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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Caroline Davies

Raining molten wax, hungry peers and fainting guests: coronations of yore that went awry

Queen Elizabeth II wears the crown at her coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Queen Elizabeth II wears the crown at her coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in 1953. Photograph: PA

Riots, plague, ceilings raining molten wax, ill-fitting rings … British coronations of yesteryear have not always gone smoothly.

William the Conqueror’s 1066 coronation occurred just months after the Battle of Hastings at a tense time. There was a new king, and the ruling classes had been ousted by the Normans.

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