Queen Elizabeth II (1952-Present)

Elizabeth II, born April 21, 1926, is the eldest daughter of George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She married Philip Mountbatten, a distant cousin, in 1947; the pair have four children: Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne, Andrew and Edward. She has reigned for forty-six years, and appears capable of remaining on the throne for quite some time.

Monarchy, as an institution in Europe, all but disappeared during the two World Wars: a scant ten monarchs remain today, seven of which have familial ties to England. Elizabeth is, by far, the best known of these, and is the most widely traveled Head of State in the world. Her ascension was accompanied by constitutional innovation; each independent, self-governing country proclaimed Elizabeth, Queen of their individual state. She approves of the transformation from Empire to Commonwealth, describing the change as a "beneficial and civilized metamorphosis." The indivisibility of the crown was formally abandoned by statute in 1953, and "Head of the Commonwealth" was added to the long list of royal titles which she possesses.

Elizabeth's travels have won the adulation of her subjects; she is greeted with honest enthusiasm and warm regard with each visit abroad. She has been the master link in a chain of unity forged among the various countries within the Commonwealth. Hence, the monarchy, as well as the Empire, has evolved - what once was the image of absolute power is now a symbol of fraternity.

Elizabeth has managed to maintain a division between her public and private life. She is the first monarch to send her children to boarding schools in order to remove them from the ever-probing media. She has a strong sense of duty and diligence and dispatches her queenly business with great candor, efficiency and dignity. Her knowledge of current situations and trends is uncannily up to date, often to the embarrassment of her Prime Ministers. Harold Wilson, upon his retirement, remarked, "I shall certainly advise my successor to do his homework before his audience." Churchill, who had served four monarchs, was impressed and delighted by her knowledge and wit. She possesses a sense of humor rarely exhibited in public where a dignified presence is her goal.

The Coronation

The Form and Order of Service that is to be performed and the Ceremonies that are to be observed in

The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster, on Tuesday, the second day of June, 1953.

I. The Preparation

In the morning upon the day of the Coronation early, care is to be taken that the Ampulla be filled with Oil for the anointing, and, together with the Spoon, be laid ready upon the Altar in the Abbey Church.

The LITANY shall be sung as the Dean and Prebendaries and the choir of Westminster proceed from the Altar to the west door of the Church.

The Archbishops being already vested in their Copes and Mitres and the Bishops Assistant in their Copes, the procession shall be formed immediately outside of the west door of the Church, and shall wait till notice be given of the approach of her Majesty, and shall then begin to move into the Church.

And the people shall remain standing from the Entrance until the beginning of the Communion Service.

II. The Entrance into the Church

The Queen, as soon as she enters at the west door of the Church, is to be received with this Anthem:

Psalm 122, 1–3, 6, 7

I was glad when they said unto me:

We will go into the house of the Lord Our feet shall stand in thy gates:
O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city:
that is at unity in itself.
O pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls:
and plenteousness within thy palaces.

The Queen shall in the mean time pass up through the body of the Church, into and through the choir, and so up the steps to the Theatre; and having passed by her Throne, she shall make her humble adoration, and then kneeling at the faldstool set for her before her Chair of Estate on the south side of the Altar, use some short private prayers; and after, sit down in her Chair.

The Bible, Paten, and Chalice shall meanwhile be brought by the Bishops who had borne them, and placed upon the Altar.

Then the Lords who carry in procession the Regalia, except those who carry the Swords, shall come from their places and present in order every one what he carries to the Archbishop, who shall deliver them to the Dean of Westminster, to be placed by him upon the Altar.

III. The Recognition

The Archbishop, together with the Lord Chancellor, Lord Great Chamberlain, Lord High Constable, and Earl Marshal (Garter King of Arms preceding them), shall then go to the East side of the Theatre, and after shall go to the other three sides in this order, South, West, and North, and at every of the four sides the Archbishop shall with a loud voice speak to the People: and the Queen in the mean while, standing up by King Edward's Chair, shall turn and show herself unto the People at every of the four sides of the Theatre as the Archbishop is at every of them, the Archbishop saying:

Sirs, I here present unto you
Queen ELIZABETH,
your undoubted Queen:
Wherefore all you who are come this day
to do your homage and service,
Are you willing to do the same?

The People signify their willingness and joy, by loud and repeated acclamations, all with one voice crying out,

GOD SAVE QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Then the trumpets shall sound.

