British RoyalsHistory

A Guide to Coronation Service: The entry of the Monarch into Westminster Abbey

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20th March 2023
On 6 May, King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will be crowned at Westminster Abbey. For many, this will be the first coronation they have ever seen. The ceremony will follow a pattern laid out in the Liber Regalis, kept at Westminster Abbey and which has informed the pattern of coronations since the 14th century. The service which will see the Coronation of King Charles and Queen…
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The history of the Coronation Chair

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17th March 2023
It is a chair with understated elegance and steeped in history. The Coronation Chair, also known as King Edward’s Chair or Saint Edward’s Chair, was commissioned by King Edward I in 1296. Originally, it was meant to hold the Stone of Scone, taken from Scotland by King Edward I. In fact, when kings were crowned, they would sit directly on the Stone of Scone. In later years, a piece of wood…
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British RoyalsHistory

The Coronation of Edward VII

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17th March 2023
King Charles III has often been compared to his great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII. Both ascended the throne after their mother’s enjoyed record-breaking reigns, and at the time of each king’s ascension, they both held the record for longest-serving Prince of…
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The only consort to wear the Monarch’s crown

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17th March 2023
It is a considered a gem meant for monarchs, but there is one notable exception to the rules around St. Edward’s Crown: Anne Boleyn. St. Edward’s Crown is the oldest and heaviest crown in use in the British collection. Worn by Edward the Confessor during his reign…
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How TV brought the Coronation of Elizabeth II to the world

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16th March 2023
Televising the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was a crowning achievement! On June 2, 1953 over eight million people watched on their own televisions, 10 million people watched in the homes of friends and family who owned TVs and 1.5 million went to cinemas, pubs and halls to view this live event. Before this coronations were limited to those invited inside Westminster Abbey although…
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The history of the Stone of Scone

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13th March 2023
You could not be faulted if you walked by the Stone of Scone and not even realized you were in the presence of a legendary and mysterious rock. Pronounced ‘Scoon,’ the ancient symbol of Scottish sovereignty is an unassuming rectangular stone, made of sandstone…
British RoyalsFeaturesHistory

The coronation of William the Conqueror

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13th March 2023
For almost a thousand years, coronation services have taken place at Westminster Abbey, in times of peace and strife. The sovereign sometimes arrives at the Abbey a popular figure; sometimes, they’re deeply unpopular. More often than not, they’re crowned by birthright and succession. On a few occasions, they’re crowned after a battle, like the first king to reign after the Norman…
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