The Coronation - Then and Now

Below are films of the late Queen's coronation in 1952, a splendid, deeply moving occasion that will be repeated - with some updating - this coming Saturday, May 6th, for her son and successor, King Charles III, and his consort, Queen Camilla.  

But first, if you are planning to watch the ceremony live (look on YouTube for the live streams from the BBC, ITV, or Sky News - NOT the clueless American networks with their mindless laugh-a-minute drivel), here is an abbreviated timeline of the day: 

9 a.m., London (= 4 a.m. in New York, 3 a.m. in Texas): Congregation seated in Westminster Abbey 

10 a.m., London: VIP arrivals at the Abbey (Foreign royalty, presidents, British royal family, etc.) 

10:20 a.m., London: King and Queen's procession leaves Buckingham Palace 

11 a.m., London: Coronation service begins 

1 p.m., London: King and Queen's procession returns to Buckingham Palace by a longer route 

2:15 p.m., London: King and Queen appear on the palace balcony for a fly-past by the Royal Air Force

Your Head Trucker fondly remembers watching many other royal events, waking before dawn and putting on a kettle of tea:  the wedding of Charles and Diana was the most lovely and festive - but alas, not every fairy-tale romance ends happily, as kings and commoners all know.

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And now some films of past coronations, which may be of interest to compare with this year's version; across a thousand years, the essentials of this Christian ceremony have remained the same, though the details have often varied. 

This abridged color film of the 1952 coronation is beautifully narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier, and was shown in movie theaters around the world:

   

Or if you prefer, here is the central portion of the BBC's eight-hour live coverage from 1952, There was no such thing as color TV then, but the sound is wonderfully clear and the picture sharp:

 

BONUS: Color film clips of the 1937 coronation of the late Queen's father, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth, later known as the Queen Mother during her daughter's reign.  (Outdoor scenes only; there was no filming inside the Abbey.)  The first one begins with a fine summing-up of why the coronation matters.

 

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