IV. The Oath

The Queen having returned to her Chair (her Majesty having already on Tuesday, the fourth day of November, 1952, in the presence of the two Houses of Parliament, made and signed the Declaration prescribed by Act of Parliament), the Archbishop standing before her shall administer the Coronation Oath, first asking the Queen,

Madam, is your Majesty willing to take the Oath?

And the Queen answering,
I am willing,

The Archbishop shall minister these questions; and the Queen, having a book in her hands, shall answer each question severally as follows:

Archbishop: Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?

Queen: I solemnly promise so to do.

Archbishop: Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgements?

Queen: I will.

Archbishop: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel?

Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law?

Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England?

And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?

Queen: All this I promise to do.

Then the Queen arising out of her Chair, supported as before, the Sword of State being carried before her, shall go to the Altar, and make her solemn Oath in the sight of

all the people to observe the premisses: laying her right hand upon the Holy Gospel in the great Bible (which was before carried in the procession and is now brought from the altar by the Archbishop, and tendered to her as she kneels upon the steps), and saying these words:

The things which I have here promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God.

Then the Queen shall kiss the Book and sign the Oath.

The Queen having thus taken her Oath, shall return again to her Chair, and the Bible shall be delivered to the Dean of Westminster.

V. The Presenting of the Holy Bible

When the Queen is again seated, the Archbishop shall go to her Chair; and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, receiving the Bible from the Dean of Westminster, shall bring it to the Queen and present it to her, the Archbishop saying these words:

Our gracious Queen:
to keep your Majesty ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God
as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes,
we present you with this Book,
the most valuable thing that this world affords.

And the Moderator shall continue:
Here is Wisdom;
This is the royal Law;
These are the lively Oracles of God.

Then shall the Queen deliver back the Bible to the Moderator, who shall bring it to the Dean of Westminster, to be reverently placed upon the Altar. This done, the Archbishop shall return to the Altar.

VI. The Beginning of the Communion Service

The Introit

Psalm 84, 9, 10.
Behold, O God our defender:
and look upon the face of thine Anointed.
For one day in thy courts:
is better than a thousand.

Then, the Queen with the people kneeling, the Archbishop shall begin the Communion Service saying:

Almighty God,
unto whom all hearts be open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love thee,
and worthily magnify thy holy Name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Archbishop: Lord have mercy upon us.
Answer: Christ have mercy upon us.
Archbishop: Lord have mercy upon us.

LET US PRAY

O God,
who providest for thy people by thy power,
and rulest over them in love:
Grant unto this thy servant ELIZABETH, our Queen,
the Spirit of wisdom and government,
that being devoted unto thee with her whole heart,
she may so wisely govern,
that in her time thy Church may be in safety,
and Christian devotion may continue in peace;
that so persevering in good works unto the end,
she may by thy mercy come to thine everlasting kingdom;
through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.

The Epistle

1 S. Peter 2, 13.
To be read by one of the Bishops.

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

The Gradual

Psalm 141, 2.
Let my prayer come up into thy presence as the incense:
and let the lifting up of my hands be as an evening sacrifice. Alleluia.

The Gospel

S. Matthew 22, 15.
To be read by another Bishop, the Queen with the people standing.

Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute-money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Cæsar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's: and unto God the things that are God's. When they heard these words they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

And the Gospel ended shall be sung the Creed following, the Queen with the people standing, as before.

I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
And of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
Begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
Very God of very God,
Begotten, not made,
Being of one substance with the Father,
By whom all things were made:
Who for us men, and for our salvation
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary,
And was made man;
And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried;
And the third day he rose again
according to the Scriptures,
And ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of the Father.
And he shall come again with glory
to judge both the quick and the dead:
Whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost,
The Lord and giver of life,
Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son together
is worshipped and glorified,
Who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church.
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the resurrection of the dead,
And the life of the world to come. Amen.

VII. The Anointing

The Creed being ended, the Queen kneeling at her faldstool, and the people kneeling in their places, the Archbishop shall begin the hymn, VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS, and the choir shall sing it out.

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire.
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
Who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart.

Thy blessed Unction from above
Is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light
The dulness of our blinded sight.

Anoint and cheer our soiled face
With the abundance of thy grace:
Keep far our foes, give peace at home;
Where thou art guide, no ill can come.

