lady" is al ...

and Lord Elphinstone, ''the Queen's sister and brother-in-law'' * The

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

and Duchess of Portland, ''the Queen's first cousin once removed and his wife'' ** Lady Margaret Cavendish-Bentinck, ''the Queen's second cousin once removed'' ** Andrew Erskine-Wemyss, ''the Queen's second cousin once removed''

Foreign royalty

* Sirdar Shah Wali Khan (representing his nephew, the King of Afghanistan) * The

Count of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the c ...

, ''the King's third cousin once removed'' (representing his brother, the

King of the Belgians The monarchy of Belgium is the Constitutional monarchy, constitutional and Inheritance, hereditary institution of the monarchical head of state of the Kingdom of Belgium. As a popular monarchy, the Belgian monarch uses the title king/quee ...

) * The Prince of Preslav, ''the King's third cousin once removed'' (representing his brother, the Tsar of the Bulgarians) * The

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

and Crown Princess of Denmark and Iceland, ''the King's second cousins'' (representing his father, the King of Denmark and Iceland) * Prince Mohammed Abdul Moneim (representing his first cousin once removed, the King of Egypt) * The Crown Prince of Greece, ''the King's double second cousin'' (representing his brother, the

King of the Hellenes The Kingdom of Greece was ruled by the House of Wittelsbach from 1832 to 1862 and by the House of Glücksburg from 1863 to 1924 and, after being temporarily abolished in favor of the Second Hellenic Republic, again from 1935 to 1973, when it ...

) * The

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and Princess Chichibu (representing his brother, the

Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

) * The Prince Consort of Luxembourg, ''husband of the King's third cousin'' (representing his wife, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg) * Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, ''the King's fifth cousin and her husband'' (representing her mother, the Queen of the Netherlands) * The Grand Voevod of Alba Julia, ''the King's double second cousin once removed'' (representing his father, the

King of the Romanians The King of Romania () or King of the Romanians () was the title of the monarch of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947, when the Romanian Workers' Party proclaimed the Romanian People's Republic following Michael I's forced abdication. ...

) * The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (representing his father, the

King of Saudi Arabia The king of Saudi Arabia, officially the king of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (; ''Malik al-Mamlakat al-ʿArabiyat as-Suʿūdiyya''), is head of state and of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who holds absolute power. He is the head of the Saudi ...

) * Prince Chula Chakrabongse (representing his first cousin, the King of Siam) * The

and

Crown Princess of Sweden This page is a list of heirs to the Swedish throne. The list includes all individuals who were considered to Inheritance, inherit the Monarchy of Sweden, throne of the Kingdom of Sweden, either as heir apparent or as heir presumptive, since the ac ...

, ''the King's fourth cousin (also widower of the King's first cousin once removed) and the King's second cousin'' (representing his father, the

King of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the #IOG, Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. by law a constitutional monarchy, constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parl ...

) * Seif Al Islam Hussein (representing his brother, the King of Yemen) * Princess Paul of Yugoslavia and the Prince Regent of Yugoslavia, ''the King's second cousin and her husband'' (representing his first cousin once removed, the

King of Yugoslavia This article lists the heads of state of Yugoslavia from the Creation of Yugoslavia, creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kingdom of Yugoslavia) in 1918 until the Breakup of Yugoslavia, breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of ...

)

Rulers of British protectorates

* The Emir of Transjordan * The Sultan of Zanzibar * The

Sultan of Johor The Sultan of Johor (Malay language, Malay: ''Sultan Johor''; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a hereditary seat and the sovereign ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor. In the past, the sultan held absolute power over the state and was advised by a '' ...

* The

Sultan of Terengganu The Sultan of Terengganu (, Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the title of the constitutional head of Terengganu state in Malaysia. The current sultan, Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, is the 18th sultan and 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 2 ...

* The

Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan The Yamtuan Besar (Jawi script, Jawi: ), officially Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan (lit. "He Who Is Made a Great Lord", Jawi: ), is the royal title of the ruler of the states and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of N ...

* The

Sultan of Pahang Sultan of Pahang (, Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the title of the hereditary constitutional head of Pahang, Malaysia. The current sultan is Abdullah of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah. He is the Head of Islam in the state and the s ...

* The Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar * The Maharaja of Jodhpur * The Maharaja of Ratlam

Other foreign dignitaries

* Ekrem Bey Libohova (representing the

King of the Albanians The King of Albania (Albanian language, Albanian: ''Mbreti i Shqipërisë'') was a title styled by the official ruler of Albania. While the medieval Capetian House of Anjou, AngevinKingdom of Albania (medieval), Kingdom of Albania was a monarchy, ...

) * '' Dejazmatch'' Makonnen Endelkachew (representing the

Emperor of Ethiopia The emperor of Ethiopia (, "King of Kings"), also known as the Atse (, "emperor"), was the hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. The emperor w ...

) * Hassan Esfandiary (representing the Shahinshah of Iran) * Sayid Raouf Al Chadirji (representing the King of Iraq) * Conte Grandi (representing the

King of Italy King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by ...

) * Comte Henri de Maleville (representing the

Prince of Monaco The sovereign prince () is the monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All reigning princes and princesses have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi. When Prince Rainier III died in 2005, he was Europe's longest reigning mo ...

) * Sir Kaiser Shumshere Jung Bahadur Rana (representing the Maharajadhiraja of Nepal) * James W. Gerard * John J. Pershing * Generalfeldmarschall Werner von Blomberg *

Maxim Litvinov Maxim Maximovich Litvinov (; born Meir Henoch Wallach-Finkelstein; 17 July 1876 – 31 December 1951) was a Russian Empire, Russian revolutionary and prominent Soviet Union, Soviet statesman and diplomat who served as Ministry of Foreign Aff ...

