Royal coronations throughout the years – the interesting facts you may not know

Royal coronations are one of – if not, the most – lavish royal celebrations around. Full of all the pomp and ceremony you'd expect, they're not only an important moment to recognise the new King or Queen, but are also a way to display the history of the monarchy, through various traditions, customs, outfits and accessories. 

The first recorded coronation was all the way back in 1066, when William the Conquerer became King. Since then, coronations have evolved and changed, while also keeping many of the same traditions that the royals deem to be key to the official proceedings.

So what do you need to know about the royal coronations through the years? From slightly bizarre rules to touching moments of tradition, and insights into the cost of these glamorous and ceremonial events, here are 32 interesting facts about coronations; from the very first one, to Queen Elizabeth II's and King Charles III's.

Coronations through the years - 32 pictures and facts

Almost every coronation has taken place at Westminster Abbey

Ever since 1066, the coronation of each successive monarch has been held at Westminster Abbey, all the way up to the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023. This means that almost all Kings and Queens in British history have been crowned at the historic Abbey in central London.

There are a few exceptions to this rule, however. Edward VIII was King for around 11 months, but just before his coronation, he abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, and so never had his coronation at the Abbey. Edward V also became King at just 12 years old, but mysteriously disappeared, and was eventually presumed murdered before his coronation, despite the fact that preparations were well underway for the event.

Charles received a hand-painted invitation to Queen Elizabeth's coronation

Charles, back when he was Prince Charles, adorably received his own child-friendly invite to Queen Elizabeth's coronation – and the invite was officially sent directly to him, as well as designed just for him.

The invite, which has previously been revealed on the Royal Family Instagram page, reads, "By Command of The Queen the Earl Marshal is directed to invite His Royal Highness Prince Charles to the Coronation."

The invite was adorned with traditional royal guards playing instruments and a cartoon of a lion and a unicorn, two of the symbols on his mother's official coat of arms. How sweet!

Coronation chicken sparked the desire for coronation foods

For the first time ever, King Charles and Queen Camilla officially chose a coronation dish to mark their accession to the throne, in the form of a 'coronation quiche'; a vegetarian dish made up of tarragon, broad beans and spinach, pointing to Charles' often plant-based diet.

But the first dish to be officially associated with a coronation was coronation chicken, which was served during the luncheon on Queen Elizabeth's coronation day back in 1953. However, the food wasn't technically created as a way to mark the coronation at the time.

As we know, coronation chicken is made up of the likes of chicken, curry sauce and sultanas, foods which weren't commonplace in 1953 Britain. However, after being served at the Queen's coronation lunch, it grew in popularity in the years following, which is when the chicken dish became retrospectively known as 'coronation chicken'.

All coronations take place in the summer

Throughout history, almost every single coronation of a King or Queen has taken place between May and September – King Charles' coronation, for example, took place on 6th May, and Queen Elizabeth's on 2nd June 1953.

Before them, King George VI's coronation was held on 12th May 1937, and before even then, the coronation of George V and Queen Mary was held on 2nd June 1911. It's not clear exactly why this is the case, but many suspect that the big royal occasions are held in summer in order to allow people to celebrate outdoors, and as a way to try and guarantee minimal disruption to proceedings as a result of bad weather.

St. Edward's Chair has been used in every coronation since 1296

The Coronation Chair, otherwise known as St. Edward's Chair, has been used in every coronation for centuries since it was first commissioned by King Edward I in 1296.

The monarch originally ordered it to be made to hide the Stone of Scone, something he himself took from Scotland following the Scottish War of Independence, as a signal of his supposed victory. 

Ever since then, it has been fitted into the coronation chair for all royal coronations, though its primary residence is now back in Scotland, where it is kept in Edinburgh Castle, and only moved for coronations.

The Soverign's Ring has been been worn at every coronation

Every monarch, on the occasion of their coronation, wears the Sovereign's Ring – or as it is often known, The Wedding Ring of England – as another important tradition.

The ring itself was originally made in 1831 for William IV, and has been a part of every coronation since then with the exception of Queen Victoria's coronation. Unfortunately, her fingers were so small that the ring could not be reduced in size enough for it to fit her hands, so she had an alternative option made.

As for its design, it is made with the traditional patriotic cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) and contains red rubies against a single sapphire.

Coronations are paid for by the government

Given that a royal coronation is considered to be a state event, they have, for a long time, been paid for by the government, and therefore, the taxpayer.

And there's no denying that they're a pricey event! It's reported that Queen Elizabeth II's coronation cost around £912,000 in 1953, which is equivalent to around £20.5 million today. And while actual numbers are not known, it's estimated that King Charles' coronation in 2023 cost anywhere between £50 - £100 million.

