As celebrations begin for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, why not take a look at some of the historic resources on JISC MediaHub which date from the time of her coronation in 1953.
Our University of Brighton Design Archives Collection contain some of the original designs by James Gardner which were commissioned for the Queen’s Coronation . He designed the public decorations for the Royal Borough of Kensington including a magnificent canopy which stood near the gates of Kensington Palace.
You can see below how the canopy looked when it was built.
Gaumont British News produced a film showing the highlights of the Queen’s Coronation. The BBC provided live coverage of the event which encouraged many people to buy their first television set. This would start the gradual decline in the popularity of cinema newsreels.
Take a closer look at the white satin gown worn by the Queen at her coronation in this news clip from Channel Five News, which reports on a special exhibition held at Buckingham Palace in the year of the Golden Jubilee. Alongside the floral emblems embroidered on the bodice was a unique four leaf clover which the designer, Norman Hartnell, had secretly included.
Enjoy all your celebrations on Jubilee Day – but keep safe with this sage advice from the 1977 Silver Jubilee:
- And watch out for all that dodgy Jubilee memorabilia!
Further Links:
- BBC Jubilee
- Direct Gov: The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – celebrations and events
- The National Portrait Gallery: The Queen: Art and Image
- The Royal Collection: Exhibition: The Queen: 60 Photographs for 60 Years
- V&A: Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton
- History Pin (Pin your own photos, videos and audio clips to places visited by the Queen)
- Face Britain (Designed for children to create their own self-portraits – lots of fun)