A Walk Down Coronation Memory Lane…

My Favourite Moments from That Historic Day Two Years Ago…

Happy Friday! Welcome to everyone new here, thank you! For those who don’t know, I’m trying something new this year - what is very informally called “Fun Fridays” in my head. Along with my usual opinions and news etc, I’m writing an extra newsletter each week on a lighter, more fun royal topic - jewels, fashion, weddings. history etc. As this week marked two years since the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, I thought that it might be fun to remember that historic day and my memories from that night (southern hemisphere girl here). Enjoy…

The scene was the same as so many other nights before it - the heater roaring, pjs and warm socks on, a table full of treats. We had sat in this same room so many times before, watching a lively redhead marry her sailor prince (my first royal wedding). Crying buckets of silent tears as we watched two boys walk behind their mother’s coffin. Watching on in joyous disbelief as “our Mary” married her Danish love and became a future queen. The immense joy as William and Kate’s big day felt like a bright new beginning for the royal family. And deep sorrow mixed with witnessing history as we farewelled our dearly loved Queen.

This night was like so many others but this royal occasion felt different. This was not a wedding, not a funeral, but a coronation. An event that none of us had ever experienced before (my mum was a baby when the late Queen’s coronation in 1953 happened), it added something special and anticipatory to the whole thing.

And the coronation did not disappoint! It gave us memories of colour, of music, of witnessing history, of pageantry, of adorable children and regal princesses. It gave us memories of an emotional King who had waited so long for this moment and was now finally being crowned beside his beloved wife. The night ended with the wonderful balcony appearance and fly past. We went to bed tired, happy and full of memories of an occasion like we had never seen before.

My ten favourite memories from the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla on May 6th 2023…

1: King Charles’ Emotion at Seeing the Crowds

This was the first big moment of the day for me. Her late Majesty the Queen was incredibly beloved. She drew huge crowds for all of the major events and celebrations of her life. King Charles has never had that level of public affection and at times it has been quite the opposite. After his mother’s death he must have wondered what kind of reception from the public that he would get as monarch.

On coronation day it quickly became clear that the crowds were large, warm and full of affection for the new king. The look on his face as he looked out at the crowds from the Diamond Jubilee State Coach on his way to Westminster Abbey was the first time (of many!) on the day that my eyes filled with tears. He had the most extraordinary look of emotion on his face - it was clear that he was surprised, humbled and a little overwhelmed at the affection being shown to him. It set the tone for an emotional and poignant day.

2: The Windsor Women

Coronation Day was historic for so many reasons. One being that it was the day we formally changed over from seven decades of female reign to the first king in more than a generation. But while it was most definitely King Charles’ day, it’s undeniable that women of the royal family absolutely shone.

Queen Camilla became the first consort to be crowned since 1937. While the nerves and weight of the occasion clearly weighed on her throughout the day (along with a rumoured back injury that probably explains her absence from pre coronation events), she did a great job. It was wonderful to see her crowned alongside Charles after everything she has been through and everything she has contributed to the royal family and the UK since their marriage in 2005. How proud her family must have been to be there to witness her big moment!

The Princess of Wales was the very definition of regal. She absolutely shone in her Royal Victorian Order robes, Alexander McQueen gown and stunning Jess Collett headpiece. But it was more than her outfit - she had a definite future Queen vibe. It must have been a surreal day for Catherine, watching her husband and eldest son take a large role in the coronation ceremony - and knowing that one day it will be her and William having their own coronation. Special mention to Princess Charlotte - she handled herself beautifully (and took care of her little brother!) on what must have been a long, tiring (and let’s be honest, probably boring at times) day for an eight year old.

In addition to Camilla and Catherine, we had the incredible Princess Anne on horseback as gold stick-in-waiting, the wonderful Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Gloucester and the always lovely Edinburgh ladies. Sophie looked wonderful in her RVO robes too - the order is given for personal service to the monarch and no one is more deserving of that than Sophie! Lady Louise looked so beautiful and grown up - university is obviously very good for her!

3: The Moment of Crowning

Watching the Archbishop of Canterbury place St Edward’s Crown on King Charles’ head as he sat in the Coronation Chair was more impactful than I expected. It was a moment so full of history and tradition and meaning. It felt like “yes, he really is the king now”. I would love to know what King Charles himself was thinking at that very moment.

