View source for Coronation of the British monarch

{{Short description|Formal investiture and crowning ceremony}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
[[File:Coronation of George VI 1937.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[George VI]] receiving the homage after being crowned in 1937; [[watercolour]] by [[Henry Charles Brewer]]]]
The [[coronation]] of the [[monarch of the United Kingdom]] is an [[initiation]] ceremony in which they are formally invested with [[regalia]] and crowned at [[Westminster Abbey]]. It corresponds to the coronations that formerly took place in other [[European monarchies]], which have all abandoned coronations in favour of [[inauguration]] or [[enthronement]] ceremonies. A coronation is a symbolic formality and does not signify the official beginning of the monarch's reign; ''[[de jure]]'' and ''[[de facto]]'' his or her reign commences from the moment of the preceding monarch's death or abdication, maintaining legal continuity of the monarchy.

The coronation usually takes place several months after the death of the monarch's predecessor, as it is considered a joyous occasion that would be inappropriate while mourning continues. This interval also gives planners enough time to complete the required elaborate arrangements. The [[coronation of Charles III and Camilla|most recent coronation]] took place on 6 May 2023 to crown [[Charles III|King Charles III]] and [[Queen Camilla]].

The ceremony is performed by the [[archbishop of Canterbury]], the most senior cleric in the [[Church of England]], of which the monarch is [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England|supreme governor]]. Other clergy and members of the [[British nobility]] traditionally have roles as well. Most participants wear ceremonial uniforms or robes, and before the most recent coronation, some wore [[coronet]]s. Many government officials and guests attend, including representatives of other countries.

The essential elements of the coronation have remained largely unchanged for the past 1,000 years. The sovereign is first presented to, and acclaimed by, the people. The sovereign then swears an oath to uphold the law and the Church. Following that, the monarch is [[anointing|anointed]] with [[Holy anointing oil|holy oil]], invested with regalia, and crowned, before receiving the [[Homage (feudal)|homage]] of their subjects. [[Queen consort|Consorts]] of kings are then anointed and crowned as queens. The service ends with a closing procession, and since the 20th century it has been traditional for the [[British Royal Family|royal family]] to appear later on the balcony of [[Buckingham Palace]] to greet crowds and watch a [[flypast]].

==History==
{{see also|List of British coronations}}

===English coronations===
[[File:Bayeux Tapestry scene29-30-31 Harold coronation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.7|Coronation of [[Harold Godwinson|Harold II]] at [[Westminster Abbey]] in 1066, from the [[Bayeux Tapestry]]]]
English coronations were traditionally held at [[Westminster Abbey]], with the monarch seated on the [[Coronation Chair]]. Main elements of the coronation service and the earliest form of oath can be traced to the ceremony devised by [[Dunstan|Saint Dunstan]] for [[Edgar of England|King Edgar]]'s coronation in 973 AD at [[Bath Abbey]]. It drew on ceremonies used by the kings of the [[Franks]] and those used in the [[ordination]] of [[bishop]]s. Two versions of coronation services, known as ''ordines'' (from the Latin ''ordo'' meaning "order") or [[Wikt:recension|recension]]s, survive from before the [[Norman Conquest]]. It is not known if the first recension was ever used in England, and it was the second recension which was used by Edgar in 973 and by subsequent [[Anglo-Saxon]] and early [[Normans|Norman]] kings.<ref>Gosling, pp. 5–7.</ref>
[[File:Coronation Henry4 England 01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|right|Coronation of [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]] at Westminster Abbey in 1399]]
A third recension was probably compiled during the reign of [[Henry I of England|Henry&nbsp;I]] and was used at the coronation of his successor, [[Stephen of England|Stephen]], in 1135. While retaining the most important elements of the Anglo-Saxon rite, it may have borrowed from the consecration of the [[Holy Roman emperor]] from the ''[[Pontificale Romano-Germanicum]]'', a book of German liturgy compiled in [[Mainz]] in 961, thus bringing the English tradition into line with continental practice.<ref>Strong, pp. 43–44.</ref> It remained in use until the coronation of [[Edward&nbsp;II]] in 1308 when the fourth recension was first used, having been compiled over several preceding decades. Although influenced by its French counterpart, the new ''ordo'' focussed on the balance between the monarch and his nobles and on the oath, neither of which concerned the absolutist French kings.<ref>Strong, pp. 81–82.</ref> One manuscript of this recension is the ''[[Liber Regalis]]'' at Westminster Abbey which has come to be regarded as the definitive version.<ref>Strong, p. 84.</ref>

Following the start of the [[Reformation in England]], the boy king [[Edward VI]] had been crowned in the first [[Protestant]] coronation in 1547, during which Archbishop [[Thomas Cranmer]] preached a sermon against [[idolatry]] and "the tyranny of the bishops of Rome". However, six years later, he was succeeded by his half-sister [[Mary I]], who restored the [[Catholic]] rite.<ref>Strong, pp. 204–206.</ref> In 1559, [[Elizabeth I]] underwent the [[Coronation of Elizabeth I|last English coronation under the auspices of the Catholic Church]]; however, Elizabeth's insistence on changes to reflect her Protestant beliefs resulted in several bishops refusing to officiate at the service, and it was conducted by the low-ranking [[bishop of Carlisle]], [[Owen Oglethorpe]].<ref>Strong, p. 208.</ref>

===Scottish coronations===
[[File:Alexander III and Ollamh Rígh.JPG|thumb|upright=1.3|right|[[Alexander&nbsp;III of Scotland]] at his coronation aged eight at [[Scone Abbey]] in 1249, being greeted by the royal poet who will recite the king's genealogy]]
Scottish coronations were traditionally held at [[Scone Abbey]] in [[Perthshire]], with the monarch seated on the [[Stone of Scone|Stone of Destiny]]. The original rituals were a fusion of ceremonies used by the kings of [[Dál Riata]], based on the inauguration of [[Áedán mac Gabráin|Aidan]] by [[Columba]] in 574, and by the [[Picts]] from whom the Stone of Destiny came. A crown does not seem to have been used until the inauguration of [[Alexander II of Scotland|Alexander&nbsp;II]] in 1214. The ceremony included the [[laying on of hands]] by a senior cleric and the recitation of the king's [[genealogy]].<ref name ="Thomas_pp.46-47">Thomas, pp. 46–47.</ref> The [[bishop of St Andrews]] (from 1472 an archbishop) usually presided, but other bishops and archbishops also performed at some coronations.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3366/inr.1977.28.1.3?journalCode=inr|doi=10.3366/inr.1977.28.1.3|title=The Medieval Scottish Coronation Service: Some Seventeenth-Century Evidence|year=1977|last1=Lyall|first1=Roderick J.|journal=The Innes Review|volume=28|pages=3–21|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25530742|title=Observations on the Coronation Stone of Scotland|author=Barrow, G. W. S.|year=1997|journal=The Scottish Historical Review|volume=76|issue=201|pages=115–121|doi=10.3366/shr.1997.76.1.115|jstor=25530742|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

After the coronation of [[John Balliol]], the Stone was taken to Westminster Abbey in 1296 and in 1300–1301 Edward I of England had it incorporated into the English [[Coronation Chair]].<ref name=abbey/> Its first certain use at an English coronation was that of Henry&nbsp;IV in 1399.<ref>Strong, pp. 75–76.</ref> [[Pope John&nbsp;XXII]] in a [[Papal bull|bull]] of 1329 granted the kings of Scotland the right to be anointed and crowned.<ref name ="Thomas_pp.46-47"/> No record exists of the exact form of the medieval rituals, but a later account exists of the coronation of the 17-month-old infant [[James&nbsp;V]] at [[Stirling Castle]] in 1513. The ceremony was held in a church, since demolished, within the castle walls and was conducted by the [[bishop of Glasgow]], because the [[archbishop of St&nbsp;Andrews]] had been killed at the [[Battle of Flodden]].<ref>Thomas, pp. 50–51.</ref> It is likely that the child would have been [[knight]]ed before the start of the ceremony.<ref>Thomas, p. 53.</ref> The coronation itself started with a [[sermon]], followed by the anointing and crowning, then the coronation oath, in this case taken for the child by an unknown noble or priest, and finally an oath of fealty and acclamation by the congregation.<ref>Thomas, pp. 54–55.</ref>

[[James&nbsp;VI]] had been [[Coronation of James VI of Scotland|crowned]] in the [[Church of the Holy Rude]] at [[Stirling]] in 1567. After the [[Union of the Crowns]], he was crowned at [[Coronation of James I and Anne|Westminster Abbey on 25 July 1603]]. His son [[Charles I of England|Charles&nbsp;I]] travelled north for a Scottish coronation at [[Holyrood Abbey]] in [[Edinburgh]] in 1633,<ref>Range, p. 43.</ref> but caused consternation amongst the [[Presbyterian]] Scots by his insistence on elaborate [[High Anglican]] ritual, arousing "gryt feir of inbriginge of poperie".<ref>Strong, p. 257.</ref> [[Charles II of England|Charles&nbsp;II]] underwent a [[Scottish coronation of Charles II|simple Presbyterian coronation ceremony]] at [[Scone Palace|Scone]] in 1651, but his brother [[James VII and II]] was never crowned in Scotland, although Scottish peers attended [[Coronation of James II and VII and Mary|his 1685 coronation in London]], setting a precedent for future ceremonies.<ref>Strong, p. 351.</ref> The coronation of Charles II was the last to take place in Scotland, and no bishop presided as the [[episcopacy]] had been abolished; the ''de facto'' head of government, [[Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll]], crowned Charles instead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bcw-project.org/biography/archibald-campbell-marquis-of-argyll#|title=Biography of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquis of Argyll|website=bcw-project.org}}</ref>

===Modern coronations===
[[File:Coronation Procession of James II.jpg|thumb|Partial illustration of the State Procession prior to the Coronation of [[James II of England|James II]] and [[Mary of Modena]] at Westminster, 23 April 1685]]
The ''Liber Regalis'' was translated into English for the first time for the coronation of James&nbsp;I in 1603, partly as a result of the [[reformation in England]] requiring services to be understood by the people,<ref>Gosling, p. 10.</ref> but also an attempt by [[antiquarian]]s to recover a lost English identity from before the Norman Conquest.<ref>Strong, p. 244</ref> In 1685, James II, who was a Catholic, ordered a truncated version of the service omitting the [[Eucharist]], but this was restored for later monarchs. Only four years later, the service was again revised by [[Henry Compton (bishop)|Henry Compton]] for the coronation of [[William III of England|William III]] and [[Mary II of England|Mary II]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eKY4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA14|title=The Coronation Service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II|publisher=HMSO|year=1953|pages=14–17|isbn=9781001288239}}</ref> The Latin text was resurrected for the 1714 coronation of the German-speaking [[George I of Great Britain|George I]], since it was the only common language between the king and the clergy. Perhaps because the 1761 coronation of [[George III]] had been beset by "numerous mistakes and stupidities",<ref>Gosling pp. 54–55</ref> the next time around, spectacle overshadowed the religious aspect of the service. The [[coronation of George IV]] in 1821 was an expensive and lavish affair with a vast amount of money being spent on it.<ref>{{Cite ODNB|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/10541|title=George IV (1762–1830)|first=Christopher|last=Hibbert}}</ref>

