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…
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…
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…
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, weighing 336 pounds and it’s only marking is a
Latin cross. According to Celtic legend, the Stone of Scone, also
known…
BBC ditches licence fee for the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla
1st March 2023
The BBC has announced a one-time
exemption of its licence fee during the Coronation weekend of King
Charles and Queen Camilla. The publicly-funded broadcaster will
temporarily suspend its licence fee for Coronation weekend from May
6 to May 8. The dispensation will make…
Crowds applaud and throw flowers as they accompany Queen Elizabeth II all along her last journey
19th September 2022
The procession that brought Queen
Elizabeth II’s coffin from London to Windsor was flanked at all
times by huge crowds of people. Far from being a sad occasion, some
sections applauded, others cheered, and some even threw flowers in
front of the State Hearse…
Royal funerals in Westminster Abbey: history with a big hiatus
17th September 2022
Queen Elizabeth II will be the first
monarch to have her funeral held at Westminster Abbey since
1760. All sovereigns after that date have received their last
salute at St George’s Chapel, in Windsor, due to logistic
challenges: the Royal Vaults in the Abbey are entirely full, and
therefore royal burials are now in the Royal Vault under the
Windsor chapel. However, for a remarkable…
The last monarch to have a funeral at Westminster Abbey: King George II
15th September 2022
In just days, the funeral of Queen
Elizabeth II will take place at Westminster Abbey in London. It’s
been centuries since a monarch had a funeral at the Abbey. The last
one was King George II in 1760. The funeral of King George II took
place on 13 November 1760.
On 6 May 1960, Princess Margaret became
the first royal to marry in a televised ceremony when she married
photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in a glittering service at
Westminster Abbey. Princess Margaret had been linked to several
beaus, most notably her father’s and…
A special Jubilee tour has been created
for Westminster Abbey, highlighting the links between the ancient
church and The Queen. The tour, called The Queen and Her Abbey,
will highlight the many connections the Monarch has with
Westminster, the site of some of the most famous moments in her
historic reign. It will include reflections on her wedding to
Prince Philip at the Abbey in 1947 as…
