10 stunning photos from the Queen's 1953 Coronation

Geoffrey Fisher, the Archbishop of Canterbury, presented the Queen with the Sceptre with the Cross during her coronation, a day filled with pomp and pageantry. <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images
During Her Majesty's coronation, she led the state procession with her Maids of Honour through the stunning Westminster Abbey. <p>The state procession is a formal display of the Sovereign, made up of a group of members of the Royal Family and Great Officers of State. <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images</p>
During Queen Elizabeth II's coronation ceremony, the newly anointed monarch and members of her Royal Family stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace watching RAF fly by. <p>Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Philip joined the monarch to watch the exciting display.</p> <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images</p>
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II posed for a regal photograph following the coronation. The Queen is pictured wearing the Imperial State Crown and her stunning coronation dress. It was recently revealed that the crown jewels were hidden in a cookie tin under a sally port during the second world war to prevent the chance of them falling into the hands of the Nazis. <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images
This rare photograph offers a bird's-eye view inside Westminster Abbey during the coronation. <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images</p>
The Queen and her husband Prince Philip rode to Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach (also known as the Coronation Coach) for the Queen's ceremony. <p>The elaborate coach is an enclosed, eight horse-drawn carriage - weighing in at four tonnes - and was originally commissioned to be built in 1760 for around $13,000. Today, considering inflation, the value would be nearly $2 million, though the Queen revealed in <em>The Coronation</em> documentary that the carriage is wildly uncomfortable and not meant to travel long distances. <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images</p>
In this breathtaking portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth II, the royal donned the crown of the kings and queens of England, the same one she wore for her coronation. At more than 2 lbs, she said one can't look down at a speech while wearing it for fear of it falling off or breaking their necks - rather you raise the speech up to your eyes. <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images
Her Majesty received a salute from one of The Life Guards, while one of her royal attendants helped her out of the coach. Prince Philip followed swiftly beside her. <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images
One of the Queen's most famous coronation portraits, the newly minted monarch sat on a chair wearing her crown and coronation dress while holding onto her sceptre. <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images</p>
<p>The Queen shared some behind-the-scenes insights from her 1953 coronation earlier this year in a BBC documentary series called <em>The Coronation</em>. Revealing her wicked sense of humour, the monarch spoke about the "horrible" Gold State Coach in which she road around London and the potential perils of wearing her heavy crown, but the day was also one of great meaning and beauty. Here, we've rounded up ten spectacular photos from the day that Queen Elizabeth II set off on the road to becoming Britain's longest ruling monarch.</p> <p>Looking picture perfect, Queen Elizabeth II commenced a monumental day by heading from Buckingham Palace to her coronation at Westminster Abbey.</p> <p>Photo: &copy; Getty Images</p>
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