George's brother and successor [[William IV]] had to be persuaded to be crowned at all; [[Coronation of William IV and Adelaide|his coronation]] at a time of economic depression in 1831 cost only one sixth of that spent on the previous event. Traditionalists threatened to boycott what they called a "[[Half crown (British coin)|Half Crown]]-nation".<ref name="Strong, p. 401">Strong, p. 401.</ref> The king merely wore his robes over his uniform as [[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Carpenter|last2= Gentleman|first1=Edward|first2= David|title=Westminster Abbey|year=1987|publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson|page=[https://archive.org/details/westminsterabbey0000carp/page/89 89]|isbn=0-297-79085-4|url=https://archive.org/details/westminsterabbey0000carp/page/89}}</ref> For this coronation, a number of economising measures were made which would set a precedent followed by future monarchs. The assembly of peers and ceremonial at Westminster Hall involving the presentation of the regalia to the monarch was eliminated. The procession from Westminster Hall to the Abbey on foot was likewise eliminated and in its place, a state procession by coach from [[St&nbsp;James's Palace]] to the abbey was instituted, an important feature of the modern event.<ref name="Strong, p. 401"/> The coronation banquet after the service proper was also terminated.<ref name=strong374/>

When [[Queen Victoria|Victoria]] was [[Coronation of Queen Victoria|crowned in 1838]], the service followed the pared-down precedent set by her uncle, and the under-rehearsed ceremonial, again presided over by [[William Howley]], was marred by mistakes and accidents.<ref>Gosling p. 52</ref> The music in the abbey was widely criticised in the press, only one new piece having been written for it, and the large choir and orchestra were badly coordinated.<ref>Range, p. 224</ref>

In the 20th&nbsp;century, liturgical scholars sought to restore the spiritual meaning of the ceremony by rearranging elements with reference to the medieval texts,<ref>Strong, p. 470.</ref> creating a "complex marriage of innovation and tradition".<ref>Strong, p. 480.</ref> The greatly increased pageantry of the state processions was intended to emphasise the strength and diversity of the [[British Empire]].<ref>Richards, p. 101</ref>

===Bringing coronations to the people===
[[File:Coronation Procession of Elizabeth I of England 1559.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|Queen [[Elizabeth I]] carried from her Coronation in a horse-borne litter, 15 January 1559]]
The idea of the need to gain popular support for a new monarch by making the ceremony a spectacle for ordinary people, started with the coronation in 1377 of [[Richard II of England|Richard&nbsp;II]] who was a 10-year-old boy, thought unlikely to command respect simply by his physical appearance. On the day before the coronation, the boy king and his retinue were met outside the [[City of London]] by the [[Lord Mayor of London|lord mayor]], [[alderman|aldermen]] and the [[livery companies]], and he was conducted to the [[Tower of London]] where he spent the night in [[vigil]]. The following morning, the king travelled on horseback in a great procession through the decorated city streets to Westminster. Bands played along the route, the [[Fountain|public conduit]]s flowed with red and white wine, and an imitation castle had been built in [[Cheapside]], probably to represent the [[New Jerusalem]], where a girl blew [[gold leaf]] over the king and offered him wine. Similar, or even more elaborate pageants continued until the coronation of [[Charles II of Great Britain|Charles&nbsp;II]] in 1661.<ref>Strong, pp. 133–135.</ref> Charles's pageant was watched by [[Samuel Pepys]] who wrote: "So glorious was the show with gold and silver that we were not able to look at it". James II abandoned the tradition of the pageant to pay for jewels for his queen<ref>Gosling p. 33</ref> and thereafter there was only a short procession on foot from [[Westminster Hall]] to the abbey. For the [[coronation of William IV and Adelaide]] in 1831, a state procession from [[St&nbsp;James's Palace]] to the abbey was instituted, and this pageantry is an important feature of the modern event.<ref name="Strong, p. 401"/>
[[File:Coronation of George V 1911 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|King [[George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] seated on the Chairs of Estate in front of the royal box at [[Coronation of George V and Mary|their coronation]] in 1911. It was the first time any part of the service had been photographed.]]
In early modern coronations, the events inside the abbey were usually recorded by artists and published in elaborate [[folio]] books of engravings,<ref name ="Strong415">Strong, p. 415.</ref> the last of these was published in 1905 depicting the coronation which had taken place three years earlier.<ref name ="Strong432">Strong, p. 432.</ref> Re-enactments of the ceremony were staged at London and provincial theatres; in 1761, a production featuring the Westminster Abbey choir at the [[Royal Opera House]] in [[Covent Garden]] ran for three months after the real event.<ref name ="Strong415"/> In 1902, a request to record the ceremony on a [[gramophone record]] was rejected, but Sir&nbsp;[[John Benjamin Stone|Benjamin Stone]] photographed the procession into the abbey.<ref name ="Strong432"/> Nine years later, at the [[coronation of George V]], Stone was allowed to photograph the recognition, the presentation of the swords, and the homage.<ref>Strong, p. 433.</ref>

The [[coronation of George VI]] in 1937 was broadcast on radio by the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] (BBC), and parts of the service were filmed and shown in cinemas.<ref>Rose, p. 121.</ref> The state procession was shown [[Live television|live]] on the new [[BBC Television Service]], the first major [[outside broadcast]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The story of BBC Television – Television out and about|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/research/general/tvstory8|website=History of the BBC|publisher=BBC|access-date=19 March 2016|archive-date=17 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617182935/http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/research/general/tvstory8|url-status=dead}}</ref> At [[Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II|Elizabeth&nbsp;II's coronation]] in 1953, most of the proceedings inside the abbey were also televised by the BBC. Originally, events as far as the choir screen were to be televised live, with the remainder to be filmed and released later after any mishaps were edited out. This would prevent television viewers from seeing most of the highlights of the coronation, including the actual crowning, live; it led to controversy in the press and even questions in parliament.<ref>''The Times'' (London). 29 October 1952. p. 4.</ref> The organising committee subsequently decided that the entire ceremony would be televised, except for the anointing and communion, which had also been excluded from photography at the last coronation. It was revealed 30 years later that the about-face was due to the personal intervention of the Queen. It is estimated that over 20&nbsp;million people watched the broadcast in the United Kingdom. The coronation contributed to the increase of public interest in television, which rose significantly.<ref>Strong, pp. 433–435.</ref>

===Commonwealth realms===
The need to include the various elements of the [[British Empire]] in coronations was not considered until 1902, when it was attended by the prime ministers and [[governor general|governors-general]] of the [[British Dominion]]s, by then almost completely [[autonomous]], and also by many of the rulers of the [[Indian Princely States]] and the various [[British Protectorate]]s. An [[Imperial Conference]] was held afterwards.<ref>Strong, p. 437.</ref> In 1911, the procession inside Westminster Abbey included the banners of the dominions, India and the [[Home Nations]]. By 1937, the [[Statute of Westminster 1931]] had made the dominions fully independent, and the wording of the coronation oath was amended to include their names and confine the elements concerning religion to the United Kingdom.<ref>Strong, pp. 442–444.</ref>
[[File:Crowning of Charles III (modified).jpg|thumb|The first British coronation in the 21st century during the [[coronation of Charles III and Camilla]] (May 6, 2023)]]
Thus since 1937, the monarch has been simultaneously crowned as sovereign of several independent nations besides the United Kingdom, known since 1953 as the [[Commonwealth realms]]. Elizabeth&nbsp;II was asked, for example: "Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?"<ref name="oremus">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oremus.org/liturgy/coronation/cor1953b.html|title=The Form and Order of Service that is to be performed and the Ceremonies that are to be observed in The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster, on Tuesday, the second day of June, 1953|author=Simon Kershaw|year=2002|publisher=Oremus|access-date=28 July 2010|archive-date=7 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007112304/http://www.oremus.org/liturgy/coronation/cor1953b.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, the oath was amended to avoid reciting the realms other than the United Kingdom during the [[coronation of Charles III]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65503950|title=Coronation order of service in full|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=6 May 2023|publisher=BBC|access-date=14 October 2023}}</ref>

==Preparations==
[[File:Westminster-Abbey.JPG|thumb|[[Westminster Abbey]] has been the traditional location for coronations since 1066.]]

===Timing===
The timing of the coronation has varied throughout British history. [[Edgar the Peaceful|King Edgar's]] coronation was some 15 years after his accession in 959 and may have been intended to mark the high point of his reign, or that he reached the age of 30, the age at which [[Jesus]] Christ was baptised.<ref>Strong, pp. 6–7.</ref> Harold&nbsp;II was crowned on the day after the death of his predecessor, [[Edward the Confessor]], the rush probably reflecting the contentious nature of Harold's succession;<ref name ="Strong_p38">Strong, p. 38.</ref> whereas the first [[Norman dynasty|Norman]] monarch, [[William the Conqueror|William&nbsp;I]], was also [[Coronation of William I|crowned on the day he became king, 25&nbsp;December 1066]],<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|author=David Bates|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=William I (1027/8–1087)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/29448}}</ref> but three weeks since the surrender of English nobles and bishops at [[Berkhampstead]], allowing time to prepare a spectacular ceremony.<ref name ="Strong_p38"/> Most of his successors were crowned within weeks, or even days, of their accession. [[Edward I of England|Edward&nbsp;I]] was fighting in the [[Ninth Crusade]] when he acceded to the throne in 1272; he was crowned soon after his return in 1274.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|author=Michael Prestwick|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Edward I (1239–1307)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/8517}}</ref> [[Edward II of England|Edward&nbsp;II]]'s coronation, similarly, was delayed by a campaign in [[Scotland]] in 1307.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|author=J.R.S. Phillips|author-link=J. R. S. Phillips|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Edward II (1284–1327)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/8518}}</ref> [[Henry VI of England|Henry&nbsp;VI]] was only a few months old when he acceded in 1422; he was crowned in 1429, but did not officially assume the reins of government until he was deemed of sufficient age, in 1437.<ref name="henry-vi">{{Cite encyclopedia|author=R.A. Griffiths|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Henry VI (1421–1471)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/12953}}</ref> Pre-modern coronations were usually either on a Sunday, the [[Christian Sabbath]], or on a [[Christian holiday]]. Edgar's coronation was at [[Pentecost]],<ref>Gosling, p. 5.</ref> William&nbsp;I's on [[Christmas]] Day, possibly in imitation of the Byzantine emperors,<ref>Strong, p. 36.</ref> and [[John, King of England|John]]'s was on [[Ascension Day]].<ref>Strong, p. 43.</ref> Elizabeth I consulted her [[astrologer]], [[John Dee]], before deciding on an auspicious date.<ref>Strong, p. 212.</ref> The coronations of Charles II in 1661 and Anne in 1702 were on [[St George's Day]], the feast of the [[patron saint]] of England.<ref name="Mason2006">{{cite book|author=Roger A. Mason|title=Scots and Britons: Scottish Political Thought and the Union of 1603|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tEx03wVgd0kC&pg=PA71|year=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-02620-8|page=71}}</ref>

