 Coronation portrait byCecil Beaton, 1953 | |
| Date | 2 June 1953; 72 years ago (1953-06-02) |
|---|---|
| Venue | Westminster Abbey |
| Location | London, England |
| Budget | £1.57 million (estimates) |
| Participants |
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Thecoronation ofElizabeth II asqueen of the United Kingdom and the otherCommonwealth realms took place on 2 June 1953 atWestminster Abbey inLondon.[1] Elizabeth acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father,George VI, on 6 February 1952, beingproclaimed queen by her privy and executive councils shortly afterwards. The coronation was held more than one year later because of the tradition of allowing an appropriate length of time to pass after a monarch dies. It also gave the planning committees adequate time to make preparations for the ceremony.[2] During the service, Elizabeth took anoath, wasanointed withholy oil, was invested with robes andregalia, and was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom,Canada,Australia,New Zealand,South Africa,Pakistan, andCeylon (nowSri Lanka).[3]
Celebrations took place across the Commonwealth realms anda commemorative medal was issued. It was the first British coronation to be fully televised; television cameras were not allowed inside the abbey duringher parents' coronation in 1937. Elizabeth's was the fourth and final British coronation of the 20th century. It was estimated to have cost £1.57 million (pounds)(c. £53,571,428 in 2023).
The one-day ceremony took 14 months of preparation: the first meeting of the Coronation Commission was in April 1952,[4] under the chairmanship of the Queen's husband,Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[5][6] Other committees were also formed, such as the Coronation Joint Committee and the Coronation Executive Committee,[7] both chaired by theDuke of Norfolk who,[8] by convention asearl marshal, had overall responsibility for the event. Philip chairing the Commission was a break with precedent. Many physical preparations and decorations along the route were the responsibility ofDavid Eccles, Minister of Works. Eccles described his role and that of the Earl Marshal: "The Earl Marshal is the producer – I am the stage manager..."[9] ArchitectHugh Casson designed street decorations for Westminster, andEric Bedford designed theCoronation Arches erected over The Mall.[10]
The committees involvedhigh commissioners from other Commonwealth realms, reflecting the international nature of the coronation; however, officials from other Commonwealth realms declined invitations to participate in the event because the governments of those countries considered the ceremony to be a religious rite unique to Britain. As Canadian Prime MinisterLouis St. Laurent said at the time: "In my view the Coronation is the official enthronement of the Sovereign as Sovereign of the UK. We are happy to attend and witness the Coronation of the Sovereign of the UK but we are not direct participants in that function."[11] The Coronation Commission announced in June 1952 that the coronation would take place on 2 June 1953.[12]
Invitations for the coronation were designed by the illustratorJoan Hassall;[13] she had to usescraperboard to produce the final design as there was not enough time to produce a wood engraving for such a large and complex design. She also designed the personal invitation thatPrince Charles received to the coronation.[13]
Norman Hartnell was commissioned by the Queen to design the outfits for all members of the royal family, includingElizabeth's coronation gown. His design for the gown evolved through nine proposals, and the final version resulted from his own research and numerous meetings with the Queen: a white silk dress embroidered with floral emblems of the countries of theCommonwealth at the time: theTudor rose of England, Scottishthistle, Welshleek,shamrock for Northern Ireland,wattle of Australia,maple leaf of Canada, the New Zealandsilver fern, South Africa'sprotea, twolotus flowers for India and Ceylon, and Pakistan's wheat, cotton andjute.[14][15][16]Roger Vivier created a pair of gold shoes for the occasion. The sandals featured jewel-encrusted heels and decorative motif on the upper sides, which was meant to resemble "the fleurs-de-lis pattern on theSt Edward's Crown and theImperial State Crown".[17] Elizabeth chose to wear the Coronation necklace for the event. The piece was commissioned by Queen Victoria and worn by QueensAlexandra,Mary, andElizabeth at their respective coronations. She paired it with the Coronation earrings.[18]
