In 1953, Margaret, an 11-year-old pupil in Huntingdonshire, created a scrapbook. Instead of documenting her own interests and family life, she adorned the cover with three painted red shields, and pasted newspaper clippings about Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, which took place in June of that year.
Margaret was one of hundreds of children to create coronation scrapbooks. After years of war and austerity, they were a cheap way for people, particularly children, to mark this national event. Now, 70 years later, as celebrations begin for the Queen’s platinum jubilee, these books provide a window into not just how children viewed the royal family, but also the lives of the scrapbookers and their families.