Under the Hanoverian monarchs in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it was deemed appropriate to extend the waiting period to several months, following a period of mourning for the previous monarch and to allow time for preparation of the ceremony.<ref name="royal.gov-coronation">{{Cite web|url=https://www.royal.uk/coronation|title=Coronation|website=Royal family website|author=Royal Household|date=21 December 2015|access-date=20 April 2016|archive-date=5 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190205125036/https://www.royal.uk/coronation|url-status=live}}</ref>
In the case of every monarch between [[George&nbsp;IV]] and [[George V]], at least one year passed between accession and coronation.<ref name="uk-monarchs-list">{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Monarchs of Great Britain and the United Kingdom (1707–2003)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/92648|isbn=978-0-19-861412-8|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/theme/92648|access-date=14 October 2007|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924163548/http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/theme/92648|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}{{subscription required}}</ref> [[Edward VIII]] was not crowned and his successor [[George&nbsp;VI]] was crowned 5 months after his accession. The coronation date of his predecessor had already been set; planning simply continued with a new monarch.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|author=H.C.G. Matthew|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=George VI (1895–1952)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/33370}}</ref> The [[coronation of Charles III and Camilla]] was held on 6 May 2023, eight months after he acceded to the throne.<ref>{{cite news|title=Coronation on 6 May for King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort|publisher=BBC News|date=11 October 2022|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63172425|access-date=12 October 2022|archive-date=13 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013070939/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63172425|url-status=live}}</ref>

Since a period of time has often passed between accession and coronation, some monarchs were never crowned. [[Edward&nbsp;V]] and [[Lady Jane Grey]] were both deposed before they could be crowned, in 1483 and 1553, respectively.<ref name="england-monarchs-list">{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Monarchs of England (924–1707)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/92701|isbn=978-0-19-861412-8|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/theme/92701|access-date=14 October 2007|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924163549/http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/theme/92701|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}{{subscription required}}</ref> [[Edward&nbsp;VIII]] also went uncrowned, as he abdicated in 1936 before the end of the customary one-year period between accession and coronation.<ref name="uk-monarchs-list"/> A monarch, however, accedes to the throne the moment their predecessor dies, not when they are crowned, hence the traditional proclamation: "[[The king is dead, long live the king!]]"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/Accession/Accession.aspx|title=Accession|website=British Monarchy website|author=Royal Household|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150531055207/http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/Accession/Accession.aspx|archive-date=31 May 2015}}</ref>

===Location===
The [[History of Anglo-Saxon England|Anglo-Saxon]] monarchs used various locations for their coronations, including [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], [[Kingston upon Thames]], London, and [[Winchester]]. The last Anglo-Saxon monarch, [[Harold Godwinson|Harold&nbsp;II]], was crowned at [[Westminster Abbey]] in 1066; the location was preserved for all future coronations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.archontology.org/nations/uk/england/anglosaxon/01_coron.php|title=England: Anglo-Saxon Consecrations: 871–1066|access-date=28 July 2010|website=Archontology|archive-date=27 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927054022/http://www.archontology.org/nations/uk/england/anglosaxon/01_coron.php|url-status=live}}</ref> When London was under the control of rebels,<ref>Strong, p. 72.</ref> [[Henry III of England|Henry&nbsp;III]] was crowned at [[Gloucester]] in 1216; he later chose to have a second coronation at Westminster in 1220.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|author=H.W. Ridgeway|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Henry III (1207–1272)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/12950}}</ref> Two hundred years later, Henry&nbsp;VI also had two coronations; as king of England in London in 1429, and as [[List of French monarchs|king of France]] in Paris in 1431.<ref name="henry-vi"/>

===Coronation of consorts and others===
[[File:Coronation of Henry the Young King - Becket Leaves (c.1220-1240), f. 3r - BL Loan MS 88.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|right|The Coronation of [[Henry the Young King]] in 1170; he died young and did not become King of England]]
Coronations may be performed for a person other than the reigning monarch. In 1170, [[Henry the Young King]], heir apparent to the throne, was crowned as a second king of England, subordinate to his father [[Henry II of England|Henry&nbsp;II]];<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|author=Thomas K. Keefe|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Henry II (1133–1189)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/12949}}</ref> such coronations were common practice in mediaeval France and Germany, but this is only one of two instances of its kind in England (the other being that of [[Ecgfrith of Mercia]] in 796, crowned whilst his father, [[Offa of Mercia]], was still alive).<ref>{{Cite book|author=J.J. Spigelman|author-link=Jim Spigelman|chapter=Becket and Henry II: Exile|title=Fourth Address in the Becket Lecture Series to the St Thomas More Society, Sydney|date=8 October 2002|url=http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/supreme_court/ll_sc.nsf/pages/SCO_speech_spigelman_081002|publisher=Supreme Court of New South Wales|location=Sydney|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126064921/http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/supreme_court/ll_sc.nsf/pages/SCO_speech_spigelman_081002|archive-date=26 November 2007}}</ref> More commonly, a king's wife is crowned as [[queen consort]]. If the king is already married at the time of his coronation, a joint coronation of both king and queen may be performed.<ref name="royal.gov-coronation"/> The first such coronation was of [[Henry&nbsp;II of England|Henry II]] and [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]] in 1154; eighteen such coronations have been performed, including that of the co-rulers [[William III of England|William III]] and [[Mary II of England|Mary&nbsp;II]].<ref>Strong, pp. 30–31. Note: The dates of the coronations of three queens are unknown.</ref> The most recent was that of [[Charles III]] and his wife [[Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom|Camilla]] in 2023. If the king married, or remarried, after his coronation, or if his wife was not crowned with him for some other reason, she might be crowned in a separate ceremony. The first such separate coronation of a queen consort in England was that of [[Matilda of Flanders]] in 1068;<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|author=Elisabeth van Houts|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Matilda (d. 1083)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/18335}}</ref> the last was [[Anne Boleyn]]'s in 1533.<ref>Strong, pp. 30–31.</ref> The most recent king to wed post-coronation, [[Charles II of England|Charles&nbsp;II]], did not have a separate coronation for his bride, [[Catherine of Braganza]].<ref>Woolley, p. 199.</ref> In some instances, the king's wife was simply unable to join him in the coronation ceremony due to circumstances preventing her from doing so. In 1821, George IV's estranged wife [[Caroline of Brunswick]] was not invited to the ceremony; when she showed up at Westminster Abbey anyway, she was denied entry and turned away.<ref>{{cite ODNB|first=E. A.|last=Smith|title=Caroline (1768–1821)|id=4722}}</ref> Following the [[English Civil War]], [[Oliver Cromwell]] declined the crown but underwent a coronation in all but name in his second investiture as [[Lord Protector]] in 1657.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|author=John Morrill|author-link=John Morrill (historian)|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Cromwell, Oliver (1599–1658)|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/6765}}</ref>

==Participants==

===Clergy===
[[File:Archbishops of Canterbury and York 1911.png|thumb|right|Archbishops of Canterbury and York at the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911]]
The Archbishop of Canterbury, who has precedence over all other clergy and all laypersons except members of the royal family,<ref name="precedence">{{Cite web|author=François Velde|title=Order of Precedence in England and Wales|url=http://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/order_precedence.htm|website=Heraldica|access-date=28 July 2010|archive-date=29 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729222448/http://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/order_precedence.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> traditionally officiates at coronations;<ref name="50-facts">{{cite web|title=50 facts about the Queen's coronation|date=25 May 2003|publisher=British Monarchy website|author=The Royal Household|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2003/50factsaboutTheQueensCoronation.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209002249/http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2003/50factsaboutTheQueensCoronation.aspx|archive-date=9 February 2012}}</ref> in his absence, another bishop appointed by the monarch may take the archbishop's place.<ref name="oath">{{Cite web|author1=Lucinda Maer|author2=Oonagh Gay|url=http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN00435|title=The coronation oath|publisher=House of Commons Library|date=27 August 2008|access-date=28 July 2010|archive-date=11 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611030455/http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN00435|url-status=live}}</ref> There have, however, been several exceptions. William&nbsp;I was crowned by the [[Archbishop of York]], since the Archbishop of Canterbury had been appointed by the [[Antipope]] [[Benedict&nbsp;X]], and this appointment was not recognised as valid by the Pope.<ref>Hilliam, p. 16.</ref> [[Edward II of England|Edward&nbsp;II]] was crowned by the [[Bishop of Winchester]] because the Archbishop of Canterbury had been exiled by [[Edward I of England|Edward&nbsp;I]].<ref>Hilliam, p. 48.</ref> [[Mary I of England|Mary&nbsp;I]], a Catholic, refused to be crowned by the Protestant Archbishop [[Thomas Cranmer]]; the coronation was instead performed by the Bishop of Winchester.<ref>Strong, p. 205.</ref> [[Elizabeth&nbsp;I]] was crowned by the [[Bishop of Carlisle]] (to whose [[Episcopal see|see]] is attached no special precedence) because the senior [[prelate]]s were "either dead, too old and infirm, unacceptable to the queen, or unwilling to serve".<ref>Patrick Collinson, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/8636 "Elizabeth I (1533–1603)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819042621/https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-8636;jsessionid=4B33E8F1E68F70E307BFE7BBF6367B30 |date=19 August 2021 }}, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, January 2012, {{doi|10.1093/ref:odnb/8636}} {{ODNBsub}}</ref> Finally, when [[James II of England|James&nbsp;II]] was deposed and replaced with William&nbsp;III and Mary&nbsp;II jointly, the Archbishop of Canterbury refused to recognise the new sovereigns; he had to be replaced by the [[Bishop of London]], [[Henry Compton (bishop)|Henry Compton]].<ref>Strong, p. 337.</ref> Hence, in almost all cases where the Archbishop of Canterbury has failed to participate, his place has been taken by a senior cleric: the Archbishop of York is second in precedence, the Bishop of London third, the Bishop of Durham fourth, and the Bishop of Winchester fifth.<ref name="precedence"/>

===Bishops Assistant===
From the moment they enter the Abbey until the moment they leave, the monarch is flanked by two supporting bishops of the Church of England. <blockquote>The part played by two supporting bishops dates back to the coronation of [[Edgar of England|Edgar]] in 973: two bishops led him by hand into Bath Abbey. Since the coronation of [[Richard I of England|Richard I]] in 1189, the Bishops of Bath & Wells and Durham have assumed this duty.<br>Custom has it that they accompany the monarch throughout the ceremony, flanking them as they process from the entrance of Westminster Abbey and standing either side of St Edward's Chair during the anointing. Bishops Assistant may also carry the Bible, paten, and chalice in the procession.<ref>[https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/14-april/news/uk/coronation-bishops-confirmed-for-ceremonial-roles-as-first-guests-are-announced ''Church Times'', "Coronation bishops confirmed for ceremonial roles", 14 April 2023]  Retrieved 19 June 2023</ref></blockquote>
The Bishop of Durham stands on the monarch's right and the Bishop of Bath and Wells on their left.<ref>[https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/23502000.bishop-durhams-intimate-role-coronation-ceremony/  ''The Northern Echo'', "The Bishop of Durham's intimate role in the coronation ceremony," 6th May 2023]   Retrieved 19 June 2023</ref>
During the Coronation of King [[Charles III]], [[Queen Camilla]] was similarly accompanied by Bishops Assistant – the Bishops of Hereford and of Norwich – on her right and left respectively.<ref>see the photographs in [https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/dudley/2023/05/06/former-bishop-of-dudley-accompanies-queen-during-coronation/ ''Express and Star'', "Former Bishop of Dudley accompanies Queen during coronation"]  Retrieved 19 June 2023</ref>