Elizabeth rehearsed for the occasion with her maids of honour. A sheet was used in place of the velvet train, and a formation of chairs stood in for the carriage. She also wore the Imperial State Crown while going about her daily business – at her desk, during tea, and while reading a newspaper – so that she could become accustomed to its feel and weight.[15] Elizabeth took part in two full rehearsals atWestminster Abbey, on 22 and 29 May,[19] though some sources claim that she attended one or "several" rehearsals.[20][21] TheDuchess of Norfolk usually stood in for the Queen at rehearsals.[22] Westminster Abbey was closed for five months in preparation for the coronation.[23]
Elizabeth's grandmother Queen Mary haddied on 24 March 1953, having stated in her will that her death should not affect the planning of the coronation, and the event went ahead as scheduled.[12] It was estimated to cost £1.57 million (c£. 50,300,000 in 2023[24]), which included stands along the procession route to accommodate 96,000 people, lavatories, street decorations, outfits, car hire, repairs to thestate coach, and alterations to theQueen's regalia.[25]
| External videos | |
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 Elizabeth is Queen (1953) a colour documentary byBritish Pathé |
The coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II followed a pattern similar to the coronations of the kings and queens before her, being held in Westminster Abbey, and involving thepeerage and clergy. However, for the new queen, several parts of the ceremony were markedly different.
Twenty-seven million people across Britain watched the event live on theBBC Television Service, many having purchased or rented television sets specifically for that purpose.[26] The number oflicence holders doubled from approximately one and a half million to three million.[27] The coronation was the first to be televised in full; the BBC's cameras had not been allowed inside Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth II's parents' coronation in 1937 and had covered only the procession outside.[28][29] There had been considerable debate within theBritish Cabinet on the subject, withPrime MinisterWinston Churchill against the idea; Elizabeth refused his advice on this matter and insisted the event take place before television cameras,[30] as well as those filming with experimental3D technology.[n 1][31] An experiment incolour television, separate from the BBC's black and white television broadcast, was transmitted to children at theGreat Ormond Street Hospital where an average of 17 people watched each small screen.[32][33]
In Europe, thanks to new relay links, this was the first live broadcast of an event taking place in the United Kingdom. The coronation was broadcast in France, Belgium, West Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands, marking the birth ofEurovision.
To make sure Canadians could see it on the same day, Operation Pony Express was executed,[34] seeingRAF Canberras fly BBCfilm recordings of the ceremony across theAtlantic Ocean to be broadcast by theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC),[35] the first non-stop flights between the United Kingdom and the Canadian mainland. AtGoose Bay,Labrador, the first batch of film was transferred to aRoyal Canadian Air ForceCF-100 jet fighter for the further trip toMontreal. In all, three such flights were made as the coronation proceeded, with the first and second Canberras taking the second and third batches of film, respectively, to Montreal.[36] The following day, a film was flown west toVancouver, where theCBC Television affiliate had yet to sign on. The film was escorted by theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police to thePeace Arch Border Crossing, after which it was escorted by theWashington State Patrol toBellingham, where it was shown as the inaugural broadcast ofKVOS-TV, a new station whose signal reached into theLower Mainland ofBritish Columbia, allowing viewers there to see the coronation as well, though on a one-day delay.
