When was Queen’s coronation? How old was Elizabeth II when she was crowned and how long was she on the throne

The late Queen Elizabeth II is the first ever British monarch to have celebrated a Platinum Jubilee
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Just months after celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, The Queen died at age 96 Balmoral Castle on 8 September.

Back in February of last year, she became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee and in June, she publicly marked her 70 years on the throne with a long weekend of celebrations.

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While the Queen was crowned in 1953 in Westminster Abbey, her accession actually took place the year earlier, in February 1952. It comes after King Charles acceded the throne immediately following his mother's death, with his coronation confirmed in May 2023.

When was the Queen’s accession?

Princess Elizabeth acceded the throne at the age of 25 after her father, King George VI died on 6 February 1952. She had been the eldest of the King’s two daughters, and was thus next in line to the throne.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) with King George VI (right) in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, London, during World War II, circa 1942 (Photo: Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) with King George VI (right) in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, London, during World War II, circa 1942 (Photo: Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) with King George VI (right) in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, London, during World War II, circa 1942 (Photo: Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The King’s death came after a prolonged illness, and he passed away during his sleep in the Royal Estate at Sandringham.

The Queen had been in Kenya during this time, and subsequently became the first Sovereign to accede while abroad in over 200 years.

When was the Coronation?

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While the Queen’s accession to the throne occurred in February 1952, her Coronation did not take place for a while yet, on 2 June 1953 in Westminster Abbey. So while she acceded the throne at 25, she was crowned at age 27.

The Royal Family explains: “The Coronation of the new Sovereign follows some months after his or her accession, following a period of mourning and as a result of the enormous amount of preparation required to organise the ceremony.”

The Coronation was conducted by Dr Geoffrey Fisher, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and was attended by the likes of the Prime Minister and citizens of the other Commonwealth countries, and representatives of foreign states.

File photo dated 02/06/53 after the coronation in Westminster Abbey, London showing Queen Elizabeth II wearing the St. Edward Crown and carrying the Sceptre and the Rod (Photo: PA)File photo dated 02/06/53 after the coronation in Westminster Abbey, London showing Queen Elizabeth II wearing the St. Edward Crown and carrying the Sceptre and the Rod (Photo: PA)
File photo dated 02/06/53 after the coronation in Westminster Abbey, London showing Queen Elizabeth II wearing the St. Edward Crown and carrying the Sceptre and the Rod (Photo: PA)

More than 20 million people watched the service when it was broadcast on television at the request of the Queen. While the day was plagued by heavy rain, crowds of spectators viewed the procession along the route.

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The ceremony began at 11:15am and ran for nearly three hours, with the service split into six parts: the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture (which included the crowning), the enthronement and the homage.

She became the sixth Queen,and the 39th Sovereign, to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.

In 2013, the Queen celebrated her 60th anniversary of her Coronation, which was marked with a festival in the garden of Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Royal Warrant Holders Association.

How long was Queen Elizabeth II on the throne?

The late Queen was the longest serving British monarch, and sat on the throne for 70 years.

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She was just two years away from meeting the record set by the longest serving monarch of the world.

Louis XIV of France remains the longest-reigning monarch, with a 72-year and 110-day reign from 1643 until 1715.

What was the Platinum Jubilee?

The Platinum Jubilee marked the Queen’s 70th anniversary on the throne. While Sunday 6 February would technically mark the date that the Queen ascended to the throne, it is not a date that the Queen wishes to celebrate as it is also the date of her father’s death.

The Platinum Jubilee was thus held on Friday 3 June later in the year, with the Queen becoming the first ever British monarch to achieve such an occasion.

From left, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Silver Jubilee procession (Photo: PA)From left, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Silver Jubilee procession (Photo: PA)
From left, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Silver Jubilee procession (Photo: PA)
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She became the longest reigning British monarch back in 2015, when she surpassed that of the previous record holder - her great-great-grandmother Victoria.

Queen Elizabeth II commemorated 65 years on the throne in 2017 with her Sapphire Jubilee, for which she is also the only British monarch to achieve.

What events took place for the Platinum Jubilee?

A huge host of events were planned to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, including an extra bank holiday for the people of Britain to enjoy.

The May Day bank holiday weekend was shifted to Thursday 2 June, with an additional bank holiday on Friday 3 June to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee over a four day weekend.

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On Thursday 2 June, the Queen’s birthday parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, was held, with over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians coming together in the traditional parade to mark the Queen’s official birthday.

Members of The King’s Troop Royal Artillery lead the parade down the Mall back to Buckingham Palace after the Queen’s Birthday Parade, ‘Trooping the Colour’, in London on June 8, 2019 (Photo: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)Members of The King’s Troop Royal Artillery lead the parade down the Mall back to Buckingham Palace after the Queen’s Birthday Parade, ‘Trooping the Colour’, in London on June 8, 2019 (Photo: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)
Members of The King’s Troop Royal Artillery lead the parade down the Mall back to Buckingham Palace after the Queen’s Birthday Parade, ‘Trooping the Colour’, in London on June 8, 2019 (Photo: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

Also on the Thursday, over 1,500 beacons were lit throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories, as is tradition to mark events like Royal Jubilees, weddings and Coronations.

On Friday a service of Thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign will was held at St Paul’s Cathedral.

On Saturday 4 June, members of the royal family attended the Derby at Epsom Downs. The BBC will also broadcast a Platinum Party at the Palace which saw some of the biggest names in the world of entertainment come together to celebrate the Queen’s seven decades on the throne.

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Finally, on Sunday 5 June, members of the public took part in The Big Jubilee Lunch, where communities celebrated their connections and got to know each other a bit better, in the spirit of fun and friendship.

Four days of events took place for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee (Photo: Jacob King-WPA Pool/Getty Images)Four days of events took place for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee (Photo: Jacob King-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Four days of events took place for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee (Photo: Jacob King-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Also taking place on Sunday 5 June to wrap up the Platinum Jubilee celebrations was the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

A pageant of over 5,000 people from across the UK and the Commonwealth took place against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace, and the surrounding streets.

It featured street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival and costume, and celebrate the service of the Queen’s reign, as well as honouring the collective service of people and communities across the country.

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