![Coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, June 1953, London, England (Royal Collection Trust)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation01.jpg?resize=1196%2C792&ssl=1)
For weeks, we’ve been reviewing the coronation jewels worn by queens regnant and consort, from Queen Victoria all the way to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Today, we’re wrapping up our series with a look at one of the most memorable coronations of all: the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
![An invitation to the 1953 coronation ceremony is displayed at the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace on July 31, 2003 in London (Steve Finn/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation02.jpg?resize=1200%2C976&ssl=1)
Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II when her father died on February 6, 1952. Her coronation was scheduled for a little over a year later: June 2, 1953. Over the next fourteen months, extensive plans were made for the physical transformation of Westminster Abbey, the logistics of allowing television cameras to capture the occasion, the route of the procession, and much more.
![Norman Hartnell's design for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation dress, June 1953 (Haywood Magee/Picture Post/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation03.jpg?resize=1200%2C1658&ssl=1)
There were also extensive preparations required for the Queen’s coronation attire. For her dress, she turned to Norman Hartnell, who had designed her wedding gown five years earlier. She requested a similar silhouette to that 1947 gown. Hartnell produced eight different sketches for her to choose from.
![The original embroidery samples for Her Majesty's Coronation dress designed by Sir Norman Hartnell, and a watercolour painting of the design, are displayed as part of a special display at Windsor Castle exploring the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, at Windsor Castle on July 6, 2022 in Windsor, England (Nicky J Sims/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation04.jpg?resize=1200%2C801&ssl=1)
The eighth of these featured embroidered floral symbols of the nations of the United Kingdom (the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland, the daffodil of Wales, and the shamrock of Northern Ireland). The Queen selected that design but asked for a few adjustments. The Royal Collection notes that she “suggested the addition of embroideries in various colours rather than all in silver,” and she “requested that in addition to the four national emblems, those of the Dominions of which she was now Queen should also be added.” As part of last year’s Platinum Jubilee exhibition at Windsor Castle, the national floral embroidery samples were put on display along with the final gown.
![The original embroidery samples for Her Majesty's Coronation dress designed by Sir Norman Hartnell are displayed as part of a special display at Windsor Castle exploring the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, at Windsor Castle on July 6, 2022 in Windsor, England (Nicky J Sims/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation05.jpg?resize=1200%2C790&ssl=1)
Here’s a closer look at some of the symbols. Along with the originally included English rose, Scottish thistle, and Northern Irish shamrock, the gown was embroidered with the Welsh leek (changed from the originally submitted daffodil), the Canadian maple leaf, the Australian wattle, the New Zealand silver fern, the South African protea, and the Pakistani cotton and jute. Two lotus flower embroideries were also included: one for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), in green silk with white sequins, and one for India, in mother-of-pearl, seed pearls, and diamantes. India was a republic, not a dominion or realm, at this point, but its symbol was included to represent the Queen’s role as Head of the Commonwealth. Each emblem had to be thoroughly researched and confirmed by the Earl Marshal.
![Queen Elizabeth II's coronation dress and robes are displayed at the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace on July 31, 2003 in London (Steve Finn/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation06.jpg?resize=1200%2C1791&ssl=1)
The silk used to make the gown was produced by Lady Hart Dyke’s silk farm at Lullingstone Castle in Kent and woven by a company in Essex. The gown was made and embroidered at Hartnell’s London workshop. It took five months to make, with hours spent on the embroidery by a team under the direction of Edie Dulie. Gold bugle beads, diamantes, and pearls were also sewn on to the gown during the embroidery process.
![Queen Elizabeth II's coronation dress and robes are displayed as part of a special exhibition at Windsor Castle exploring the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, at Windsor Castle on July 6, 2022 in Windsor, England (Nicky J Sims/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation07.jpg?resize=1200%2C1668&ssl=1)
The dress remains in the Royal Collection today. Here’s how it looked in the summer of 2022, when it was displayed at Windsor Castle to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
![Queen Elizabeth II's robe of estate displayed as part of a special exhibition at Windsor Castle exploring the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, at Windsor Castle on July 6, 2022 in Windsor, England (Nicky J Sims/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation08.jpg?resize=1200%2C801&ssl=1)
Two sets of ermine-lined velvet coronation robes are used by the monarch during the coronation: the Robe of State for the arrival at the Abbey, and the Robe of Estate for the departure. The Queen’s Robe of State was made of crimson velvet, lined with ermine sourced from Canada. Pictured above is the late Queen’s Robe of Estate, made of purple velvet trimmed with ermine. Both robes are richly embroidered with gold, in designs conceived and executed by artists from the Royal School of Needlework. The Queen’s Robe of State will be featured in the upcoming coronation, worn by Queen Camilla after conservation work done by Ede and Ravenscroft, the maker of the 1953 robes (and the new ones needed for the 2023 coronation as well).