* Vladimir Mitrofanovich Orlov *

Yvon Delbos Yvon Delbos (7 May 1885 – 15 November 1956) was a French Radical-Socialist Party politician and minister. Biography Delbos was born in Thonac, Dordogne, and entered a career as a journalist, and became a member of the Radical-Socialist ...

* Alexis Leger *

İsmet İnönü Mustafa İsmet İnönü (24 September 1884 – 25 December 1973) was a Turkish politician and military officer who served as the second List of Presidents of Turkey, president of Turkey from 1938 to 1950, and as its Prime Minister of Turkey, pr ...

* Kâzım Orbay *

Józef Beck Józef Beck (; 4 October 1894 – 5 June 1944) was a Polish statesman who served the Second Republic of Poland as a diplomat and military officer. A close associate of Józef Piłsudski, Beck is most famous for being Polish foreign minister in ...

* H. H. Kung *

Julián Besteiro Julián Besteiro Fernández (, 21 September 1870 – 27 September 1940) was a Spanish Socialism, socialist politician, elected to the and in 1931 as Speaker of the Constituent Cortes of the Second Spanish Republic, Spanish Republic. He also was ...

The abbey's doors were closed to guests at 8.30 on the morning of the coronation. The official record of the ceremonial, published in the ''

London Gazette London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...

'', describes the seating plan: "The Lords Spiritual were seated on the North side of the Area, or Sacrarium, the Lords Temporal in the South Transept, and the Dowager Peeresses and Peeresses in the North Transept."

Procession to the abbey

Before the coronation ceremony begins, there is traditionally a lengthy procession to the abbey. The procession left Buckingham Palace and headed up The Mall, though

Admiralty Arch The Admiralty Arch is a historic landmark building in London, providing road and pedestrian access between The Mall, London, The Mall, which extends to the southwest, and Trafalgar Square to the northeast. Commissioned by King Edward VII in mem ...

, and down

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It ...

, before entering Westminster Abbey. The first to take part in the procession were lesser members and relatives of the Royal Family and the representatives of foreign royalty and heads of state; they departed Buckingham Palace by car between 08:40 and 08:45 and arrived at the abbey ten minutes later; British and Dominion

s followed half an hour later, leaving at 09:15. At 09:49, members of the Royal Family left the palace (Queen Mary's carriage left Marlborough House shortly afterwards at 10:13). The King and Queen then travelled in the Gold State Coach from Buckingham Palace at 10:43; their procession was by far the longest and included numerous military contingents and delegates from Britain, the Dominions, and the colonies, as well as members of the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

, the Army, Naval and Air Boards and the personal aides-de-camp.

Procession into the abbey

Foreign representatives

The first to arrive in procession were the royalty and foreign representatives; they arrived ten minutes after departing the palace. The royal members were led in by two officers of arms—the

Bluemantle Pursuivant Bluemantle Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior Officer of Arms, officer of arms of the College of Arms in London. The office is reputed to have been created by Henry V of England, Henry V to serve the Order of the Garter, but there is no ...

( R.P. Graham-Vivian) and the Portcullis Pursuivant ( A.R. Wagner)—followed by two Gentleman Ushers (Captain Humphrey Lloyd and Colonel Vivian Gabriel), and were led to their seats in the royal gallery. The foreign representatives followed in at roughly 09:00 and were greeted by senior members of the Royal Household and the Diplomatic Corps. Led in by the Rouge Croix Pursuivant (P.W. Kerr) and the Rouge Dragon Pursuivant ( E.N. Geijer); they were escorted to their seats in the choir.

Regalia

Following tradition dating back to the reign of King Charles II, the

regalia Regalia ( ) is the set of emblems, symbols, or paraphernalia indicative of royal status, as well as rights, prerogatives and privileges enjoyed by a sovereign, regardless of title. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and ...

were brought to the Deanery of Westminster the night before the coronation. Staff started working at 4 a.m., while guests began arriving two hours later. The

Imperial State Crown The Imperial State Crown is the state crown of the British monarch. Based on the design of Queen Victoria's Crown of 1838, which had fallen into disrepair, it was made in 1937 for the coronation of King George VI. The crown remains in use today ...

had been remade for the occasion by the Crown Jewellers,

Garrard & Co Garrard & Co. Limited designs and manufactures luxury jewellery and silver. George Wickes founded Garrard in London in 1735 and the brand is headquartered at Albemarle Street in Mayfair, London. Garrard also has a presence in a number of other ...

. Queen Elizabeth's crown was new and made from

platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...

; it featured the Koh-i-Noor diamond from the crown of Queen Mary. Queen Elizabeth wore a gown made of silk

satin A satin weave is a type of Textile, fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back; it is not durable, as it tends to snag. It is one of three fundamen ...

, with pure gold thread embroidery in a rose and thistle pattern. The ermine-lined velvet robe had a floral pattern with a gold outline.Tierney, ''Elizabeth the Queen Mother Paper Dolls'', 2001, p. 71 The goldwork on the gown and the robe was embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. The gown and the robe also featured designs patriotic to the British Empire. Created by Elizabeth Handley-Seymour, the toile featured the embroidered emblems of the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the other dominions. The national flowers that appeared on the robe included the South African

protea ''Protea'' () is a genus of South African flowering plants, also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: ''suikerbos''). It is the type genus of the Proteaceae family. About 92% of the species occur only in the Cape Floristic Region, a narrow belt of mo ...

and the Indian lotus flower. Intertwined letter Es for Elizabeth were also embroidered on the robe.