Royal weddings, on the other hand, are not technically considered to be a state event, and are therefore largely funded by the royal family themselves.

George VI’s coronation was the first one partially broadcast

The coronation of King George VI was a historic moment for many reasons, but also because it was the very first one to be broadcast out to the masses in some form. Before then, people across the world and even those in the United Kingdom were only able to view royal coronations via words and images in newspapers, or by being there on the day.

King George and Queen Elizabeth's coronation in May 1937 was actually broadcast to the world on BBC Radio, allowing people within the United Kingdom to listen in on the proceedings. The event itself wasn't televised, but the procession to Westminster Abbey was, allowing people to catch a glimpse of the festivities from a distance for the first time.

More than 8,000 people attended the Queen's coronation

Queen Elizabeth's coronation was enormous, with around 8,000 attendees thought to have been invited to the momentous occasion at Westminster Abbey.

Guests at the event included representatives from many of the 56 Commonwealth countries, members of the Queen's family, members of Parliament, other various heads of state and members of foreign royal families. It is reported that the Abbey opened at 6 am that morning to begin allowing all guests to slowly stream in, before the ceremony itself began at around 11 am. 

A 'coronation spoon' anoints all monarchs - in private

All monarchs, at their coronation, will take part in a private section of the ceremony called an anointing. Royal coronations since 1661 have all involved the monarch being anointed with holy oil via the coronation spoon, which is a delicately decorated golden spoon that is thought to have been a royal possession since 1349.

This anointing is the one part of the coronation that actually takes place in private. Usually, a screen is erected to allow the monarch to be shielded from view of the attendees, behind which she or he is anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury with the oil in the coronation spoon. 

This part of the ceremony is done in private as it is considered to be a significant and holy section of the proceedings that is between the monarch and God alone.

Just two parts of the coronation ceremony are legal requirements

While a royal coronation usually involves lots of readings, music and other ceremonial sections, there are actually only two parts of the proceedings that are required by law in order to recognise that someone has become King or Queen.

The Coronation Oath and the Accession Declaration Oath are the only two legal requirements – the former instructs the monarch to essentially declare that they will 'govern' justly and according to the laws of the people, and the latter is simply a proclamation of the fact that the new monarch is now either King or Queen.

The coronation balcony appearance dates back over 100 years

Though it hasn't always been the custom, over the last 100 years, it has become tradition for the monarch and his or her family – and any other chosen people – to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on the day of the coronation.

King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra began the tradition when they took to the throne in 1902, appearing on the balcony to excited crowds. And it's something that each monarch has decided to uphold to this day, with King Charles III most recently greeting crowds after his coronation, alongside Queen Camilla and both of their respective families and closest confidantes.

King Edward VII set in motion the format of the 'modern' coronation

You might imagine that the coronation as we know it now (and all its respective elements) is something that has been in place going back centuries. But it turns out, that the format for the modern coronation day is something that only began in 1902 with the crowning of King Edward VII and Queen Mary.

This royal couple set in motion the format of a morning procession of the royal family from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, a procession of the royals and other most significant guests when inside, as well as certain elements of the ceremony itself, such as the Anointing, the Coronation Oath, and the Homage from the heir to the throne, and the Consort.

It also included the final procession back from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace and an appearance on the balcony. Before this, coronations had not been so strictly planned and did not include every element of the above – for example, the coronation of Queen Victoria was much more loosely planned, and only newly included the public street procession.

King Charles' coronation involved the first crowning of a Queen Consort for a while

For the first time since 1937, King Charles' coronation involved the crowning of a Consort, which hadn't happened since Charles's grandfather, King George VI was crowned.

King George and his wife Queen Elizabeth (who would eventually go on to become the Queen Mother) had their coronation on 12th May 1937, and while George was made monarch, his wife was crowned as Queen Consort. 

Since then, of course, there has been no crowned Consort to the monarch, as Prince Philip was never officially crowned during Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, due to the fact that he would remain as 'Prince' Philip. This means that, in 2023, Queen Camilla became the first crowned Consort in almost 100 years.

The monarch used to stay in the Tower of London before the coronation

Centuries ago, it was tradition for the monarch to spend the two nights before the coronation ensconced in the Tower of London. 

It's not clear why this was a rule, but this meant that the general route for the monarch on the day of the coronation always began at the Tower of London, journeying through London to Westminster Abbey for the ceremony itself. 

However, this hasn't been the case since 1661, for the coronation of Charles II. After this time, almost every monarch has spent the night before the coronation in Buckingham Palace, the monarch's usual primary residence in London.