4: The Processions to and from Westminster Abbey

Nobody puts on a show quite like the Brits and the coronation did not disappoint. For the King’s Procession from Buckingham Palace, the King and Queen travelled in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. They were accompanied by a “smaller” but still wonderful military procession. There was something special, emotional and more intimate about that first procession - the smaller size, it just being the King and Queen, the warmth and size of the crowds, the emotion on the King’s face.

The Coronation Procession on the way back to the palace was a whole other level of spectacular and had a much more celebratory feel than the first. The newly crowned King and Queen travelled in the three hundred year old Gold State Coach. They were followed by three more carriages containing the Wales family, the Edinburghs and finally the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. Accompanying the royal procession was a HUGE military contingent. It was truly spectacular to watch and, as always, the amazing horses were my favourite part! I truly am in awe at how they managed to pull it off so brilliantly. The British military are amazing.

I also absolutely loved it when the military personnel assembled in the Buckingham Palace garden and gave three cheers for the king and queen. Yet another unforgettable coronation day moment!

5: The Dress Code

Who knew that a dress code could create so much controversy?! Before the coronation we all heard endlessly about the dress code - tiaras, no tiaras, flower crowns, robes, dresses etc etc. It was honestly exhausting. But on the day, I thought that the dress code was actually perfect. It was a great balance of old and new, tradition and modernity.

I actually gasped when I saw the first members of the royal family arriving in their Order of the Garter and Royal Victorian Order robes. It was something special that I’d never seen in this setting before - and the first time ever that we have gotten to see Catherine and Sophie in robes! I think having the senior royals in their order robes and the ladies with headpieces rather than fur robes and tiaras was an excellent decision. They looked appropriately formal and regal for such a special occasion. But it was also a smart differing in formality from the 1953 coronation.

I can’t believe that anyone thought that this coronation would look the same as that one. 1953 was a long time ago. Times have changed, attitudes have changed, the monarchy has changed. They could not have an endless parade of royals and aristocracy parading into Westminster Abbey looking like extras on the set of Downton Abbey - not in 2023. I think everyone looked perfect for the roles they played on the day - the King and Queen looked appropriately regal, the senior British royals looked fantastic in their robes - formal and setting them apart from the rest of the congregation just enough and the other guests all looked wonderful in their dresses and hats, morning suits and uniforms. I think it all looked fabulous and struck a perfect balance!!

6: William & Charles During the Homage

The royal father and son duo provided one of the most unexpectedly emotional moments of the coronation service for me. The sight of William kneeling to pay homage to his father, the newly crowned king, brought tears to my eyes. Watching as William read carefully from a card to ensure that he got the words right, giving a steadfast look into his father’s eye before standing to kiss him on the cheek felt so powerful and almost like we were watching a private family moment. Charles’ soft “thank you William” was just… After everything they’ve been through together, to see them share that moment where they were both obviously so moved was just so poignant. Especially as William is so fiercely protective (understandably so) of his privacy and his relationships - we don’t get to see that more emotional side of him often. It really was special to witness.

7: The Balcony

The balcony appearance is always one of my favourite parts of any big royal event. After the more solemn and serious parts of the day, this is usually pure joy and smiles. Queen Camilla was visibly more relaxed, as was the King. How wonderful it must have been for them to look out on that huge crowd! I loved that they came back out together, just the two of them, for a short encore appearance.

The flypast is always spectacular, even if it was scaled back this time because of the weather. And of course we had the joy of witnessing the king of the balcony appearances - little Louis - at his balcony best.

But my favourite moment on the balcony featured the star of the day - the king. As everyone else started to go back inside, King Charles stood briefly for just a second, taking one last look back at the crowds - clearly taking in the enormity of the crowds and wanting to imprint that on his memory. It felt so poignant - this was obviously such a huge day for him emotionally. It also reminded me of one of my favourite royal moments of all time - when the brand new Duchess of Cambridge took one last look back at the crowds from the balcony on her wedding day. I love those moments when we get to see the very real human emotions of the royals.