US networksNBC andCBS made similar arrangements to have films flown in relays back to the United States for same-day broadcast, but they used slower propeller-driven aircraft. NBC had originally planned to carry the event live viaskywave direct from the BBC. However, the station was unable to establish a broadcast-quality video link on coronation day, due to poor atmospheric conditions.[37] The strugglingABC network arranged to re-transmit the CBC broadcast, taking the on-the-air signal from the CBC's Toronto station and feeding the network fromWBEN-TV,Buffalo's lone television station at the time; as a result, ABC beat the other two networks to air by more than 90 minutes and at considerably lower cost.[citation needed] However, the Canadian broadcast was the first in North America, viewers in eastern Canada watching the ceremony a half hour before Americans did.[34]
Although it did not as yet have a full-time television service, film was also dispatched to Australia aboard aQantas airliner, which arrived in Sydney in a record time of 53 hours 28 minutes.[38] The worldwide television audience for the coronation was estimated to be 277 million.[39] Additionally, 11 million in the UK listened to the broadcast on radio.[40]
Along a route lined with sailors, soldiers, and airmen and women from across theBritish Empire and Commonwealth,[n 2][41] guests and officials passed in a procession before about three million spectators that were gathered on the streets ofLondon, some having camped overnight in their spot to ensure a view of the monarch, and others having access to specially built stands and scaffolding along the route.[42] For those not present, more than 200 microphones were stationed along the path and inWestminster Abbey, with 750 commentators broadcasting in 39 languages.[36]
The procession included foreign royalty and heads of state riding to Westminster Abbey in various carriages, so many that volunteers ranging from wealthy businessmen to rural landowners were required to supplement the insufficient ranks of regular footmen.[42] The first royal coach leftBuckingham Palace and moved downthe Mall, which was filled with flag-waving and cheering crowds. It was followed by theIrish State Coach carryingQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who wore the circlet of her crown bearing theKoh-i-Noor diamond. Queen Elizabeth II proceeded through London from Buckingham Palace, throughTrafalgar Square, and towards the abbey in theGold State Coach drawn by eight grey geldings.[27] TheRoyal Mews staff placed a hot water bottle under the coach's seat to keep the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh warm.[43] Attached to the shoulders of her dress, the Queen wore the Robe of State, a 6-yard (5.5 m) long, hand woven silkvelvet cloak lined with Canadianermine that required the assistance of hermaids of honour—Lady Jane Vane-Tempest-Stewart,Lady Anne Coke,Lady Moyra Hamilton,Lady Mary Baillie-Hamilton,Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby,Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill andthe Duchess of Devonshire[44]—to carry.[15][45]
The return procession followed a route that was 5.1 miles (8.2 km) in length, passing alongWhitehall, across Trafalgar Square, alongPall Mall andPiccadilly toHyde Park Corner, viaMarble Arch andOxford Circus, downRegent Street andHaymarket, and finally along the Mall to Buckingham Palace. 29,000 service personnel from Britain and across the Commonwealth marched in a procession that was 2 miles (3.2 km) long and took 45 minutes to pass any given point. A further 15,800 lined the route.[46] The parade was led by Colonel Burrows of theWar Office staff and four regimental bands. Then came the colonial contingents, then troops from the Commonwealth realms, followed by theRoyal Air Force, theBritish Army, theRoyal Navy, and finally theHousehold Brigade.[47] Behind the marching troops was a carriage procession led by the rulers of the British protectorates, including QueenSālote Tupou III of Tonga, the Commonwealth prime ministers, the princes and princesses of the blood royal, and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Preceded by the heads of theBritish Armed Forces on horseback, the Gold State Coach was escorted by theYeomen of the Guard and theHousehold Cavalry and was followed by the Queen'saides-de-camp.[48] So many carriages were required that some had to be borrowed fromElstree Studios.[49]
After the end of the procession, the royal family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch aflypast.[50] The flypast had been altered on the day due to the bad weather, but otherwise took place as planned. 168 jet fighters flew overhead in three divisions thirty seconds apart, at an altitude of 1,500 feet.[n 3][51]