Teach us to know the Father, Son
And thee, of both, to be but One;
That, through the ages all along,
This may be our endless song:

Praise to thy eternal merit,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The hymn being ended, the Archbishop shall say:

LET US PRAY

O Lord and heavenly Father,
the exalter of the humble and the strength of thy chosen,
who by anointing with Oil didst of old
make and consecrate kings, priests, and prophets,
to teach and govern thy people Israel:
Bless and sanctify thy chosen servant ELIZABETH,
who by our office and ministry
is now to be anointed with this Oil,
Here the Archbishop is to lay his hand upon the Ampulla.
and consecrated Queen:
Strengthen her, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost the Comforter;
Confirm and stablish her with thy free and princely Spirit,
the Spirit of wisdom and government,
the Spirit of counsel and ghostly strength,
the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness,
and fill her, O Lord, with the Spirit of thy holy fear,
now and for ever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This prayer being ended, and the people standing, the choir shall sing:

I Kings 1, 39, 40.
Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king;
and all the people rejoiced and said
God save the king,
Long live the king,
May the king live for ever. Amen. Hallelujah.

In the mean time, the Queen rising from her devotions, having been disrobed of her crimson robe by the Lord Great Chamberlain, assisted by the Mistress of the Robes, and being uncovered, shall go before the Altar, supported and attended as before.

The Queen shall sit down in King Edward's Chair (placed in the midst of the Area over against the Altar, with a faldstool before it), wherein she is to be anointed. Four Knights of the Garter shall hold a rich pall of silk, or cloth of gold: the Dean of Westminster, taking the Ampulla and Spoon from off the Altar, shall hold them ready, pouring some holy Oil into the Spoon, and with it the Archbishop shall anoint the Queen in the form of a cross:

On the palms of both hands, saying,
Be thy Hands anointed with holy Oil.

On the breast, saying,
Be thy Breast anointed with holy Oil.

On the crown of the head, saying,
Be thy Head anointed with holy Oil:
as kings, priests, and prophets were anointed:

And as Solomon was anointed king
by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet,
so be thou anointed, blessed, and consecrated Queen
over the Peoples, whom the Lord thy God
hath given thee to rule and govern,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Then shall the Dean of Westminster lay the Ampulla and Spoon upon the Altar; and the Queen kneeling down at the faldstool, the Archbishop shall say this Blessing over her:
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God,
who by his Father was anointed with the Oil of gladness
above his fellows,
by his holy Anointing pour down upon your Head and Heart
the blessing of the Holy Ghost,
and prosper the work of your Hands:
that by the assistance of his heavenly grace
you may govern and preserve
the Peoples committed to your charge
in wealth, peace, and godliness;
and after a long and glorious course
of ruling a temporal kingdom
wisely, justly, and religiously,
you may at last be made partaker of an eternal kingdom,
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This prayer being ended, the Queen shall arise and sit down again in King Edward's Chair, while the Knights of the Garter bear away the pall; whereupon the Queen arising, the Dean of Westminster, assisted by the Mistress of the Robes, shall put upon her Majesty the Colobium Sindonis and the Supertunica or Close Pall of cloth of gold, together with a Girdle of the same. Then shall the Queen again sit down; and after her, the people also.

VIII. The Presenting of the Spurs and Sword, and the Oblation of the said Sword

The Spurs shall be brought from the Altar by the Dean of Westminster, and delivered to the Lord Great Chamberlain; who, kneeling down, shall present them to the Queen, who forthwith sends them back to the Altar.

Then the Lord who carries the Sword of State, delivering to the Lord Chamberlain the said Sword (which is thereupon deposited in Saint Edward's Chapel) shall receive from the Lord Chamberlain, in lieu thereof, another Sword in a scabbard which he shall deliver to the Archbishop: and the Archbishop shall lay it on the Altar and say:

Hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech thee,
and so direct and support thy servant
Queen ELIZABETH,
that she may not bear the Sword in vain;
but may use it as the minister of God
for the terror and punishment of evildoers,
and for the protection and encouragement of those that do well,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then shall the Archbishop take the Sword from off the Altar, and (the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of London and Winchester assisting and going along with him) shall deliver it into the Queen's hands; and, the Queen holding it, the Archbishop shall say:

Receive this kingly Sword,
brought now from the Altar of God,
and delivered to you by the hands of us
the Bishops and servants of God, though unworthy.
With this sword do justice,
stop the growth of iniquity,
protect the holy Church of God,
help and defend widows and orphans,
restore the things that are gone to decay,
maintain the things that are restored,
punish and reform what is amiss,
and confirm what is in good order:
that doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue;
and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life,
that you may reign for ever with him
in the life which is to come. Amen.