![Queen Elizabeth II arrives for her coronation at Westminster Abbey in London on June 2, 1953 (AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation09.jpg?resize=1200%2C1613&ssl=1)
On the morning of Tuesday, June 2, 1953, the Queen arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing the lavish coronation gown and her Robe of State. She also wore several other jewels on her arrival for the ceremony: the Diamond Diadem, the Coronation Earrings and Necklace, and the Garter Collar and Badge. Let’s go over them in detail from the top, shall we?
![The Diamond Diadem is displayed in an exhibition at Buckingham Palace celebrating the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation on July 25, 2013 in London, England (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation10.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
The Diamond Diadem was made for the 1821 coronation of King George IV. Work on the elaborate diadem, which features roses, shamrocks, and thistles in its design, was completed by Rundell, Bridge & Rundell the previous year. George wore the diadem with a velvet cap instead of a plain cap of maintenance for his procession to Westminster Abbey for his coronation, so the Queen’s choice of the diadem for her arrival at the Abbey was an echo of that earlier 1821 coronation. After George, the diadem has been used only by queens regnant and consort (Adelaide, Victoria, Alexandra, Mary, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth II).
![The Coronation Necklace and Earrings are exhibited in the Lantern Lobby as part of a special display at Windsor Castle exploring the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, at Windsor Castle on July 6, 2022 in Windsor, England (Nicky J Sims/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation11.jpg?resize=1200%2C1431&ssl=1)
The Coronation Earrings and Necklace date to 1858, made for Queen Victoria to replace items lost in the Hanoverian Claim. (More on that over here!) The diamonds in the necklace were taken from other items in Victoria’s collection. The pendant is the Lahore Diamond, taken from the Lahore Treasury in present-day Pakistan by British colonizers in 1849. The pendants of the coronation earrings also have a colonial history: they were originally part of the armlet setting of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond. Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother also wore various parts of the necklace and earrings for their coronation ceremonies.
![Queen Elizabeth II's Garter Collar and Badge, created by Rundell, Bridge & Rundell in 1828, is displayed as part of a special exhibition at Windsor Castle exploring the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, at Windsor Castle on July 6, 2022 in Windsor, England (Nicky J Sims/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation13.jpg?resize=1200%2C1274&ssl=1)
On her gown, Elizabeth also wore the collar and badge of the Order of the Garter, Britain’s most senior order of chivalry. The badge she wore for her coronation was made in 1828 by Rundell, Bridge & Rundell for King George IV.
![Queen Elizabeth II's Garter Collar and Badge, created by Rundell, Bridge & Rundell in 1828, is displayed as part of a special exhibition at Windsor Castle exploring the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, at Windsor Castle on July 6, 2022 in Windsor, England (Nicky J Sims/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation14.jpg?resize=1200%2C1593&ssl=1)
The badge is known as the “Marlborough George” because it was a copy of a similar badge worn by the Duke of Marlborough. The Royal Collection explains that “the gold figure of St. George on a rearing horse slaying the dragon, the emblem of the Order, is mounted in enamel and diamonds.”
![Lottie Longman of Longman's Florists arranges a replica of the coronation bouquet, which is to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II in celebration of the 60th anniversary of her coronation on May 29, 2013 in Ilford, England (Sean Dempsey - WPA Pool/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation12.jpg?resize=1200%2C1764&ssl=1)
The Queen also carried a bouquet of flowers with her on her arrival at Westminster Abbey. The bouquet was made of white flowers from various parts of the United Kingdom: lilies of the valley from Kent, virgo roses from Hertfordshire, orchids from Sussex, Kent, and Hertfordshire, slipper orchids from North Wales, carnations from Belfast, stephanotis from Scotland, and even carnations from the Isle of Man. Constance Fears, a florist with Martin Longman in Fenchurch Street, made the bouquet. (She also made the Queen’s wedding bouquet in 1947.) The bouquet was then presented by representatives of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners at Buckingham Palace on the morning of the coronation.