Norman Hartnell Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell (12 June 1901 – 8 June 1979) was a leading British fashion designer, best known for his work for the ladies of the British royal family, royal family. Hartnell gained the Royal Warrant of Appointment (United Kingdom ...

dressed the maids of honour. While the

litany Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Jewish worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin ''wikt:litania, litania'' from Ancient Greek wikt:λιτα ...

was sung, the Choir led the Dean and Prebendaries of Westminster down from the High Altar at 09:55; they were carrying the Crown Jewels and regalia, which they then deposited at the Vestibule. The Comptroller of the

Lord Chamberlain's Office The Lord Chamberlain's Office is a department within the British Royal Household. It is concerned with matters such as protocol, state visits, investitures, garden parties, royal weddings and funerals. For example, in April 2005 it organised t ...

then handed the regalia to the Lord High Constable, who in turn handed them to the

Lord Great Chamberlain The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal but above the Lord High Constable of England, Lord High Constable. The office of Lo ...

; the items were then handed over to individual peers, who are listed below.

Entrance of the Royal Family

Led by two officers of arms—the Rouge Croix Pursuivant and the Rouge Dragon Pursuivant—and two Gentleman Ushers (Rear-Admiral Arthur Bromley and Lieutenant-Colonel Henry De Satgé), the senior members of the Royal Family arrived at 10:15 and formed their procession into the abbey.

was flanked by The Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, and they were followed by the Duchesses of

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

and

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

and then, in pairs,

and Princess Arthur of Connaught;

and Lady Patricia Ramsay; and Princess Marie Louise and Princess Helena Victoria, each with an attendant, train-bearer, or coronet carrier, as applicable. Twenty minutes later, the Queen of Norway and Queen Mary arrived, being received by the Earl Marshal. Their procession took a different form to that of other members. The

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

and Windsor Heralds led, followed by G.A. Ponsonby (Comptroller of Queen Maud's Household) and then the Queen of Norway, attended by Miss von Hanno and followed by the Richmond and

Chester Herald Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. The office of Chester Herald dates from the 14th century, and it is reputed that the holder was herald to Edward the Black Prince. In the reign of King R ...

s. Then, Queen Mary's Lord Chamberlain ( the Marquess of Anglesey) led Queen Mary, whose train was borne by four pages (the Earl of Dalkeith, the Marquess of Lansdowne, Gerald Lascelles, and Viscount Errington) and who was attended by the Mistress of the Robes (the Duchess of Devonshire), two ladies of the bedchamber in waiting, her private secretary, comptroller, and three equerries (two ordinary and one extra).

Entrance of the King and Queen

A guard of honour had formed at the vestibule and at the entrance, and the King and Queen arrived at 11:00. On their entry, they were greeted by the great officers of state, the archbishops, and the peers bearing the regalia. They then formed their procession, which was led by the King's chaplain and the Chapter at Westminster, who were followed by representatives of the Free Churches and the Church of Scotland. The procession involved all of the great officers of state, the archbishops of Canterbury and York, the lord mayor of London, the officers of arms of England and Scotland, the standards of each dominion, the prime ministers of the UK and of each of the dominions, and the most senior and highest-ranking officials in the Royal Household. They were followed by twelve members of the Yeoman of the Guard and six of its officials. The King and Queen walked surrounded by their regalia, borne by the designated peers; King George wore his great robes of state, which had to be carried by nine pages of honour: * Alexander Ramsay (1919–2000), son of Lady Patricia Ramsay * George Haig, 2nd Earl Haig (1918–2009) * George Edward Charles Hardinge (1921–1997), son of Alec Hardinge, 2nd Baron Hardinge of Penshurst. * George Lascelles (1923–2011), later 7th Earl of Harewood (nephew of the King) * George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe (1918–2007) * Henry Kitchener, 3rd Earl Kitchener (1919–2011) * Major (George) Raymond Seymour (1923–2010), grandson of Lord Ismay, and later an assistant private secretary and equerry to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. * Montague Robert Vere Eliot (1923–1994), son of the Earl of St Germans * Rognvald Herschell, 3rd Baron Herschell (1923–2008). The Queen was attended by six maids of honour: * Lady (Victoria) Margaret Cavendish-Bentinck) (1918–1955), daughter of the Duke of Portland; she later married Gaetano Parente, Principe di Castel Viscardo. * Lady Diana Legge (1910–1970), daughter of the

Earl of Dartmouth Earl of Dartmouth is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1711 for William Legge, 2nd Baron Dartmouth. History The Legge family descended from Edward Legge, Vice-President of Munster. His eldest son William Legge was a ...

. * Lady Elizabeth Hester Mary Paget (1916–1980), daughter of the Marquess of Anglesey. She later married Raimund von Hofmannsthal. * Lady Elizabeth Ivy Percy (1916–2008), daughter of the

Duke of Northumberland Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of N ...

; she later became the Duchess of Hamilton. * Lady Iris Mountbatten (1920–1982), daughter of the Marquess of Carisbrooke. * Lady Ursula Manners (1916–2017), daughter of the

Duke of Rutland Duke of Rutland is a title in the Peerage of England, named after Rutland, a county in the East Midlands of England. Earldoms named after Rutland have been created three times; the ninth earl of the third creation was made duke in 1703, in whos ...

