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Coronation: A History of the British Monarchy
’What is the finest sight in the world? A Coronation.
What do people talk most about? A Coronation.
What is delightful to have passed? A Coronation.’
Horace Walpole, 1761 As a boy of sixteen, Roy Strong watched the grand procession carrying Queen Elizabeth II to her coronation. The spectacle was considered the greatest public event of the century. But now, so many years later, many people have little notion of what a coronation is and are unaware of the rich resonances of the ritual, or its deep significance in terms of the committal of monarch to people. This book is the first of its kind – a comprehensive history that sets each coronation into its political, social, religious and cultural context. The story is one of constant re-invention as the service has had to respond to all the changes in fortune of the monarchy or the everything from legitimising usurpers to reconciling a Catholic rite to the tenets of Protestantism. It even had to be recreated from scratch after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. In this way, Strong tells the story of the British monarchy since the tenth century, and looks forward to the coronation of King Charles III. The musical history alone is one of extraordinary richness – involving Henry Purcell, Handel, Edward Elgar, William Walton – plus the celebratory poetry, the art and the spectacular engravings published at coronations are all explored, as is the more recent role of photographers. The book particularly concentrates on post-1603 developments, including the incredible story of the Stuarts, when the crown jewels used for hundreds of years at coronations were melted down as symbols of the hated Divine Right of Kings. As Charles III succeeds to the throne and preparations are made for his coronation, Strong speculates as to the revisions now called for to its ritual and pageantry to meet the changes in the role of the monarchy in the twenty-first century.
What do people talk most about? A Coronation.
What is delightful to have passed? A Coronation.’
Horace Walpole, 1761 As a boy of sixteen, Roy Strong watched the grand procession carrying Queen Elizabeth II to her coronation. The spectacle was considered the greatest public event of the century. But now, so many years later, many people have little notion of what a coronation is and are unaware of the rich resonances of the ritual, or its deep significance in terms of the committal of monarch to people. This book is the first of its kind – a comprehensive history that sets each coronation into its political, social, religious and cultural context. The story is one of constant re-invention as the service has had to respond to all the changes in fortune of the monarchy or the everything from legitimising usurpers to reconciling a Catholic rite to the tenets of Protestantism. It even had to be recreated from scratch after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. In this way, Strong tells the story of the British monarchy since the tenth century, and looks forward to the coronation of King Charles III. The musical history alone is one of extraordinary richness – involving Henry Purcell, Handel, Edward Elgar, William Walton – plus the celebratory poetry, the art and the spectacular engravings published at coronations are all explored, as is the more recent role of photographers. The book particularly concentrates on post-1603 developments, including the incredible story of the Stuarts, when the crown jewels used for hundreds of years at coronations were melted down as symbols of the hated Divine Right of Kings. As Charles III succeeds to the throne and preparations are made for his coronation, Strong speculates as to the revisions now called for to its ritual and pageantry to meet the changes in the role of the monarchy in the twenty-first century.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
448 pages, Hardcover
Published January 31, 2023
8 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Roy Strong
175 books27 followersSir Roy Colin Strong FRSL (23 August 1935 - ) is an English art historian, museum curator, writer, broadcaster and landscape designer.
He has been director of both the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He was knighted in 1983.
He has been director of both the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He was knighted in 1983.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 17, 2023
detailed book looking at the history of coronation updated recently due to the death of Elizabeth II and the upcoming coronation of Charles III. this book won't be for everyone as it its detailed in the process of coronation.
July 7, 2024
An interesting book with a few facts I have never heard of before, including Edward VIII not wanting a coronation ceremony at all. In fact his own brother went to all the coronation planning meetings whilst Edward was off holidaying in Greece! When Edward abdicated, his brother George was well prepared and they actually kept the same coronation date.
However I have given this book 3 stars as it's all over the place. Rather then speaking about each coronation in turn solely, the book goes back and forth between monarchs continuously throughout the book, e.g the book talks about Queen Victoria's coronation in comparison to George III and George IV. Rather then detailing what went on with Victoria's. I found this most annoying. I would rather have read the complete detail on Victoria's coronation, but all you really get is a comparison with every other monarchs coronation.
I'm rather interested in Richard III coronation, but really there are only a few paragraphs about it in the whole book. And you have to look for them, due to the "coronation comparison' style of the book
However I have given this book 3 stars as it's all over the place. Rather then speaking about each coronation in turn solely, the book goes back and forth between monarchs continuously throughout the book, e.g the book talks about Queen Victoria's coronation in comparison to George III and George IV. Rather then detailing what went on with Victoria's. I found this most annoying. I would rather have read the complete detail on Victoria's coronation, but all you really get is a comparison with every other monarchs coronation.
I'm rather interested in Richard III coronation, but really there are only a few paragraphs about it in the whole book. And you have to look for them, due to the "coronation comparison' style of the book
March 2, 2025
As a lover of all things dealing with the British monarchy I was excited to read this book. Since I am an American I am less clear about how coronations run so this was a book I thought would help me to understand. While this author clearly was an expert on the intricacies of the ceremony I found it difficult to follow. The book was full of details. The author starts with coronations in the beginning of British history and how they evolved. What I found difficult was while there was a chronological order to the book it sometimes went back and forward. I think this was above my head and I need a more simplified book about coronations.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews