Coronation celebrations in Aldershot

By Paul H. Vickers, Friends of the Aldershot Military Museum

Queen Victoria’s coronation took place on 28 June 1838, and every year her Coronation Day anniversary was officially recognised by gun salutes fired in London, Windsor and the main naval stations, the royal standard was flown from government buildings, church bells were rung, and government offices, workshops and dockyards were closed. Across the country individual towns marked Coronation Day in their own way, and in Aldershot it was celebrated enthusiastically every year of Her Majesty’s reign.

Typical was 1861, when 28 June was observed as a general holiday across the town and a fair was held on the Recreation Ground. A grand picnic was organised at Poyle Park by Captain Mangles for “the tradesmen of Aldershot, with their wives, families and assistants”, who enjoyed lunch at 1 o’clock, music and dancing until tea at 5 o’clock, and sports and games. In 1872 the day was still a general holiday and the grand picnic was now held in Aldershot Park. The Aldershot Amateur Brass Band and accompanying singers entertained during the afternoon, followed at 5 o’clock by an “Assault at Arms” tournament by the Army Gymnastic Staff. Proceedings ended with music from the band of the Queen’s Bays.

When Victoria died on 22 January 1901 the country was still at war with the Boers in South Africa, until peace was concluded on 31 May 1902. She was succeeded by King Edward VII, whose coronation was arranged for 26 June 1902. Earlier in the month the king and Queen Alexandra were in Aldershot, to attend the Searchlight Tattoo in the grounds of Government House on the 14th and a Coronation Review of all the troops in Aldershot two days later. Unfortunately the king caught a chill at the Searchlight Tattoo and had to return to London the following day. The Coronation Review went ahead despite his absence, the salute taken by Queen Alexandra alone.

The king’s condition deteriorated and he suffered appendicitis which required immediate surgery. As a result the coronation had to be postponed to 9 August, when the king had recovered. In Aldershot the day was a general holiday, buildings in town were profusely decorated, in camp the royal standard flew from every flagstaff, there were services in most churches, and at noon a 21-gun salute was fired by the Royal Field Artillery from the Redan. Afterwards there was a grand children’s party organised in the grounds of Elm Place and an “Old Folks Dinner”. On 19 August a Coronation Festival was held in the grounds of Government House for the wives and children of soldiers in Aldershot District. As the festival began a heavy thunderstorm caused everyone to seek shelter, but fortunately this passed over before the afternoon’s sports and games. Along with prizes for the sports, children were presented with commemorative coronation cups.

King Edward’s reign was short and he died on 6 May 1910, succeeded by King George V whose coronation was on 22 June 1911. From Monday 5 to Thursday 8 June the king came to Aldershot for an informal visit, with no organised parades or official inspections. The Daily News suggested this was “not so much a period of rest as a preparation for the arduous round which the Coronation will involve”.

Most of the units stationed in Aldershot had roles in the Coronation in London, but at the last moment there was disappointment for the 1st Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment which had to be withdrawn from the ceremony owing to an outbreak of scarlet fever. Forty men were treated in the Isolation Hospital at Thorn Hill, while others were put under observation.

The local Coronation Day celebrations were similar to those of 1902. At noon a 21-gun salute was fired from the Redan, a dinner for senior citizens was arranged and an afternoon tea and fete for the children. Around four thousand gathered at Ayling Meadows, where rain could not dampen celebrations as the children were entertained in huge marquees, saluted the Union Jack, sang the National Anthem, and were presented with coronation mugs.

When George V died on 20 January 1936 he was succeeded by Edward VIII, whose coronation was planned for 12 May 1937. However, Edward abdicated in December 1936 and his brother took the throne as King George VI. For his coronation the king chose to keep the 1937 date which was already in the calendar.

In Aldershot the main focus for celebrations was the Coronation Tattoo, held over eight days from 10 to 12 and 15 to 19 June. The Searchlight Tattoos had been revived after the First World War and grew in size each year, from 1923 held in the specially constructed Rushmoor Arena. The theme of the Coronation Tattoo was “Loyalty to the Crown”, and the programme consisted of musical performances, a demonstration of a modern battle action, and large spectacular historical re-enactments. Taking part in the arena were troops drawn from seven cavalry regiments, five artillery brigades, twenty-seven infantry battalions, and all the technical and support corps. Taking part in the massed bands displays were four mounted bands (three cavalry and one Royal Artillery), twenty infantry bands, eight drum and fife bands, four corps of bugles, and eight pipe bands. The grand finale included a parade of the banners and bodyguards of all monarchs from William the Conqueror to the Hanoverians and an appearance by “the King’s Champion” in full armour, who formally challenged anyone who doubted the king’s right to reign.

Among the many thousands who enjoyed the Coronation Tattoo was the young Princess Elizabeth who, with her mother and sister Margaret, attended the special children’s daylight rehearsal on 8 June along with some 70,000 young people. Princess Elizabeth became queen on the death of her father on 6 February 1952 and her coronation was the following year, on 2 June 1953.

During May 1953 Aldershot was the centre for drills and rehearsals for many of the troops who would take part in the coronation, including the Household Brigade who were temporarily accommodated in Albuhera and Corunna Barracks. The culmination of the training was on 28 May with a march through the town by around 700 officers and men of the Household Brigade, led by the band of the Irish Guards and Corps of Drums of the Welsh Guards. In full dress and marching eight abreast, the route began in Stanhope Lines, came down Hospital Hill and past the Princes Gardens into High Street, along Station Road and then up Victoria Road. On reaching Grosvenor Road the parade marched past the Town Hall, where the GOC and the Mayor took the salute. From Grosvenor Road the parade crossed Five Arch Bridge, continued along Church Lane East to Church Hill, and then back along High Street to Stanhope Lines. Thousands of people lined the streets to enjoy Aldershot’s preview of the grand coronation parade.

For Coronation Day the town was lavishly decorated, the Aldershot News reporting it was “a blaze of colour ... All over the town in the centre and on the outskirts the cold hardness of brick and mortar has been transformed into a warm, dazzling glory of red, white and blue”. Across the town children enjoyed street parties, fancy dress parades and sports, while over 600 senior citizens were entertained to a Coronation Tea in the Maida Gym. The day finished with the lighting of a huge bonfire on Beacon Hill, one of chain of bonfires lit across the country.

Queen Elizabeth reigned for a magnificent 70 years, and was deeply mourned when she died in September last year. This year we have been able to celebrate the coronation of our new monarch, King Charles III, and we look forward to a new era for our country.

Credits

Article originally published in the The Garrison, Summer 2023

Copyright © Paul H. Vickers. This article, including the accompanying pictures, may not be reproduced or republished, in whole or in part, either in print or electronically, including on any websites or social media sites, without the prior permission of the author.