Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953.
Obverse and reverse of medal
Image: Medal, coronation (AM 2014.7.6 10)
Coronation of Elizabeth II
The coronation of Elizabeth II as queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive councils shortly afterwards. The coronation was held more than one year later because of the tradition of allowing an appropriate length of time to pass after a monarch dies. It also gave the planning committees adequate time to make preparations for the ceremony. During the service, Elizabeth took an oath, was anointed with holy oil, was invested with robes and regalia, and was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon.
Official coronation portrait taken by Cecil Beaton
A ticket for the stands erected along the route of the procession to the abbey through Piccadilly Circus
A programme for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation; photo of the programme taken at the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library in 2019.
A silk banner that was displayed in Westminster Abbey featuring a crowned garter and the cypher EIIR