The King told a group of women who had attended his mother’s coronation that he had felt ‘anxious’ about a key moment during the ceremony
In a new documentary, King Charles shares new insight into the weighty concerns he had ahead of his coronation, as well as a rare glimpse into his early family life. The film tells the tale of 50 young Canadian women who journeyed across the Atlantic to witness Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in the summer of 1953.
The documentary, Coronation Girls, follows 12 of these women, now averaging 89-years-old, as they retraced their steps and returned to London in December 2023, where they were surprised by Charles during a visit to Buckingham Palace. The King shared his own vivid memory, saying: “My grandmother explained things to me while I was there.”
Despite only being four years old at the time, he told them: “I can remember quite a lot, yes, well, particularly what I was dressed in and what the barber did to me before.”
King Charles had learned about the full weight of wearing the crown from his mother (
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PA Archive/PA Images)
In the 90-minute film, Charles warmly greeted each woman, including climate activist and author Yvonne Harris and former adoption worker Carol Shipley, and made light-hearted comments about the practicalities of wearing the crown.
He added: “I remember it all so well then, because I remember my sister and I had bath time in the evening. My mama used to come up at bath time wearing the crown to practice. You have to get used to how heavy it is. I’ve never forgotten, I can still remember it vividly.”
He added: “It is very important to wear it for a certain amount of time, because you get used to it then. But the big one that you’re crowned with, the St Edward’s Crown, it weighs five pounds.”
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The St Edward’s Crown has been used at royal coronations for more than 300 years (
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PA Archive/PA Images)
King Charles told them: “It is much heavier and taller, so there’s always that feeling of feeling slightly anxious, in case it wobbles. You have to carry it, you have to look straight ahead.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury crowned the King in the 17th-century golden St Edward’s Crown at his coronation in Westminster Abbey in May 2023. The women told the documentary that their trip to Elizabeth’s coronation was “life-changing” and “magic” and described the moment the new Queen passed them in the gold state coach during the procession.
“The crowds were so joyous and so loud they drowned out the marching bands,” one said. At the time, the late Queen was around nine years older than the girls, which, some said, helped them feel a special connection with the new monarch.
Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 coronation drew citizens from across the Commonwealth, including the group of 17 young women from CanadaIn June 2022, the group wrote a letter to Elizabeth where they asked if they could have tea with her a few months before she died.
The documentary, which explores themes of enduring friendship and the impact the historic event had on the young women, will be aired on Boxing Day on WNED PBS in Canada.