===Great Officers of State===
The [[Great Officer of State|Great Officers of State]] traditionally participate during the ceremony. The offices of [[Lord High Steward]] and [[Lord High Constable of England|Lord High Constable]] have not been regularly filled since the 15th and 16th centuries respectively; they are, however, revived for coronation ceremonies.<ref name="lord-high-steward">{{cite EB1911|wstitle= Lord High Steward |volume= 17 |last= Vernon-Harcourt |first= Leveson William | pages = 3–4 }}</ref><ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle= Lord High Constable |volume= 17 | page = 3 }}</ref> The [[Lord Great Chamberlain]] enrobes the sovereign with the ceremonial vestments, with the aid of the [[Groom of the Robes]] and the [[Master of the Robes|Master]] (in the case of a king) or [[Mistress of the Robes|Mistress]] (in the case of a queen) of the Robes.<ref name="oremus"/>

The [[Warden of the Cinque Ports|Barons]] of the [[Cinque Ports]] also participated in the ceremony. Formerly, the barons were the members of the House of Commons representing the Cinque Ports of [[Hastings (UK Parliament constituency)|Hastings]], [[New Romney (UK Parliament constituency)|New Romney]], [[Hythe (UK Parliament constituency)|Hythe]], [[Dover (UK Parliament constituency)|Dover]] and [[Sandwich (UK Parliament constituency)|Sandwich]]. Reforms in the 19th&nbsp;century, however, integrated the Cinque Ports into a regular constituency system applied throughout the nation. At later coronations, barons were specially designated from among the city councillors for the specific purpose of attending coronations. Originally, the barons were charged with bearing a ceremonial canopy over the sovereign during the procession to and from Westminster Abbey. The last time the barons performed such a task was at the [[coronation of George IV]] in 1821. The barons did not return for the coronations of [[William&nbsp;IV]] (who insisted on a simpler, cheaper ceremonial) and [[Queen Victoria|Victoria]]. At coronations since Victoria's, the barons have attended the ceremony, but they have not carried canopies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.virtualmuseum.info/collections/themes/costume_gallery/html/cinque_ports.html|title=Coronation of George IV: Barons of the Cinque Ports|publisher=Brighton and Hove Museums|website=The Royal Pavilion, Libraries and Museums Collections|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508002328/http://www.virtualmuseum.info/collections/themes/costume_gallery/html/cinque_ports.html|archive-date=8 May 2009}}</ref>

===Other claims to attend the coronation===
{{see also|Serjeanty#Grand serjeanty vs petty serjeanty|l1=Grand Serjeanty}}
Many landowners and other persons have honorific "duties" or privileges at the coronation. Such rights have traditionally been determined by a special [[Court of Claims (United Kingdom)|Court of Claims]], over which the Lord High Steward traditionally presided. The first recorded Court of Claims was convened in 1377 for the coronation of [[Richard II of England|Richard&nbsp;II]]. By the Tudor period, the hereditary post of Lord High Steward had merged with the Crown, and so [[Henry&nbsp;VIII]] began the modern tradition of naming a temporary Steward for the coronation only, with separate commissioners to carry out the actual work of the court.<ref name="lord-high-steward"/>

In 1952, for example, the court accepted the claim of the [[Dean of Westminster]] to advise the Queen on the proper procedure during the ceremony (for nearly a thousand years he and his predecessor abbots have kept an unpublished Red Book of practices), the claim of the [[Bishop of Durham|Lord Bishop of Durham]] and the [[Bishop of Bath and Wells|Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells]] to walk beside the Queen as she entered and exited the Abbey and to stand on either side of her through the entire coronation ritual, the claim of the [[Earl of Shrewsbury]] in his capacity as [[Lord High Steward of Ireland]] to carry a white staff. The legal claim of the [[Queen's Scholar|Scholar]]s of [[Westminster School]] to be the first to acclaim the monarch on behalf of the common people was formally disallowed by the court, but in practice their traditional shouts of "Vivat! Vivat Rex!" were still incorporated into the coronation anthem ''[[I was glad]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Coronation of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Court of Claims, 1952|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hmmVGwAACAAJ|year=1952|publisher=Crown Office}}</ref>

For the 2023 [[coronation of Charles III and Camilla]], a Coronation Claims Office within the [[Cabinet Office]] was established instead of the court.<ref>{{Cite press release|title=Coronation Claims Office to Look at Historic and Ceremonial Roles for King Charles III's Coronation|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronation-claims-office-to-look-at-historic-and-ceremonial-roles-for-king-charles-iiis-coronation|access-date=2023-01-14|website=gov.uk|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114150248/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronation-claims-office-to-look-at-historic-and-ceremonial-roles-for-king-charles-iiis-coronation|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Other participants and guests===
Along with persons of nobility, the coronation ceremonies are also attended by a wide range of political figures, including the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister]] and all members of the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom]], all [[Governor-General|governors-general]] and prime ministers of the [[Commonwealth realm]]s, all governors of British [[Crown colony|Crown Colonies]] (now British [[Overseas Territories]]), as well as the [[Head of state|heads of state]] of dependent nations. Hereditary peers and their spouses are also invited. For Elizabeth&nbsp;II's coronation in 1953, 8,000 guests were squeezed into Westminster Abbey and each person had to make do with a maximum of {{convert|18|in|cm}} of seating.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/coronationpictures.html|title=Pictures of the Coronation|website=Government Art Collection|publisher=Department for Culture, Media & Sport|access-date=4 February 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225141548/http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/coronationpictures.html|archive-date=25 February 2016}}</ref>

Dignitaries and representatives from other nations are also customarily invited.<ref name="royal.gov-coronation" /> Traditionally, foreign crowned monarchs and consorts did not attend the coronations of others and were instead represented by other royals. In 1953, [[Edward VIII|Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (formerly Edward VIII)]], was not invited to the [[coronation of Elizabeth II]], with the reason given that it was contrary to precedent for a sovereign or former sovereign to attend any coronation of another.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=2023-05-03|title=The King Who Did Not Attend the Coronation|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2023/05/edward-viii-queen-elizabeth-coronation|access-date=2024-01-27|magazine=Vanity Fair}}</ref> The [[coronation of Charles III and Camilla]] in 2023 broke with that precedent and 16 foreign monarchs attended.<ref>{{Cite web|title=King Charles' Coronation Guest List Just Added Foreign Royals – Including a Break From Tradition|url=https://people.com/royals/king-charles-coronation-guest-list-royals-around-world-confirm-attendance/|access-date=2023-05-07|website=Peoplemag}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2023-02-27|title=The King's Coronation guest list: a who's who of every foreign royal attending|url=https://www.tatler.com/king-charles-coronation-foreign-royals-complete-list|access-date=2023-05-07|website=Tatler}}</ref> English and British queens dowager also did not traditionally attend coronations until [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] broke precedent by attending the 1937 [[Coronation of George VI and Elizabeth|coronation of her son, George VI]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=1937-01-18|title=Queen to Set Precedent By Seeing Son Crowned|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/01/18/archives/queen-to-set-precedent-by-seeing-son-crowned.html|access-date=2023-05-07|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Service==
The general framework of the coronation service is based on the sections contained in the Second Recension used in 973 for King Edgar. Although the service has undergone two major revisions and a translation, and has been modified for each coronation for the following thousand years, the sequence of taking an oath, anointing, investing of regalia, crowning and enthronement found in the Anglo-Saxon text<ref>Strong, 28–29</ref> have remained constant.<ref>Gosling, p. 5</ref> The coronation ceremonies takes place within the framework of [[Holy Communion]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.westminster-abbey.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/85955/Coronation-Service-guide-and-reading-list.pdf|title=Guide to the Coronation Service|access-date=20 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510100750/http://westminster-abbey.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/85955/Coronation-Service-guide-and-reading-list.pdf|archive-date=10 May 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Recognition and oath ===<!-- This section is linked from [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]] -->
[[File:Edward VII coronation oath 1902.jpg|thumb|[[Edward VII]] taking the oath in 1902]]
{{main|Coronation oath of the British monarch}}
Before the entrance of the sovereign, the litany of the saints is sung during the procession of the clergy and other dignitaries. For the entrance of the monarch, an anthem from [[Psalm 122]], ''[[I was glad]]'', is sung.<ref>Strong p. 488</ref>

The sovereign enters Westminster Abbey wearing the ''crimson surcoat'' and the ''Robe of State of crimson velvet'' and takes their seat on a Chair of Estate. [[Garter King of Arms|Garter Principal King of Arms]], the Archbishop of Canterbury, the [[Lord Chancellor]], the [[Lord Great Chamberlain]], the [[Lord High Constable of England|Lord High Constable]] and the [[Earl Marshal]] go to the east, south, west and north of the coronation theatre.<ref>Strong p. 258</ref> At each side, the archbishop calls for the recognition of the sovereign, with the words:

{{blockquote|Sirs, I here present unto you [name], your undoubted King/Queen. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?<ref name="oremus"/>}}

After the people acclaim the sovereign at each side, the archbishop administers an oath to the sovereign.<ref name="oremus"/> Since the [[Glorious Revolution]], the [[Coronation Oath Act 1688]] has required, among other things, that the sovereign "Promise and Sweare to Governe the People of this Kingdome of England and the Dominions thereto belonging according to the Statutes in Parlyament Agreed on and the Laws and Customs of the same".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/WillandMar/1/6/section/III|title=Coronation Oath Act 1688: Section III. Form of Oath and Administration thereof|publisher=The National Archives|access-date=4 June 2016|archive-date=23 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223074730/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/WillandMar/1/6/section/III|url-status=live}}</ref> The oath has been modified without statutory authority; for example, at the [[coronation of Elizabeth II]], the exchange between the Queen and the archbishop was as follows:<ref name="oremus"/>

{{blockquote|''The Archbishop of Canterbury:'' Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the [[Union of South Africa]], [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]] and [[Dominion of Ceylon|Ceylon]], and of your Possessions and other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?

''The Queen:'' I solemnly promise so to do.

''The Archbishop of Canterbury:'' Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?

''The Queen:'' I will.

''The Archbishop of Canterbury:'' Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolable the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?

