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| Queen Elizabeth II |
Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey on a rainy
June 2, 1953. The country was just moving forward from the devastation
of World War II and Her Majesty’s coronation was a sign of that recovery, being
able to demonstrate for the last time her mighty imperial vigor that was
steadily on its decline.
More than 10 thousand servicemen – a quarter of them
“soldiers of the Queen” from the Commonwealth – marched in the coronation
procession. Two thousand bandsmen, which comprised nearly fifty bands, provided
music at the background. Sovereigns and rulers around the world arrived in
London to honor her small figure, who now heads the greatest nations in
history. More than a hundred thousand of her loyal subjects lined the streets
of London, despite the dampened weather. The length of her coronation was such
that it took almost an hour to pass any one spot.
The ceremony was organized under the watchful and meticulous
eyes of the Bernard MarmadukeFitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk,
Premier Duke of England, Master of Ceremonies Extraordinary and the one and
only official organizer of all state ceremonies. The duke was also the man
behind the coronation of King George VI and he also oversaw the funerals of
King George V, King George VI and Queen Mary. Despite the changing of times,
the Duke saw to it that the tread of martial feet was carefully stopwatched,
masterminded to evoke an aura of timelessness and continuity, which is after
all, the essence of royalty.
Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was the first grand
celebration all throughout the Commonwealth since her own wedding in 1947. But
unlike the latter, which was overshadowed by a gloomy economy, strict rationing
and an empire on the brinks of teetering, the Coronation was gay, festive and
pompous. In fact, the ceremony was coincided with Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa
Tensing’s success on reaching the peak of Mount Everest, an omen that meant her
reign was to filled by splendor and grandeur—truly a New Elizabethan Age. A
newspaper even headlined: “All This and Everest, Too.” Nevertheless, June 1953 was
one of the gloomiest days of the 20th century. But the cold and the
pouring rain did not stop the crowd from, some of them too old actually,
standing all night just to catch a glimpse of their Queen. Lucky for those who
were there, the blessings of television allowed them to take part of the
pageantry, right at the comfort of their own home. In fact, the Coronation was
hailed as the first triumph of the small screen. A lot of people purchased
their very first set with the hope of watching two color films of the
Coronation – A Queen is Crowned and Elizabeth is Queen, televised to over two
million people around the world.
Adapted from: Tribute to Her Majesty. Produced and Designed by Serge
Lemoine; text by Don Coolican. Scott Publishing Co. Ltd., 1986.
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