The Queen was carrying the bouquet when she left the palace, had it laying in her lap during the procession to the Abbey, and was carrying it as she stepped out of the carriage. But she didn’t carry it during her procession up the aisle of the Abbey itself. I’ve often wondered what happened to it, and for the life of me, I’ve not been able to find out in my research. Did she just hand it off to one of her maids of honor or to Mary, Duchess of Devonshire, who was her Mistress of the Robes? Was it placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior? Would love to know the answer. The official Westminster Abbey website simply notes that the bouquet “was not carried into the Abbey.”
![Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Westminster Abbey for her coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953 (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation15.jpg?resize=1200%2C1572&ssl=1)
Here’s the Queen as she arrives in the central part of the Abbey (the “coronation theatre”) for the ceremony, flanked by Rev. Michael Ramsay, the Bishop of Durham, and Rev. Harold Bradfield, the Bishop of Bath and Wells. At this point, the King’s Scholars of Westminster School were cheering out the famous “Vivats” section of Sir Hubert Parry’s “I Was Glad.”
![Queen Elizabeth II sits in Westminster Abbey, June 2, 1953 on her coronation day in London (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation16.jpg?resize=1200%2C946&ssl=1)
Elizabeth then took her place on the Chair of Estate, with members of the royal family looking down from the Royal Box above her. You’ll recognize lots of familiar faces here. (And, as a spoiler, we’ll be talking more about the Tiaras of the Royal Boxes tomorrow!) In the front row, we’ve got Princess Alexandra; Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent; Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood; Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother; Princess Margaret; Prince William of Gloucester; Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester; and Prince Richard of Gloucester.
Prince Charles was elsewhere in the Abbey at this point with his nanny, Helen Lightbody. He was brought in part of the way through the ceremony and seated between his grandmother and his aunt. (His paternal grandmother, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark, was almost directly behind him as well—she’s the one in the second row wearing a nun’s habit.)
![A canopy of cloth of gold is placed over Queen Elizabeth II by four Garter Knights prior to her anointing by the Archbishop of Canterbury at her coronation ceremony in London's Westminster Abbey, on June 2, 1953 (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation17.jpg?resize=1200%2C1536&ssl=1)
After the Coronation Oath and a communion service, Elizabeth was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. A simple white gown, made by Hartnell, was placed over the coronation dress, and a gold canopy shielded the private moment from view.
![The Ampulla and Coronation Spoon, which was used at Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953, is displayed during a multi-faith reception at Lambeth Palace on February 15, 2012 in London, England (Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation18.jpg?resize=1200%2C1181&ssl=1)
The Archbishop used the Ampulla and the Coronation Spoon to anoint the monarch. The eagle-shaped ampulla was made in 1661 for the coronation of King Charles II, but the spoon dates to the 12th century. It’s one of the only pieces of coronation regalia that survived Cromwell and the interregnum period.
![Geoffrey Fisher, the Archbishop of Canterbury, presents the regalia to Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London, June 2, 1953 (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation19.jpg?resize=1200%2C1800&ssl=1)
After the anointing, the Queen was presented with more pieces of the coronation regalia: the Sword of Offering, the Armills, the Orb, the Ring, the Sceptre with the Cross, and the Sceptre with the Dove.
![Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Armills (Royal Collection Trust)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation20.jpg?resize=1200%2C674&ssl=1)
Two of those pieces of regalia were worn by Elizabeth during the ceremony. First: the armills, which are also called the “bracelets of sincerity and wisdom.” There’s a set of 17th-century armills in the crown jewel collection—they’re the ones that King Charles III will wear on Saturday—but Elizabeth wore a new pair of gold armills that had been made just for her. They were the brainchild of Prime Minister Robert Menzies of Australia, and they were presented to the monarch as a gift from the Commonwealth of Nations (at the time, that was the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ceylon, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa).
![The Sovereign's Ring (Royal Collection Trust)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation29.jpg?resize=1129%2C877&ssl=1)
The other piece of regalia that Elizabeth wore was the Sovereign’s Ring. Made by Rundell, Bridge & Rundell in 1831 for King William IV, the ring is set with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies in a design that echoes the national flag. The coronation ring is sometimes called the “wedding ring of England.” In fact, as historian Anna Keay notes, “When asked about her failure to take a husband, Elizabeth I pointed to her coronation ring and said she was married to the realm of England.” Elizabeth II was married to the Duke of Edinburgh, of course, but the coronation ceremony really is a kind of marriage between monarch and nation.
