In a new documentary airing on 14 January, Queen Elizabeth gives a rare interview and speaks of how the crown she wore during her coronation was exceptionally heavy, so much so that “your neck would break.”
At only 27-years-old, Princess Elizabeth was crowned Queen in a glamorous ceremony on 2 June 1953.
In the BBC documentary, The Queen recalls that day and the Imperial State Crown, calling it “very heavy.”
Adding on:”Fortunately my father and I have about the same sort of shaped head. But once you’ve put it on it stays, I mean it just remains itself,” The Queen said in the BBC documentary.
“You can’t look down to read the
speech, you have to take the speech up. Because if you did your
neck would break, it would fall off. So there are some
disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise, they’re quite important
things.”
The Queen still uses the Imperial State crown at some events.
The other crown used during the coronation was the St. Edward’s
Crown made of solid gold weighing 4 pounds and 12 ounces. That was
the only time Her Majesty has worn it.
Other memories The Queen brought up is the “horrible”
experience of riding in the Gold State Coach. The ornate gold
carriage has been used for every coronation since 1066.
“It’s not meant for traveling in at
all. I mean it’s only sprung on leather. Not very comfortable. It
can only go at walking pace. The horses couldn’t possibly go any
faster. It’s so heavy,” she said.
Her Majesty not only speaks about her own coronation but her
father’s, King George VI as well, saying: “It’s the sort of, I
suppose, the beginning of one’s life really as a sovereign,” she
said. “It is sort of a pageant of chivalry and old-fashioned way of
doing things really. I’ve seen one coronation and been the
recipient in the other, which is pretty remarkable.”
The Coronation is part of the Royal Collection Season
on BBC and will air this Sunday.
Which means anyone can go to print with inaccurate statements. A timing miss of 700 years needs to be corrected.
Obviously readers need to know that printed information is correct or what is the point. Surely this site is not a training ground for would be journalists. Historians always check their facts before going to print.
End of discusssion.