8: The Inclusivity & Diversity of the Coronation Service

For decades, King Charles has been a passionate advocate for interfaith dialogue and cooperation. He has been determined to make his reign one that celebrates diversity and inclusivity. His coronation was a wonderful celebration of this and I loved it. It was a wonderful touch that King Charles made the decision to include leaders from multiple faiths in the service - British leaders of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism were all present and a part of the service as were those of other Christian denominations such as the Catholic Church and Greek Orthodox. The coronation service is obviously a Church of England ceremony and the King is head of the Church. But this inclusiveness was a nice reminder that the UK is made up of people from all faiths and I admire the King’s efforts in this regard.

There were also more women involved in a coronation than ever before. The surprise star of the day, Penny Mourdant (or as I like to call her, the Pippa Middleton of the coronation - almost stealing the show from the main players), in her role as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Privy Council, was the first woman to act in that role in a coronation and present the Sword of Offering to the king. Other women had prominent roles in the service - members of the clergy and in the roles of carrying some of the coronation regalia.

Even the guest list itself was more inclusive than any other coronation before. There were far fewer aristocrats, MPs etc than in the past. King Charles ensured a wider cross section of the community, including people who have received honours and performed extraordinary roles in their community were invited.

I thought that all of these efforts at inclusion were wonderful and thoughtful touches. It felt as modern and diverse as a one thousand year old ritual can be!

9: The Rest of the Coronation Weekend Festivities

The coronation itself was obviously the main event but the coronation festivities actually spread over four days. The events began on the Friday of coronation weekend with two receptions hosted by the King at Buckingham Palace. The first was for Commonwealth Prime Ministers and leaders. The second, in the evening, was for heads of state and foreign royalty.

Other events included the Coronation Big Lunch, the Coronation Concert and the Big Help Out. The Big Lunch (a long running program) aims to promote community involvement and communities coming together. The coronation concert was the biggest event after the coronation itself. It was such a fun concert full of great performances and highlighting the King’s passions for the arts and the environment. I think it was a stroke of genius to hold it at Windsor Castle rather than the usual Buckingham Palace location for these types of events. The castle provided a wonderful backdrop. Highlights of the concert for me were Prince William’s wonderful speech about his father, Take That (hey, I grew up in the 90s!), the Muppets and the royal family’s very enthusiastic enjoyment of the concert! I love seeing them relax and have fun.

Wrapping up the Coronation long weekend, the Big Help Out was a day intended to encourage people to volunteer in their local communities and create a legacy of volunteering from the coronation. Various members of the royal family attended Big Help Out events - The Princess Royal attended a church service and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh visited a Guide Dog puppy training class (extremely adorable). The stars of the show however, were the Wales family. The family of five (Louis on his first official engagement at the age of five!) visited a local Scout hut where they helped out with repairs and improvements. So. Much. Cuteness.

I love that these extra events added to the coronation and made it even more of a special weekend. Each of the events also served to highlight the many and varied roles of the royal family - their immense diplomatic soft power, their ability to bring the community together, being a major focus for national celebrations and the history and traditions that they so wonderfully keep alive . I think that the coronation weekend was a huge success. It was wonderfully planned, brilliantly executed and so much fun. I loved it all!

10: The Large Gathering of British Royals & Royals From Around the World

This is always one of my favourite parts of big royal events. I love seeing all of the extended British royal family members - the Kents, the Gloucesters and Princess Margaret’s children and grandchildren. I love all of the “regular” royals that we see all the time but it’s fun to see the other family members too - Lady Sarah Chatto and Lady Helen Taylor are always two favourites for me (they were pretty well known in the 80s so it’s fun for me to still see them now).

As well as the large British royal contingent, the other royal families of the world attended the coronation en masse. It’s really rare that we get to see the rest of the world’s royals at British royal events so this was an extra special treat! My favourite was (obviously) Crown Princess Mary of Denmark looking stunning in purple. A fun bonus was getting to see the heirs to the Belgian and Dutch thrones - Crown Princess Elisabeth and the Princess of Orange (Princess Catharina-Amalia) at the evening reception the night before the coronation. It’s exciting to see the next generation of royals starting to attend these events!

I hope that you enjoyed my little highlights reel of the coronation! It was such an amazing day and one I’ll never forget.

Thanks for reading,

Jane.