![The Archbishop of Canterbury crowns Queen Elizabeth II with St. Edward's Crown at Westminster Abbey in London, June 2, 1953 (AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation21.jpg?resize=1200%2C1666&ssl=1)
And then, the Queen, seated on the Coronation Chair, was crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rev. Geoffrey Fisher.
![St. Edward's Crown is pictured during a service to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, on June 4, 2013 in London, England (Jack Hill - WPA Pool/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation22.jpg?resize=1200%2C1631&ssl=1)
The crowned used for this part of the ceremony is St. Edward’s Crown. It was made in 1661 of 22-carat gold and set with hundreds of precious and semi-precious gemstones. Its design was inspired by the much older crown of St. Edward the Confessor (1003-1066), one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England. That medieval crown was disposed of after the execution of King Charles I in 1649. The newer St. Edward’s Crown has been used to crown six British monarchs: King Charles II, King James II, King William III, King George V, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II.
![Queen Elizabeth II, wearing St. Edward's Crown and sitting in the Coronation Chair, holds pieces of regalia during her coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London, June 2, 1953 (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation23.jpg?resize=1200%2C1409&ssl=1)
Here’s the crowned Queen Elizabeth II, wearing St. Edward’s Crown and holding the scepters, during her coronation ceremony.
![The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross (Royal Collection Trust)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation26.jpg?resize=1200%2C419&ssl=1)
The scepter in her right hand is the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, which is set with the 530.2-carat Cullinan I Diamond.
![The Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove (Royal Collection Trust)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0414-01-regalia15-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C556&ssl=1)
And in her left hand, she held the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Dove. Both scepters were made in 1661 for the coronation of King Charles II.
![Queen Elizabeth II departs Westminster Abbey following her coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953 (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation24.jpg?resize=1200%2C1475&ssl=1)
As she left the Abbey after her coronation, the Queen still held the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, but she was wearing a different crown and carrying a different piece of regalia in her left hand.
![The Imperial State Crown (Royal Collection Trust)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation25.jpg?resize=1200%2C1698&ssl=1)
Before the monarch leaves the Abbey, St. Edward’s Crown is swapped out for the lighter (and more dazzling) Imperial State Crown. The current crown was made in 1937 for King George VI, but it was based on the design of (and reused the gems set in) the Imperial State Crown made for Queen Victoria in 1838.
![The Sovereign's Orb (Royal Collection Trust)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation27.jpg?resize=1200%2C1598&ssl=1)
In her left hand, the Queen held the Sovereign’s Orb as she exited the Abbey. The golden orb, which is set with pearls, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and a single large amethyst, was made in 1661 by Sir Robert Vyner for the coronation of Charles II. The Royal Collection explains, “It symbolizes the Christian world with its cross mounted on a globe, and the bands of jewels dividing it up into three sections represent the three continents known in medieval times.”
![A map of the coronation procession of Queen Elizabeth II is seen at the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace on July 31, 2003 in London (Steve Finn/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation30.jpg?resize=1200%2C854&ssl=1)
Elizabeth wore and carried the regalia as she walked out of the Abbey and stepped into the Gold State Coach for the grand procession back to Buckingham Palace.
![Queen Elizabeth II, wearing the Imperial State Crown, and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, are seen through the window of the Gold State Coach as they return to Buckingham Palace during the coronation procession in London, England, 2nd June 1953 (Illustrated London News/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation31.jpg?resize=1200%2C1492&ssl=1)
Here’s the Queen smiling through the window of the coach as she and Prince Philip ride through the streets of London after the ceremony had ended.
![Queen Elizabeth II waves to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 2, 1953 in London after being crowned at Westminster Abbey (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation32.jpg?resize=1200%2C1625&ssl=1)
She also wore the Imperial State Crown, the Coronation Earrings and Necklace, the Garter Collar and Badge, the Armills, and the Sovereign’s Ring on the balcony of Buckingham Palace that day.
![Queen Elizabeth II poses for an official portrait on her coronation day on June 2, 1953 in London (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation28.jpg?resize=1200%2C1502&ssl=1)
And those jewels, as well as the scepter and orb, were featured in some of the famous coronation portraits taken by Cecil Beaton at the palace following the service. (The Wesminster Abbey image in the background is a painted backdrop.)
![Coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, June 1953, London, England (Royal Collection Trust)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-0504-coronation33.jpg?resize=1200%2C1499&ssl=1)
And here’s an image from that portrait session in color. In just a few days we’ll be seeing many of these pieces of jewelry and regalia appearing during a coronation again, for the first time in 70 years!
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