It’s been 70 years since the country gathered in Westminster Abbey to crown a new monarch, with many readers only ever having lived under Elizabeth II before her death in September. As the throne officially passes to the next generation, news brands have covered the run up to the historic day across print, digital and socials
Coronations past and present
The last coronation took place almost 70 years to the month of the new King’s, meaning many won’t even recall Queen Elizabeth’s ceremony beyond famous news clips and images (or perhaps a certain Netflix show). Extensive coverage and supplements such as a special edition of the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine have explained the history of the ceremony and what it entails.
Taking Westminster Abbey right off the page, The Telegraph used 3D imagery to show readers around the millennium-old venue for the coronation and uncovered some of its secrets.
The King and Queen in profile
While the King has been a public figure for his entire life as Prince of Wales, the death of his mother and his ascension to the throne casts him in a different light. The Independent’s video looked at his 74-year wait to become king and how that shaped him.
Meanwhile, the new queen consort has also been profiled across news brands. In one example, The Sun produced a 16-page supplement documenting the Queen’s life, from her first meetings with Charles to the breakdowns in their marriages and her eventual role as Duchess of Cornwall.
Preparing for the big day
With the Crown’s world-renowned reputation for metronomic perfection when it comes to pomp and circumstance, news brands have captured behind the scenes preparations put in to make the day a success. That includes the i’s Instagram post of the Mall of one of the final dress rehearsals under the cover of darkness.
Others were preparing for the occasion in their own way. The Times’ Instagram post captured the Tower of London’s yeoman guards in their new uniforms with the King’s cypher, the finishing touches to a toy-sized Buckingham Palace at Legoland and a particularly chocolatey homage to His Majesty.
The event will also prove an enormous opportunity for those relying on tourists for their trade, with millions expected to spend money on souvenirs to remember the special occasion. The Telegraph’s Camilla Tominey toured the capital’s keepsake connoisseurs to find the good, the bad and the ugly…
Feast fit for a king
For those celebrating outside Westminster, news brands offered plenty of tips and advice to put on the best family spreads and street parties. Sponsored throughout by Lidl, the Daily Mirror’s pullout helped readers pull out all the stops for their parties, from the best buffet banquets to the fanciest decorations.
Meanwhile, the Telegraph’s double-page spread on coronation tipples has everything readers need to toast the new King in style.
Controversy and investigations
Many around the country may be celebrating, but journalists are still undertaking investigative reporting to ensure the unelected power of the monarchy is held accountable.
The Guardian’s ‘Cost of the crown’ series has chronicled the personal wealth of the King and the royal family through long-form articles, as well as explainers on social media and through its flagship news podcast, ‘Today in focus’.
Also under scrutiny has been the cost of the coronation itself, particularly with the cost of living crisis continuing to loom large in the lives of families across the country. Independent TV investigated the ceremony’s cost and put it into a wider historical and economic perspective.
Beyond Britain’s borders as well as inside them, there is continued discussion about the future of the monarchy in the longer term. Many Commonwealth countries such as Canada and Australia are considering dropping the King as their head of state and becoming republics, as the Daily Mirror’s spread investigated.
Collectors’ items
And finally, no historic occasion could ever pass without the time-honoured tradition of the news brand souvenir poster. The Sun’s whistle-stop tour through history looks at the King’s place among 12 centuries of unbroken lineage to the Anglo-Saxons.