The Gold State Coach is the typical mode of transport for coronations

For centuries, the monarch and their spouse have travelled – at some point during coronations – in the incredibly opulent and impressive Gold State Coach, a mighty carriage with red plush velvet insides, which is usually drawn by eight horses.

The extravagant mode of transport has been used at every coronation since King George VI back in 1820 and was used up until the modern day too, for King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation. 

But that's not all it's used for; it's also been brought out for other important royal family occasions, such as royal weddings and many of Queen Elizabeth II's Jubilees. Prior to World War II, it was also used to transport the monarch to the State Opening of Parliament on an annual basis, though this is no longer the case.

Coronations involve plenty of sacred objects

In coronations throughout the years, there have been several important (and pricey) objects involved that have a long history with the royal family.

The 'Crown Jewels' are the most precious jewels belonging to the monarchy, and among this collection are the items that make up the Coronation Regalia; e.g. the precious jewels and items used for every royal coronation.

Within this set, there is, of course, the King Edward's Crown, which every monarch since Charles II has worn at the moment of crowning, and which Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III have worn most recently. 

Then, there is the Imperial State Crown, which is what every monarch wears to leave Westminster Abbey, and the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, a large staff which is usually held during certain parts of the coronation. The final items are the Coronation Spoon, used to anoint the monarch with holy oil, and the Sovereign's Orb, which the monarch holds at various points during the coronation.

William VI wanted as cheap a coronation as possible

King William IV, who was coronated in 1831 alongside his wife Adelaide, was one of the only monarchs throughout history who sought to avoid an overly lavish coronation ceremony, thanks to what historians call his immense dislike of anything too ceremonial. 

At the time, his coronation was referred to as a 'penny coronation' or a 'Half Crown-nation', because it was so stripped back. In fact, William ended up spending just £30,000 on his coronation (which was equivalent to £2.9 million then), compared to that of his brother. His brother's coronation was in 1821, and cost around £240,000, which is around £21.8 million in today's money.

King George VI took over his brother's coronation

In May of 1937, the coronation of Edward VIII due to take place, with preparations well underway, and an excited public looking forward to the celebrations.

However, for the first time in history, a coronation was scuppered in its tracks. After 11 months as King after the death of his father George V, Edward VIII abdicated the throne after falling in love with Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who had previously been divorced. She was not considered to be a suitable match for the monarch at the time.

Despite the fact that Edward VIII would no longer be King, the coronation actually still went ahead almost as planned, with Edward's brother King George VI stepping into the role of monarch, and taking part in the coronation that had been originally planned for his brother.

Queen Elizabeth II held an elegant coronation bouquet

Queen Elizabeth II actually carried a unique coronation bouquet for her big moment, created by Longman's Florists, who create luxury bouquets in the capital. 

The stunning floral creation was made up of primarily white flowers sourced from all over the United Kingdom, to represent the Queen's new role. Within the arrangement were orchids and lilies-of-the-valley from England, more orchids from Wales, stephanotis from Scotland, and finally, carnations from Northern Ireland.

There are no images available of Her Majesty holding the bouquet, but the image above is a brilliant recreation from Longman's Florists themselves.

The holy oil used in coronation was destroyed in WWII

The holy oil is considered to be one of the significant parts of a royal coronation and has been used for centuries to 'anoint' the future monarch.

It's so important that the method with which it is made has remained a closely guarded secret. However, in 1941, a bomb hit Westminster Abbey, where the holy oil was stored, destroying what was left of the original batch.

As such, a new holy oil had to be made for Queen Elizabeth II. King Charles III also had his own batch of holy oil made, using olives from Jerusalem. 

Elizabeth's coronation was the first to be fully televised

Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953 made history, as it was the very first one to ever be fully televised.

Though her father King George VI's coronation procession was filmed by the BBC, Elizabeth's coronation marked the first time cameras had ever actually been allowed into Westminster Abbey.

As you'd imagine, it was a hugely popular watch with people at home, with around 10.4 million people watching the coronation on the BBC at home, and a further 1.5 million watching in public venues such as pubs and cinemas. It was also broadcast around the world, with an enormous 85 million people in the United States watching the highlights.

Elizabeth appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony twice on her coronation day

On the day of her coronation, Queen Elizabeth opted to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace twice – something that, interestingly, was not repeated by her son King Charles in 2023. 

She first appeared on the balcony alongside her 'maids of honour' and the rest of the royal family in the early afternoon, following the procession back from Westminster Abbey. There, they waved to royal fans below and watched the RAF fly-past, as King Charles did in the modern day.

But Elizabeth actually returned to the balcony later on that night, at around 9.45 pm, to take part in a ceremonial lighting of London. To mark her coronation, the Mall was adorned in lights, as were the fountains in Trafalgar Square. All the floodlights from the National Gallery to the Tower of London were also turned on.