. The royal couple walked past the choir, in which sat the foreign representatives and delegates, before passing through the screen; after this, they sat or stood in their designated area and the King and Queen took their seats in the Chairs of State in front of the royal box. As the King and Queen and the procession proceeded, the choir sang ''

I was glad 'I was glad' () is an English text drawn from selected verses of Psalm 122. It has been used at Westminster Abbey in the Coronation of the British monarch, coronation ceremonies of British monarchs since those of Charles I of England, King Charle ...

'' with the traditional acclamations of ''Vivat Regina Elizabetha'' and ''Vivat Rex Georgius'' by the

King's Scholar A King's Scholar, abbreviated KS in the United Kingdom, is the recipient of a scholarship from a foundation created by, or under the auspices of, a British monarch. The scholarships are awarded at certain Public school (United Kingdom), public ...

s of

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

Service

The coronation service itself began once the procession into the abbey was over and the King and Queen were seated. Beginning with the recognition, the King then took an oath and was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, before being crowned king. As a remnant of the coronation ceremony's feudal origins, the King then received homage from the peers and peeresses of the realm in attendance. There were few departures from the services conducted at previous coronations. Efforts were made to shorten the lengthy proceedings: the

was sung during the regalia procession before the start of the service, and the

sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present context ...

was omitted entirely. Even so, the service itself lasted for two and a half hours, excluding the preliminary processions.

Recognition, oath, and anointing of the King

The first part of the service was the recognition, where the Archbishop of Canterbury called for those present to proclaim their recognition of the sovereign as their rightful king. The King was conducted by the Garter King of Arms to St Edward's Chair, and the Archbishop, as tradition dictates, asked: "Sirs, I here present unto you King George, your undoubted King: wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?" The people replied loudly at each repetition "God save King George". The king then sat in the Chair of Estate and the regalia, except the swords, were laid on the altar.''Supplement to the London Gazette'', 10 November 1937, issue no. 34453, p. 7054 The King then knelt before the altar and swore on the Bible his coronation oath, a copy of which he then signed. The Archbishop of Canterbury then began the Communion Service, while the

Bishop of London The bishop of London is the Ordinary (church officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. By custom the Bishop is also Dean of the Chapel Royal since 1723. The diocese covers of 17 boroughs o ...

read the Epistle and the Archbishop of York the Gospel; after the Service concluded, the King and Queen knelt while the choir sang "''Veni, Creator Spiritus''". This marked the beginning of the anointing of the monarch, when the Archbishop of Canterbury marks the monarch's head with oil to symbolise the introduction of the Holy Spirit. The Choir sang

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

's ''

Zadok the Priest ''Zadok the Priest'' ( HWV 258) is a British anthem that was composed by George Frideric Handel for the coronation of George II in 1727. Alongside '' The King Shall Rejoice'', '' My Heart is Inditing'', and '' Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened'', ' ...

'' and the Archbishop prayed, before the King was disrobed and sat in St Edward's Chair, with the Canopy borne by four knights of the Garter placed over him. The Archbishop then anointed him with oil from the Ampulla, which had been poured onto the Anointing Spoon.

Crowning the King

In preparation for his crowning, the King, still on St Edward's Chair, was invested with the two coronation robes, the '' Colobium Sindonis'' and the '' Supertunica'' by the Dean of Westminster. Next, he was invested with the regalia, each of which symbolised his progress to kingship. First, the Lord Great Chamberlain touched the King's heels with the Golden Spurs; the Great Sword of State was deposited in St Edward's Chapel and the Jewelled Sword of Offering was passed to the King by the Archbishops and Bishops, who said "With this sword do justice"; the King then offered this sword at the altar. Seated again, the Lord Great Chamberlain fastened the Armills and the Dean invested the King with the Robe Royal; the Archbishop passed him the

Sovereign's Orb The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, originally the Crown Jewels of England, are a collection of royal ceremonial objects kept in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, which include the Coronation of the British monarch, coronation regalia ...

, put the Sovereign's Ring on his fourth finger and handed to him the two sceptres— with the cross (for Royal power) and with the dove (for "mercy and equity"). The Earl of Lincoln, as Deputy of the Lord of the Manor of Worksop, then handed over a

glove A glove is a garment covering the hand, with separate sheaths or openings for each finger including the thumb. Gloves protect and comfort hands against cold or heat, damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals, and disease; or in turn to provide a ...

, which the King wore. Once adorned with his regalia and seated in St Edward's Chair, King George was crowned with

St Edward's Crown St Edward's Crown is the coronation crown of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have traditionally been used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13t ...

by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the people in the abbey proclaimed loudly "God save the King"; the peers and peeresses wore their coronets (the only time that this happens) and the guns in the Royal Parks were fired to mark the crowning. The ceremony appeared to run smoothly, although there were a few inconspicuous mishaps: the Archbishop of Canterbury almost placed the crown on the King's head the wrong way, one bishop stepped on the King's train, and another obscured the words of the Oath with his thumb while the King was reading it.

Enthronement and homage to the King

In the text of the service, this part of the ceremony was described using the archaic term "inthronization". The Archbishop of Canterbury presented the Bible to the King and the King returned it to him, who gave it to the Dean, who placed it on the Altar. The King handed the glove over to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household and the Sceptre with the Cross to the Lord of the Manor of Worksop. The Benediction followed and then the King moved over to the other throne, accompanied by the Bishops of Bath and Wells and of Durham, the Great Officers of State, the Lords carrying the swords and the Lords who had carried the regalia. The Archbishop knelt and paid homage to the King; the Archbishop of York did so next, followed by each of the Bishops. The Dukes of the Blood Royal then did homage, followed by the Lords Temporal (Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, Barons); six anthems were sung by the Choir during the homage: "O come ye servants of the Lord", " Hear my prayer, O Lord", "O clap your hands together, all ye people", "All the ends of the world shall remember themselves", "O praise God in His holiness" and "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace".''Supplement to the London Gazette'', 10 November 1937, issue no. 34453, p. 7073

The Queen

The Queen was crowned and anointed in a much smaller and simpler ceremony. This began immediately after the homage to the King finished, when the Queen knelt in prayer before the altar. She then went to the Faldstool, which had been placed before the altar, where she knelt under a canopy, which was held by the Duchesses of Norfolk,

Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...

