King Charles has revealed the concerns he had ahead of his Coronation in a brand new royal documentary.
The film tells the story of 50 young women from across Canada who were sponsored by Canadian businessman Garfield Weston to take part in the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II during the summer of 1953.
The documentary Coronation Girls follows 12 of these women, now around 89 years old, as they retrace their journey and return to London in December 2023, where they received a surprise visit from Charles at Buckingham Palace.
In the 90-minute film, Charles warmly greeted each woman, including climate activist and author Yvonne Harris and former adoption worker Carol Shipley, and made light-hearted comments about the practicalities of wearing the crown.
King Charles said: “It is much heavier and taller, so there’s always that feeling of feeling slightly anxious, in case it wobbles. You have to carry it, you have to look straight ahead.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury crowned the King in the 17th-century golden St Edward’s Crown at his coronation in Westminster Abbey in May 2023.
The event was attended by over 2,000 dignitaries, including heads of state, royal family members, and other prominent figures. Unlike Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, which had over 8,000 attendees, this coronation was more intimate.
The women told the documentary that their trip to Elizabeth’s coronation was “life-changing” and “magic” and described the moment the new Queen passed them in the gold state coach during the procession.
One of them said: “The crowds were so joyous and so loud they drowned out the marching bands.”
At the time, the late Queen was around nine years older than the girls, which, some said, helped them feel a special connection with the new monarch.
The documentary, which explores themes of enduring friendship and the impact the historic event had on the young women, will be aired on Boxing Day on WNED PBS in Canada.
It was directed by Canadian filmmaker Douglas Arrowsmith and will be released internationally next year.
The film was produced by FeltFilm.
