Session 3. Crowned on camera, 2 June 1953
The Crown, Season 1, Episode 5, "Smoke and Mirrors", and the real coronation.
55 minutes: Recap 5 min · Point du professeur 10 min · Document 8 min · Vocabulary 7 min · Grammar 12 min · Figures and idioms 6 min · Task 7 min
- to crown, a coronation
- to anoint: to put holy oil on
- to kneel, to pay homage
- to broadcast, to televise
- regalia: the crown, orb, sceptre
What we already know
- Heir apparent and heir presumptive; to abdicate; to succeed.
- Past simple and continuous; used to and would; was going to, would, was to.
- Edward VIII abdicated in December 1936; George VI died on 6 February 1952.
Quick quiz (one point each)
- Who was Elizabeth's father?
- Complete: Nobody knew she ______ (become) Queen.
- What was her army number in 1945?
Answers
- George VI (the Duke of York before 1936).
- would become
- 230873.
1Le point du professeur10 min
Pour raconter une cérémonie où l'important est ce qui est fait à la reine (elle est couronnée, ointe, filmée), les élèves ont besoin du passif, à tous les temps. Partir de la phrase "She was crowned in Westminster Abbey" et faire décliner le passif dans un tableau, puis introduire le passif impersonnel (It is said that... / She is said to have...).
Starting point
On 2 June 1953 Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey. The ceremony was broadcast live, but the anointing was not filmed.
The passive: be + past participle, in every tense
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| present simple | The crown is kept in the Tower of London. |
| present continuous | The coronation is being filmed. |
| present perfect | The dress has been shown in several exhibitions. |
| past simple | She was crowned in 1953. |
| past continuous | The abbey was being prepared for months. |
| past perfect | The ceremony had been rehearsed many times. |
| future | The day will be remembered. |
| future perfect | By noon the crown will have been placed on her head. |
| modal | The anointing must not be filmed. It could have been televised. |
Impersonal passive (formal, C1)
It is said that 27 million people watched. / The coronation is said to have been watched by 27 million people in the UK.
2The document8 min
No official Netflix clip of the coronation scene is available: watch the official Season 1 trailer, then study the lines below from Season 1, Episode 5, "Smoke and Mirrors" (2016).
Elizabeth: I am both. And a strong man would be able to kneel to both.The Crown, S1E5 "Smoke and Mirrors", Netflix, 2016 (as quoted by Harper's Bazaar). Short quotation for study.
The real day. Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. Her coronation was the first to be broadcast live on television; according to the Royal Collection Trust, 27 million people in the United Kingdom watched. The most sacred moment, the anointing with holy oil, was not shown: it took place under a canopy, away from the cameras. In the series, Philip, who chairs the coronation committee, pushes for television and resists kneeling to his wife; in reality he was the first layman to pay homage to the new Queen.
- The Queen chose Norman Hartnell, who had made her wedding dress, and she shaped the design herself. She picked the eighth of his eight designs, asked for coloured silks to enrich the traditional white and gold, and insisted that the emblems of the United Kingdom (Tudor rose, thistle, shamrock, leek) be joined by those of the Dominions: the wattle of Australia, the silver fern of New Zealand, the maple leaf of Canada, the lotus of India and Ceylon, wheat, cotton and jute for Pakistan, the protea of South Africa. Hartnell added an embroidered four-leaf clover for luck, placed on the skirt where her left hand could touch it. Source: Royal Collection Trust.
- In the BBC documentary The Coronation (2018), the Queen called the ride in the Gold State Coach "horrible": "It's only sprung on leather, not very comfortable." Of the Imperial State Crown she said: "You can't look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up. Because if you did, your neck would break, it would fall off." Source: The Guardian, 12 January 2018.
Understanding the document
- What was new about this coronation?
- Which moment was hidden from the cameras, and why?
- What does the exchange between Philip and Elizabeth reveal?
- Why is the four-leaf clover a touching detail?
- How does the real Queen's humour in 2018 contrast with the solemn image of 1953?
Answers
- It was the first to be broadcast live on television.
- The anointing with holy oil, the most sacred part, under a canopy.
- The tension between private marriage and public role: as Queen she ranks above her husband.
- It is a private, secret wish for luck hidden in a public, symbolic garment.
- She describes the coach as "horrible" and jokes about breaking her neck: the myth meets everyday discomfort.
3Building your vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a coronation, to crown | the ceremony of placing a crown on a monarch |
| to anoint, the anointing | to put holy oil on somebody |
| the regalia | the crown, orb, sceptre and other symbols of royalty |
| the orb, the sceptre | a jewelled globe with a cross; a ceremonial rod |
| to kneel, to pay homage | to go down on one's knees; to swear loyalty |
| a canopy | a cloth held above a person |
| pageantry, pomp | splendid ceremonial display |
| to broadcast, to televise | to transmit by radio or television |
| a couturier, embroidery | a fashion designer; decorative stitching |
| an oath, to swear | a solemn promise |
Exercise 1. Odd one out
Find the word that does not belong and explain.
- orb, sceptre, crown, canopy
- to kneel, to bow, to pay homage, to broadcast
- pageantry, pomp, splendour, rehearsal
- oath, vow, pledge, embroidery
Answers
- canopy (not part of the regalia)
- to broadcast (not a gesture of loyalty)
- rehearsal
- embroidery
Exercise 2. Complete the commentary
Use: anointed, regalia, broadcast, homage, canopy.