, Buccleuch, and Roxburghe. The Archbishop anointed her, placed on her fourth finger on her right hand the Queen Consort's Ring, and then crowned her, at which point the Princesses and peeresses donned their coronets. She was then handed the Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross and the Queen Consort's Ivory Rod with Dove, before walking over to her own throne beside the King, where she sat.

End of the service

The ''Offertory'' followed, in which the King and Queen offered their regalia on the Altar. They then received

Holy Communion The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...

from the Archbishop and were passed their crowns before returning to their thrones where they were also given their sceptres back. ''

Te Deum The ( or , ; from its incipit, ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to a date before AD 500, but perhaps with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin ...

'' was sung by the choir. A recess followed, during which the King and Queen proceeded to St Edward's Chapel. There, the King delivered the Sceptre with the Dove to the Archbishop who laid it on the altar. The bearers of the Orb, the Golden Spurs and St Edward's Staff delivered these to the Dean of Westminster, who laid them on the altar in the chapel. The King was disrobed of his Royal Robe of State by the Lord Great Chamberlain and put on the Robe of Estate. The King, now wearing the

, was then given the Orb by the Archbishop. While the King and Queen were in the chapel, the Officers of Arms arranged the procession out of the abbey, which was similar in form to the procession into the abbey. The King and Queen then joined the procession, with the King carrying the Sceptre with the Cross in his right hand and the Orb in his left, while the Queen carried her Sceptre with the Cross in her right hand and the Ivory Rod with the Dove in her left. They proceeded to the West Door of the Abbey as the National Anthem, "

God Save the King "God Save the King" ("God Save the Queen" when the monarch is female) is ''de facto'' the national anthem of the United Kingdom. It is one of national anthems of New Zealand, two national anthems of New Zealand and the royal anthem of the Isle ...

", was sung.

State Procession to Buckingham Palace

As in the 1902 and 1911 events, the coronation was followed by a procession through London's streets from Westminster Abbey to the Royal residence, allowing the public to view the new king and queen. In 1937, this return route was extended significantly.Strong, ''Coronation'', 2005, p. 452 From Westminster Abbey, it passed around Parliament Square and up the Victoria Embankment (where 40,000 schoolchildren were waiting) and then along Northumberland Avenue, into

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...

, up Cockspur Street through to Pall Mall; from there, the procession went up St James' Street, joining Piccadilly, then up Regent Street, then west along

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to t ...

, before turning past

Marble Arch The Marble Arch is a 19th-century white marble-faced triumphal arch in London, England. The structure was designed by John Nash in 1827 as the state entrance to the cour d'honneur of Buckingham Palace; it stood near the site of what is today th ...

and then down East Carriage Road, alongside Hyde Park; from there, the procession passed through

Hyde Park Corner Hyde Park Corner is between Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair in London, England. It primarily refers to a major road junction at the southeastern corner of Hyde Park, that was originally planned by architect Decimus Burton. The juncti ...

and then through

Wellington Arch The Wellington Arch, also known as the Constitution Arch or (originally) as the Green Park Arch, is a Grade I-listed triumphal arch by Decimus Burton that forms a centrepiece of Hyde Park Corner in central London, at the corner where Hyde ...

, on to Constitution Hill and then back into Buckingham Palace. The progression included a large number of military personnel from across the Empire. There were representative detachments from all the elements of the

British armed forces The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...

and the reserve forces, the

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

and

Royal Indian Navy The Royal Indian Navy (RIN) was the naval force of British Raj, British India and the Dominion of India. Along with the Presidency armies, later the British Indian Army, Indian Army, and from 1932 the Royal Indian Air Force, it was one of the ...

, contingents from the British Dominions and a contingent representing the defence forces of the Colonial Empire. Contingents taking part represented the following sections of the Empire:

, the dominions of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, and the Colonies of

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British Crown colony in Southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally known as South ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

, Tanganyika,

Nyasaland Nyasaland () was a British protectorate in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After ...

, the

Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

, the Gold Coast,

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

Aden Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...

, Transjordan,

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

, the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first known Europeans to encounter Guia ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

, the

Falklands The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Du ...

and

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. In total there were 32,500 officers and men either marching or lining the route. Overall, the procession was in length and took 40 minutes to pass any given point."Coronation"
HC Deb 16 March 1937 vol 321 cols 1833–1836 (Hansard) The route of the procession was the longest on record, at . Before and after the event, the British and Dominion troops were accommodated in temporary camps at

Kensington Gardens Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, are among the Royal Parks of London. The gardens are shared by the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and sit immediately to the west of Hyde Pa ...

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, Borough of Camden (and historical ...

, Primrose Hill, Olympia and

Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...

; the Colonial troops were housed in various London

barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...

Music

The musical director for the service was Ernest Bullock, who was organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, in consultation with the Master of the King's Musick, Henry Walford Davies. The Abbey choir was supplemented by choirs from the

Chapel Royal A chapel royal is an establishment in the British and Canadian royal households serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the royal family. Historically, the chapel royal was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarc ...

, St George's Chapel, Windsor and the

Temple Church The Temple Church, a royal peculiar in the Church of England, is a church in the Inner Temple, Inner and Middle Temple, Middle Temple, London, Temples located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built by the Knights Templar for their En ...

. An orchestra composed of musicians from London's main orchestras was conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Tradition demanded the inclusion of George Frederick Handel's ''

'' (1727) and

Hubert Parry Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet (27 February 1848 – 7 October 1918), was an English composer, teacher and historian of music. Born in Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is ...

's ''

'' (1902). New work written for the occasion included ''Confortare (Be strong and play the Man)'' by Walford Davies and the ''Festival

in F Major'' by

Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams ( ; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

. Perhaps the best known work from the 1937 coronation is ''Crown Imperial'', an orchestral

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...

William Walton Sir William Turner Walton (29 March 19028 March 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include ''Façade'', the cantat ...

. It was the desire of Bullock and Davies that the programme should include music from 'Tudor times to the present day' and so new pieces were composed by Arnold Bax, Arthur Bliss and Granville Bantock, as well as Walton and Vaughan Williams.Strong, ''Coronation'', 2005, p. 468 Walton's ''Crown Imperial'' was played while the King and Queen progressed up the nave;

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic music, Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwid ...

's ''Homage March'' from '' Sigurd Jorsalfar'' and Edward German's ''Coronation March'' were played when the Princes and Princesses, and then Queen Mary arrived, respectively. Choral works included the traditional plainsong ''Veni, Creator Spiritus'', William Byrd's ''Credo, Creed'' and ''Sanctus'', Christopher Tye's ''O Come ye Servants of the Lord'', Henry Purcell's ''Hear My Prayer'', Samuel Sebastian Wesley's ''Thou Wilt Keep Him in Perfect Peace'', Sir George Dyson (composer), George Dyson's ''O Praise God in His holiness'', Sir Edward Bairstow's ''Let My Prayer Come Up into Thy Presence'' and Dr William Henry Harris's ''Offertorium''.

Commentary

Despite a number of hitches, described above, the coronation ran relatively smoothly. It has been somewhat overshadowed in history by the larger Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953; the Abbey's sacrist, Jocelyn Perkins, said that the 1953 event was "out and away the most impressive" of the 1953, 1937 and 1911 coronations. Nonetheless, a number of those present, the King included, commented privately on the spirituality of the ceremony. Despite recalling it as being "inordinately long" and remembering how heavy the crown and robes were, the Queen said that it was "wonderful and there is a great sense of offering oneself". The King wrote to Lang thanking him for his support and, although he said it was an "ordeal", he also wrote that "I felt I was being helped all the time by Someone Else as you said I would".

Media coverage

Radio

On the eve of the coronation, the King Special address by the British monarch, made a live broadcast from Buckingham Palace which was heard throughout the British Empire. The Coronation ceremony itself was not televised, but it was the first coronation service to be broadcast on radio; 28 microphones were placed around the Abbey to capture the music and speech. There was no commentary, but the Reverend Frederic Iremonger, Director of Religion at the BBC and Honorary Chaplain to the King, read out the rubrics or written directions from the service book from a seat high in the triforium over Edward the Confessor, Saint Edward's Chapel. During the most sacred parts of the service, the consecration and the

, the microphones were turned off and listeners heard hymns being sung by the choir in the Church of St Margaret, Westminster. The ability to project the service to citizens of the Empire allowed the Coronation to further Britain's imperial ambitions; as Range wrote, "with the twentieth century there also came a heightened awareness of ... the propagandistic qualities of the event". The BBC and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC jointly transmitted the proclamation of George VI. In the lead up to the Coronation, the BBC organised talks by Ministers to be broadcast under the name ''Responsibilities of Empire'', and also broadcast ''The Empire's Homage'' featuring messages from colonial officers and citizens from across the Empire. The BBC's BBC World Service, Empire Service broadcast the whole service, lasting two-and-a-half hours.

Television

The procession was broadcast on the BBC Television Service, which had only been operating since the previous November. Several tons of television cables, measuring , were laid across central London, so that the images from three Iconoscope, Emitron television cameras could be sent to the transmission centre at Alexandra Palace. Commentary was by Frederick Grisewood, who was with the cameras at

. The coverage of the procession is regarded as being the BBC's first

. In reviewing the broadcast, ''The Daily Telegraph'' commented: "Horse and foot, the Coronation procession marched into English homes yesterday," while the ''Daily Mail'' said: "When the King and Queen appeared the picture was so vivid that one felt that this magical television is going to be one of the greatest of all modern inventions."

Newsreels

The coronation service of George VI was the first to be filmed; the 40 camera crew inside the Abbey were required to wear White tie, full evening dress. It was later shown in edited form as a newsreel in cinemas across the British Empire. The service was later broadcast from these recordings, with the authorities censoring only one small section: a clip of Queen Mary wiping a tear from her eye.

Honours and official commemorations

Programme of celebrations and royal events

Aside from the Coronation ceremony itself, a 23-day-long programme of official events spanned most of May 1937. The 1902 Coronation was the first to see such a programme implemented, but 1937 was nearly twice as long, and, building on similar developments in 1911, it was a very public spectacle; Sir Roy Strong argues that the month-long festivities were designed to "recapture the confidence of the nation" following the abdication crisis. The first week saw receptions for foreign visitors and delegates, while a State Banquet was held on 10 May, but the weeks following the coronation saw more public spectacles; the following day included a royal drive through north London, 16 May included a luncheon at Guildhall with London dignitaries and the 'Empire Service of Youth' in Westminster. On 20 and 21 May the King and Queen inspected fleets and visited flagships, while, on 22 May the Queen visited Hyde Park to inspect St John's Ambulance, St John's ambulances and then drove through another area in North London.

