Queen Elizabeth II's coronation was nearly 70 years ago: Here are all the details

Morgan Hines and Marco della Cava, USA TODAY

May 7, 2023 at 3:26 AM·6 min read

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, better known as Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned 70 years ago. It was a long wait for her eldest son, Charles, to follow in her coronation footsteps. But on May 6, he finally did.

Elizabeth was crowned Queen of England at 27, taking a formal oath on June 2, 1953. She technically became queen a few years before that at the age of 25, following the death of her father King George VI.

England's new monarch, King Charles III, was present at his mother's crowning. He was 4.

Ultimately, Elizabeth Rex was heralded as the world's oldest and longest reigning monarch, dying last year at the age of 96.

More: Everything that happened at King Charles III's coronation

King Charles, who is 74, has already developed a reputation as someone who wants a so-called slimmed-down monarchy, which likely will translate to a coronation weekend that may not include the kind of spectacle that surrounded his mother's coronation.

Here's a look back at some of the highlights of Queen Elizabeth's 1953 event.

When and where was Queen Elizabeth II's coronation?

Queen Elizabeth II's coronation took place at London's Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey was founded by Benedictine monks in the year960, according to its website.

Since 1066, Westminster Abbey has been the official church of coronations – over the past millennium, 39 monarchs have been crowned there.

Months before Elizabeth's coronation, the Abbey was closed to the public to prepare for the event, which included ensuring that the famed edifice could accommodate the event's 8,000-plus guests.

Westminster Abbey: See Queen Elizabeth at the iconic church where she was married, crowned, laid to rest

The Abbey played a role in other momentous moments in the queen's life.

Prior to her coronation, Queen Elizabeth was married at Westminster Abbey as the 10th royal bride to tie the knot at the church. Her funeral was also held at the Abbey last fall. It was the first state funeral to be held at Westminster Abbey since 1760.

What oath did Queen Elizabeth II take during her coronation?

During her coronation, Queen Elizabeth took a formal oath after being anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Geoffrey Fisher.

She swore to "maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine worship, discipline, and government thereof, as the law established in England," according to official website of the British Royal Family.

The night before her coronation, the queen also made a broadcast address, promising to be devoted to the Commonwealth. She made a separate speech on the day of her coronation after the ceremony.

Was Prince Philip crowned?

Prince Philip was not crowned alongside Queen Elizabeth. And he wasn't officially titled as King Philip but as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, wave to the crowd in London following her coronation on June 02, 1953.

Prince Philip couldn't be king because a king technically outranks a queen. Rather, as someone who merely married into the royal family, he was obliged to walk a few paces behind her for the rest of their married life.

During the coronation, the queen's husband was her "first peer" to pay his respects to his wife after bishops and archbishops paid their homage to the queen.

Was Queen Elizabeth's coronation broadcast?

Queen Elizabeth's Westminster Abbey coronation was the first in Britain's history to be broadcast on television at the new monarch's request, according to the official website of the British Royal Family.

At 6 a.m., doors opened to the media before guests were allowed to take their seats at 7 a.m.

An estimated 27 million people tuned in to watch the coronation on television in Britain, and another 11 million were thought to have listened to the radio broadcast. At the time Britain's population was slightly above 36 million. In that era, global television or radio events were rare.

Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey in London.

The coverage didn't stop once the queen left Westminster Abbey. Members of the media continued to report on the historic day, which was covered across the globe by newspaper and radio reporters. More than 2,000 journalists and 500 photographers who hailed from dozens of countries were stationed along the coronation procession route.

What did Queen Elizabeth II wear during her coronation?

Queen Elizabeth II donned a special coronation dress that she wore again at receptions and on other occasions not long after the ceremonious day.

The ornate, short-sleeved, cream-colored dress was covered in embroidery and includes diamantés, pearls and gold bugle beads. It was designed by Norman Hartnell, who was closely associated with the royal family, according to Vogue.

Hartnell designed a slew of her other dresses, including her infamous wedding gown. According to the Royal Collection Trust, Hartnell submitted nine designs for the coronation dress. The queen selected the eighth design.

What crowns did Queen Elizabeth II wear on her coronation day?

At the appropriate moment, Elizabeth had a crown placed on her head, perhaps the most obvious universal symbol of her royal power. This was the St. Edward's Crown, which was made originally for Charles II in the 17th century, according to the Royal Collection Trust.

The crown is solid gold and is adorned with topazes, tourmalines, garnet, amethysts, rubies and sapphires with purple velvet and ermine. It was made to replace the "medieval crown" which parliamentarians melted down in 1649, after Charles I was executed.

After the coronation, the queen left Westminster Abbey after changing into a second crown, The Imperial State Crown, per tradition.

What was her coronation procession route?

Once the ceremony concluded, a two-hour coronation procession began. The idea was to allow as many people as possible to see the queen in London.

The route was nearly 4.5 miles and was made up of 16,000 participants. The procession took up nearly 2 miles on its own.

Despite the poor weather and rain, crowds stood to watch the historic event. After the coronation and procession concluded, the queen made stops in the following weeks at Spithead, Portsmouth, to review the Royal Navy Fleet and also stopped in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in continued celebratory occasions tied to the coronation.

Contributing: Maria Puente, Marco della Cava