Today at Hidden Gems, I’m bringing you the second installment of my series on the wedding of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Marie Louise, who lived through a remarkable six reigns. As a bonus today, I’m highlighting the four coronations that Marie Louise attended: those of King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II.
Neither Cloudless Nor Long: The Courtship and Wedding of Princess Marie Louise (Part 2)
[Hidden Gems Exclusive]
A whirlwind engagement for Queen Victoria’s granddaughter and a German prince culminated in a wedding in Windsor—and a royal marriage with a sudden ending.
Glittering Tiaras in the Royal Box: Princesses Sparkling at Coronations Past
Let’s take a trip in our time machine, back to experience the bejeweled ensembles of princesses at coronations from another era of history, marveling at some of the jewels worn by royal ladies at the four 20th-century coronations: 1902, 1911, 1937, and 1953.
Queen Alexandra’s Coronation Jewels (1902)
Our series on the jewels worn by British queens regnant and consort for their coronations continues today with the rather incredible 1902 coronation ensemble of Queen Alexandra. You like jewels? We’ve definitely got jewels for you today!
Queen Mary’s Coronation Jewels (1911)
More than 60 years elapsed between the 1838 and 1902 coronations, but the 1911 coronation took place less than nine years after the previous ceremony. King George V, the son of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, was crowned alongside his wife, Queen Mary, at Westminster Abbey on June 22, 1911. George had succeeded his late father as monarch on May 6, 1910, and the coronation took place a little over a year later.
Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation Jewels (1937)
It was a coronation that wasn’t really supposed to happen—or, more accurately, that was supposed to happen to someone else. King Edward VIII ascended to the throne on the death of his father, King George V, on January 20, 1936. His coronation was scheduled for the following spring, on May 12, 1937. A committee gathered to plan the ceremony, but Edward was largely uninterested in the details, missing meetings to vacation with his lover, Wallis Simpson, and even asking the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang, if he really had to be crowned at all.
Splendour in the Abbey: Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Gown and Jewels (1953)
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.
The Glorious Royal Tiaras of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Opera Gala
[More from Hidden Gems]
How do you honor a new queen regnant at the dawn of her reign? For the composer Benjamin Britten, the answer was to look to history for inspiration. Just days after Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey, the Royal Opera House was the site of the premiere of Britten’s coronation opera, which recounted the love story of Elizabeth I and the Earl of Essex.
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