- The ceremony is being ______ live to millions.
- Under a golden ______, the Queen is ______ with holy oil.
- She now receives the ______: the orb and the sceptre.
- Her husband kneels to pay ______.
Answers
- broadcast
- canopy, anointed
- regalia
- homage
4Grammar in practice
From recognition to open production.
RecognitionExercise 3. Active or passive? Which tense?
Identify.
- The anointing was not filmed.
- The crown is kept in the Tower.
- Hartnell had designed eight dresses.
- The dress has been displayed many times.
- The abbey was being decorated.
- The anthem will be sung.
Answers
- passive, past simple
- passive, present simple
- active, past perfect
- passive, present perfect
- passive, past continuous
- passive, future
Controlled practiceExercise 4. Put into the passive
Keep the same tense.
- Hartnell designed the dress.
- They are filming the procession.
- The Archbishop had rehearsed the service.
- Millions will remember this day.
- Someone must polish the coach.
- They have kept the dress in the Royal Collection.
Answers
- The dress was designed by Hartnell.
- The procession is being filmed.
- The service had been rehearsed by the Archbishop.
- This day will be remembered by millions.
- The coach must be polished.
- The dress has been kept in the Royal Collection.
TransformationExercise 5. Impersonal passive
Rewrite in two ways (It is said that... / X is said to...).
- People say the coach weighs about four tonnes.
- People believe Hartnell added a clover for luck.
- People report that 27 million watched.
- Experts think the crown is very heavy.
Answers
- It is said that the coach weighs about four tonnes. The coach is said to weigh about four tonnes.
- It is believed that Hartnell added... Hartnell is believed to have added a clover for luck.
- It is reported that 27 million watched. 27 million people are reported to have watched.
- It is thought that the crown is very heavy. The crown is thought to be very heavy.
AccuracyAccuracy check. Find the mistake
Each sentence contains one mistake. Find it and correct it.
- The Queen was crown in Westminster Abbey.
- The ceremony watched by millions of people.
- The anointing was not film.
- The coronation dress designed by Norman Hartnell.
- It is said the Gold State Coach to weigh four tonnes.
- A new portrait is being paint at the moment.
Answers
- The Queen was crowned in Westminster Abbey.
- The ceremony was watched by millions of people.
- The anointing was not filmed.
- The coronation dress was designed by Norman Hartnell.
- The Gold State Coach is said to weigh four tonnes. / It is said that the Gold State Coach weighs four tonnes.
- A new portrait is being painted at the moment.
Open productionExercise 6. Live commentary
Write and record a 1-minute radio commentary of the coronation, alternating active and passive: at least six passives in four different tenses and one impersonal passive.
Help: "The Queen is being driven...", "She has just been crowned...".5Figures of speech
- Chiasmus and parallelism: "Are you my wife or my queen?" "I am both." Two roles, one answer.
- Metonymy: the Crown for the monarchy and the state; the throne for royal power.
- Symbol: the orb (the world under God), the four-leaf clover (luck).
Exercise 7. Metonymy or symbol?
Explain.
- "The Crown has decided to..."
- The orb with its cross.
- "Downing Street said..."
- A white dress for purity.
Answers
- metonymy (the monarchy, the institution)
- symbol (Christian rule over the world)
- metonymy (the Prime Minister's office)
- symbol
6Idioms
to welcome somebody with great ceremony.
From the red carpets laid for important guests.
London rolled out the red carpet for the Commonwealth leaders.
formal, splendid ceremony.
From Shakespeare, Othello ("pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war"), later the title of Elgar's marches.
The coronation was all pomp and circumstance.
to insist on formal behaviour.
Usually negative: Don't stand on ceremony (relax).
Please, don't stand on ceremony: call me Liz.
on top of everything else (good or bad).
Figurative use of the final act of a coronation.
It rained, the coach was uncomfortable and, to crown it all, the crown weighed over two kilos.
Exercise 8. Idioms in context
Complete.
- The hotel ______ for the celebrity.
- We missed the train, lost our bags and, ______, it started snowing.
- Relax, you don't have to ______ here.
- The royal wedding was all ______.
Answers
- rolled out the red carpet
- to crown it all
- stand on ceremony
- pomp and circumstance
7Expression task7 min
Two voices. Pair work: A is a BBC commentator in 1953 (enthusiastic, passive voice); B is the Queen in 2018 remembering the day (ironic, active voice). Prepare and perform a 2-minute dialogue.
- Passive, present perfect: They have shown the dress.
- Impersonal passive: People say she was nervous.
- Name one secret detail of the coronation dress.
Answers
- The dress has been shown.
- She is said to have been nervous.
- A four-leaf clover where her left hand would rest.
C1+Going further (towards C2)
Ritual and television (C1+). Why did the Church and the Palace refuse to film the anointing? Write 200 words on the line between showing and hiding in a monarchy ("we must not let in daylight upon magic", Walter Bagehot, The English Constitution, 1867). Use three passives of modals (should have been, could not be, must be).
HWHomework
Revise the passive table. Write a 12-line newspaper article dated 3 June 1953 using six passives in different tenses, one impersonal passive and two idioms. Optional: read the Monarchy and property page, part 1.