My Coronation Experience
Back home in the United States and ready to share with you all my trip to the U.K. for the first coronation in 70 years!
I can’t believe all of the anticipation and speculation is over just like that. It’s been exactly one week since King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey! I had been dying to visit the U.K. for so so SO long that when the opportunity emerged, I couldn’t turn it down. Now I get to say that I watched history happen before my eyes!
In this weekend’s newsletter, I’ll be sharing my experience during the week leading up to the Coronation and then the big day itself before a recap of The Prince and Princess of Wales’s events recently because I feel like I did not adequately cover them while I was abroad.
For more details and a full look into my travels (including which Royals I was able to see), make sure to subscribe to me on Instagram to access all of the stories saved to my “England” highlight.
The Coronation on The Ground
I arrived in London on May 1st, just five days before the coronation. My flight from the United States got delayed multiple times, so I landed a few hours later than planned. Although I was exhausted, I refused to retire to where I was staying for the week and instead decided to get the adventure started. I headed to Piccadilly Circus for lunch before beginning my walk to Buckingham Palace.
When I came upon Trafalgar Square and saw a glimpse of The Mall through Admiralty Arch, it started to hit me that I was actually in London about to witness such a historical event. I got very lucky and am glad that I decided to visit Buckingham Palace earlier in the week because as it went on, the roads were closed more and more.
I got to Buckingham Palace in all its glory as the sun was setting. It was also really cool to see the press tents up close, along with other coronation preparations.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I did most of the big things that could be done in London: The Tower of London, Kensington Palace, the Natural History Museum, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. I loved getting to go inside the places that I had been so accustomed to seeing in pictures or videos. Everything exceeded my expectations!
A highlight was getting to see Westminster Abbey. I walked there from Big Ben on Tuesday and noticed lots of commotion. Just a few minutes after I left, they closed the roads for a late-night rehearsal. Having been worried about how much the preparations would affect my trip, I feel like I got so fortunate throughout many moments during my time there!
I am a huge Jane Austen fan, so of course, a day trip to Bath was on the itinerary! If I lived in London, I would be making frequent day trips to Bath. It is such a charming and gorgeous place. I absolutely loved it! My trip to Bath was also very timely because the first King of England, Edgar, was crowned in Bath in a ceremony bearing the first semblance of a coronation.
The eve of the Coronation saw me in Windsor. It is such a shame that pictures are not allowed to be taken inside Windsor Castle because words cannot suffice for all the beauty of the rooms I was able to see. One of my favorite rooms was one where they keep gifts The Royal Family have received during State Visits!
I also got to visit St. George’s Chapel, where I got to see Queen Elizabeth II’s final resting place with her husband, parents, and sister. It was a very surreal moment and one I never thought I would experience.
After my trip to Windsor ended in the early afternoon, I decided to head to the processional route to scope out the best spot and see how things were. When I arrived, I was absolutely shocked at how many people were already there, sleeping along the route. I knew that people did that all the time, but I just was not expected to see the amount of tents that I did. It is accurate to say I knew I was in trouble…
Come May 6th, I arrived via the Green Park tube station around 6:30 a.m. and walked no less than 45 minutes trying to find a spot where I could possibly see a little bit. Unfortunately, I could not. So I gave up and headed to the St. James’s Park screening site to watch the ceremony. Although I was initially bummed that I wouldn’t be able to see the procession, watching the ceremony itself with so many people around me was so much fun.
Two things that really struck me: 1) As an American, the media here, especially social media, can really convince you that the majority in the U.K. feel apathy towards the British Monarchy and the Royal Family. Having been there and experienced it all myself, I can clearly see that isn’t the case. I was taken aback by the amount of respect I saw for the King and their country. Something that isn’t that common in the USA…
Secondly, I love William and Catherine. I know through polls, crowds, and the media that they are extremely popular. However, to get see that popularity play out was a whole other thing. When I tell you that the crowd would go wild any time the Wales Family appeared on the screen, I mean it.
When The King and Queen were seen leaving their carriage to start the procession, I heard a ton of people asking where William and Catherine were. There were no louder yells and cheers for anyone else than as soon as the two of them popped up on the screen. It was a very heartwarming experience to see the two of them receiving the love they deserve.
