The Coronation of Elizabeth I

On 17 November 1558 Mary I died at St James Palace. Members of the Privy Council met at Westminster Palace and proclaimed that Elizabeth Tudor, half-sister of Mary, and daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, was now ‘by the Grace of God, Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith.’ She was 25 years old. 

While technically Elizabeth ascended to the throne on this day, the transition of power between monarchs was much more complicated and required significant planning leading up to the coronation ceremony, which was scheduled to take place at Westminster Abbey on . In particular, London and its citizens were particularly focused on the events leading up to Elizabeth’s coronation on the 15th of January. 

The records gathered in REED London provide a unique window into the planning, organization, and enactment of the events that led up to the coronation. In particular, the records show how the Lord Mayor of London (Thomas Leigh, a Mercer), the aldermen, and representatives of the livery companies who essentially ran the City, planned and executed a series of celebratory events and pageants to welcome Elizabeth and ceremoniously escort her through the streets of London