Coronation of the British monarch

The Coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony (specifically, initiation rite) in which the monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth Realms is formally crowned and invested with regalia. The coronation usually takes place several months after the death of the previous monarch, for the coronation is considered a joyous occasion that would be inappropriate when mourning still continues. (It also gives planners enough time to complete the elaborate arrangements required for great State ceremony.) For example, Elizabeth II was crowned on June 2, 1953, despite having acceded to the throne on February 6, 1952, the day of her father's death.

History

The timing of the coronation has varied throughout British history. The first Norman monarch, William I, was crowned on the day he became King—25 December 1066. Most of his successors were crowned within weeks, or even days, of their accession. Edward I was fighting in the Ninth Crusade when he ascended to the throne in 1272; he was crowned soon after his return in 1274. Edward II's coronation, similarly, was delayed by a campaign in Scotland in 1307. Henry VI was only a few months old when he succeeded in 1422; he was crowned in 1429, but did not officially assume the reins of government until he was deemed of sufficient age, in 1437. Under the Hanoverian monarchs in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it was deemed appropriate to extend the mourning period to several months.

Related Topics:
Norman - William I - 25 December - 1066 - Edward I - Ninth Crusade - 1272 - 1274 - Edward II - Scotland - 1307 - Henry VI - 1422 - 1429 - 1437 - Eighteenth - Nineteenth centuries

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In the case of every monarch since, and including, George IV, at least one year has passed between accession and coronation, with the exception of George VI, whose predecessor did not die but abdicated.

Related Topics:
George IV - George VI - Abdicated

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Since a period of time has often passed between accession and coronation, some monarchs were never crowned. Edward V and Jane were both deposed before they could be crowned, in 1483 and 1553, respectively. Edward VIII also went uncrowned, as he abdicated in 1936 before the customary year of mourning could conclude.

Related Topics:
Edward V - Jane - 1483 - 1553 - Edward VIII - 1936

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The Anglo-Saxon monarchs used various locations for their coronations, including Bath, Kingston-upon-Thames, London, Oxford and Winchester. The last Anglo-Saxon monarch, Harold II, was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1066; the location was preserved for all further coronations. When London was under the control of the French, Henry III was crowned at Gloucester in 1216; he later chose to have a second coronation at Westminster in 1220. Two hundred years later, Henry VI also had two coronations; as King of England in London during 1429, and as King of France in Paris during 1431.

Related Topics:
Anglo-Saxon - Bath - Kingston-upon-Thames - London - Oxford - Winchester - Harold II - Westminster Abbey - 1066 - Henry III - Gloucester - 1216 - 1220 - Henry VI - 1429 - King of France - Paris - 1431

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Following the English Civil War Oliver Cromwell declined the crown but underwent a coronation in all but name when he became Lord Protector in 1657.

Related Topics:
English Civil War - Oliver Cromwell - Lord Protector - 1657

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Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 was televised by the British Broadcasting Corporation. This was the first time that cameras were allowed to record the coronation. It was originally thought that cameras would breach the solemnity of the occasion; however, they were permitted after the personal intervention of the Queen. It is estimated that over twenty million individuals viewed the program in the United Kingdom, an audience unprecedented in television history. The coronation greatly increased public interest in televisions.

Related Topics:
1953 - Televised - British Broadcasting Corporation

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