Mass Observation: Remembering Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation
On JUNE 2ND, a Queen is to be crowned. We may have different feelings about the Coronation and we may be doing quite different things on the day. But it is the sort of day that many now living may not see again.
This was how the Mass Observation call for the nation’s stories of the 1953 coronation began. And it was true. Most of those present at the Queen’s coronation would not have seen another; those still living now were likely too young to remember much of it. For most of us, Queen Elizabeth II has been the only monarch we’ve ever known. For seventy years she reigned – the UK’s longest serving monarch, a constant in the lives of the nation, and a symbol of strength and duty.
Mass Observation's advert for coronation day stories. Image © Mass Observation Archive. University of Sussex Special Collections. Further reproduction prohibited without permission
Yet thanks to Mass Observation Online, we’re able to re-live her coronation day vicariously through a rich collection of survey responses, letters and diary entries. It was a day of extravagant celebration and great merriment, and one that was highly anticipated. As one young girl put it, ‘it was the “Great Day” at last.’ Very few seemed to escape the festivities, even those who thought themselves indifferent: one responder wrote, for example, ‘I thought I was immune, but I awoke this morning with the feeling that this day was different, like Christmas or one’s birthday.’
London in particular was festooned with decorations described as ‘perfectly marvellous’. The Mall, someone recalled, was ‘like fairyland with its arches and banners’ while Selfridge’s showcased a statue of Elizabeth on a horse. On the day of the coronation, thousands lined the streets, having gathered since the early hours of the morning to get a good position for the procession. One 13-year-girl, whose family had been stationed between Grosvenor Gate and Marble Arch since dawn, wrote that by 7 o’clock, the stands were already full. The service, she reported, was played through loudspeakers, so that ‘even with such a huge audience every one of the Queen’s responses was heard’, and a great procession followed.
Up and down the rest of the country, people enjoyed street parties and ox roasting, which had often been planned months in advance. One Northamptonshire village began preparations in October 1952, taking weekly collections to be able to host a day of celebrations including a church service, fancy dress parade, tea and entertainment. Many decorated their houses with flags, banners and bunting. In the small village of Bawdeswell in Norfolk, 27 houses put up decorations – the walls could barely be seen for the ‘flags, trimmings and pictures of the queen’.
Ox Roasting as part of the Coronation festivities at Combe Hay's. Image © Mass Observation Archive. University of Sussex Special Collections. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Perhaps one of the most significant things about the day, however, was that, for the first time, the entire service was televised. More than 20 million people across the country were able to feel as though they were part of the action as they watched the events of the day on TV screens at friends and families houses or in chapels, town halls and pubs. One respondent admitted that they did not believe they would be able to sit through the whole procession and ceremony, but that ‘once it started we couldn’t tear ourselves away from the set, and considered even eating an unnecessary interruption.’ Another lady from Warrington wrote that ‘hardly a word was spoken during those three hours, if anyone had said beforehand that we would sit spellbound for so long, I would have thought it was impossible, it was an experience that I will not forget as long as I live.’
The order of the day for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation day. Image © Mass Observation Archive. University of Sussex Special Collections. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
About the author
Beth Snyder is an Editor at AM.
About the collection
Mass Observation Online is available now. This blog includes temporary free access to ROYALTY 1942-64. Follow the image links to explore the documents for free until 14th October 2022.
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