After being closed since the Queen's accession for coronation preparations, Westminster Abbey was opened at 6 am onCoronation Day to the approximately 8,000 guests invited from across theBritish Empire andCommonwealth of Nations;[n 4][42][54] more prominent individuals, such as members of the Queen's family and foreign royalty, thepeers of the United Kingdom, heads of state,members of Parliament from the Queen's various legislatures,[55] and the like, arrived after 8:30 a.m.Queen Sālote ofTonga was a guest, and was noted for her cheery demeanour while riding in an open carriage through London in the rain.[56] GeneralGeorge Marshall, the formerUnited States secretary of state who implemented theMarshall Plan, was appointed chairman of the US delegation to the coronation and attended the ceremony along with his wife, Katherine.[57]
Among other dignitaries who attended the event were Sir Winston Churchill; the prime ministers of Burma, India and Pakistan,U Nu,Jawaharlal Nehru andMohammad Ali Bogra; and ColAnastasio Somoza Debayle of Nicaragua.[58] 129 nations and territories were represented by their dignitaries at the service.[27] Foreign and Commonwealth representatives were also invited to two banquets hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.[27]Edward, Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII, was entitled to be invited to attend as a Royal Duke but he opted not to as his wifeWallis was explicitly not invited. Edward also cited a constitutional convention that no reigning or former sovereign should attend a British coronation.[59]
The Queen later revealed that some peers had hidden sandwiches underneath their coronets to fuel them through the three-hour ceremony.[60] Guests seated on stools were able to purchase their stools following the ceremony, with the profits going towards the cost of the coronation.[61]
Preceding the Queen into Westminster Abbey was thecoronation regalia, including the Second Sword, carried by theEarl of Home,Curtana carried by theDuke of Northumberland, the Third Sword carried by theDuke of Buccleuch and Queensbury andSt Edward's Crown, carried into the abbey by theLord High Steward of England, theLord Cunningham of Hyndhope flanked by two other peers. Thearchbishops and bishops assistant (Durham and Bath and Wells) of theChurch of England, in theircopes andmitres, waited outside the Great West Door for Queen Elizabeth II's arrival. When she arrived at about 11:00 am,[15][30] she found that the friction between her robes and the carpet caused her difficulty moving forward, and she said to theArchbishop of Canterbury,Geoffrey Fisher, "Get me started!"[30] Once going, the procession, which included the varioushigh commissioners of the Commonwealth carrying banners bearing the shields of the coats of arms of their respective nations,[62] moved inside the abbey, up the central aisle and through the choir to the stage, as the choirs sangI was glad, an imperial setting ofPsalm 122, vv. 1–3, 6, and 7 by SirHubert Parry.[63] As Elizabeth prayed at and then seated herself on the Chair of Estate to the south of the altar, the bishops carried in the religious paraphernalia—theBible,paten andchalice—and the peers holding the coronation regalia handed them over to the archbishop of Canterbury, who, in turn, passed them to thedean of Westminster,Alan Don, to be placed on the altar.[64]
After she moved to stand beforeKing Edward's Chair, Elizabeth turned, following as Fisher, along with theLord High Chancellor of Great Britain, theLord Simonds; theLord Great Chamberlain of England, theMarquess of Cholmondeley; theLord High Constable of England, theViscount Alanbrooke; and theEarl Marshal of England, theDuke of Norfolk; all led byGarter Principal King of ArmsGeorge Bellew. The Archbishop of Canterbury asked the audience in each direction of the compass separately: "Sirs, I here present unto you Queen Elizabeth, your undoubted Queen: wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?" The crowd would reply "God save Queen Elizabeth!" every time,[65] to each of which the Queen would curtsey in return.[62]
Seated again on the Chair of Estate, Elizabeth then took thecoronation oath as administered by the archbishop of Canterbury. In the lengthy oath, she swore to govern each of her countries according to their respective laws and customs, to mete out law and justice with mercy, to upholdProtestantism in the United Kingdom and protect the Church of England and preserve its bishops and clergy. She proceeded to the altar where she stated, "The things which I have here promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God", before kissing the Bible and putting theroyal sign-manual to the oath as the Bible was returned to the dean of Westminster.[66] From him theModerator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, James Pitt-Watson, took the Bible and presented it to Elizabeth again, saying,
Our gracious Queen: to keep your Majesty ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, we present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom; This is the royal Law; These are the lively Oracles of God.
