The guest list for King Charles’ coronation includes four members of the royal family who were also at Westminster Abbey seventy years ago when Elizabeth became Queen of England.
June 2, 1953, was the day when the Imperial Crown of State was placed on the then 25-year-old Elizabeth’s head. The ceremony was attended by some 8,000 people. For the coronation of Charles, it was reduced to 2,000 guests, but among them, only four stand out.
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Guests at Charles’ coronation
Being at a coronation is something some can boast about, but participating in two is a somewhat historic event.
Seventy years ago, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth was attended by Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent.
Prince Richard
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin, was 8 years old at the time of her coronation. Today he is a full-time royal worker and lives at Kensington Palace with his wife Brigitte, Duchess of Gloucester. He is currently 78 years old.
Princess Alexandra
Princess Alexandra was 16 years old when her first cousin Elizabeth became Queen of England. She is currently 86 years old and during her lifetime has performed thousands of royal duties on behalf of the monarch. She was also a bridesmaid at Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip in 1947.
Prince Edward
Prince Edward was 17 at the time of his first cousin’s coronation. At the time he was already the Duke of Kent, a title he inherited when he was only 6 years old. Given his high royal rank, Edward was the third prince to pay homage to Queen Elizabeth after her coronation. He retired in 1976 from military service to concentrate on his real duties, he is 87 years old.
Prince Michael of Kent
Michael was 10 years old when Elizabeth was crowned Queen. Throughout his life, he represented Queen Elizabeth at state funerals and other events abroad. Michael of Kent is currently 80 years old.
