The Coronation

Good point, Wilma. Although there is no doubt that thousands of people will want to be there, as they are on all royal ceremonial occasions, I wonder if the next coronation might be a scaled down affair in light of the fact that these things can now be covered by advanced media technology which was not the case in 1953 when TV was in its infancy more or less. Added to which, we don’t have an empire any more and so the world and his wife are not likely to be on the guest list! The Duke of Norfolk, in his capacity as Earl Marshall of England (love that!), will no doubt have planned for the next coronation in the same way as he has planned for the Queen’s funeral.

wilmaknickersfit, the loo situation was the first thing I thought of! As someone who drinks a lot of water and therefore is always 'popping to the loo' I did wonder about all those folk, trussed up in their finery, sitting in place for hours before the ceremony and presumably having to wait their turn to get out too.

Gosh. I have to disagree. The programme was interesting but I thought her Majesty was quite snippy. She cut off that poor interviewer a few times and I felt sorry for him.

Don't you just love Royal euphamisms? The Queen was described as having a heavy cold last winter but in the past is was always referred to as a 'chill'. I used to have visions of her wearing an old fashioned bed jacket, tucked up with a hot water bottle reading Horse and Hound.

Baths were never run but 'drawn' by a lady in waiting and there are many others I can't remember but I think 'A moment of quiet contemplation' for a loo break is the best of all

Jane that's what I thought too. The interview was interesting, but 'warm' was not a word that I would use.

merlot I didn't realise that's what 'A moment of quiet contemplation' meant!

Perhaps some of the men watching the coronation wore HeWee trousers so that they could just pee in their seats!

HeWee trousers

I've now watched it an enjoyed it very much. I loved the maid of honour and her explanations, and the old film of all and sundry!! However, I too, felt slightly sorry for the interviewer! Let's just say that HM certainly has all her marbles and speaks her mind and is quite formidable!! She also has the most dazzling smile which makes up for every thing!!
I was 10 at the Coronation. It was a cold wet awful June day. We had a 9 inch TV that my stepfather a radio ham, had made! family, including my much loved, newly widowed Granny gathered round and a good time was had by all!!
In the evening, we went to the town hall where buns were thrown for the crowd to catch, also the corporation roasted an Ox in the market place, and we queued for a slice to have with the bun!!! (Health and Safety??!,) I remember everyone being so happy, and having such a good time.

Every child was given a copy of the book Elizabeth Our Queen by Richard Dimbleby. I've still got mine. But I lost my little model of the coach and horses many years ago. Oh and my Charles and Diana tea towels are still in regular use!

Thanks for the explanation WilmerKnickersFit. It was the way the Queen grabbed it that tickled me.

Yes, she's clearly happy enough handling the crown jewels after all this time!

We didn't have television so watched the Coronation at the home of friends of my parents. I was a rising 5 but I remember it well and drew pictures afterwards of the Queen in her coach - but couldn't fit the horses in properly so they were squashed up and looked as if they were begging!
Would young children be willing to sit through such a ceremony today do you think? We had lots to eat and drink but I was the only child there - and was transfixed by it all as far as I remember [perhaps I've looking through rose coloured spectacles but I know my parents wouldn't have stood for any nonsense, especially in a friends' house]. I think my father kept explaining what was happening and I knew it was all VERY important.

I had a silver coronation crown coin 5/- given to me by my step grandfather, with the Queen on one side riding a horse, can't remember what was on the other. Sadly this has been lost over the years! ( How careless! smacked wrist!!) I believe there was one minted after the death of Churchill, or was it before? Anyhow I didn't have one, just as well really!! I didn't have the coronation book, coach and horses ring a bell, but I'm not sure, if I had them, If I did they disappeared years and years ago!!!!

For those in tight breeches, the image of a HeWee bulging with liquid conjures up some seriously mind blowing images!!

I enjoyed it for its historical value. I wonder if any behind the scenes efforts are being made to save her memories of other events for posterity?

I realised afterwards that I've never seen her sitting with her legs crossed before!

Ive just watched it on catch up and found it very interesting. The jewels look truly magnificent, and the story of some of the jewels being hidden in a biscuit tin during World War 2 was very amusing.

Greyduster I might have nightmares tonight after that image!

I might be imagining it, but I think my Mum told me at their school everybody was given a shilling. Does that ring any bells?

The queen was taught by her nanny to 'hold it in'. Over the years I have trained myself to go long periods without requiring comfort stops, this proved useful when attending an all day function with the queen as it was impossible to excuse yourself.

I'm called the Bladder Queen because I can go for ages without needing to go to the loo. I got into the habit of not going when I was at work and too busy. I've since been told it's not a good habit to have.

We were given a book called Royalty in Essex, presumably produced by the County Council Education Department. I recall Pleshey Castle (Richard II and now just an earthwork) and Tilbury Fort (Elizabeth I), but it was a very slim volume.

I didn't get a book, or a coin, or a mug , we did have a sports day and I didn't win anything , huh

I remember getting a coin of some sort, and some Cadbury’s chocolate in a Coronation tin. I kept the tin for a long time and then swapped it for something - can’t remember what! Bad move!

We were given commemorative china mugs, mine is still in the dresser, my elder sister was given a pair of embroidery scissors as she was 12.

I'm almost sure that we had a Coronation biscuit tin! I expect it was thrown out (!) when my parents moved house in 1964!

We had a red covered New Testament from school with (I think) the royal coat of arms on the cover.
I went with my mother to buy tins of Coronation chocolate for all the children in our road. She'd offered to do this and been given the money by the neighbours organising a party. I missed the party because we went to London for the week and was a bit sad to have no tin of chocolate either. Although 13 (!!) I would have loved that little gold model coach and horses but my parents couldn't afford it. Only a few weeks ago I saw one in the window of an antique shop and remembered how much I longed for one. No, I didn't go in and get it!!

We had a Coronation tea caddy for many years,

I checked with my Mum and she got a mug and a bar of Cadbury's chocolate (so I did imagine the shilling). She saw a little bit of the coronation on the TV in the house of the girl she was buying some ice skates from that day, but mainly saw it on the news at the pictures. Nobody in her family had a TV then and it would be another six years before her parents got the first one.