As Britons prepare for the coronation of King Charles III, we take a look at the United Kingdom's last coronation — for Queen Elizabeth II.

That was 70 years ago, and Charles is making some changes for his own event.

The parade route will be shorter than his mother's. The ceremony will include a nod to other faiths besides Christianity. And all of the U.K., not just aristocrats, will be asked to swear allegiance to King Charles.

Elizabeth's coronation was on June 2, 1953, when the country still had some of the marks of World War II. The start of the 25-year-old's reign was widely seen as the dawn of a new era. And many citizens got to watch the coronation for the first time on an emerging medium: television.

See the pictures we found from Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

300x250 Ad

300x250 Ad

Support quality journalism, like the story above, with your gift right now.

Donate