The Jewel House at the Tower of London is home to the Crown Jewels, part of which includes a total of sixteen silver trumpets, dating back to 1780, also known as the state trumpets. However, only one of the trumpets is on display for visitors to see.
Seven of these trumpets were originally used by the 1st Regiment Life Guards, and bear engraved inscriptions indicating this. The other nine…
The coronation that set one of history's most powerful dynasties on the throne
4th May 2023
On the 30th of October in 1485 in Westminster Abbey the Tudor dynasty officially began with the coronation of King Henry VII. His reign had begun two months earlier on a battle field but it was cemented and celebrated two months later in the ancient walls of Westminster…
King Charles III has chosen to emphasise his role as servant of the people in one of the most important symbols of his Coronation.
The Anointing Screen which will be held around His Majesty at the moment holy oil is placed on his head, chest and hand features his cypher…
Five centuries after the Conquest, how a queen finally conquered the Crown
3rd May 2023
There have only been a handful of queen regnants in Britain’s history. Queen Elizabeth II was the most recent, having reigned a historic 70 years, but 400 years before her reign began, the first queen regnant was crowned: Queen Mary I.
The eldest daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, Mary Tudor, lived a tumultuous life. Born as a legitimate heir, then named…
Giant screens have been put up around the UK to show the Coronation.
Up to 100,000 people are expected to see the ceremony on these screens.
In London, there are three giant viewing areas at Hyde Park, Green Park and St. James’ Park while over fifty other areas…
The reign of King Henry IV began with usurpation and heralded a period of power struggles that would end in the War of the Roses. As he rode to his Coronation, in 1399, his predecessor languished in jail and would die in mysterious circumstances within months. Henry IV’s…
The history of the chairs to be used by King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Coronation
2nd May 2023
In another poignant nod to his mother and grandfather, The King has chosen to reuse the chairs made for each of them for their own Coronations when he is crowned at Westminster Abbey.
During the ceremony, on May 6th 2023, King Charles III and Queen Camilla will sit on Chairs of Estate created in 1953 for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Chairs of Estate are used in the early part of the…
His reign would end with the toppling of the monarchy but as Charles I was crowned King of England in 1626, there was little indication that the ancient ceremony heralded a time of tumult that would lead to war and death. However, as the Archbishop of Canterbury lifted St.
With the Coronation only a few days away, the country is abuzz with speculation about what to expect from this historic event. The last Coronation took place seventy years ago, and much has changed since then. We have been given a tantalising glimpse into what the Procession…
The coronation that created the glittering image of monarchy about to be unveiled in Westminster Abbey
1st May 2023
He was a hero king who had survived an epic game of thrones and his coronation was set to be a splendid celebration at the start of a new era of royal power. The crowning of Richard I involved pomp, pageantry and chivalric splendour but it also led to riots and the deaths of dozens of people. What’s more, the king at the heart of the event was far more interested in life outside England and…