Elizabeth returned the book to Pitt-Watson, who placed it back with the dean of Westminster.[67]
Thecommunion service was then conducted, involving prayers by both the clergy and Elizabeth, Fisher asking, "O God... Grant unto this thy servant Elizabeth, our Queen, the spirit of wisdom and government, that being devoted unto thee with her whole heart, she may so wisely govern, that in her time thy Church may be in safety, and Christian devotion may continue in peace", before reading various excerpts from theFirst Epistle of Peter, Psalms, and theGospel of Matthew.[68] Elizabeth was then anointed as the choir sangZadok the Priest; the Queen's jewellery and crimson cape were removed by theEarl of Ancaster and theMistress of the Robes,[15] the Duchess of Devonshire and, wearing only a simple, white linen dress also designed by Hartnell to completely cover the coronation gown, she moved to be seated in King Edward's Chair. There, Fisher, assisted by the Dean of Westminster, made a cross on her forehead, hands and breast withholy oil made from the same base as had been used in the coronation of her father.[30] A gold canopy borne aloft by four Knights of the Garter on poles shielded her, and at her request, the anointing ceremony was not televised.[69]
From the altar, the dean passed to the Lord Great Chamberlain thespurs, which were presented to Elizabeth and then placed back on the altar. TheSword of State was then handed to Elizabeth, who, after a prayer was uttered by Fisher, placed it herself on the altar, and the peer who had been previously holding it took it back again after paying a sum of 100shillings.[70] Elizabeth was then invested with theArmills (bracelets),Stole Royal,Robe Royal and theSovereign's Orb, followed by theSovereign's Ring, theSovereign's Sceptre with Cross and theSovereign's Sceptre with Dove. With the first two items on and in her right hand and the latter in her left, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned by the archbishop of Canterbury, with the crowd chanting "God save the Queen!" three times at the exact moment St Edward's Crown touched the monarch's head. The princes and peers gathered then put on their coronets and a21-gun salute was fired from theTower of London.[71]
With the benediction read, Elizabeth moved to the throne and the archbishop of Canterbury and all the bishops offered to her their fealty, after which, while the choir sang, the peers of the United Kingdom—led by the royal peers: Elizabeth's husband; her uncle theDuke of Gloucester; and her cousin theDuke of Kent—each proceeded, in order of precedence, to pay their personal homage and allegiance. After the royal peers, the 5 most senior peers, one for each rank, offered their fealty as representatives of the peerage of the United Kingdom: Norfolk for Dukes and Duchesses, theMarquess Huntly for Marquesses and Marchionesses, theEarl of Shrewsbury for Earls and Countesses, theViscount of Arbuthnott for Viscounts and Viscountesses and theLord Mowbray for Barons and Baronesses.[72]
When the last Baron had completed this task, the assembly shouted "God save Queen Elizabeth. Long live Queen Elizabeth. May the Queen live for ever!"[73] Having removed all her royal regalia, Elizabeth knelt and took the communion, including a generalconfession andabsolution, and, along with the congregation, recited theLord's Prayer.[74]
Now wearing the Imperial State Crown and holding the Sceptre with the Cross and the Orb, and as the gathered guests sang "God Save the Queen", Elizabeth left Westminster Abbey through the nave and apse, out the Great West Door.