''The Queen:'' All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God.<ref name="oremus"/>}}

In addition to the oath, the monarch may take what is known as the [[Accession Declaration]] if they have not yet made it. This declaration was first required by the [[Bill of Rights 1689]] and is required to be taken at either the first meeting of the parliament after a new monarch's accession (i.e. during the [[State Opening of Parliament]]) or at their coronation. The monarch additionally swears a separate oath to preserve [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] church government in the [[Church of Scotland]] and this oath is taken before the coronation.<ref name="oath"/>

Once the taking of the oath concludes, an ecclesiastic presents a Bible to the sovereign, saying "Here is Wisdom; This is the royal Law; These are the lively Oracles of God."<ref name="oremus"/> The Bible used is a full [[King James Bible]], including the [[Biblical apocrypha#King James Version|Apocrypha]].<ref>{{Cite journal|author=P.J. Carefoote|url=http://www.library.utoronto.ca/development/news/halcyon/halcyon_june_2006.pdf|title=The Coronation Bible|date=June 2006|journal=The Halcyon: The Newsletter of the Friends of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library|issue=37|issn=0840-5565|publisher=University of Toronto|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926233655/http://www.library.utoronto.ca/development/news/halcyon/halcyon_june_2006.pdf|archive-date=26 September 2011}}</ref> At Elizabeth&nbsp;II's coronation, the Bible was presented by the [[Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland|Moderator of the General Assembly]] of the [[Church of Scotland]]. Once the Bible is presented, the [[Eucharist|Holy Communion]] is celebrated, with a special Collect for the coronation, but the service is interrupted after the [[Nicene Creed]]. At the coronation of Elizabeth II, the Epistle was {{Bibleverse|1 Peter|2:13-17|KJV}}, which instructs readers to respect and obey civil government, and the Gospel was {{Bibleverse|Matthew|22:15-22|KJV}}, which contains Jesus's famous instruction to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's".<ref name="oremus"/>

===Anointing===
[[File:Spoon and ampulla.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|right|The [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom#Ampulla|Ampulla]] and [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom#Spoon|Coronation spoon]] used in the anointing]]
After the Communion service is interrupted, the anthem ''[[Veni Creator Spiritus|Come, Holy Ghost]]'' is recited, as a prelude to the act of anointing. After this anthem, the Archbishop recites a prayer in preparation for the anointing, which is based on the ancient prayer ''Deus electorum fortitudo'' also used in the anointing of French kings. After this prayer, the coronation anthem ''Zadok the Priest'' (by George Frederick Handel) is sung by the choir; meanwhile, the ''crimson robe'' is removed, and the sovereign proceeds to the [[Coronation Chair]] for the anointing,<ref name="oremus"/> which has been set in a prominent position, wearing the ''anointing gown''. In 1953, the chair stood atop a dais of several steps.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.westminster-abbey.org/history-research/royalty/coronations/coronation-elizabeth-2/?article-images-selected-id=25176#images|title=Coronation of the British Monarch|publisher=Westminster Abbey|access-date=1 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117165933/http://www.westminster-abbey.org/history-research/royalty/coronations/coronation-elizabeth-2/?article-images-selected-id=25176|archive-date=17 January 2008}}, Image of 'Completed Coronation Theatre' at bottom.</ref> This mediaeval chair has a cavity in the base into which the [[Stone of Scone]] is fitted for the ceremony. Also known as the "Stone of Destiny", it was used for ancient Scottish coronations until brought to England by [[Edward I of England|Edward&nbsp;I]]. It has been used for every coronation at Westminster Abbey since. Until 1996, the stone was kept with the chair in Westminster Abbey, but it was moved that year to [[Edinburgh Castle]] in Scotland, where it is displayed on the proviso that it be returned to Westminster Abbey for use at future coronations.<ref name=abbey>{{Cite web|url=http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/the-coronation-chair|title=The Coronation Chair|publisher=Westminster Abbey|access-date=2 March 2022|archive-date=3 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703011942/http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/the-coronation-chair|url-status=live}}</ref> It was announced by the [[First Minister of Scotland|First Minister]] in 2020 that the Stone will be relocated to [[Perth City Hall]] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.scot/news/the-stone-of-destiny/|title=The Stone of Destiny - gov.scot|access-date=5 May 2023|archive-date=7 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407193607/https://www.gov.scot/news/the-stone-of-destiny/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Once seated in this chair, a [[Baldachin|canopy]] of golden cloth was in the past held over the monarch's head for the [[anointing]]. The duty of acting as canopy-bearers was performed in recent coronations by four [[Order of the Garter|Knights of the Garter]].<ref name="oremus"/> This element of the coronation service is considered sacred and is concealed from public gaze;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/34/50/coronation50th.pdf|title=The coronation: An intimate ritual|publisher=The Anglican Communion|date=2 June 2003|access-date=26 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050502222413/http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/34/50/coronation50th.pdf|archive-date=2 May 2005}}</ref> it has never been photographed or televised. The Dean of Westminster pours [[consecrated oil]] from an eagle-shaped [[ampulla]] into a [[filigree]]d spoon with which the Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the sovereign in the form of a cross on the hands, head, and heart.<ref name="oremus"/> The [[Coronation Spoon]] is the only part of the medieval Crown Jewels which survived the [[Commonwealth of England]].<ref name="crown-jewels">{{Cite web|url=https://www.royal.uk/crown-jewels|title=The Crown Jewels|website=Royal family website|author=Royal Household|date=15 January 2016|access-date=20 April 2016|archive-date=6 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306114822/https://www.royal.uk/crown-jewels|url-status=live}}</ref> While performing the anointing, the Archbishop recites a consecratory formula recalling the anointing of King [[Solomon]] by [[Nathan (prophet)|Nathan the prophet]] and [[Zadok]] the priest.<ref name="oremus"/>

After being anointed, the monarch rises from the Coronation Chair and kneels down at a [[faldstool]] placed in front of it. The archbishop then concludes the ceremonies of the anointing by reciting a prayer that is a modified English translation of the ancient Latin prayer ''Deus, Dei Filius'', which dates back to the Anglo-Saxon second recension.<ref>Legg p. xxxix</ref> Once this prayer is finished, the monarch rises and sits again in the Coronation Chair. At this point in 2023 the screen was removed.<ref name="oremus"/>

===Investing===
The sovereign is then enrobed in the ''colobium sindonis'' (shroud tunic), over which is placed the ''supertunica''.<ref name="oremus"/>

The Lord Great Chamberlain presents the [[spur]]s,<ref name="oremus"/> which represent [[chivalry]].<ref name="crown-jewels"/> The Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by other bishops, then presents the Sword of State to the sovereign, who places it on the altar. The sovereign is then further robed, this time receiving bracelets and putting the ''Robe Royal'' and ''Stole Royal'' on top of the ''supertunica''. The Archbishop then delivers several [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom|Crown Jewels]] to the sovereign. First, he delivers the [[Sovereign's Orb|Orb]],<ref name="oremus"/> a hollow gold sphere decorated with precious and semi-precious stones. The Orb is surmounted by a cross, representing the dominion of the divine over the world;<ref>Hilliam, p. 209.</ref> it is returned to the altar immediately after being received.<ref name="oremus"/> Next, the sovereign receives a ring representing their "marriage" to their territories, their subjects, and the divine.<ref>Hilliam, pp. 212–213.</ref> The [[Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove]], so called because it is surmounted by a dove representing the [[Holy Ghost]], and the [[Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross]], which incorporates [[Cullinan Diamond|Cullinan&nbsp;I]], are delivered to the sovereign.<ref>Hilliam, p. 210.</ref>

===Crowning===
[[File:Crowning of George VI.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|right|Crowning of King [[George VI]] in 1937, by [[Henry Charles Brewer]]]]
The Archbishop of Canterbury lifts [[St&nbsp;Edward's Crown]] from the high altar, sets it back down, and says a prayer: "Oh God, the crown of the faithful; bless we beseech thee and sanctify this thy servant our king/queen, and as thou dost this day set a crown of pure gold upon his/her head, so enrich his/her royal heart with thine abundant grace, and crown him/her with all princely virtues through the King Eternal Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen". This prayer is the translation of the ancient formula ''Deus tuorum Corona fidelium'', which first appeared in the twelfth-century third recension.<ref>Legg p. xlvi</ref>

The [[Dean of Westminster]] picks up the crown and he, the archbishop and several other high-ranking bishops proceed to the Coronation Chair where the crown is handed back to the archbishop, who reverently places it on the monarch's head.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Sir George Younghusband|author2=Cyril Davenport|title=The Crown Jewels of England|url=https://archive.org/details/TheCrownJewelsOfEngland|year=1919|publisher=Cassell & Co.|asin=B00086FM86|page=[https://archive.org/details/TheCrownJewelsOfEngland/page/n173 78]}}</ref> At this moment, the king or queen is crowned, and the guests in the abbey cry in unison three times, "God Save the King/Queen". The trumpeters sound a fanfare and church bells ring out across the kingdom, as [[gun salute]]s echo from the [[Tower of London]] and [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]].<ref>Gosling p. 40</ref>

Finally, the archbishop, standing before the monarch, says the crowning formula, which is a translation of the ancient Latin prayer ''Coronet te Deus'': "God crown you with a crown of glory and righteousness, that having a right faith and manifold fruit of good works, you may obtain the crown of an everlasting kingdom by the gift of him whose kingdom endureth for ever." To this the guests, with heads bowed, say "[[Amen]]".<ref name="Butler1989">{{cite book|author=Sir Thomas Butler|title=The Crown Jewels and Coronation Ceremony|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=brbvmKAQ5PEC|year=1989|publisher=Pitkin|isbn=978-0-85372-467-4|page=16}}</ref>

When this prayer is finished, the choir sings an English translation of the traditional Latin [[antiphon]] ''Confortare'': "Be strong and of a good courage; keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways". During the singing of this antiphon, all stand in their places, and the monarch remains seated in the Coronation Chair still wearing the crown and holding the sceptres. The recitation of this antiphon is followed by a rite of [[benediction]] consisting of several prayers, after each one the congregation replies with "a loud and hearty Amen".<ref name="oremus"/>

===Enthronement and homage===
[[Image:Elizabeth I in coronation robes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Elizabeth&nbsp;I]] wearing the crown and holding the sceptre and orb at the end of her coronation.]]

The benediction being concluded, the sovereign rises from the Coronation Chair and is borne into a throne. Once the monarch is seated on the throne, the formula ''Stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth...'' is recited;<ref name="oremus"/> a translation of the Latin formula ''Sta et retine...'', which was first used in England in the tenth-century second recension, and also appeared in French, German and imperial coronation texts.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Jackson|editor-first=Richard A.|date=1995|title=Ordines Coronationis Franciae: Volume I|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7VICDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA154|location=Philadelphia|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|page=154|isbn=978-0812232639|access-date=5 May 2023|archive-date=8 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408063637/https://books.google.com/books?id=7VICDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA154|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the enthronement proper, the act of homage takes place: the archbishops and bishops swear their [[fealty]], saying "I, N., Archbishop [Bishop] of N., will be faithful and true, and faith and truth will bear unto you, our Sovereign Lord [Lady], King [Queen] of this Realm and Defender of the Faith, and unto your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God." In the past peers then proceeded to pay their homage, saying "I, N., Duke [Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron or Lord] of N., do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship; and faith and truth will I bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks. So help me God."<ref name="oremus"/> The clergy pay homage together, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Next, members of the royal family pay homage individually. The peers were then led by the premier peers of their rank: the dukes by the premier duke, the marquesses by the premier marquess, and so forth.<ref name="oremus"/> In the shortened [[coronation of Charles III and Camilla]], the paying of homage by the peerage was omitted.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Authorised Liturgy for the Coronation Rite of His Majesty King Charles III|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/23-24132%20Coronation%20Liturgy%20Commentary.pdf|work=Church of England|access-date=9 May 2023|archive-date=29 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429213249/https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/23-24132%20Coronation%20Liturgy%20Commentary.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

If there is a [[queen consort]], she is anointed, invested, crowned and enthroned in a simple ceremony immediately after homage is paid. The Communion service interrupted earlier is resumed and completed, but with special prayers: there are prayers for the monarch and consort at the Offertory and a special preface.<ref name="royal.gov-coronation"/><ref name="oremus"/> Finally, the monarch and consort receive Communion, the ''[[Gloria in excelsis Deo]]'' is sung and the [[Dismissal (liturgy)|blessing]] is given.<ref>Gosling p. 42</ref>
[[File:Mounted Band of The Scots Greys, Coronation Parade, 1937 by Harry Greville Wood Irwin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''Mounted Band of The Scots Greys, Coronation Parade, 1937'' by Harry Greville Wood Irwin. Painted in 1937, depicting the Coronation of King [[George VI]]]]

