Coronation of Charles II of England
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 Charles II enthroned in coronation robes | |
| Date | 23 April 1661 |
|---|---|
| Location | Westminster Abbey, London, England |
| Participants | |
The coronation of Charles II as King of England and Ireland was held on 23 April 1661 (Saint George's Day) at Westminster Abbey. This was the first English coronation to take place after the execution of Charles I, and the subsequent abolition of the monarchy. It was a ceremony of many firsts, not including the new regalia made for the coronation after the rule of Oliver Cromwell.[1]
Before the coronation, new regalia had to be made for the event as most of the Crown Jewels were broken up and sold by the Protectorate. The cost was over £12,000 (£1,954,828 today, adjusted for inflation).[2] Samuel Pepys, who attended the ceremony, detailed the service in his diary. The coronation was the last time the traditional procession from the Tower of London took place. Tiered seating was installed inside the Abbey for the first time, as the Abbey was packed with people, to the point where additional seating was needed so that all of the congregation could view, however, according to first-hand accounts, most people could still not see the ceremony.[3]
Procession
Charles travelled from Whitehall to the Tower of London, and finally Westminster Abbey. He had broken tradition by not spending the night before at the Tower. He arrived at the Tower in the early morning, had breakfast, and was ready to travel to Westminster around 10 o'clock.[4]
Accompanied by his nobility, he rode out of the Tower to join the assembled company on Tower Hill and take his place in the procession. On his procession, the streets of London were lined with cheering crowds, the shops and houses hung with bright banners and carpets, and the fountains allegedly "flowing with wine".[4]