Coronation of Queen Victoria at Westminster Abbey (1838)

The coronation of Queen Victoria took place on 28 June 1838 at Westminster Abbey, reached by a public procession from Buckingham Palace. Planning began at Cabinet level in March 1838 under Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. Railways brought an estimated 400,000 visitors to London, and the historian Roy Strong later called the 1838 ceremony the last of the botched coronations.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Victoria succeeded to the throne in June 1837. Formal planning for her coronation began in March 1838, led by Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. The ceremony was scheduled for Westminster Abbey, a site historically used for monarch coronations since 1066. The event was notable for its scale, with railways delivering an estimated 400,000 visitors to London.

Ceremony. The service took place on 28 June 1838. Victoria was proclaimed queen in the Abbey and retired to a robing room to change from a crimson cloak to a white linen gown. Historian Roy Strong described the 1838 ceremony as the last of the 'botched coronations.'

Procession. A public procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey preceded the ceremony. This route, which included a new startpoint at the palace, was longer than previous processions. Victoria travelled in the Gold State Coach, made for George III in 1762. The Queen returned to Buckingham Palace later as part of a second procession.

People involved

Sources

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