1953 : CORONATION OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II:
On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II is formally crowned monarch of the
United Kingdom in a lavish ceremony steeped in traditions that date
back a millennium. A thousand dignitaries and guests attended the
coronation at London's Westminster Abbey, and hundreds of millions
listened on radio and for the first time watched the proceedings on
live television. After the ceremony, millions of rain-drenched
spectators cheered the 27-year-old queen and her husband, the
30-year-old duke of Edinburgh, as they passed along a five-mile
procession route in a gilded horse-drawn carriage.
Elizabeth, born in 1926, was the first-born daughter of Prince George,
the second son of King George V. Her grandfather died in 1936, and her
uncle was proclaimed King Edward VIII. Later that year, however,
Edward abdicated over the controversy surrounding his decision to
marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American divorcee, and Elizabeth's
father was proclaimed King George VI in his place.
During the Battle of Britain, Princess Elizabeth and her only sibling,
Princess Margaret, lived away from London in the safety of the
countryside, but their parents endeared themselves to their subjects
by remaining in bomb-damaged Buckingham Palace throughout the German
air offensive. Later in the war, Elizabeth trained as a second
lieutenant in the women's services and drove and repaired military
trucks.
In 1947, she married her distant cousin, Philip Mountbatten, a former
prince of Greece and Denmark who renounced his titles in order to
marry Elizabeth. He was made duke of Edinburgh on the eve of the
wedding. The celebrations surrounding the wedding of the popular
princess lifted the spirits of the people of Britain, who were
enduring economic difficulties in the aftermath of World War II. Their
first child, Prince Charles, was born in 1948 at Buckingham Palace. A
second, Princess Anne, was born in 1950. On February 6, 1952, the
royal couple were in Kenya in the midst of a goodwill tour when they
learned the king had died.
Elizabeth was immediately proclaimed Britain's new monarch but
remained in seclusion for the first three months of her reign as she
mourned her father. During the summer of 1952, she began to perform
routine duties of the sovereign, and in November she carried out her
first state opening of the Parliament. On June 2, 1953, her coronation
was held at Westminster Abbey.
The ceremony at Westminster was one of pomp and pageantry, and the
characteristically poised Elizabeth delivered in a solemn and clear
voice the coronation oath that bound her to the service of the people
of Great Britain and the British Commonwealth. In the procession
through the streets of London that followed, Elizabeth and her husband
were joined by representatives from the more than 40 member states of
the Commonwealth, including heads of state, sultans, and prime
ministers. British troops like the Yeomen of the Guard were joined by
a great variety of Commonwealth troops, including police from the
Solomon Islands, Malaysians in white uniforms and green sarongs,
Pakistanis in puggaree headdresses, Canadian Mounties, and New
Zealanders and Australians in wide-brimmed hats. After the parade,
Elizabeth stood with her family on the Buckingham Palace balcony and
waved to the crowd as jet planes of the Royal Air Force flew across
the Mall in tight formation.
In five decades of rule, Queen Elizabeth II's popularity has hardly
subsided. She has traveled more extensively than any other British
monarch and was the first reigning British monarch to visit South
America and the Persian Gulf countries. In addition to Charles and
Anne, she and Philip have had two other children, Prince Andrew in
1960 and Prince Edward in 1964. In 1992, Elizabeth, the wealthiest
woman in England, agreed to pay income tax for the first time.
On April 21, 2006, Queen Elizabeth turned 80, making her the third
oldest person to hold the British crown. Although she has begun to
hand off some official duties to her children, notably Charles, the
heir to the throne, she has given no indication that she intends to
abdicate.
history.com/tdih.do
1865 : American Civil War ends
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5057
1886 : President Cleveland marries in White House
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5058
1924 : The Indian Citizenship Act
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5059
1997 : McVeigh convicted for Oklahoma City bombing
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5060
##########################################
On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II is formally crowned monarch of the
United Kingdom in a lavish ceremony steeped in traditions that date
back a millennium. A thousand dignitaries and guests attended the
coronation at London's Westminster Abbey, and hundreds of millions
listened on radio and for the first time watched the proceedings on
live television. After the ceremony, millions of rain-drenched
spectators cheered the 27-year-old queen and her husband, the
30-year-old duke of Edinburgh, as they passed along a five-mile
procession route in a gilded horse-drawn carriage.
Elizabeth, born in 1926, was the first-born daughter of Prince George,
the second son of King George V. Her grandfather died in 1936, and her
uncle was proclaimed King Edward VIII. Later that year, however,
Edward abdicated over the controversy surrounding his decision to
marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American divorcee, and Elizabeth's
father was proclaimed King George VI in his place.
During the Battle of Britain, Princess Elizabeth and her only sibling,
Princess Margaret, lived away from London in the safety of the
countryside, but their parents endeared themselves to their subjects
by remaining in bomb-damaged Buckingham Palace throughout the German
air offensive. Later in the war, Elizabeth trained as a second
lieutenant in the women's services and drove and repaired military
trucks.
In 1947, she married her distant cousin, Philip Mountbatten, a former
prince of Greece and Denmark who renounced his titles in order to
marry Elizabeth. He was made duke of Edinburgh on the eve of the
wedding. The celebrations surrounding the wedding of the popular
princess lifted the spirits of the people of Britain, who were
enduring economic difficulties in the aftermath of World War II. Their
first child, Prince Charles, was born in 1948 at Buckingham Palace. A
second, Princess Anne, was born in 1950. On February 6, 1952, the
royal couple were in Kenya in the midst of a goodwill tour when they
learned the king had died.
Elizabeth was immediately proclaimed Britain's new monarch but
remained in seclusion for the first three months of her reign as she
mourned her father. During the summer of 1952, she began to perform
routine duties of the sovereign, and in November she carried out her
first state opening of the Parliament. On June 2, 1953, her coronation
was held at Westminster Abbey.
The ceremony at Westminster was one of pomp and pageantry, and the
characteristically poised Elizabeth delivered in a solemn and clear
voice the coronation oath that bound her to the service of the people
of Great Britain and the British Commonwealth. In the procession
through the streets of London that followed, Elizabeth and her husband
were joined by representatives from the more than 40 member states of
the Commonwealth, including heads of state, sultans, and prime
ministers. British troops like the Yeomen of the Guard were joined by
a great variety of Commonwealth troops, including police from the
Solomon Islands, Malaysians in white uniforms and green sarongs,
Pakistanis in puggaree headdresses, Canadian Mounties, and New
Zealanders and Australians in wide-brimmed hats. After the parade,
Elizabeth stood with her family on the Buckingham Palace balcony and
waved to the crowd as jet planes of the Royal Air Force flew across
the Mall in tight formation.
In five decades of rule, Queen Elizabeth II's popularity has hardly
subsided. She has traveled more extensively than any other British
monarch and was the first reigning British monarch to visit South
America and the Persian Gulf countries. In addition to Charles and
Anne, she and Philip have had two other children, Prince Andrew in
1960 and Prince Edward in 1964. In 1992, Elizabeth, the wealthiest
woman in England, agreed to pay income tax for the first time.
On April 21, 2006, Queen Elizabeth turned 80, making her the third
oldest person to hold the British crown. Although she has begun to
hand off some official duties to her children, notably Charles, the
heir to the throne, she has given no indication that she intends to
abdicate.
history.com/tdih.do
1865 : American Civil War ends
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5057
1886 : President Cleveland marries in White House
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5058
1924 : The Indian Citizenship Act
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5059
1997 : McVeigh convicted for Oklahoma City bombing
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5060
##########################################
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