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and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on
12 May 1937. George VI ascended the throne upon the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII,
on 11 December 1936, three days before his 41st birthday. Edward's coronation had been
planned for 12 May 1937 and it was decided to continue with his brother and sister-in-law's
Although the music included a range of new anthems and the ceremony underwent some
alterations to include the Dominions, it remained a largely conservative affair and closely
followed the ceremonial of George V's coronation in 1911. The ceremony began with the
anointing of the King, symbolising his spiritual entry into kingship, and then his crowning and
enthronement, representing his assumption of temporal powers and responsibilities. The peers of
the realm then paid homage to the King before a shorter and simpler ceremony was conducted
for the Queen's coronation. The return procession to Buckingham Palace was over six miles (9.7
km) in length, making it the longest coronation procession up to that time; crowds of people
lined the streets to watch it, over 32,000 soldiers took part and 20,000 police officers lined the
route. The coronation was commemorated by the issuing of official medals, coinage, and stamps,
by military parades across the Empire, and by numerous unofficial celebrations, including street
The event was designed to be not only a sacred anointing and formal crowning, but also a public
spectacle, which was also planned as a display of the British Empire. May 1937 included a
programme of royal events lasting nearly the entire month to commemorate and mark the
occasion. As a preliminary to the coronation, guests from across the Empire and around the
world assembled at Buckingham Palace and official receptions were held to welcome them;
amongst those attending were Indian princes and, for the first time, native African royalty. For
the event itself, the prime ministers of each Dominion took part in the procession to the abbey,
while representatives of nearly every country attended. Contingents from most colonies and each
The media played an important part in broadcasting this show of pageantry and imperialism to
the Empire. The coronation was an important event in the history of television, being the
country's first major outside broadcast, although television cameras were not allowed inside the
abbey. It was also the first coronation to be filmed, as well as the first to be broadcast on radio.