Then the Queen, rising up and going to the Altar, shall offer it there in the scabbard, and then return and sit down in King Edward's Chair: and the Peer, who first received the Sword, shall offer the price of it, namely, one hundred shillings, and having thus redeemed it, shall receive it from the Dean of Westminster, from off the Altar, and draw it out of the scabbard, and carry it naked before her Majesty during the rest of the solemnity.

Then the Archbishop of York and the Bishops who have assisted during the offering shall return to their places.

IX. The Investing with the Armills, the Stole Royal and the Robe Royal: and the Delivery of the Orb

Then the Dean of Westminster shall deliver the Armills to the Archbishop, who, putting them upon the Queen's wrists, shall say:

Receive the Bracelets of sincerity and wisdom,
both for tokens of the Lord's protection embracing you on every side;
and also for symbols and pledges
of that bond which unites you with your Peoples:
to the end that you may be strengthened in all your works
and defended against your enemies both bodily and ghostly,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then the Queen arising, the Robe Royal or Pall of cloth of gold with the Stole Royal shall be delivered by the Groom of the Robes to the Dean of Westminster, and by him, assisted by the Mistress of the Robes, put upon the Queen, standing; the Lord Great Chamberlain fastening the clasps. Then shall the Queen sit down, and the Archbishop shall say:

Receive this Imperial Robe,
and the Lord God endue you with knowledge and wisdom,
with majesty and power from on high;
the Lord clothe you with the robe of righteousness,
and with the garments of salvation. Amen.

The Delivery of the Orb

Then shall the Orb with the Cross be brought from the Altar by the Dean of Westminster and delivered into the Queen's right hand by the Archbishop, saying:

Receive this Orb set under the Cross,
and remember that the whole world
is subject to the Power and Empire
of Christ our Redeemer.

Then shall the Queen deliver the Orb to the Dean of Westminster, to be by him laid upon the Altar.

X. The Investiture per annulum, et per sceptrum et baculum

Then the Keeper of the Jewel House shall deliver to the Archbishop the Queen's Ring, wherein is set a sapphire and upon it a ruby cross: the Archbishop shall put it on the fourth finger of her Majesty's right hand, and say:

Receive the Ring of kingly dignity,
and the seal of Catholic Faith:
and as you are this day
consecrated to be our Head and Prince,
so may you continue stedfastly
as the Defender of Christ's Religion;
that being rich in faith
and blessed in all good works,
you may reign with him who is the King of Kings,
to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Then shall the Dean of Westminster bring the Sceptre with the Cross and the Rod with the Dove to the Archbishop.

The Glove having been presented to the Queen, the Archbishop shall deliver the Sceptre with the Cross into the Queen's right hand, saying:
Receive the Royal Sceptre, the ensign of kingly power and justice.

And then he shall deliver the Rod with the Dove into the Queen's left hand, and say:
Receive the Rod of equity and mercy.
Be so merciful
that you be not too remiss,
so execute justice
that you forget not mercy.
Punish the wicked,
protect and cherish the just,
and lead your people
in the way wherein they should go.

XI. The Putting on of the Crown

Then the people shall rise; and the Archbishop,

standing before the Altar, shall take the Crown into his hands, and laying it again before him upon the Altar, he shall say:

O God the Crown of the faithful:
Bless we beseech thee this Crown,
and so sanctify thy servant ELIZABETH
upon whose head this day thou dost place it
for a sign of royal majesty,
that she may be filled by thine abundant grace
with all princely virtues:
through the King eternal Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then the Queen still sitting in King Edward's Chair, the Archbishop, assisted with other Bishops, shall come to the Altar: the Dean of Westminster shall bring the Crown, and the Archbishop taking it of him shall reverently put it upon the Queen's head. At the sight whereof the people, with loud and repeated shouts, shall cry,

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

The Princes and Princesses, the Peers and Peeresses shall put on their coronets and caps, and the Kings of Arms their crowns; and the trumpets shall sound, and by a signal given, the great guns at the Tower shall be shot off.

The acclamation ceasing, the Archbishop shall go on, and say:

God crown you with a crown of glory and righteousness,
that having a right faith and manifold fruit of good works,
you may obtain the crown of an everlasting kingdom
by the gift of him whose kingdom endureth forever. Amen.

Then shall the choir sing:

Be strong and of a good courage:
keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.

And the people shall remain standing until after the Homage be ended.