===Closing procession===
The sovereign then exits the coronation theatre, entering St&nbsp;Edward's Chapel (within the abbey), preceded by the bearers of the Sword of State, the Sword of Spiritual Justice, the Sword of Temporal Justice and the blunt [[Sword of Mercy]].<ref>Hilliam, pp. 211–212.</ref> While the monarch is in St. Edward's chapel, the choir recites an English translation of the hymn of thanksgiving ''Te Deum laudamus''. St Edward's Crown and all the other regalia are laid on the High Altar of the chapel;<ref name="oremus"/> the sovereign removes the ''Robe Royal'' and ''Stole Royal'', exchanges the ''crimson surcoat'' for the ''purple surcoat''<ref name="cox-sovereigns-robes"/> and is enrobed in the ''Imperial Robe of purple velvet''. The sovereign then dons the [[Imperial State Crown]] and takes into their hands the Sceptre with the Cross and the Orb and leaves the chapel first while all present sing the [[God Save the King|national anthem]].<ref name="oremus"/>

==Music==
{{Listen
|type=music
|filename=Handel - Zadok the Priest, HWV 258 (St Matthew's Concert Choir, Giromella).oga
|title=Zadok the Priest
|description=Handel's ''[[Zadok the Priest]]'' (1727), performed by St Matthew's Choir, 2013}}
The music played at coronations has been primarily classical and religiously inspired. Much of the [[choral music]] uses texts from the Bible which have been used at coronations since King Edgar's coronation at Bath in 973 and are known as [[coronation anthem]]s. In the coronations following the [[Reformation in England|Reformation]], court musicians, often the [[Master of the King's Music]], were commissioned to compose new [[Musical setting|settings]] for the traditional texts. The most frequently used piece is ''[[Zadok the Priest]]'' by [[George Frideric Handel]]; one of four anthems commissioned from him for [[George II of Great Britain|George&nbsp;II]]'s coronation in 1727. It has featured in every coronation since, an achievement unparalleled by any other piece. Previous settings of the same text were composed by [[Henry Lawes]] for the 1661 coronation of [[Charles II of Great Britain|Charles&nbsp;II]] and [[Thomas Tomkins]] for [[Charles I of Great Britain|Charles&nbsp;I]] in 1621.<ref>Range, p. 282.</ref>

In the 19th&nbsp;century, works by major European composers were often used, but when Sir&nbsp;[[Frederick Bridge]] was appointed director of music for the 1902 [[coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra|coronation of Edward&nbsp;VII]], he decided that it ought to be a celebration of four hundred years of British music. Compositions by [[Thomas Tallis]], [[Orlando Gibbons]] and [[Henry Purcell]] were included alongside works by contemporary composers such as [[Arthur Sullivan]], [[Charles Villiers Stanford]] and [[John Stainer]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Jeffrey Richards|year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-YJUbPSBT94C&pg=PA104|title=Imperialism and Music: Britain, 1876–1953|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=0-7190-6143-1|page=104}}</ref> [[Hubert Parry]]'s ''[[I was glad]]'' was written as the entrance anthem for the 1902 coronation, replacing an 1831 setting by [[Thomas Attwood (composer)|Thomas Attwood]]; it contains a bridge section partway through so that the scholars of [[Westminster School]] can exercise their right to be the first commoners to acclaim the sovereign, shouting their traditional ''"[[Vive, Viva|vivat]]s"'' as the sovereign enters the coronation theatre. This anthem and [[Charles Villiers Stanford]]'s ''[[Gloria in excelsis Deo|Gloria in excelsis]]'' (1911) have also been used regularly in recent coronations, as has the national anthem, ''[[God Save the King]]'' (or Queen).<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Anselm Hughes|year=1953|title=Music of the Coronation over a Thousand Years|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association|publisher=Taylor & Francis|pages=81–100|jstor=766213|volume=79}}</ref> Other composers whose music featured in Elizabeth&nbsp;II's coronation include [[George Dyson (composer)|Sir&nbsp;George Dyson]], [[Gordon Jacob]], [[William Henry Harris|Sir&nbsp;William Henry Harris]], [[Herbert Howells]], [[William Walton|Sir&nbsp;William Walton]], [[Samuel Sebastian Wesley]], [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]] and the Canadian-resident but English-born [[Healey Willan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.westminster-abbey.org/history-research/royalty/coronations/coronation-music/|title=Coronation music|access-date=7 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024142123/http://www.westminster-abbey.org/history-research/royalty/coronations/coronation-music/|archive-date=24 October 2007|publisher=Westminster Abbey}}</ref> Ralph Vaughan Williams suggested that a congregational hymn be included. This was approved by the Queen and the Archbishop of Canterbury, so Vaughan Williams recast his 1928 arrangement of ''[[Old 100th]]'', the English [[Metrical Psalm|metrical]] version of [[Psalm 100]], the ''Jubilate Deo'' ("All people that on earth do dwell") for congregation, organ and orchestra: the setting has become ubiquitous at festal occasions in the Anglophone world.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=July 1953|title=Music for the Coronation|journal=The Musical Times|volume=94|issue=1325|pages=305–307|doi=10.2307/933633|jstor=933633}}</ref> At the 2023 coronation, new compositions were by [[Roxanna Panufnik]], [[Tarik O'Regan]], [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]] and [[Debbie Wiseman]]. Other innovations included a piece performed by a [[Gospel music|Gospel choir]] and a psalm sung in [[Byzantine chant]].<ref name="Music-details" /><ref name="Music-RF">{{cite web |date=18 February 2023 |title=Coronation Music at Westminster Abbey |url=https://www.royal.uk/coronation-music-westminster-abbey |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219014754/https://www.royal.uk/coronation-music-westminster-abbey |archive-date=19 February 2023 |access-date=19 February 2023 |work=The Royal Family}}</ref>

==Dress==
Several participants in the ceremony wear special costumes, uniforms or robes. For those in attendance (other than members of the royal family) what to wear is laid down in detail by the Earl Marshal prior to each Coronation and published in ''[[The London Gazette]]''.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

=== Sovereign's robes ===
[[Image:George IV coronation.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|[[George IV]]'s long train was borne by the Master of the Robes and eight eldest sons of peers. The king (left) found the enormous weight of the robes very inconvenient.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/parliamentpastpr00wriguoft|title=Parliament Past and Present|page=[https://archive.org/details/parliamentpastpr00wriguoft/page/190 190]|year=1902|author1=Arnold Wright|author2=Philip Smith|location=London|publisher=Hutchinson}}</ref>]]

The sovereign wears a variety of robes and other garments during the course of the ceremony. In contrast to the history and tradition which surround the [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom|regalia]], it has been customary for most coronation robes to be newly made for each monarch.<ref>Rose, p. 100.</ref> However, at the 2023 coronation, vestments were largely reused from previous coronations instead.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 May 2023 |title=Historic Coronation Vestments from the Royal Collection will be reused by His Majesty The King for the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey |url=https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2023-05-01/historic-coronation-vestments-from-the-royal-collection-will-be-reused |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501221024/https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2023-05-01/historic-coronation-vestments-from-the-royal-collection-will-be-reused |archive-date=1 May 2023 |access-date= |website=royal.uk}}</ref>

'''Worn for the first part of the service (and the processions beforehand):'''
* ''Crimson surcoat'' – the regular dress during most of the ceremony, worn under all other robes. In 1953, Elizabeth&nbsp;II wore a newly made gown in place of a surcoat.<ref name="cox-sovereigns-robes">{{cite journal|author=Cox, N.|year=1999|title=The Coronation Robes of the Sovereign|journal=Arma|volume=5|issue=1|pages=271–280}}</ref>
* ''Robe of State of crimson velvet'' or ''Parliament Robe'' – the first robe used at a coronation, worn on entry to the abbey and later at [[State Opening of Parliament|State Openings of Parliament]]. It consists of an ermine cape and a long crimson velvet train lined with further ermine and decorated with gold lace.<ref name="cox-sovereigns-robes"/>

'''Worn over the surcoat for the Anointing:'''
* ''Anointing gown'' – a simple and austere garment worn during the anointing. It is plain white, bears no decoration and fastens at the back.<ref name="cox-sovereigns-robes"/>
[[File:A Circumstantial Account of the Preparations for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles the Second 1820 h.jpg|thumb|right|The ''Colobium sindonis'', ''Supertunica'' and ''Stole Royal'' used in the 1661 coronation of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]]]
'''Robes with which the Sovereign is invested (worn thereafter until Communion):'''
* ''[[Colobium sindonis]]'' ("shroud tunic") – the first robe with which the sovereign is invested. It is a loose white undergarment of fine linen cloth edged with a lace border, open at the sides, sleeveless and cut low at the neck. It symbolises the derivation of royal authority from the people.<ref name="cox-sovereigns-robes"/>
* ''Supertunica'' – the second robe with which the sovereign is invested. It is a long coat of gold silk which reaches to the ankles and has wide-flowing sleeves. It is lined with rose-coloured silk, trimmed with gold lace, woven with national symbols and fastened by a sword belt. It derives from the full dress uniform of a consul of the [[Byzantine Empire]].<ref name="cox-sovereigns-robes"/>
* ''Robe Royal'' or ''Pallium Regale'' – the main robe worn during the ceremony and used during the crowning.<ref name="oremus"/> It is a four-square mantle, lined in crimson silk and decorated with silver coronets, national symbols and silver imperial eagles in the four corners. It is lay, rather than liturgical, in nature.<ref name="cox-sovereigns-robes"/>
* ''Stole Royal'' or ''armilla'' – a gold silk [[Stole (vestment)|stole]] or scarf which accompanies the Robe Royal, richly and heavily embroidered with gold and silver thread, set with jewels and lined with rose-coloured silk and gold fringing.<ref name="cox-sovereigns-robes"/>

'''Worn for the final part of the service (and the processions which follow):'''
* ''Purple surcoat'' – the counterpart to the crimson surcoat, worn during the final part of the ceremony.<ref name="cox-sovereigns-robes"/>
* ''Imperial Robe of purple velvet'' – the robe worn at the conclusion of the ceremony, on exit from the abbey. It comprises an embroidered ermine cape with a train of purple silk velvet, trimmed with Canadian ermine and fully lined with pure silk English satin. The purple recalls the imperial robes of [[Roman Emperor]]s.<ref name="cox-sovereigns-robes"/>

====Headwear====
Male sovereigns up to and including [[George VI]] have traditionally worn a crimson [[cap of maintenance]] for the opening procession and when seated in the Chair of Estate during the first part of the service. [[Charles III]] arrived at his coronation bareheaded in 2023, rather than with the cap. Female sovereigns (and some female consorts) have traditionally worn the [[George IV State Diadem]], first worn by its namesake, [[George IV]]. For the Anointing, the sovereign is bareheaded, and remains so until the Crowning. Monarchs are usually crowned with [[St Edward's Crown]] but some have chosen to use other crowns as it weighs 2.23&nbsp;kg (4.9&nbsp;lb). For the final part of the service, and the processions that follow, it is exchanged for the lighter [[Imperial State Crown]].<ref>Gosling 2013, pp. 25-26</ref>

===Other members of the royal family===
Certain other members of the royal family wear distinctive robes, most particularly [[queens consort]] (including [[dowagers]]) and [[Princess of the United Kingdom|princesses of the United Kingdom]], all of whom wear purple velvet [[Mantle (clothing)|mantles]] edged with [[Stoat|ermine]] over their court dresses. Other members of the royal family in attendance dress according to the conventions listed below, except that [[royal duke]]s wear a distinctive form of peer's robe, which has six rows of ermine on the cape and additional ermine on miniver edging to the front of the robe.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

