Coronation Day and Abbey Chairs
At last the great day, so long anticipated, had arrived. My father, as a High Court Judge (in those days High Court Judges really were VIPs), had been allotted two seats in Westminster Abbey for himself and my mother, and two seats in a stand erected in the Mall to be used by me and my younger sister, Jane. I had come home from Oxford for the occasion the previous day. A very early start was required in order to reach one’s seats before the streets in Westminster and around Buckingham Palace were closed and buses and tubes stopped running. My parents, dressed in their finery, had a special car to drive them in but Jane and I had to go in by tube.
It was a raw, chilly and cloudy morning when we started before 6.00 am, with heavy showers forecast, correctly as it proved, so we had heavy rain clothes over our smart clothes as the stands were open. It was later reported that the previous Christmas Day was a degree warmer than Coronation Day in June! As we got out of the underground we heard an early newspaper vendor shouting “Everest climbed” – Hillary and Tenzing had done it! Everyone thought this was a wonderful present for the Queen on her great day.
The Mall was packed, with people allowed to stand in front of the elevated stands. Once we had taken our seats, it was a long time to wait, but nobody minded. After so many years of war and postwar austerity (all rationing did not finally end until 1954) and the shock of King George’s death the year before, we were all determined to enjoy the day and make the most of this splendid occasion. The slightest incident got a laugh or a cheer.
Eventually the car and carriage procession began, starting with the heads of state or prime ministers of the Commonwealth countries. Everyone got a cheer. Amongst the early arrivals was the colourfully dressed Queen Salote of Tonga, then a British protectorate. Boy, did she play up to the crowd, and did the crowd love her! Somewhat reduced cheers for Malan, prime minister of South Africa and one of the authors of apartheid, but they rang out in full for the popular Bob Menzies, prime minister of Australia, a great Anglophile and supporter of the monarchy. (In 1956 he was almost the only Commonwealth statesman to give full backing to this country over the Suez crisis.) Last to come was Churchill as prime minister of this country, remembered with gratitude for his wartime leadership and cheered to the echo.
Next came the minor royalty (much looking at our programmes to identify some of them), gradually rising in order of seniority, to mounting cheers and excitement. Finally the young Queen, with a Sovereign’s escort, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. So long awaited, she was greeted with great joy and relief.
With the procession passed, it was time to find a loo and then a hot drink and a bite to eat from one of the stalls behind the stands, to supplement our sandwiches. The weather, which had stayed mostly fine for the procession, broke and we suffered a long and heavy downpour. It was possible for a time to find some partial shelter under the stands, but we got pretty wet all the same and I was very glad of my army mackintosh.
The rain eased and we resumed our seats. Loudspeakers relayed the service to us from Westminster Abbey and all fell quiet to hear it. I think we joined in cheers after the crowning. It was very moving.
The rain stopped and the loudspeaker commentary gave us some warning of when to expect the return of the procession. Could we make the cheers still louder? We certainly did our best. There was just one disappointment. We were eagerly awaiting Churchill as the return procession passed, but he did not appear. The procession back to the Palace got rather out of order, with the carriages of some of the royalty catching up and mixing with those of the senior prime ministers. We later learned that Churchill had thought it would not be proper or appropriate for him to be behind the royalty and perhaps usurp their cheers, so he had directed his driver to leave and take a different route.
It was over. We were too far away to see the appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, so when public transport resumed running we returned home for a family dinner of celebration and a toast to the Queen. Next day it was back to Oxford for the rest of term.
As well as memories, I have one tangible memento of the Coronation. Those in the Abbey were allowed to keep their chairs, which remained a proud family possession, passing to me after my parents’ death. Now recovered but keeping the original embroidered crown.
Extract from Mother’s diary for the day.
“The Coronation Day of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. So it was announced umpteen times on radio. Music while you wait from 5.30! Everest climbed. All at Granny’s [my Father’s Mother] for whole day. T.V. started at 10.15. Marvellous beyond imagination. Such intimate details. Queen driving out from Palace, talking to Duke, so happy and thrilled and thrilling. Then so awed by solemnity in Abbey ? wonderful processions. Had a fine lunch cold chicken, ham, salads, trifles, jellies, fruit salads etc ? then more T.V. Raining hard for procession.”
and for 4th June 1953
“All went to see Queen in Belsize Road in afternoon. Better day. Late coming but quite a thrill when she did. Sitting up in high car, easy to see ? small yet with an aura about her. Wouldn’t her small presence be felt anywhere? Walked back [home]”
Margaret Willmer