Coronation Day

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May 12, 1937

Less than five months after ascending the throne, George VI and Queen Elizabeth today were crowned in a historic ceremony at Westminster Abbey. It was a day filled with splendor and panoply.

Many eyes were on the royal box where Queen Mother Mary - the first widowed consort to attend a Coronation -- and her two granddaughters, Princess Elizabeth, 11, and Princess Margaret, 6, at. The two princesses "dressed as miniature queens and behaved with a decorum, not unlike Queen Mary." Elizabeth, who is heiress presumptive to the throne, played no role in the ceremony.

During "the stately procession" up the nave, Princess Elizabeth walked on the right of her aunt, Princess Mary, the Princess Royal, "holding her hand and keeping perfect step, obviously enjoying the scene." Princess Margaret walked on the left side of the Princess Royal, "but in her excitement she walked faster and had to be drawn back gently, to keep the three of them together," reported the Chicago Daily Tribune.

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 In Britain, about 50,000 people in a 7,500 square mile area could watch the Coronation live on television. The broadcast of the Coronation "proved successful today, considering the experimental phase of this art."

The coverage was sponsored by the British Broadcasting Company. "Television experimenters" believe that the success of today's broadcast "proves the practicability of such broadcasts except for the expenses involved."

The cost of transmitting the coronation on television was expensive as there are very few wireless broadcast areas and it costs $5000 per mile to install cables and relay programming.

 

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The Duke of Windsor, who would have been crowned today as Edward VIII had he not abdicated for the woman he loved in December, did not watch the Coronation scenes. He woke up late and "lounged around until lunchtime." In the afternoon, he played a round of golf with friends at the Chateau de Candé in Monts, France, where he is staying with Mrs. Simpson. He did listen "carefully," to his brother's radio speech tonight.

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A full list of foreign royal guests was released by United Press and other news organizations: Prince and Princess Chichibou of Japan, the Count of Flanders, the Crown Princess of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway, the Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden, the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark, the Prince Regent and Princess Olga of Yugoslavia, the Crown Prince of Romania, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Kirill of Bulgaria, the Crown Prince of Greece, Prince Mohammed of Egypt, Prince Hussein of Yemen, Prince Wali Khan of Afghanistan, Prince Chula Chakrabonge of Siam and Prince Felix of Luxembourg.