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Although many had assumed that themaster of the queen's music,Sir Arnold Bax, would be the director of music for the coronation, it was decided instead to appoint the organist and master of the choristers at the abbey,William McKie, who had been in charge of music at theroyal wedding in 1947. McKie convened an advisory committee with Sir Arnold Bax and SirErnest Bullock, who had directed the music for the previous coronation.[75]
When it came to choosing the music, tradition required thatHandel'sZadok the Priest and Parry'sI was glad were included amongst theanthems. Other choral works included were the anonymous 16th century anthem "Rejoice in the Lord alway" andSamuel Sebastian Wesley'sThou wilt keep him in perfect peace. Another tradition was that new works be commissioned from the leading composers of the day:Ralph Vaughan Williams composed a new motetO Taste and See,William Walton composed a setting for theTe Deum, and the Canadian composerHealey Willan wrote an anthemO Lord our Governor.[41][76] Four new orchestral pieces were planned;Arthur Bliss composedProcessional; Walton,Orb and Sceptre; and Arnold Bax,Coronation March.Benjamin Britten had agreed to compose a piece, but he caught influenza and then had to deal with flooding at Aldeburgh, so nothing was forthcoming.Edward Elgar'sPomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D was played immediately before Bax's march at the end of the ceremony.[77] An innovation, at the suggestion of Vaughan Williams, was the inclusion of a hymn in which the congregation could participate. This proved controversial and was not included in the programme until Elizabeth had been consulted and found to be in favour; Vaughan Williams wrote an elaborate arrangement of the traditionalmetrical psalm, theOld Hundredth, which included military trumpet fanfares and was sung before the communion.[78][63]Gordon Jacob wrote a choral arrangement ofGod Save the Queen, also with trumpet fanfares.[79]
The choir for the coronation was a combination of the choirs of Westminster Abbey,St Paul's Cathedral, theChapel Royal, andSaint George's Chapel, Windsor. In addition to those established choirs, theRoyal School of Church Music conducted auditions to find twentyboy trebles fromparish church choirs representing the various regions of the United Kingdom. Along with twelve trebles chosen from various Britishcathedral choirs, the selected boys spent the month beforehand training atAddington Palace.[80] The final complement of choristers comprised 182 boy trebles, 37 male altos, 62 tenors and 67 basses.[77] The orchestra, of 60 players, was drawn from the leading members of British symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles. Each of the 18 violinists, headed byPaul Beard, was theleader of a major orchestra or chamber group. The conductor was SirAdrian Boult, who had conducted the orchestra at the previous coronation.[81]
In the evening on 2 June, the Queenmade a live radio broadcast to thank the public.[27] All across the Queen's realms, the rest of the Commonwealth, and in other parts of the world, coronation celebrations were held. The British government announced an extrabank holiday that fell on 3 June and moved the last bank holiday in May to 2 June to allow for an extended time of celebrations.[82] TheQueen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was also presented to thousands of recipients throughout the Queen's realms and in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK, commemorative coins were issued.[83] Three million bronze coronation medallions were ordered by the Canadian government, struck by theRoyal Canadian Mint and distributed to schoolchildren across the country; the obverse showed Elizabeth's effigy and the reverse theroyal cypher above the wordCANADA, all circumscribed byELIZABETH II REGINA CORONATA MCMLIII.[84]
As at the coronation of George VI, acorns shed from oaks inWindsor Great Park, nearWindsor Castle, were shipped around the Commonwealth and planted in parks, school grounds, cemeteries and private gardens to grow into what are known asRoyal Oaks orCoronation Oaks.[85]
In London, the Queen hosted a coronation luncheon, for which the recipecoronation chicken was devised,[86] and a fireworks show was mounted onVictoria Embankment.[42] Further, street parties were mounted around the United Kingdom. TheCoronation Cup football tournament was held atHampden Park,Glasgow in May, and[30] two weeks before the coronation, the children's literary magazineCollins Magazine rebranded itself asThe Young Elizabethan.[87] News thatEdmund Hillary andTenzing Norgay hadreached the summit ofMount Everest arrived in Britain on Elizabeth's coronation day; the New Zealand, American, and British media dubbed it "a coronation gift for the new Queen".[88] In the following month, a pageant took place over theRiver Thames as a coronation tribute to the Queen.[89]
Military tattoos, horse races, parades, and fireworks displays were mounted in Canada. Thecountry's Governor General,Vincent Massey, proclaimed the day a national holiday and presided over celebrations onParliament Hill inOttawa, where the Queen's coronation speech was broadcast and her personal royal standard flown from thePeace Tower.[90][91] Later, a public concert was held on Parliament Hill and the Governor General hosted a ball atRideau Hall.[90] In Newfoundland, 90,000 boxes of sweets were given to children, some having theirs delivered byRoyal Canadian Air Force drops, and, inQuebec, 400,000 people turned out in Montreal, some 100,000 atJeanne-Mance Park alone. Amulticultural show was put on atExhibition Place inToronto, square dances and exhibitions took place in thePrairie provinces, and, inVancouver, theChinese community performed a publiclion dance.[92] On theKorean Peninsula, Canadian soldiers serving in theKorean War acknowledged the day by firing red, white, and blue colouredsmoke shells at the enemy and drank rum rations.