Coronation honours, medals, coinage and stamps

The King marked the occasion of his coronation by conferring honours on a select group of his subjects; in all, thirteen peerages and seven baronetcies were created, while appointments were made to the Privy Council and to the Order of the Garter, Orders of the Garter, Order of the Thistle, Thistle, Order of the Bath, Bath, Order of Merit, Merit, Order of the Star of India, Star of India, Order of St Michael and St George, St Michael and St George and the Royal Victorian Order. An official medal was also struck to mark the occasion, as is customary; however, unlike his father's and grandfather's coronation medals, it was produced in one class. The medal was issued to 90,279 people from across the Empire."King George VI Coronation Medal (1937)"
Veterans Affairs of Canada (official site), ''veterans.gc.ca'' (accessed on 30 May 2014) Canada, for instance, was allowed just over 10,000, with many being issued to commanding officers in the military, cabinet ministers, senators and their staff and the staff of the Governor General of Canada, Governor General. The Royal Mint issued two special 1937 coin sets comprising the coinage for that year and commemorative issues. 5,501 gold Sovereign (British coin), Sovereigns and Half Sovereign, half-Sovereigns were minted (the only ones of George VI's reign). Additionally, over 400,000 Coronation Crown (British coin), crowns were issued, plus over 26,000 at proof grade. The Post Office had planned to issue special commemorative stamps to mark the Planned coronation of Edward VIII, coronation of Edward VIII, but, on his abdication, were uncertain as to whether a new design could be prepared in time, but invited Eric Gill to submit designs for a 1½d stamp. Another artist, Edmund Dulac, also submitted two plans. The King accepted Dulac's and they were printed in brown with a hint of violet the day after the Coronation.

Other celebrations and commemorations

United Kingdom

The streets along the procession route were crowded with people, with women estimated by one newspaper to outnumber men two-to-one. In all, 20,000 police officers were deployed to line the route and keep the crowds calm and, apart from a "dense crush" in Trafalgar Square, which the police dispersed, there were few problems with managing the public in London. In London and elsewhere across Britain, the Coronation became a social occasion, with street parties taking place, in which inhabitants and communities closed off roads, decorated their streets with bunting and flags, and laid on a celebratory lunch; the Pearly Kings and Queens, a traditional part of working-class culture in London, turned out, joining in with festivities and theatrically mocking the Royal Family. Mass Observation, a research programme aimed at curating a record of everyday life in Britain, had been launched in January 1937. Contributors across the country were invited to record the details of the day of the Coronation in a diary for the project, whether the events of the Coronation were part of this day for them or not. The same exercise was repeated every 12 May in following years, and again when Mass Observation was relaunched in 1981. It continues to be an annual initiative into the 2020s, open to anyone to contribute.

Commemorative rail services

The Coronation Scot and The Coronation (train), The Coronation were trains operated by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the London and North Eastern Railway respectively, in order to celebrate the coronation. Both were uniquely constructed streamlined express trains, with the intent of matching the level of luxury surrounding the event and the royal family.

Commemorative clock towers

Two clock towers were built in British Malaya, Malaya (now Malaysia) to commemorate the coronation. One is located at Medan Pasar, Kuala Lumpur, and was erected in 1937. The clock tower still exists today; however, the memorial plaques were removed following the independence of Malaya (1957). The other tower is located at Kuala Kangsar (town), Kuala Kangsar, Perak, and was completed in 1939. It still exists today and is popular among tourists.

Empire

The National Archives released photographs of celebrations for the Coronation from across the British Empire where various commemorations were held. These included military parades, athletics events and religious services, and the gallery below shows examples of these commemorative events: File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-38-2-1-001.jpg, United Religious Service, High Court building, Accra File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-38-3-1-001.jpg, United Religious Service, Gold Coast File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-39-15-1-001.jpg, Coronation Day Parade, Saltpond File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-38-6-2-001.jpg, Athletics event, possibly in Accra File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-38-15.jpg, Jamestown, Gold Coast File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-39-7-1-001.jpg, Ceremonial parade, Kumasi File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-39-5.jpg, Distribution of souvenirs to schoolchildren

Memorabilia

The coronation was capitalised on by manufacturers as a means of selling commemorative material. Recordings of the service were put up for sale, while glassware and pottery were also made to commemorate the event. In Canada, for instance, at least five cookbooks were printed to mark the Coronation. British Empire flags featuring the emblems of the dominions and India were also produced to celebrate their role in a united empire. The ones dating back to 1937 were based on a design previously used for the coronation of George V in 1911.

Representation in fiction

In Howard Spring's 1940 novel, ''Fame Is the Spur (novel), Fame Is the Spur'', the coronation is seen through the eyes of the central character, Hamer Shawcross, who attends the event as a newly-elevated viscount. Along with his fellow peers, he is discomforted by the tedious hours of waiting, the lack of organised refreshments, the difficulty of finding toilets and, above all, the confusion on leaving the abbey when chauffeurs are directed to the wrong exits to meet their masters, with many of those attending having to walk home in the rain.

