Coronation! Your Essential Guide…

A New Virtual Summit: Booking is Now OPEN!

I am delighted to announce that booking is now open for this year’s virtual summit: ‘Your Essential Guide to Coronation: Unravelling the Mystique of Monarchy‘, which celebrates one of the most significant royal ceremonies: coronation!

With the upcoming coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey on May 6, this summit gives you the background on the bling, the pomp and the ceremony of such a monumental occasion. 

The focus will be on the history of coronation from Tudor times to today, exploring how that ceremony has evolved over time. Steering us through centuries of coronation history, Tracy Borman, who has recently authored, ‘Crown and Sceptre’, has agreed to be our lead guide. 

Rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry, a coronation is a symbolic formality marking the formal investiture of a monarch. We’ll go behind the scenes to unpack the history and significance of the buildings, gowns, jewels and regalia associated with such an event so that when 6 May arrives, you will be ‘coronation ready’ to impress your family and friends with your insider knowledge!

Here are the areas that we will be covering:

• The History of Coronation: We will discover the history of the buildings featured in coronation festivities over the centuries and explore the significance of spaces used during the coronation ceremony.
• ​The Buildings of Coronation: ceremonies are steeped in centuries-old traditions. We will learn how these traditions have evolved from Tudor times to the present day. 
• ​ The Robes of Coronation: We will learn about the tradition of coronation robes. From inside The Royal School of Needlework, our expert guides will tell us how these exquisite robes are imbued with symbolism and how they were commissioned and made during Tudor times.
• The Regalia of Coronation: From the crown to the orb and sceptre, from the ampulla to the golden spurs, each of these objects is suffused with meaning. We will explore this metaphoric language, learn about the tragic fate of the medieval Crown Jewels and talk about the stories behind some of the most famous – and controversial – jewels you are likely to see on display at the coronation on 6 May.

Your Coronation Speakers:

All the interviews for my summits are filmed in 4K and conducted in person – and often in some lovely historic locations, including, in this instance, Hampton Court. For Your Essential Guide to Coronation, you can look forward to hearing from four world-leading experts who will help us ‘unravel the mystique of monarchy’:

Tracy Borman: Tracy is our lead speaker, setting the context for the rest of the summit by steering us through centuries of coronation history. She is an expert in royal history, and her book, Crown and Sceptre, released last year, charts the evolution of the Crown and the story of the 41 kings and queens who wore it. Tracy will share her enormous wealth of knowledge as she guides us through the rituals surrounding the crowning of a new monarch. 

Jonathan Foyle: Jonathan Foyle is a much-loved architectural historian who has appeared on TV educating us on the buildings of the Tudor period and their history, including several appearances on Time Team and programmes such as Henry VIII: Patron or Plunderer. Jonathan will dig deep into the history of the spectacular buildings associated with this historical event, notably Westminster Abbey and Westminster Hall. Transformed into the theatre of coronation, Jonathan will explain how some of the key spaces in the Abbey will be used during this glittering ceremony.

Eleri Lynn and Anne Butcher: Eleri is an expert on historic court fashion, with her last role being the curator of the historic dress collection at Hampton Court Palace. She knows all there is to know about Tudor fashion, having published her book of the same name last year. Anne Butcher is the ‘Head of Studio’ at The Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace, with over 40 years of experience at the school. Together, these ladies will explore the glamorous history of coronation robes, the different elements of the dress we will likely see during the ceremony, and their symbolic significance.

Nicola Tallis: Finally, Nicola Tallis, historian and author of the recently released book, All the Queen’s Jewels, will explore the history and significance of the different items of coronation regalia. An expert in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and the history of jewellery, Nicola will talk us through the different objects associated with the regalia from the medieval and Tudor periods to today.

Finally, we have a world exclusive in your entertainment section! Rebecca Monet and Ashley Risk will unveil their new creative collaboration, an illustrated presentation of Anne Boleyn’s coronation procession, as we follow the summer queen from Greenwich Palace to Westminster Abbey for her coronation on 1 June 1533.

The Essential Details You Need:

The summit will be made live for those who have booked tickets on 15 April 2023, giving you time before the coronation to soak up all the details. However, if you can’t make the 15 April to watch the videos as each goes live, DO NOT WORRY! You can watch them on catch-up anytime and as often as you like between 15 April and 31 May 2023.

The summit is packed with facts to answer your pressing questions – and more. Don’t miss out!

Make sure you are ‘coronation ready’ by booking your ticket today. All the information you need can be found here (or by clicking the red button below), including how to reserve your spot. Use the hashtag #coronation2023 to share across social media.