When the service ended, I left the screening site as the royal party was halfway down the abbey to try and see if I could get lucky enough to find a spot to see the procession back to Buckingham Palace. Of course, I did not… well, at least not on the ground. I spotted some people standing on railings and decided to join them. I was able to catch a glimpse of the carriages going by, but that was more than enough for me. <3
I didn’t get to catch the balcony appearance because I was starving and very wet, but on the way back to the tube (I ended up taking a taxi because everything got closed down), I saw the flypast above me, which was really cool. After many years of watching Trooping the Color, I got to see those colors in the sky!
Overall, it was an amazing experience. One that I will never forget! I definitely have learned a thing or two for the next time I head across the pond for a big royal event…
Coronation Week Recap
While I did my best to keep you all updated on all the events going on during the week, I was trying to enjoy my time there. Consequentially, I feel like I didn’t give the best updates nor really share my thoughts and opinions. So, join me as we quickly relive the Coronation week!
Festivities for The Prince and Princess of Wales kicked off on Thursday, May 4th, as they hopped on the tube, the Elizabeth Line to be exact, to head to the Dog and Duck Pub in Soho, where they heard how the pub was preparing for the Coronation weekend. Following, they met countless well-wishers that gathered outside.
Unfortunately, I was in Bath that day. This is my only complaint for the week: I wish Kensington Palace had announced William and Catherine’s events beforehand so I could have planned accordingly. However, I also completely understand that they didn’t share details, likely due to security concerns.
For the engagement, The Princess of Wales wore a complete repeat outfit with her Suzannah London dress and bright orange Eponine London coat.
Friday, May 3rd, was a hectic day for the couple as the coronation countdown reached just mere hours. In the early afternoon, His Majesty The King held a luncheon at Buckingham Palace for Prime Ministers and Governor Generals from his overseas realms. Later in the evening, The Royal Family received Heads of State and members of foreign Royal Families for another event.
The Prince and Princess joined The King on the Mall between the receptions to greet the wellwishers who had been sleeping along the processional route for days. (And trust me, there were lots of them).
For the first reception, Catherine wore a new bespoke Jenny Packham dress that is similar to one she wore back in 2014. In the evening, The Princess of Wales debuted a new sapphire blue Self-Portrait dress, which I really hope we see in full sometime soon! To both receptions, she Aquazzura heels.
May 6th: The big day finally arrived! A lot had been speculated about the day, particularly the dress code was of utmost importance to royal watchers. There was a sense of disappointment as some, including myself, had seen the invitations to members of the congregation AND foreign royals, which designated day dresses and morning suits. It seemed like all hope for jewels and glamour was lost. Especially since Valentine Lowe for The Times, usually one of the most reliable royal commentators, reported Catherine had exchanged a tiara for a “flower crown.”
However, as The Prince and Princess of Wales emerged from their car (which was right on time despite what some have reported), gasps echoed across Green Park as the family looked more regal than ever. I really was not expecting them to wear robes, but I was ecstatic to see The Prince in his Garter robes and, for the first time, The Princess wearing the Royal Victorian Order mantle.
Underneath their robes, Prince William wore his Welsh Guards uniform reflecting his recent promotion to Colonel. Meanwhile, one thing that everyone guessed correctly was that Alexander McQueen would be the Princess’s choice for the big day. Her ivory gown by the brand that crafted her wedding dress twelve years prior was embroidered with roses, thistles, daffodils, and shamrocks, representing the four nations of the United Kingdom.
There were, unfortunately, no tiaras for the event, but The Princess of Wales found the best loophole. She and Princess Charlotte matched in Alexander McQueen and Jess Collett’s collaboration headpieces which featured three-dimensional leaf embroidery.
I was very excited to say for the very first time that Princess Charlotte also had a custom Alexander McQueen dress! Her adorable cape dress was designed to sweetly emulate her mother’s gown. Prince George wore the scarlet tunic traditionally worn by Pages of Honour as he conducted his role, while Prince Louis wore a Hainsworth Garter Blue Doeskin Tunic.
Even though it was not exactly how I envisioned everything, I was very pleased with how it all turned out. The Princess of Wales truly understood the assignment and, unsurprisingly, she was the star of the show. Indeed the entire Wales Family were. There are no better representatives of the future than those people. It was a massive success for them and had many people pondering what their day will look like in the future.
