The first coronation in Westminster Abbey was that of William the Conqueror, who was crowned there on Christmas Day in 1066, and the coronation of Charles III in May 2023 was the 40th coronation of a reigning monarch to take place in the Abbey. The coronation chair dates to the first years of the fourteenth century, when King Edward I commissioned a chair to incorporate the Stone of Scone that had previously been used in the coronation ceremony of the Kings of Scotland. LPA: 310252. The current version of the St Edward’s Crown has been used to crown monarchs since Charles II’s coronation in 1661 with some exceptions, including Queen Victoria, for whom a new, smaller crown was made in 1838 due to concerns about the weight of the crown and her small stature. LPA: 26692 and 34774. Routes of the coronation procession have been through various parts of London, including through the City of London itself, but have centred between St James’s and Westminster Abbey since at least the nineteenth century. LPA: 1903 and 26701. The coronation of King George V in 1911 was the first time that any part of the coronation ceremony was photographed. LPA: 20006.
The City of London is represented at the important national ceremony by the Lord Mayor, who attends the coronation in Westminster Abbey LPA: 27054. In previous years, proclamations have been given from the steps of the Royal Exchange that a new monarch has been crowned, including by the Lord Mayor in 1911 before the coronation of King George V LPA: 26324. Following his coronation, King George V was invited to attend a coronation luncheon at Guildhall in the days following the ceremony. LPA: 11084.