The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, broadcast live on 2 June 1953, was the event that did more than any other to make television a mainstream medium. More than 20 million people watched the Service on television, outnumbering the radio audience for the first time. The BBC knew the event would be popular – based on the reaction to the limited broadcast of George VI's Coronation Procession - but could not foresee that it would mark the coming of age of television, as well as the modernisation of the monarchy.

Originally released by BBC Worldwide Learning, 2012. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on November 21, 2019.