Speaking for the first time about her coronation 65 years ago, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has revealed how uncomfortable riding in her golden carriage to the ceremony was and how wearing the Imperial State Crown risked “breaking your neck”.
The queen, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, was crowned on June 2, 1953 at London’s Westminster Abbey, in an ancient, grand service whose origins date back 1,000 years.
In a very rare, personal account for a BBC documentary to be aired on Sunday, she speaks candidly about the occasion and some of the crown jewels which play a symbolic role in the ceremony.
“Horrible,” she said of the ride in the four-ton carriage from Buckingham Palace to the abbey where English monarchs have been crowned since 1066. “It’s only sprung on leather, not very comfortable.”
The queen, now 91, was just 25 when she became monarch on the death of her father George VI in 1952, with the coronation taking place the following year.
“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 (her father’s in 1937) and been the recipient in the other, which is pretty remarkable.”
Giving her personal recollection, the queen also reveals how she had struggled with her coronation dress, which was embroided in silk with pearls, and gold and silver thread.
“I remember one moment when I was going against the pile of the carpet and I couldn’t move at all,” she said.
The documentary also features informal footage taken behind the scenes, including images of son and heir Prince Charles, then aged four, and his younger sister Anne playing underneath the queen’s long robe.
“Not what they’re meant to do,” the queen quips.
Prince Charles has previously revealed how his mother had practised wearing the 2.2kg St Edward’s Crown while he was being bathed.
The queen wore two crowns for the occasion: the St Edward’s Crown, which she has never worn since, and the diamond-encrusted Imperial State Crown which she wears at formal occasions such as the opening of parliament when she delivers a speech outlining the government’s legislative plans.
“You can’t look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up. Because if you did, your neck would break and it (the crown) would fall off,” she said smiling. “So there are some disadvantages to crowns but otherwise they’re quite important things.”
The documentary shows her peering inquisitively and then grinning as she taps at pearls hanging on the 1 kg (2.3 lb) crown, two of which are said to have been bought by her Tudor namesake Queen Elizabeth I.
“They were meant to be Queen Elizabeth I’s earrings,” she said. “They don’t look very happy now. Most pearls like to be living creatures so they’ve just been hanging out here for years which is rather sad.”
The queen has never given a formal interview during her long reign and coronation expert Alastair Bruce, whom the queen spoke to for the programme, said their 1-1/2-hour interaction had been a “conversation”.
“You don’t ask the queen a direct question, so you pose a comment that the queen then responds to,” he told reporters.
He said he had the impression the queen was probably not fond of the heavy crown and was “very practical” in her treatment of the crown jewels.
He cited how during their conversation the crown had been slightly out of the queen’s reach so he asked the crown jeweller to help move the table it was on a bit closer.
Instead, the queen herself pulls the table towards her.
Mr Bruce said: “If you look very closely, the table suddenly just goes ‘Woomf!’ and the crown ‘Woomf!’ and the crown jeweller is left there with nothing and she says ‘Well you know, it’s my crown.’”
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
25%20Days%20to%20Aden
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Michael%20Knights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2026%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5