Coronation of King Edward VII

A clip from © IWM (1080a) The coronation procession of King Edward VII, 1902

Ahead of King Charles III's coronation on 6 May, take a trip through history to watch coronation ceremonies of monarchs past

Edward VII was 59 when he became King on 22 January 1901, on the death of his mother Queen Victoria. He was the first British monarch to be crowned in the age of moving images - though another half-century would pass before any film camera caught the moment of crowning itself. This film of his coronation day procession, on 19 August 1902, includes a glimpse of the King and Queen Alexandra in the Gold State Coach, which has been used for every coronation since 1830 and will be used again for the coronation of King Charles III.

An expression of Great Britain's status as an imperial power, the coronation procession included representatives of the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines and regiments of the Indian Army.  Initial plans for the procession included troops from various countries, including Germany and Russia. However, due to rescheduling, the procession was completely made up of British and Empire troops. 

In this film, the procession passes through Admiralty Arch in central London to the cheers of the crowd lining the route. Among the dignitaries singled out by the camera are Field Marshal Lord Kitchener and Field Marshal Lord Roberts. The procession is also seen passing through Horse Guards and into Whitehall, led by the Yeomen of the Guard on foot, then the Indian escort and the Royal Horse Guards.

Watch more archive footage depicting coronation celebrations of British monarchs in IWM's collections.

Find out More

Newly available films of King Charles III on IWM Film depict his naval career in the 1970s. Watch the young prince enroll at Dartmouth Naval College, make his first parachute jump and serve on Royal Navy ships. 

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