EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Woes of George VI's coronation trends now
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With fewer than 90 days to his coronation, King Charles stoically studies the near-calamities of his grandfather George VI's 1937 crowning, which included the Archbishop of Canterbury placing the St Edward's Crown back to front on his head. And while taking the Coronation Oath, the Bishops of Durham and Bath and Wells forgot the wording and the Archbishop had to 'hold his book down for me to read, but horror of horrors his thumb covered the words', wailed the king. He added: 'My Lord Great Chamberlain was supposed to dress me but I found his hands fumbled & shook so I had to fix the belt of the sword myself. As it was he nearly put the hilt of the sword under my chin.' Lots (not) to look forward to Charles!
EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: With fewer than 90 days to his coronation, King Charles stoically studies the near-calamities of his grandfather George VI's 1937 crowning (file image)
King George, in his copious notes, described the Dean of Westminster trying to dress him in an inside-out colobium sindonis linen shift with HM's Groom of the Robes 'coming to the rescue'. He added forlornly that as he left the Coronation Chair he was stopped in his tracks.