XII. The Benediction

And now the Queen having been thus anointed and crowned, and having received all the ensigns of Royalty, the Archbishop shall solemnly bless her: and the Archbishop of York and all the Bishops, with the rest of the Peers and all the people, shall follow every part of the Benediction with a loud and hearty Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord protect you in all your ways
and prosper all your handywork. Amen.

The Lord give you faithful Parliaments and quiet Realms;
sure defence against all enemies;
fruitful lands and a prosperous industry;
wise counsellors and upright magistrates;
leaders of integrity in learning and labour;
a devout, learned and useful clergy;
honest peaceable and dutiful citizens. Amen.

May Wisdom and Knowledge be the Stability of your Times,
and the fear of the Lord your Treasure. Amen.

The Lord who hath made you Queen over these Peoples
give you increase of grace, honour and happiness in this world,
and make you partaker of his eternal felicity
in the world to come. Amen.

Then shall the Archbishop turn to the people and say:
And the same Lord God Almighty grant
that the Clergy and Nobles assembled here
for this great and solemn service,
and together with them all the Peoples of this Commonwealth,
fearing God, and honouring the Queen,
may by the gracious assistance of God's infinite goodness,
and by the vigilant care of his anointed servant,
our gracious Sovereign,
continually enjoy peace, plenty, and prosperity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with the eternal Father, and God the Holy Ghost,
be glory in the Church,
world without end. Amen.

XIII. The Enthroning

Then shall the Queen go to her Throne, and be lifted up into it by the Archbishops and Bishops, and other Peers of the Kingdom; and being enthroned, or placed therein, all the Great Officers, those that bear the Swords and the Sceptres, and the Nobles that carried the other Regalia, shall stand round about the steps of the Throne; and the Archbishop, standing before the Queen, shall say:

Stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth
the seat and state of royal and imperial dignity,
which is this day delivered unto you,
in the Name and by the Authority of Almighty God,
and by the hands of us
the Bishops and servants of God, though unworthy.
And the Lord God Almighty,
whose ministers we are, and the stewards of his mysteries,
establish your Throne in righteousness,
that it may stand fast for evermore. Amen.

XIV. The Homage

The Exhortation being ended, all the Princes and Peers then present shall do their Fealty and Homage publicly and solemnly unto the Queen: and the Queen shall deliver her Sceptre with the Cross and the Rod with the Dove, to some one near to the Blood Royal, or to the Lords that carried them in the procession, or to any other that she pleaseth to assign, to hold them by her, till the Homage be ended.

And the Bishops that support the Queen in the procession may also ease her, by supporting the Crown, as there shall be occasion.

The Archbishop shall first ascend the steps of the Throne and kneel down before her Majesty, and the rest of the Bishops shall kneel in their places: and they shall do their Fealty together, for the shortening of the ceremony: and the Archbishop, placing his hands between the Queen's shall say:

I, Geoffrey, Archbishop of Canterbury
and so every one of the rest,
I, N. Bishop of N.,
repeating the rest audibly after the Archbishop
will be faithful and true,
and faith and truth will bear unto you,
our Sovereign Lady,
Queen of this Realm and Defender of the Faith,
and unto your heirs and successors according to law.
So help me God.

Then shall the Archbishop kiss the Queen's right hand. After which the Duke of Edinburgh shall ascend the steps of the Throne, and having taken off his coronet, shall kneel down before her Majesty, and placing his hands between the Queen's shall pronounce the words of Homage, saying:

I, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
do become your liege man of life and limb,
and of earthly worship;
and faith and truth will I bear unto you,
to live and die, against all manner of folks.
So help me God.

And arising, he shall touch the Crown upon her Majesty's head and kiss her Majesty's left cheek.

In like manner shall the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent severally do their homage. After which the Senior Peer of each degree (of the Dukes first by themselves, and so of the Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, and Barons in that order) shall ascend the steps of the Throne and, having first removed his coronet, shall kneel before her Majesty and place his hands between the Queen's: and all the peers of his degree, having put off their coronets, shall kneel in their places and shall say with him:

I, N. Duke, or Earl, etc., of N.
do become your liege man of life and limb,
and of earthly worship;
and faith and truth will I bear unto you,
to live and die, against all manner of folks.
So help me God.

This done, the Senior Peer shall rise, and, all the Peers of his degree rising also, he shall touch the Crown upon her Majesty's head, as promising by that ceremony for himself and his Order to be ever ready to support it with all their power; and then shall he kiss the Queen's right hand.