I need to quickly talk about The Middletons because I love seeing them at these significant royal events! I was really only expecting Michael and Carole Middleton to have been invited, as they were last year at Her Late Majesty’s state funeral and committal service, so I was surprised but thrilled to see Pippa and James also in attendance!
As we all know, King Charles had a very limited number of invitations he was personally allowed to give out, to the point that many of his godchildren and children of his cousins weren’t invited. So, the fact that the entire Middleton clan was invited, albeit James and Pippa did attend without their spouses (which I was little bummed about because I always love seeing Alizee Middleton), and they sat in the same section as The Royal Family, speaks volumes.
Michael and Carole Middleton along with Pippa and her husband James were also present at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle the night after the main event.
The day following the Coronation, which I am sure all members of The Royal Family welcomed with great relief, The Prince and Princess of Wales attended a Coronation Big Lunch on The Long Walk at Windsor Castle before being joined by Prince George and Princess Charlotte later in the evening for the Coronation Concert where The Prince gave a speech paying tribute to his father.
The Coronation Weekend ended on Monday with the Big Help Out. In an absolutely perfect engagement, the entire Wales Family headed to the 3rd Upton Scouts group in Slough to renovate their scout hut! The Princess is Joint President of The Scouts with The Duke of Kent, so getting the children involved was the best thing to do!
We got to see a lot of their family dynamic, and one can see that that environment, digging and archery, is one they are very used to. Plus, I found out that for this engagement, it was very similar to how William and Catherine have handled the children’s first day of school: one photographer, one videographer, and one reporter to capture the event.
I guess I would consider the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, May 9th, to celebrate the Coronation the end of all of the events. The Prince and Princess of Wales hosted the garden party as The King and Queen were off resting. I love Garden party season! It’s always a highlight in the annual calendar.
The Princess of Wales rewore a gorgeous Elie Saab ensemble she debuted back in 2019 for the Royal Ascot. This has always been one of my favorite pieces, paired with a Philip Treacy hat, so I am glad it got a proper re-wear! I do wonder how the outfit would look without a hat…
Coronation Portraits
The Royal Family has so far released six official portraits taken by Hugo Burnand (Fun Fact: he also took William and Catherine’s official wedding photos) at Buckingham Palace following the Royal Family’s balcony appearance. The first set of four were released on Monday as the coronation weekend came to an end. The photos included one with the working members of The Royal Family, solo shots of The King and Queen, and one of them together.
My honest opinion on these portraits: Something felt off. I don’t have the slightest clue about camera work or photography, but perhaps it was something in that area? I also feel like there was a lack of…regalness. I think The King and Queen’s posture in their photos did not translate well. Plus, maybe King Charles should have gone with wearing his uniform, as some were speculating, instead of the garment he was wearing as it came off as too costumey. Take note, William.
Yesterday evening, the palace released the shot most of us were waiting for: The King and his two heirs! Photos like that one have been customary throughout history to show the line of success and continuity of the monarchy. I was bummed when it wasn’t included in the first batch, but thankfully, they did end up releasing it!
The second photo released yesterday was one of the entire coronation party. I love this picture simply because of Prince George’s smile, one that says, “I’ve been doing these my entire life!” Additionally, whoever had the idea to put Prince George encircled by The King and Queen’s robes, thank you for your vision because it was a nice touch and recognition of his position.
I’m still hoping we get some more portraits in due time, preferably of The King and the Wales Family, and some solo Wales shots.
It’s a little sad now that all the anticipation is seemingly gone. We’ve had so many significant events back to back, the jubilee, funeral, and now coronation; it is weird that it’s all over.
However, we do have exciting dates in the royal family’s annual summer calendar. We have Trooping the Color, Royal Ascot, and Garter Day, among other events, coming up. Plus, Prince George’s 10th birthday in July, and I’m hoping for some tour/visit news soon.
All this to say, there is still so much more to come!
ON THE SCHEDULE:
May 14th: The Prince of Wales will attend the Women’s FA Cup Final
May 16th: The Princess of Wales will carry out an engagement to mark Mental Health Awareness Week (details not announced).
May 18th: The Princess of Wales will visit Anne Freud’s London Home