It is perhaps easy to forget the details of a British coronation ceremony, so long has it been since one was necessary. The new monarch swears to maintain the Church of England, as well as to "cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed". This pledge is made in front of every aspect of the British state, from the Prime Minister to the Archbishop of Canterbury – and latterly, thanks to the advent of television, the subjects themselves. In 1953, 27 million people in the UK watched as Queen Elizabeth II was crowned.
That generation will now join with those born since in celebration of her platinum jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. The longevity of her reign alone makes her one of the most significant royals in British history. But back in June 1953, very little was known about the 25-year-old. And there was even less certainty about the direction the UK would go during her reign.
She vowed to govern not just the people of the UK, but also those of "Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and the other Territories". But this colonial reality was already unravelling. India, the former "Jewel in the Crown", had left in 1947. Three years into her reign Britain, France and Israel launched a failed attempt to recapture the Suez Canal after it was reclaimed by the post-colonial administration in Egypt led by Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was a humiliating defeat and a moment many view as the death knell for western imperialism.
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II leads the lighting of the principal jubilee beacon, part of the platinum jubilee celebrations, at Windsor Castle. Reuters -
Fireworks explode above Blackpool Tower to celebrate the jubilee. Reuters -
The 'Tree Of Trees' by designer Thomas Heatherwick at a special ceremony for the lighting of the principal beacon at Buckingham Palace, London. AFP -
Thousands wait for the royal family to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, on the first day of celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee. AP -
The Trooping the Colour ceremony is carried out at Horse Guards, London. AP -
French President Emmanuel Macron stands next to British ambassador to France Menna Rawlings, after rekindling the flame under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to mark the British queen's platinum jubilee. Reuters -
Francis Mwangi, 13, uses an Oculus virtual reality headset to visit Buckingham Palace virtually during platinum jubilee celebrations in Nyeri, Kenya. Reuters -
The Red Arrows perform a flypast over the Horse Guards parade, London. Trooping The Colour is a military ceremony performed by regiments of the British Army. It has taken place since the mid-17th century. Getty Images -
Prince Louis holds his ears as he stands next to Queen Elizabeth, his mother Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte and Prince George to watch a special flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony. AFP -
Crowds gather to watch a flypast by the Red Arrows during Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee celebrations. EPA -
Royal fans wear Queen Elizabeth masks during jubilee celebrations. EPA -
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Charles greet royal well-wishers near Buckingham Palace. Bloomberg -
Spectators watch the RAF flypast on The Mall after the Trooping the Colour parade in London. Getty Images -
The RAF flypast on The Mall to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on February 6, 1952. Getty Images -
From left, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales , Queen Elizabeth II , the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and the Duke of Cambridge, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to view the RAF flypast on day one of the platinum jubilee celebrations. PA -
Members of the public fill The Mall ahead of a fly-past over Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour in London. Trooping The Colour, also known as The Queen's Birthday Parade, is a military ceremony performed by regiments of the British Army that has taken place since the mid-17th century. Getty Images -
Members of the Honourable Artillery Company perform a gun salute during celebrations to mark the platinum jubilee of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, at the Tower of London. Reuters -
The Royal Gun Salute in Cardiff to mark the start of the platinum jubilee weekend. AP -
Queen Elizabeth II watches from the balcony during Trooping the Colour at Horse Guards Parade, central London, on day one of the platinum jubilee weekend celebrations. PA -
Prince Charles being driven to the parade. Getty -
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge at the Trooping the Colour parade. Getty -
Police officers intervene as protesters try to disrupt the ceremony during the queen's platinum Jubilee celebrations on The Mall in London. Reuters -
The Mall is packed for the wekeend's celebrations. PA -
The Kings Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery ride down The Mall on their way to fire the ceremonial gun. AP -
(L-R) Prince George of Cambridge, Prince Louis of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge travel in a horse-drawn carriage during Trooping The Colour. Getty -
An Irish wolfhound leads as soldiers march along The Mall. AP -
Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex ride in a carriage as the Royal Procession leaves Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Color ceremony. AP -
The BT tower in central London bears a message to Queen Elizabeth II. AFP -
The 206 Battery of the Royal Artillery, the Ulster Gunners, fire a midday commemorative gun salute in honour of the beginning of the queen's platinum jubilee celebrations, at Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland. Reuters -
Sydney Harbour Bridge is illuminated in 'Royal Purple' to mark the 70th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. AP -
The 105th Regiment Royal Artillery, The Scottish and Ulster Gunners during the royal gun salute at Edinburgh Castle. PA -
Marching in Horse Guards Parade, central London. Getty -
People gather at The Mall in London to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee. Reuters -
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is driven along The Mall. Huge crowds are expected in the city as the UK marks the jubilee. AFP -
The Band of the Welsh Guards make their way to the Trooping the Colour event in London. AP -
The platinum jubilee marks the 70th anniversary of the queen taking the throne. Reuters -
Jubilant crowds in London. Reuters -
A Buckingham Palace staff member cleans the balcony where the queen is expected to wave to well-wishers. AFP -
A man walks his corgis Chuckles and Bunting down The Mall during the celebrations. Reuters -
Police officers cycle down The Mall. Reuters -
The Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery fires field guns at Point Jerningham, to mark the 70th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, in Wellington, New Zealand. AP -
The official platinum jubilee portrait of Queen Elizabeth, taken at Windsor Castle recently. Photo: Buckingham Palace -
Larry the Cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, sits outside Downing Street, London, adorned in bunting before the platinum jubilee celebrations, in London. AP -
A look-alike of Queen Elizabeth waves at people in London. The queen's platinum jubilee will be celebrated from June 2 to June 5 to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne on February 6, 1952. EPA -
People walk along The Mall in London, before the start of the Queen's platinum jubilee weekend. AP -
Joseph Afrane, 58, originally from Ghana, lives in Battersea, London, and is planning to attend all the official platinum jubilee events. PA -
Twins Linda Whitfield and Janice Jones, 59, from County Durham, are camping on The Mall to ensure they have a good view of the celebrations. PA -
Members of the public walk through Piccadilly Circus before the platinum jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth. AFP
Change was also happening within the UK. The devastation of the Second World War, which most of the Queen's subjects had lived through, bankrupted the economy and changed politics and society. The calls for recognition from under-represented groups, particularly women and colonial subjects, both of whom made great sacrifices during the war, would spell an end to the previous social order.
Since then, 14 British Prime Ministers have grappled with such issues on a political level. The Queen has followed them closely with weekly conversations. While she stays out of political decision-making, this astonishing breadth of historical experience is an asset to the country. Barely anyone knows anything about the content of these interactions, making this secret knowledge just one of the many fascinating aspects of her reign.
Another gift is her ability to pick up on the mood of the nation. She has always chosen to be close to people. She carried out 341 official engagements at the age of 89. This commitment was never as important as during the pandemic. Almost 24 million people watched a rare special address she made in March 2020. An image of her sitting alone at her husband's funeral, sticking to Covid-19 regulations, became a symbol of the country’s sacrifice.
A benefit of monarchies is the stability they can embody. The past few decades have been the fastest-changing era in history. Queen Elizabeth is one of the few leaders who has been in the public eye throughout, remaining an example of the responsible use and respect of power. Today, such harmony is a gold standard to which future UK monarchs should aspire.