At the same time the choir shall sing these anthems, or some of them:

Rejoice in the Lord alway,
and again I say, rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men:
the Lord is even at hand.
Be careful for nothing:
but in all prayer and supplication, let your petitions be manifest unto God, with giving of thanks.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesu.
John Redford.

O clap your hands together, all ye people:
O sing unto God with the voice of melody.
For the Lord is high and to be feared:
he is the great King of all the earth.
He shall subdue the people under us:
and the nations under our feet.
He shall choose out an heritage for us:
even the worship of Jacob, whom he loved.
Orlando Gibbons.

I will not leave you comfortless. Alleluia.
I will go away and come again to you. Alleluia.
And your heart shall rejoice. Alleluia.
William Byrd.

O Lord our Governour:
how excellent is thy Name in all the world.
Behold, O God our defender:
and look upon the face of thine Anointed.
O hold thou up her goings in thy paths:
that her footsteps slip not.
Grant the Queen a long life:
and make her glad with the joy of thy countenance.
Save Lord and hear us O King of heaven:
when we call upon thee. Amen.
Healey Willan.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee.
The darkness is no darkness with thee, but the night is as clear as day:
the darkness and the light are to thee both alike.
God is light,
and in him is no darkness at all.
O let my soul live,
and it shall praise thee.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for evermore.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee.
Samuel Sebastian Wesley.

When the Homage is ended, the drums shall beat, and the trumpets sound, and all the people shout, crying out:

God save Queen ELIZABETH.

Long live Queen ELIZABETH.

May the Queen live for ever.

Then shall the Archbishop leave the Queen in her Throne and go to the Altar.

XV. The Communion

Then shall the organ play and the people shall with one voice sing this hymn:

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
Him serve with fear, his praise forth tell,
Come ye before him, and rejoice.

The Lord, ye know, is God indeed,
Without our aid he did us make;
We are his folk, he doth us feed,
And for his sheep he doth us take.

O enter then his gates with praise,
Approach with joy his courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless his name always,
For it is seemly so to do.

For why? the Lord our God is good:
His mercy is for ever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.

To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God whom heaven and earth adore,
From men and from the Angel-host
Be praise and glory evermore. Amen.

In the mean while the Queen shall descend from her Throne, supported and attended as before, and go to the steps of the Altar, where, delivering her Crown and her Sceptre and Rod to the Lord Great Chamberlain or other appointed Officers to hold, she shall kneel down.

The hymn ended and the people kneeling, first the Queen shall offer Bread and Wine for the Communion, which being brought out of Saint Edward's Chapel, and delivered into her hands (the Bread upon the Paten by the Bishop that read the Epistle, and the Wine in the Chalice by the Bishop that read the Gospel), shall be received from the Queen by the Archbishop, and reverently placed upon the Altar, and decently covered with a fair linen cloth, the Archbishop first saying this prayer:

Bless, O Lord, we beseech thee, these thy gifts,
and sanctify them unto this use,
that by them we may be made partakers of the Body and Blood
of thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ,
and fed unto everlasting life of soul and body:
And that thy servant Queen ELIZABETH
may be enabled to the discharge of her weighty office,
whereunto of thy great goodness thou hast called and appointed her.
Grant this, O Lord, for Jesus Christ's sake,
our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

Then the Queen, kneeling as before, shall make her Oblation, offering a Pall or Altar-cloth delivered by the Groom of the Robes to the Lord Great Chamberlain, and by him, kneeling, to her Majesty, and an Ingot or Wedge of Gold of a pound weight, which the Treasurer of the Household shall deliver to the Lord Great Chamberlain, and he to her Majesty; and the Archbishop coming to her, shall receive and place them upon the Altar.

Then shall the Queen go to her faldstool, set before the Altar between the steps and King Edward's Chair, and the Duke of Edinburgh, coming to his faldstool set beside the Queen's shall take off his coronet. Then shall they kneel down together, and the Archbishop shall say this prayer:

Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness:
give ear, we beseech thee, to our prayers,
and multiply thy blessings upon this thy servant PHILIP
who with all humble devotion offers himself
for thy service in the dignity to which thou hast called him.
Defend him from all dangers, ghostly and bodily;
make him a great example of virtue and godliness,
and a blessing to the Queen and to her Peoples;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee, O Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen.

