Archive records of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation - Thursday 11 June 1953

M.H. Woods - Ebbas Scrip 1953

It is said that to appreciate the beauties of the morning - and the day -- one should get up early, preferably around five o'clock; but we are afraid that our appreciation of the morning was somewhat spoilt, for we arrived at Ewell West station to the accompaniment of a thin drizzle of rain. This thin drizzle prevailed, in some shape or form, all the way up to London' and we could see flags flapping about limply in the breeze that accompanied it.  

At Waterloo station, with our placard as passport, we were quickly marshalled into long snakes of three abreast. We marched past the Festival Hall, across the Thames, and down to the Embankment; and then we waited. We did not have to wait long. The first procession to arrive was that of the Lord Mayor, in a splendid coach preceded by three very picturesque gentlemen beating drums. This short procession represented the commonalty and citizens of London.

The next procession on the programme was that of the Speaker of the House of Commons, which we, unfortunately did not see; but then came the seventy cars on their way to the Abbey. They contained the rulers and representatives of states from all parts of the world, and some of our own peers and peeresses. After the long trail of cars had gone by, we waited again; this time we waited for the Carriage Procession of Commonwealth Prime Ministers. Heading the cavalcade was Sir Winston Churchill, resplendent in the robes of Admiral of the Cinque Ports, with Lady Churchill at his side. The Prime Ministers of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and all the other Commonwealth countries followed, with the Northern Ireland Prime Minister last. 

Then came the procession headed by the Queen of Tonga: the procession of Colonial Rulers. We had Sultans and Emirs and Maharajahs in that procession, all in exotic national dress. Then came members of the Blood Royal; then the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in the glass coach; then the Queen herself. We saw a long, long parade of guards and soldiers - a positive sea of busbies. There were busbies everywhere; there were carriages; men mounted and men on foot. The whole procession - led by the chaplains and culminating in that superb mounted band - surged round the corner, was upon us, and gone before you could say Jack Robinson - although it was progressing very slowly. Slowest of all was that magnificent State Coach with the Queen inside; but even that seemed to go too quickly for us. Drawn by six Windsor Greys it was the climax and highlight of the procession - preceded by yeomen and that mounted band. It was on us, before us and gone. We watched it proceed in a very stately manner between the rows of cheering schoolchildren - watched it go, and then it was all over.