Adocumentary film of the coronation,A Queen Is Crowned, narrated byLaurence Olivier, was one of the most popular films in British cinemas that year.[93] It was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Documentary Feature and was the first winner of theGolden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film.[94][95][96]
On 15 June 1953, the Queen attended afleet review atSpithead, off the coast atPortsmouth. Commanded by Admiral SirGeorge Creasy were 197 Royal Navy warships, together with 13 from the Commonwealth and 16 from foreign navies, as well as representative vessels from the BritishMerchant Navy and Fishing Fleets.[97] There were more British and Commonwealth naval ships present than at the 1937 coronation review, though a third of them werefrigates or smaller vessels. Major Royal Navy units included Britain's lastbattleship,HMS Vanguard, and four fleet and three lightaircraft carriers. TheRoyal Australian Navy and theRoyal Canadian Navy also each included a light carrier in their contingents,HMAS Sydney andHMCS Magnificent.[98]
Using the frigateHMS Surprise as aroyal yacht, the Queen and royal family started to review the lines of anchored ships at 3:30 p.m., finally anchoring at 5:10 p.m.[99] This was followed by a fly-past ofFleet Air Arm aircraft. Forty naval air squadrons participated, with 327 aircraft flying from four naval air stations; the formation was led by Rear AdmiralWalter Couchman flying ade Havilland Sea Vampire.[100] After the Queen transferred toVanguard for dinner, the day concluded with the Illumination of the fleet and a fireworks display.[99]
During a week-long visit to Scotland, on 24 June 1953, the Queen attended anational service of thanksgiving atSt Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, during which she was ceremonially presented with theHonours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels.[101] Following a carriage procession through the city escorted by theRoyal Company of Archers,[102] the service, led by theModerator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland,James Pitt-Watson, was attended by a congregation of 1,700 drawn from all sections of Scottish society.[101] The high point of the event was the presentation of the Honours, which the Queen received from theDean of the Thistle,Charles Warr, and then passed theCrown of Scotland to theDuke of Hamilton, the Sword of State to theEarl of Home, and the Sceptre to theEarl of Crawford and Balcarres.[103] It was the first time that this ceremony had been enacted since1822 during the visit of King George IV.[102]
The Queen was dressed in "day clothes" complete with a handbag, rather than in ceremonial robes, which was taken as a slight to Scotland's dignity by the Scottish press.[104] The decision not to dress formally was made by thePrivate Secretary to the Sovereign, SirAlan Lascelles, and Sir Austin Strutt, a senior civil servant at the Home Office, to avoid the service being interpreted as a coronation (the Kingdom of Scotland having ceased to exist upon theActs of Union 1707). In the official painting of the ceremony byStanley Cursiter, the offending handbag was tactfully omitted.[105]
On 15 July 1953, the Queen attended a review of the Royal Air Force atRAF Odiham inHampshire.[106] The first part of the review was a march past by contingents representing the various commands of the RAF, withBomber Command leading. This was followed by fourde Havilland Venoms of theCentral Fighter Establishment making theRoyal Cypher inskywriting. After lunch, the Queen in an open car toured the lines of some 300 aircraft that were arranged in a static display. She returned to the central dias for the flypast of 640 British and Commonwealth aircraft, of which 440 were jet-powered. The flypast was led by aBristol Sycamore helicopter which was towing a largeRAF Ensign, while the final aircraft was a prototypeSupermarine Swift flown by test pilotMike Lithgow. Finally, the skywriting Venoms spelled out the word "vivat".[107]