Then shall the Archbishop bless the Duke, saying:

Almighty God,
to whom belongeth all power and dignity,
prosper you in your honour
and grant you therein long to continue,
fearing him always,
and always doing such things as please him,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then the Archbishop, returning to the Altar, shall say:

Almighty and everliving God, who in thy holy Word hast taught us to make prayers, and supplications, and to give thanks for all men: we humbly beseech thee most mercifully to accept these oblations, and to receive these our prayers which we offer unto thy Divine Majesty; beseeching thee to inspire continually the universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord: And grant, that all they that do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and live in unity and godly love.

We beseech thee also to save and defend all Christian Kings, Princes and Governors; and specially thy servant ELIZABETH our Queen; that under her we may be godly and quietly governed; and grant unto her whole Council, and to all that are put in authority under her, that they may truly and indifferently minister justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of thy true religion, and virtue.

Give grace, O heavenly Father, to all Bishops and Curates, that they may, both by their life and doctrine, set forth thy true and lively Word, and rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments; and specially to this congregation here present; that, with meek heart and due reverence, they may hear, and receive thy holy Word; truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life.

And we most humbly beseech thee, of thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succour all them, who, in this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity.

And we also bless thy holy Name for all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and fear; beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom:

Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

The Exhortation.

Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways; Draw near with faith, and make your humble confession to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your knees.

The General Confession.

Almighty God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Maker of all things, Judge of all men;
We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness,
Which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed,
By thought, word, and deed, Against thy Divine Majesty,
Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us.
We do earnestly repent,
And are heartily sorry for these our misdoings;
The remembrance of them is grievous unto us;
The burden of them is intolerable.
Have mercy upon us,
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;
For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake,
Forgive us all that is past;
And grant that we may ever hereafter
Serve and please thee in newness of life,
To the honour and glory of thy Name;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Absolution.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins
to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him;
Have mercy upon you;
pardon and deliver you from all your sins;
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness;
and bring you to everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then shall the Archbishop say:

Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all that truly turn to him.

Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.
Matthew 11, 28.

So God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3, 16.

Here also what Saint Paul saith.
This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
I Timothy 1, 15.

Here also what Saint John saith.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 2, 1.

After which the Archbishop shall proceed, saying:

Lift up your hearts.
Answer We lift them up unto the Lord.
Archbishop Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
Answer It is meet and right so to do.

Then shall the Archbishop turn to the Lord's Table, and say:

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty,
that we should at all times, and in all places,
give thanks unto thee,
O Lord, Holy Father,
Almighty, Everlasting God:

Who hast at this time consecrated thy servant
ELIZABETH to be our Queen,
that by the anointing of thy grace she may be
the Defender of thy Faith
and the Protector of thy Church and People.

Therefore with Angels and Archangels,
and with all the company of heaven,
we laud and magnify thy glorious Name;
evermore praising thee, and saying:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts,
heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Glory be to thee, O Lord most high. Amen.

The Prayer of Humble Access:

We do not presume
to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness,
but in thy manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy
so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table.
But thou art the same Lord,
whose property is always to have mercy.
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ,
and to drink his blood,
that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body,
and our souls washed through his most precious blood,
and that we may evermore dwell in him,
and he in us. Amen.

The Prayer of Consecration:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
who of thy tender mercy
didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ
to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption;
who made there (by his one oblation of himself once offered)
a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction,
for the sins of the whole world;
and did institute,
and in his holy Gospel command us to continue,
a perpetual memory of that his precious death,
until his coming again;

Hear us, O merciful Father,
we most humbly beseech thee;
and grant that we, receiving these thy creatures of bread and wine,
according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ's holy institution,
in remembrance of his death and passion,
may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood:

Who in the same night that he was betrayed,
Here the Archbishop is to take the Paten into his hands:
took Bread; and, when he had given thanks,
And here to break the Bread:
he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
Take, eat,
And here to lay his hand upon the Bread:
this is my Body, which is given for you:
Do this in remembrance of me.

Likewise, after supper,
Here he is to take the Cup into his hand:
he took the Cup;
and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of this;
for this
And here to lay his hand upon the Cup.
is my Blood of the New Testament,
which is shed for you and for many
for the remission of sins:
Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it,
in remembrance of me. Amen.

When the Archbishop, and the dean of Westminster, with the Bishops Assistant (namely, those who carried the Bible, Paten and Chalice in the Procession), have communicated in both kinds, the Queen with the Duke of Edinburgh shall advance to the steps of the Altar and, both kneeling down, the Archbishop shall administer the Bread, and the Dean of Westminster the Cup, to them. And in the mean time the choir shall sing:

O taste, and see, how gracious the Lord is:
blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalm 34, 8.