====Headwear====
Queens consort in the 20th century arrived at their coronation bareheaded, and remained so until the point in the service when they were crowned with their own [[Consort crown|crown]]. In the late 17th century and 18th century, queens consort wore [[Mary of Modena's State Crown|Mary of Modena's State Diadem]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/trails/the-crown-jewels/mary-of-modenas-diadem|title=Mary of Modena's Diadem 1685|author=<!--Not stated-->|website=rct.uk|publisher=The Royal Collection Trust|access-date=9 June 2022|archive-date=9 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609120422/https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/trails/the-crown-jewels/mary-of-modenas-diadem|url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to the 20th century it was not usual for [[dowager queens]] to attend coronations, but [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] and [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]] both attended the coronations of George VI and Elizabeth II respectively, and each wore the crown, minus its arches, with which she had been crowned for the duration of the service.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rct.uk/collection/31704/queen-marys-crown|title=Queen Mary's Crown 1911|author=<!--Not stated-->|website=rct.uk|publisher=The Royal Collection Trust|access-date=9 June 2022|archive-date=26 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226104558/https://www.rct.uk/collection/31704/queen-marys-crown|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/trails/the-crown-jewels/queen-elizabeth-the-queen-mothers-crown|title=Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Crown 1937|author=<!--Not stated-->|website=rct.uk|publisher=The Royal Collection Trust|access-date=9 June 2022|archive-date=9 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609120413/https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/trails/the-crown-jewels/queen-elizabeth-the-queen-mothers-crown|url-status=live}}</ref>

Traditionally, princesses and [[Prince of the United Kingdom|princes of the United Kingdom]] were provided with distinctive forms of [[coronet]], which they wore during the service. A male heir-apparent's coronet displays four crosses-pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, surmounted by an arch. The same style, without the arch, is used by other children and siblings of the monarch. The coronets of children of the heir-apparent display four fleurs-de-lis, two crosses-pattée and two strawberry leaves. A fourth style, including four crosses-pattée and four strawberry leaves, is used for the children of the sons and brothers of sovereigns. The tradition of coronets was abolished for the 2023 coronation, and members of the royal family dressed in robes of one of their [[orders of chivalry]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ward|first1=Victoria|title=Peers to wear coronation robes in last minute Palace U-turn|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/05/03/coronation-peers-historic-robes-buckingham-palace-lords/|access-date=17 June 2024|work=The Telegraph|date=3 May 2023}}</ref>

===Peers===
[[Image:Earl coronation robes.jpg|thumb|upright|An earl's coronation robes]]
All peers and peeresses in attendance are "expected to wear" Robes of State, as described below.<ref name="Gazette1">{{London Gazette|issue=39709|page=6351|date=2 December 1952}}</ref> These robes are different to the [[Robes of the British peerage#Parliament robes|Parliament Robe]] (worn on occasion by peers who are members of the House of Lords); all peers summoned to attend wear the Robe of State, regardless of membership of the House of Lords, and peeresses' robes are worn not only by women who are peers in their own right, but also by wives and widows of peers.<ref name="CoxRobesPeerage">{{cite journal|author=Cox, N.|year=1999|title=The Coronation and Parliamentary Robes of the British Peerage|journal=Arma|volume=5|issue=1|pages=289–293}}</ref>{{refn|Peers have two types of robes, the "Parliamentary Robe" and the "Coronation Robe". The Coronation Robe is worn only during a coronation while the Parliamentary Robe is worn on other formal occasions such as the [[State Opening of Parliament]].<ref name="CoxRobesPeerage"/> See also: [[Privilege of peerage#Robes|Privilege of peerage#Robe]]}} Those entitled to a [[Collar (order)|collar]] of an [[order of knighthood]] wear it over (and attached to) the cape.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

====Peers' robes====
A peer's [[Robes of the British peerage#Coronation robes|coronation robe]] is a full-length [[cloak]]-type garment of crimson velvet, edged down the front with [[Miniver|miniver pure]], with a full [[cape]] (also of miniver pure) attached. On the cape, rows of "ermine tails (or the like)"<ref name="Gazette1" /> indicate the peer's rank: dukes have four rows, marquesses three and a half, earls three, viscounts two and a half, and barons and lords of parliament two.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} Prior to the 19th century peers also wore a matching crimson surcoat edged in miniver.

In 1953, "Peers taking part in the Processions or Ceremonies in Westminster Abbey" were directed to wear the Robe of State over [[Full Dress uniform|full-dress]] uniform ([[Uniforms of the Royal Navy|Naval]], [[Uniforms of the British Army|Military]], [[Uniforms of the Royal Air Force|RAF]] or [[Court uniform and dress in the United Kingdom#Court uniform|civil]]), if so entitled, or else over full [[Court uniform and dress in the United Kingdom#Men's court dress|velvet court dress]] (or one of the alternative styles of Court Dress, as laid down in the Lord Chamberlain's regulations). Other peers in attendance were "expected to wear the same if possible"; but the wearing of [[White tie|evening dress]], or a black suit with white bow tie, were also permitted (as was the use of a Parliament Robe or a mantle of one of the [[Orders of Knighthood]] by those not taking part in the Processions or Ceremonies).<ref name="Gazette1" />

In 2023, the dress code for peers was originally [[lounge suit]]s or [[parliamentary robes]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rayner |first1=Gordon |last2=McTaggart |first2=Ian |date=14 April 2023 |title=Coronation row over hundreds of peers forbidden from wearing robes |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/04/14/coronets-robes-peers-aristocracy-banned-king-coronation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415221513/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/04/14/coronets-robes-peers-aristocracy-banned-king-coronation/ |archive-date=15 April 2023 |access-date=16 April 2023 |work=The Telegraph}}</ref><ref name="Diver" /> but this was changed in the week before the coronation after protests, with peers allowed to wear coronation robes but not coronets.<ref name=":6">{{cite web |last=Ward |first=Victoria |date=3 May 2023 |title=Peers to wear coronation robes in last minute Palace U-turn |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/05/03/coronation-peers-historic-robes-buckingham-palace-lords/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503062150/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/05/03/coronation-peers-historic-robes-buckingham-palace-lords/ |archive-date=3 May 2023 |access-date=3 May 2023 |work=The Telegraph}}</ref>

====Peeresses' robes====
[[File:Reynolds - George, 2nd Earl Harcourt, his wife Elizabeth, and brother William.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|right|An earl, wearing crimson robe and surcoat over court dress and holding his coronet, and countess, wearing crimson robe and kirtle over a court dress and wearing her coronet (1780). From a portrait of [[George Harcourt, 2nd Earl Harcourt|George, 2nd Earl Harcourt]] by Sir [[Joshua Reynolds]].]]
A peeress's coronation robe is described as a long ([[Train (clothing)|trained]]) crimson velvet [[Mantle (clothing)|mantle]], edged all round with [[miniver]] pure and having a cape of miniver pure (with rows of [[Ermine (heraldry)|ermine]] indicating the rank of the wearer, as for peers).<ref name="Gazette2">{{London Gazette|issue=39709|page=6352|date=2 December 1952}}</ref> Furthermore, the length of the train (and the width of the miniver edging) varies with the rank of the wearer: for duchesses, the trains are 1.8&nbsp;m (2&nbsp;yds) long, for marchionesses one and three-quarters yards, for countesses one and a half yards, for viscountesses one and a quarter yards, and for baronesses and ladies 90&nbsp;cm (1&nbsp;yd). The edgings are 13&nbsp;cm (5&nbsp;in) in width for duchesses, 10&nbsp;cm (4&nbsp;in) for marchionesses, 7.5&nbsp;cm (3&nbsp;in) for countesses and 5&nbsp;cm (2&nbsp;in) for viscountesses, baronesses and ladies.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

This Robe of State is directed to be worn with a sleeved crimson velvet [[kirtle]], which is similarly edged with miniver and worn over a full-length white or cream [[Court uniform and dress in the United Kingdom#Women's court dress|court dress]] (without a train).{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

====Headwear====
During the Coronation, peers and peeresses formerly put on [[coronets]]. Like their robes, their coronets are differentiated according to rank: the coronet of a duke or duchess is ornamented with eight strawberry leaves, that of a marquess or marchioness has four strawberry leaves alternating with four raised silver balls, that of an earl or countess eight strawberry leaves alternating with eight raised silver balls, that of a viscount or viscountess has sixteen smaller silver balls and that of a baron or baroness six silver balls. Peeresses' coronets are identical to those of peers, but smaller.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Cox, N.|year=1999|title=The Coronets of Members of the Royal Family and of the Peerage|journal=The Double Tressure|volume=22|pages=8–13}}</ref> In addition, peeresses were told in 1953 that "a tiara should be worn, if possible".<ref name="Gazette1" /> The use of coronets was abolished for the 2023 coronation.

===Others===
In 1953, those taking part in the [[List of participants in the coronation procession of Elizabeth II|Procession inside the Abbey]] who were not peers or peeresses were directed to wear [[Full Dress uniform|full-dress]] ([[Uniforms of the Royal Navy|naval]], [[Uniforms of the British Army|military]], [[Uniforms of the Royal Air Force|air force]] or [[Court uniform and dress in the United Kingdom#Court uniform|civil]]) uniform, or one of the forms of court dress laid down in the Lord Chamberlain's Regulations for Dress at Court. These regulations, as well as providing guidance for members of the public, specify forms of dress for a wide variety of office-holders and public officials, clergy, the judiciary, members of the Royal Household, etc. It also includes provision for [[Scottish dress]] to be worn.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/dressinsigniawor00greauoft|title=Dress and insignia worn at His Majesty's court, issued with the authority of the lord chamberlain|date=7 May 1921|publisher=London, Harrison & sons, ltd.|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

Officers in the Armed Forces and the Civil, Foreign, and Colonial Services who did not take part in the Procession wore uniform, and male civilians: "one of the forms of court dress as laid down in the Lord Chamberlain's Regulations for Dress at Court, or [[White tie|evening dress]] with knee breeches or trousers, or [[morning dress]], or dark [[lounge suits]]".<ref name="Gazette2" />

Ladies attending in 1953 were instructed to wear "evening dresses or afternoon dresses, with a light veiling falling from the back of the head". Coats and hats were not permitted but tiaras could be worn.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

In 1953 an additional note made it clear that "Oriental dress may be worn by Ladies and Gentlemen for whom it is the usual Ceremonial Costume".<ref name="Gazette2" />

==After-celebrations==
Since the 20th&nbsp;century it has been traditional for the newly crowned monarch and other members of the royal family to sit for official portraits at [[Buckingham Palace]] and appear on the balcony, from where in 1953 they watched a flypast by the [[Royal Air Force]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/the-queens-coronation-1953/the-coronation-at-buckingham-palace-the-coronation-procession|title=The Coronation at Buckingham Palace: the Coronation Procession|access-date=12 July 2016|publisher=Royal Collection Trust|archive-date=25 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325172911/https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/the-queens-coronation-1953/the-coronation-at-buckingham-palace-the-coronation-procession|url-status=live}}</ref> During the appearance, the monarch wears the Imperial State Crown and, if there is one, the queen consort wears her [[consort crown]]. In the evening, a [[fireworks]] display is held nearby, usually in [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]].<ref>Rose, p. 129.</ref> In 1902, [[Edward&nbsp;VII]]'s illness led to the postponement of a fourteen-course banquet at Buckingham Palace.<ref name="Burnett2013">{{cite book|author=John Burnett|title=Plenty and Want: A Social History of Food in England from 1815 to the Present Day|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ENLmMZS8W8C&pg=PA195|year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-09084-4|page=195}}</ref> In 1953, two state banquets were held in the ballroom there, and classical music was provided by the [[Royal Horse Guards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/the-queens-coronation-1953/the-coronation-state-banquets-at-buckingham-palace|title=The Coronation State Banquets at Buckingham Palace|publisher=Royal Collection Trust|access-date=12 July 2016|archive-date=26 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326193052/https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/the-queens-coronation-1953/the-coronation-state-banquets-at-buckingham-palace|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:George IV coronation banquet 1821.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|George&nbsp;IV's coronation banquet was held in [[Westminster Hall]] in the [[Palace of Westminster]] in 1821; it was the last such banquet held.]]