A medieval royal book is used as a coronation manual

All royal coronation ceremonies that have taken place in recent years are said to be based on the ancient royal book named the Liber Regalis, which translates to 'royal book'.

The Liber Regalis is a manuscript written in 1382 in Latin and details the order of a coronation ceremony for properly crowning a King or Queen. 

In 1603, it was actually translated into English for the first time, for the coronation of King James I. Since then, while the exact translation itself isn't actually used in the coronation, the service as it stands today is still based on the Liber Regalis.

The 'earl marshal' is responsible for organising coronations

Though the government pay for coronations, the ceremony itself is usually organised by the Earl Marshal, a member of the royal household.

Since the late 1300s, this position has usually been held by the person who has the hereditary title of the Duke of Norfolk. 

Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the 18th Duke of Norfolk, organised King Charles III's coronation in 2023, and the 16th Duke of Norfolk put together Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. In fact, that's not all they assist with; the 16th Duke of Norfolk, Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, was also responsible for the funeral of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Queen Elizabeth II re-wore her coronation dress multiple times

Designed by Norman Hartnell, Queen Elizabeth's coronation dress was a true labour of love; it's estimated that it took around eight months of planning and work to create it in the lead-up to her coronation.

So it's no surprise that even after the day of her coronation, the monarch decided to re-wear the stunningly intricate gown many times over. In fact, Queen Elizabeth rewore her coronation gown a further six times, including at the State Opening of Parliament in both New Zealand and Australia in 1954.

The Commonwealth only featured in coronations from 1902

Though the monarch of the United Kingdom has long been considered to also be the monarch of many Commonwealth nations, this fact wasn't incorporated into royal coronations until 1902.

The 1902 coronation of Edward VIII was the first to pay mind to the fact that the monarch also ruled over the Commonwealth, but it wasn't until 1937, and the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, when its nations were fully independent, that the names of Commonwealth countries were also included in the service.

Then, in 1953, Queen Elizabeth included many references to the Commonwealth in her coronation ceremony, inviting various leaders from its respective nations to the event, and swearing to govern both the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth countries in her role as Queen.

Coronations always take place months after the death of a monarch

In recent years, it has become tradition for coronations to take place months after the death of the previous reigning monarch. 

The simple reason behind this is to allow the appropriate time for mourning the previous monarch, before celebrating the swearing-in of a new one.

For example, King Charles III's coronation took place nine months after the death of Queen Elizabeth, while her own coronation happened almost a year and a half after the death of her father, King George VI. Prior to this, King George VI's coronation also took place almost a year and a half after the death of his father, George V. 

Monarchs used to walk in procession to Westminster Abbey

When Henry VIII was crowned King in 1509, alongside his wife Catherine of Aragon, it was customary for the monarch to walk from their residence the night before to Westminster Abbey for their coronation.

For example, Henry and Catherine slept in the Palace of Westminster before the coronation, before walking – at around 8 am – in procession towards the Abbey. They weren't alone of course, with many senior members of the Church around them, including 38 bishops and abbots.

Kings or Queens used to offer gold ingots - but Charles scrapped this tradition

One of the most unusual traditions of coronations gone by was the fact that monarchs used to offer up a large wedge of gold (a gold ingot) to the High Altar at Westminster Abbey during their coronation, considering it to be an offering to God.

This expensive offering is usually concealed in a velvet bag and placed on the altar by the Archbishop of Canterbury before communion. However, it's believed that recently, King Charles dispensed with this tradition for his coronation – though it's not clear whether Queen Elizabeth followed suit during her ceremony.

Foreign monarchs didn't previously attend UK coronations

Historically, it was rare for foreign Kings or Queens to attend the coronation of a British monarch. It was previously considered to be a bad move to have another crowned royal at a British coronation, as the service was intended to be a celebration for the monarch and their 'people' only.

Instead, most coronations invited princes and princesses to the big event. However, this rule has been somewhat updated in recent history, with Queen Elizabeth inviting the Queen of Tonga to her celebrations, for example.

And King Charles took this a step further with his 2023 coronation, inviting the likes of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to his coronation, rather than prince and princesses only.

Charles was the first child to witness his mother's coronation

According to the royal family website, the then Prince Charles was actually the first child to ever witness their parent's coronation in person when he attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey on 2nd June 1953. 

Charles was just four years old when he accompanied his grandmother Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and his aunt Princess Margaret to his mother's big day, which is why he wasn't given a formal role in the ceremony, despite being heir to the throne at the time. Princess Anne, at just two years old, was considered to be too young to attend.

There are famous pictures of the future King watching the ceremony looking perhaps a little bored – but considering that the service was around three hours long, we're not entirely surprised!