The Coronation Review of the Fleet

The final coronation event was the Fleet review (Commonwealth realms), Review of the Fleet, held on 20 May at Spithead off the coast at Portsmouth. The largest assembly of warships since the coronation review of 1911, it has been described by military historian Hedley Paul Willmott as "the last parade of the Royal Navy as the world's greatest and most prodigious navy". Ten British battleships and battlecruisers were present, and for the first time at a coronation review, four aircraft carriers. Altogether, there were 101 surface warships, 22 submarines and 11 Royal Fleet Auxiliary, auxiliaries drawn from the Home Fleet, Home, Mediterranean Fleet, Mediterranean and Reserve Fleet (United Kingdom), Reserve Fleets. The Review Procession included the royal yacht, HMY Victoria and Albert (1899), HMY ''Victoria and Albert'', two minesweepers and a survey ship. The Commonwealth and Empire were represented by two warships from Canada and one each from New Zealand and India. A large complement of British merchant ships ranging from ocean liners to paddle steamers were also present.Willmott, p. 34 By tradition, foreign navies were invited to send a single warship each to the review and seventeen were present. Notable among them were the USS New York (BB-34), USS ''New York'', the new French battleship Dunkerque, French battleship ''Dunkerque'' and the elderly USSR, Soviet Russian battleship Petropavlovsk (1911), ''Marat''. Also present were the formidable looking German "pocket battleship" German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee, ''Admiral Graf Spee'', the Argentine battleship ARA Moreno, ARA ''Moreno'', the Greek cruiser Greek cruiser Georgios Averof, ''Georgios Averof'' and the Japanese heavy cruiser Japanese cruiser Ashigara, ''Ashigara''. Following the review, in which the King and Queen on the royal yacht passed along seven lines of moored ships, there was a flypast by the Fleet Air Arm, however a planned second pass had to be abandoned because of the misty weather. That night, the assembled ships were illuminated by their own searchlights; the spectacle was famously described on BBC Radio by commentator Lieutenant-Commander Thomas Woodrooffe, who had enjoyed too much naval hospitality and was very drunk. HMS Nelson off Spithead for the Fleet Review.jpg, The battleship HMS Nelson (28), HMS ''Nelson'' off Spithead for the 1937 Fleet Review Graf Spee at Spithead.jpg, ''Admiral Graf Spee'' at Spithead in 1937; and lie in the background USS New York 1937 (49311734546).jpg, USS ''New York'' at the Spithead Naval Review Soviet battleship Marat at Spithead Fleet Review 1937 IWM MH 7.jpg, ''Marat'' at Spithead for the 1937 Fleet Review "Averof" at Spithead Naval Review, 1937.jpg, ''Averof'' at Coronation Naval Review, Spithead, 1937

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* ''The Coronation Book of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth'', n.d., Odham's Press Ltd., London * Beaken, R. (2012)
Cosmo Lang: Archbishop in War and Crisis
I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd () * Driver, E. (2008)
''Culinary Landmarks: A Bibliography of Canadian Cookbooks''
University of Toronto Press Inc. () * Hobsbawn, E. and Ranger, T. (1983
''The Invention of Tradition''
20th printing (2012; first pub. 1983), Cambridge University Press () * Joslin, E.C. (1976). ''The Standard Catalogue of British Orders and Decorations'', 3rd Edition, Spink & Son Ltd. * Lacey, R. (2003
''Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II''
Free Press () * Matthew, H.C.G
"Edward VIII (later Prince Edward, duke of Windsor) (1894–1972)"
''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', first published: 2004, online edition: Jan 2011 * Mussell, J.W. (ed.) and Coin News editorial staff (eds.) (2010). ''Coin Yearbook 2010'', Token Publishing () * Petrocelli, P. (2007)
''William Walton and the Violin Concerto in England between the 1900 and 1940''
Universal Publishers () * Potter, S.J. (2012)
''Broadcasting Empire''
Oxford University Press () * Ramusack, Barbara N (2004
''The Indian Princes and their States''
Cambridge University Press, () * Range, M. (2012)
''Music and Ceremonial at British Coronations: From James I to Elizabeth II''
Cambridge University Press () * Richards, Jeffrey (2001)
''Imperialism and Music: Britain, 1876–1953''
Manchester University Press () * Strong, Sir R. (2005). ''iarchive:coronationhistor0000stro, Coronation: a History of Kingship and the British Monarchy'', Harper Collins () * Tierney, Tom (2001)
''Elizabeth the Queen Mother Paper Dolls''
Courier Dover Publications ()

External links

Order of Service of the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth

''The Coronation''
newsreel from British Movietone News
''Coronation Special 1937, reel 5''
newsreel from British Pathé Archives.
''Royal Naval Review Aka His Majesty Review His Fleet'' 1937
newsreel from British Pathé Archives.
''Coronation of George VI May 12 1937''
full list of music titles and composers. {{London history 1937 in British television 1937 in London Coronation of George VI and Elizabeth, Coronations of British monarchs, George VI George VI Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Westminster Abbey May 1937 in the United Kingdom 1930s in the City of Westminster

Background

Accession

Coronation ceremony

Preparation

Planning

Archbishop of Canterbury

Construction

Imperial considerations

Guests

British royal family

Bowes-Lyon/Cavendish-Bentinck families

Foreign royalty

Rulers of British protectorates

Other foreign dignitaries

Procession to the abbey

Procession into the abbey

Foreign representatives

Regalia

Entrance of the Royal Family

Entrance of the King and Queen

Service

Recognition, oath, and anointing of the King

Crowning the King

Enthronement and homage to the King

The Queen

End of the service

State Procession to Buckingham Palace

Music

Commentary

Media coverage

Radio

Television

Newsreels

Honours and official commemorations

Programme of celebrations and royal events

Coronation honours, medals, coinage and stamps

Other celebrations and commemorations

United Kingdom

Commemorative rail services

Commemorative clock towers

Empire

Memorabilia

Representation in fiction

The Coronation Review of the Fleet

See also

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links