Historically, the coronation was immediately followed by a banquet held in [[Westminster Hall]] in the [[Palace of Westminster]] (which is also the home to the Houses of Parliament). The [[King's Champion|King or Queen's Champion]] (the office being held by the [[Dymoke]] family in connection with the [[Manor of Scrivelsby]]) would ride into the hall on horseback, wearing a knight's armour, with the Lord High Constable riding to his right and the Earl Marshal riding to his left. A herald would then make a proclamation of the readiness of the champion to fight anyone denying the monarch. After 1800, the form for this was as follows:<ref name="1911-coronation"/>

{{blockquote|style=text-align:justify|text=If any person, of what degree soever, high or low, shall deny or gainsay our Sovereign Lord ..., King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, son and next heir unto our Sovereign Lord the last King deceased, to be the right heir to the Imperial Crown of this Realm of Great Britain and Ireland, or that he ought not to enjoy the same; here is his Champion, who saith that he lieth, and is a false traitor, being ready in person to combat with him; and in this quarrel will adventure his life against him, on what day soever he shall be appointed.<ref name="1911-coronation">{{cite EB1911|wstitle= Coronation |volume= 07 |last= Fallow |first= Thomas Macall |author-link= Thomas Macall Fallow | pages = 185–187 }}</ref>}}

The King's Champion would then throw down the gauntlet; the ceremony would be repeated at the centre of the hall and at the High Table (where the sovereign would be seated). The sovereign would then drink to the champion from a gold cup, which he would then present to the latter.<ref name="1911-coronation"/> This ritual was dropped from the [[coronation of Queen Victoria]] and was never revived. The offices of [[Chief Butler of England]], [[Grand Carver of England]] and [[The Master Carver|Master Carver of Scotland]] were also associated with the coronation banquet.<ref name="keepers">{{Cite book|author1=Alistair Bruce|author2=Julian Calder|author3=Mark Cator|title=Keepers of the Kingdom: the Ancient Offices of Britain|year=2000|location=London|publisher=Seven Dials|isbn=1-84188-073-6|page=29}}</ref>

Banquets have not been held at Westminster Hall since the [[coronation of George IV]] in 1821. His coronation was the most elaborate in history; his brother and successor William&nbsp;IV eliminated the banquet on grounds of economy,<ref name=strong374>Strong, pp. 374–375.</ref> ending a 632-year-old tradition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/westminsterhall/other-uses/coronation-banquets/|title=Coronation banquets|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|access-date=14 February 2016|archive-date=13 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013131959/http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/westminsterhall/other-uses/coronation-banquets/|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 1901, a Coronation [[Fleet review (Commonwealth realms)|Fleet Review]] has also been held. To celebrate the coronation, a [[coronation honours|coronation honours list]] is also released before the coronation.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

==Enthronement as Emperor of India==
{{main|Delhi Durbar}}
Queen Victoria assumed the title ''[[Emperor of India|Empress of India]]'' in 1876.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24319|page=2667|date=28 April 1876}}</ref> A [[Delhi Durbar|durbar]] (court) was held in [[Delhi]], India on 1&nbsp;January 1877 to proclaim her assumption of the title. The queen did not attend personally, but she was represented there by the [[Viceroy of India|Viceroy]], [[Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton|Lord Lytton]].<ref>''The Times'' (London). 2 January 1877. p. 5.</ref> A similar durbar was held on 1&nbsp;January 1903 to celebrate the accession of Edward&nbsp;VII, who was represented by his brother the [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|Duke of Connaught]].<ref>''The Times'' (London). 2 January 1903. p. 3.</ref> In 1911, [[George&nbsp;V]] also held a durbar which he and his wife [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] attended in person. Since it was deemed inappropriate for a Christian anointing and coronation to take place in a largely non-Christian nation, George&nbsp;V was not crowned in India; instead, he wore an [[imperial crown]] as he entered the Durbar. Tradition prohibited the removal of the Crown Jewels from the United Kingdom; therefore, a separate crown, known as the [[Imperial Crown of India]], was created for him. The emperor was enthroned, and the Indian princes paid homage to him. Thereafter, certain political decisions, such as the decision to move the capital from [[Calcutta]] to Delhi, were announced at the durbar. The ceremony was not repeated, and the imperial title was abandoned by George&nbsp;VI in 1948, 10 months after [[Indian Independence Act 1947|India gained independence]].<ref>Hilliam, pp. 185–186.</ref>

==Kings of Arms==
Aside from kings and queens, the only individuals authorised to wear crowns (as opposed to coronets) are the [[Kings of Arms]], the United Kingdom's senior [[Officer of arms|heraldic officials]].<ref name="chambers">{{Cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Chambers's Encyclopædia: A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge for the People|title=King of Arms|publisher=W & R Chambers|location=Edinburgh|year=1863|pages=796–7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q1oMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA796}}</ref> Like the peers' coronets, these crowns are only put on at the actual moment of the monarch's crowning, after which they are worn for the rest of the service and its subsequent festivities. [[Garter Principal King of Arms|Garter]], [[Clarenceaux King of Arms|Clarenceaux]], and [[Norroy and Ulster King of Arms|Norroy and Ulster]] Kings of Arms have heraldic jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/About/06.htm|title=The origin and history of the various heraldic offices|work=About the College of Arms|publisher=College of Arms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729132925/http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/About/06.htm|archive-date=29 July 2010}}</ref> Lord Lyon King of Arms is responsible for Scotland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/215.180.html|title=History of the Court of the Lord Lyon|access-date=21 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802040102/http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/215.180.html|archive-date=2 August 2009}}</ref> In addition, there is a King of Arms attached to each of the [[Order of the Bath]], [[Order of St. Michael and St. George]] and the [[Order of the British Empire]]. These have only a ceremonial role, but are authorised by the statutes of their orders to wear the same crown as Garter at a coronation.<ref>See e.g. (Order of the Bath), {{London Gazette|issue=20737|page=1956|date=25 May 1847}} (Order of the British Empire) {{London Gazette|issue=32781|page=9160|date=29 December 1922}}</ref> The crown of a King of Arms is silver-gilt and consists of sixteen [[acanthus leaves]] alternating in height, and inscribed with the words ''Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam'' (Latin: "Have mercy on me O God according to Thy great mercy", from Psalm 51).<ref name="chambers"/> The [[Lord Lyon King of Arms]] has worn a crown of this style at all coronations since that of [[George&nbsp;III]]. Prior to that he wore a replica of the Crown of Scotland. In 2004 a new replica of this crown was created for use by the Lord Lyon.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Lord-Lyon-gets-his-crown.2443393.jp|title=Lord Lyon gets his crown back|work=The Scotsman|access-date=12 February 2011|location=Edinburgh|date=13 July 2003|archive-date=29 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629134808/http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Lord-Lyon-gets-his-crown.2443393.jp|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Westminster Abbey]]
* [[List of people involved in coronations of the British monarch]]
* [[List of British coronations]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book|last=Gosling|first=Lucinda|year=2013|title=Royal Coronations|location=Oxford|publisher=Shire|isbn=978-0-74781-220-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2GqHCwAAQBAJ|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book|last=Hilliam|first=David|title=Crown, Orb & Sceptre: The True Stories of English Coronations|year=2001|publisher=Sutton|location=Stroud|isbn=978-0-75-092538-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nd2XJAAACAAJ|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last1=Le Hardy|first1=William|title=The Coronation Book: the History and Meaning of the Ceremonies at the Crowning of the King and Queen|date=1937|publisher=Hardy & Reckitt|location=London|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Legg|editor-first=Leopold George Wickham|editor-link=Leopold George Wickham Legg|date=1901|title=English Coronation Records|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924081293627/mode/2up|location=Westminster|publisher=A. Constable & Company, Limited|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Range|first=Matthias|year=2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CzmgJGWpDKUC|title=Music and Ceremonial at British Coronations: From James I to Elizabeth II|location=London|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-02344-4|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Richards|first=Jeffrey|date=2001|title=Imperialism and Music: Britain, 1876-1953|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-YJUbPSBT94C&pg=PA101|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=0-7190-6143-1|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book|last=Rose|first=Tessa|year=1992|title=The Coronation Ceremony of the Kings and Queens of England and the Crown Jewels|location=London|publisher=HMSO|isbn=978-0-11-701361-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bSUTAQAAIAAJ|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book|last=Strong|first=Sir Roy|author-link=Roy Strong|title=Coronation: A History of Kingship and the British Monarchy|year=2005|location=London|isbn=978-0-00-716054-9|publisher=HarperCollins|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9OwWAQAAIAAJ|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book|last=Thomas|first=Andrea|chapter=Coronation Ritual and Regalia|editor1-last=Goodare|editor1-first=Julian|editor2-last=MacDonald|editor2-first=Alasdair A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CEOwCQAAQBAJ|title=Sixteenth-Century Scotland: Essays in Honour of Michael Lynch|year=2008|location=Netherlands|isbn=978-90-04-16825-1|publisher=Brill|pages=43–68|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book|title=Coronation Rites|last=Woolley|first=Reginald Maxwell|location=London|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1915|url=https://archive.org/details/coronationrites00wooluoft|ref=none}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://www.royal.uk/royal-archives-coronation Coronations and the Royal Archives] at the Royal Family website
* [https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/Trails/coronations-an-ancient-ceremony Coronations: An ancient ceremony] at the Royal Collection Trust website
* [https://www.oremus.org/liturgy/coronation/synopsis/ A Synopsis of English and British Coronations]
* [http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/research/monarchy-church-state/planning-next-accession-and-coronation-FAQs Planning the next Accession and Coronation: FAQs] by The Constitution Unit, [[University College London]]
* [http://www.lebrelblanco.com/anexos/a0500.htm Book describing English medieval Coronation found in Pamplona] at the Medieval History of Navarre website (in Spanish)

===Videos===
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5LL8xM85lA ''Elizabeth is Queen'' (1953)] 47-minute documentary by [[British Pathé]] at YouTube
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AJUE8d_BI0 Coronation 1937 – Technicolor – Sound] newsreel by [[Movietone News|British Movietone News]] at YouTube
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b5nrCPIw5g Long to Reign Over Us, Chapter Three: The Coronation] by [[John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst|Lord Wakehurst]] on the Royal Channel at YouTube

{{Coronation of the British monarch}}
{{Coronation}}
{{Ceremonies of the British monarch}}
{{Westminster Abbey}}
{{Anglican Liturgy|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Monarchy of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Culture of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Coronations of British monarchs| ]]