Sepia Saturday give bloggers an opportunity to share their family history and memories through photographs.
As today marks the 90th birthday of the Queen, Britian's longest reigning monarch, here are my memories of the QUEEN'S CORONATION on June 2nd 1953.
I was nine years old and had been busy making red, white and blue decorations, creating a coronation scrapbook, collecting my coronation mug (presented to all children) and playing with the doll my mother made for me, dressed as the Queen with a long velvet purple embroidered train, and on the day itself watching the ceremony on our new 10-inch screen black and white television I put on my yellow taffeta party dress in honour of the occasion.
But there was a personal dimension to the day, as my mother was in hospital for three weeks around that time after a major operation. For my younger brother and myself it was a strange uncertain time, especially as children we were not allowed to visit the hospital. Dad told us of the nurses decorating the ward in red, white and blue, and Mum won the sweep stake in the Grand National Steeplechase, won by jockey Gordon Richards.
The day Mum came home was emotional as we all burst into tears - and I wore again my party dress to welcome her back to the family.
My copy of the official programme
This article also featured in my posts for the A-Z 2016 Blogging Challenge.
Copyright © 2016 - Susan Donaldson. All Rights Reserved
This article also featured in my posts for the A-Z 2016 Blogging Challenge.
Copyright © 2016 - Susan Donaldson. All Rights Reserved
You had television there earlier than in Australia or New Zealand, and you have a good memory of the event. I was only about 6 months old and still in NZ at the time, so I think I'm excused.
ReplyDeleteSuch a trauma for kids when Mum isn't around. I would guess her winning the
ReplyDeletesweep stake would be reassuring. I remember the coronation
was a big event in Canada and we received some kind of scroll. As I was eleven, you'd think I'd have a better memory of the specifics of it, but I don't. I'm totally charmed by the idea of your yellow
taffeta dress.
How nice that the hospital decorated for the event. Like Jo, I was too young during the coronation to even know what a coronation was. So I'm excused too.
ReplyDeleteYou and my mother! My Mom had a yellow taffeta dress from her childhood that I loved which she kept in her cedar chest & once in a while she'd take it out & let me wear it for a little while & I'd dance around the living room in it. I wonder if it looked very much like yours? :)
ReplyDeleteCelebrations without Mum is not the same. Lovely that you wore your special party dress for your Mum's coming home from hospital.
ReplyDeleteI think Her Majesty should be proud that your memory of her coronation honors your mother's return home. Yellow or otherwise, I doubt I could recognize taffeta, but it sounds charming.
ReplyDeleteI love that your mum made a gown for your doll. What lovely memories.
ReplyDeleteI do remember the coronation, which was written up in our school's required reading The Weekly Reader, including pictures. I don't think we had a TV yet. But of course many clips of films have been shown since then. Your dress sounds lovely and I'm so glad you wore it for your mum as well as the Queen.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for sharing your memories. Yes that yellow taffeta party dress was in typical 1950's style - puffed sleeves, full gathered skirt, plain round neck and a sash tied in a bow at the back.
ReplyDelete