At the delivery of the Bread shall be said:
The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee,
preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life.
Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee,
and feed on him in thy heart by faith, with thanksgiving.

At the delivery of the Cup:
The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for thee,
preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life.
Drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for thee,
and be thankful.

After which the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh shall return to their faldstools; and the Archbishop shall go on to the Post-Communion, he and all the people saying:

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
But deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.

And after shall be said as followeth:

O Lord and heavenly Father,
we thy humble servants
entirely desire thy fatherly goodness
mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving;
most humbly beseeching thee to grant, that
by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ,
and through faith in his blood,
we, and all thy whole Church,
may obtain remission of our sins,
and all other benefits of his passion.
And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord,
ourselves, our souls and bodies,
to be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice unto thee;
humbly beseeching thee, that all we,
who are partakers of this holy Communion,
may be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction.
And although we be unworthy, through our manifold sins,
to offer unto thee any sacrifice,
yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service;
not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences,
through Jesus Christ our Lord;
by whom, and with whom,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
all honour and glory be unto thee,
O Father Almighty, world without end. Amen.

Then, all the people standing, the Queen shall rise and, receiving again her Crown and taking the Sceptre and Rod into her hands, shall repair to her Throne; and the Duke, putting on his coronet, shall return to his place.

Then shall be sung:
Glory be to God on high,
and in earth peace, good will towards men.
We praise thee, we bless thee,
we worship thee, we glorify thee,
we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father,
have mercy upon us.

For thou only art holy;
thou only art the Lord;
thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Then, the people kneeling, the Archbishop shall say:
Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings
with thy most gracious favour,
and further us with thy continual help;
that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee,
we may glorify thy holy Name,
and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
be amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen.

XVI.

The solemnity of the Queen's Coronation being thus ended, the people shall stand, and the choir shall sing:

Te Deum Laudamus

We praise thee, O God:
we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee:
the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud:
the heavens and all the powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim:
continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy:
Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty:
of thy Glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles:
praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets:
praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs:
praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world:
doth acknowledge thee;
The Father:
of an infinite majesty;
Thine honourable true:
only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost:
the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory:
O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son:
of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man:
thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death:
thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God:
in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come:
to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants:
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints:
in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save thy people:
and bless thine heritage.
Govern them:
and lift them up for ever.
Day by day:
we worship thee;
And we worship thy Name:
ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord:
to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us:
have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us:
as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted:
let me never be confounded.

XVII. The Recess

In the mean time, the Queen, supported as before, the four swords being carried before her, shall descend from her Throne, crowned and carrying the Sceptre and the Rod in her hands, and shall go into the Area eastward of the Theatre; and, the Archbishop going before her, she shall pass on through the door on the south side of the Altar into Saint Edward's Chapel; and after her shall follow the Groom of the Robes, the Lord Great Chamberlain and the Lords that carried the Regalia in the procession (the Dean of Westminster delivering the Orb, the Spurs and St Edward's Staff to the Bearers of them as they pass the Altar); and lastly shall go in the Dean.

And, the Te Deum ended, the people may be seated until the Queen comes again from the Chapel.

The Queen, being come into the Chapel, shall deliver to the Archbishop, being at the Altar there, the Sceptre and the Rod to be laid upon the Altar: and the Archbishop shall receive the Queen's Crown and lay it upon the Altar also. Then, assisted by the Mistress of the Robes, and attended by the Lord Great Chamberlain and the Groom of the Robes, the Queen shall be disrobed of the Robe Royal and arrayed in her Robe of purple velvet.

Meanwhile the Dean of Westminster shall lay upon the Altar the Orb, the Spurs and St Edward's Staff, having received them from the Bearers of them, who shall then (preceded by the Bearers of the Four Swords) withdraw from the Chapel by the same door on the south side and take the places assigned to them in the procession.

The Queen being ready, and wearing her Imperial Crown, shall receive the Sceptre with the Cross into her right hand and into her left hand the Orb from the Archbishop, who, having delivered them, shall withdraw from the Chapel and take his place in the procession: and the Lord Great Chamberlain shall do likewise.

Then her Majesty, supported and attended as before, shall leave the Chapel by the same door on the south side and shall proceed in state through the choir and the nave to the west door of the Church, wearing her Crown and bearing in her right hand the Sceptre and in her left hand the Orb.

And as the Queen proceeds from the Chapel, there shall be sung by all assembled the National Anthem.

The Queen's Coronation