Coronation of George III and Charlotte

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Coronation of George III and Charlotte
George III and Charlotte coronation portraits 1762.jpg
King George III and Queen Charlotte in coronation robes, by Allan Ramsay
Date22 September 1761 (1761-09-22)
LocationWestminster Abbey, London, England
Participants

The coronation of George III and his wife Charlotte as king and queen of Great Britain and Ireland took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on Tuesday, 22 September 1761, about two weeks after they were married in the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. Following a long procession from St James's Palace to Westminster Hall and finally to the Abbey, they were crowned.

Background[]

Wedding of George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, oil sketch by Sir Joshua Reynolds, c. 1761

On the death of his grandfather, George II, George ascended to the throne on 25 October 1760 at the age of 22.[1] The young king was yet to be married, and so he inquired Lord Bute on suitable Protestant German princesses to be his wife and consort. In July 1761, it was decided that the King would marry the 17-year-old Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, whom lacked interest in political affairs much to George's favour.[2][3] After she arrived at St James's Palace accompanied by her brother, Duke Adolphus Frederick, on 8 September 1761 to meet the King, George and Charlotte were married at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace the same day.[3] They were married just in time for the coronation ceremony two weeks later. The coronation was budgeted at around £70,000,[4] with preparations conducted as per tradition by the Earl Marshal, at the time being Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk.

Procession[]

The coronation proved to be an anticipated affair, for the morning of the ceremony was marked with crowded streets as well as overflown inns, rooms, and homes waiting for the appearance of the new king and queen. Reportedly a great many carriages hastily arrived at Westminster Abbey on the day of the coronation, many of them colliding in ensuing chaos. At around 9:00 a.m., George and Charlotte departed from St James's Palace and were carried separately to Westminster Hall in sedan chairs, whilst invited nobility, government officials, as well as members of the royal household formed a large procession to take their places in the abbey, lasting several hours. The King and Queen soon arrived and entered the Abbey on foot after 1:30 p.m., with the dignity of the royal couple and the “reverent attention which both paid to the service” being favourably commented on.[5] The procession and ceremony were so long the King was not crowned until 3:30 that afternoon.[6]

Service[]

The coronation ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Secker, in which he guided King George in taking the coronation oath, and he was crowned king of Great Britain and Ireland, followed by cheering by the congregation. The King was then anointed with holy oil. The King felt it not appropriate to take communion wearing his crown, and so he laid it aside (as he was ill guided on this point), to which reportedly a jewel would fall from his crown, a perceived bad omen, though this account is disputed.[7]

After the conclusion of the King's crowning ceremony, Queen Charlotte was crowned in a shorter and simpler ceremony.[8] The Queen's crown was specifically made for her, a precedent that would follow from consorts Queen Adelaide in her 1831 coronation to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in her 1937 coronation. Her crown's jewels were said to be gifts from her family, however it itself did not survive to contemporary times; their son, George IV, would have them incorporated in the insignia of the Order of St. Patrick.

Nearing the end of the ceremony, the Archbishop delivered his sermon, in which the congregation began to eat snacks, which were mainly cold meat and pies, and drink wine brought with them and given out by servants.

The ceremony ended with a coronation banquet, the Lord Steward, the Lord High Constable and the Deputy Earl Marshall presiding. Spectators reportedly let down baskets and handkerchiefs to the eaters at the banquet tables below, who would send up chicken and wine.[7]

Royal guests[]

References[]

  1. ^ "George III (r. 1760-1820)". The Royal Family. 31 December 2015. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  2. ^ "George III | Biography, Madness, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b Percy Hetherington Fitzgerald (1899). The Good Queen Charlotte. New York Public Library. Downey. pp. 32–33.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  4. ^ "RCIN 1005090 - Ceremonial of the Coronation of His Most Sacred Majesty King George the Fourth". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  5. ^ "The Coronation of George III". Mackinac State Historic Parks. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  6. ^ "George III". Westminster Abbey. Archived from the original on 15 May 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Day in History: Coronation of George III and Queen Charlotte". The Royal Forums. 23 September 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  8. ^ "The Coronation of George III". Mackinac State Historic Parks. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  9. ^ "The coronation of King George III... - RareNewspapers.com". www.rarenewspapers.com. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
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