THE TALE OF TWO CORONATIONS

from Bersted In Focus June 2023

A COLOURFUL OCCASION

BY KATE STEWART

Memories of the King’s Coronation 2023 by Felpham resident, Stella Freeman Smith

We were on the train in Barnham by 5am and when we got to Victoria we were herded along a very circuitous route to the Mall.

I was a child for Elizabeth II’s Coronation and remember the excitement of the street party and clustering round a very small black and white television. This time I decided to see the real thing in ‘colour’ and my two daughters were up for it as well! They are likely to see another one – I’m not.

We found a spot towards Horse Guards and we made the best of it. A lot of people were already seated in front of the barrier, but we could see everything and hear the commentary over the loudspeakers.

As the King was crowned a gun salute went off and the ground shook. The return from the Abbey was very exciting. The gold coach so impressive, the soldiers immaculate and we saw the Drum Horse, Atlas, not behaving right in front of us! We had great admiration for his rider who only had his feet for control!

After the procession passed, we were allowed on to the Mall as we had hoped. We ended up about 20 metres from the Buckingham Palace gates. We could have got closer, but we wanted to get the best view of all the Royal family out on the balcony.

The flypast was a bit disappointing but hey-ho, English weather, what does one expect?

We finally made our way back to Victoria via Hyde Park just in time for the train home. All in all, it was a very successful and memorable day.

Memories of the Queen’s Coronation 1953 by Felpham resident Irene Boud

I lived in Scotland but my brother was working in London so I went down to stay with him. We got up at 2 o’clock in the morning and took the tube to the West End. People had been camping out for days in the best places but we found a space on the pavement in the Haymarket just off Picadilly, not at the front but still a good view.

Just after daybreak. The news vendors came round shouting that Sir Edmund Hillary had conquered Everest.

It was the afternoon before the coronation procession reached us and we had a good view of the Queen, but for me it was the Queen of Tonga who made the most impression. Despite the rain she rode in an open carriage and was loudly cheered.

In the evening my brother and I went to the Hammersmith Palais to dance the night away. One of my dance partners was a young soldier who had been part of the procession. A memorable day.

Editor: Thank you Stella and Irene.