3-090-423 - Ware in the World/Heritage Images

Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, London, 2 June 1953. Crowds watching the procession on the way to Buckingham Palace. The Glass Coach, seen here passing St James's Palace, is carrying the Duke of Kent and his sister Princess Alexandra of Kent. The Glass Coach was used by Princess Margaret and Princess Diana for their weddings. Periscopes made from card are being used by spectators to catch a glimpse over the heads of those in front. These items were mass-produced as cheap, throw-away functional souvenirs primarily intended for use by the estimated crowd of 3 million people lining the Coronation route through London to improve their view of the procession.