Elizabeth II's Coronation - 67-year-old photos recall the moment that kicked off the grand occasion

On February 6, 1952, King George VI died in his sleep at the age of 56 years. The untimely death of the monarch was beloved by the British people, but the dark days of World War II took an irreversible toll on his health.

Before that day, George VI's eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth, had taken her father's place on the tour of the Commonwealth due to his poor health.

Princess Elizabeth, then 25, was in Kenya when she learned of her father's death from her husband, Prince Philip. She did not have much time to grieve adequately for the loss of her father, as the daunting prospect of succeeding as Queen of England and Head of the Commonwealth awaited her.

Britain in 1953 had not yet emerged from the Second World War. Sugar and meat were still rationed, and the bomb sites left over from the war still made many cities feel panicky.

The sun was setting on the British Empire.

Happily, however, the post-war economy began to recover in the 1950s. In due course, the coronation of a new queen, young, beautiful, stalwart and hard-working, seemed to herald a brighter future.

Since her childhood, Princess Elizabeth has been highly praised for her headstrong character. During World War II, she used radio broadcasts to help lift the spirits of other children, supported charitable causes, and volunteered to join the army at the age of 18 in the Women's Auxiliary Service Corps.

"I declare that my whole life - whether it be long or short - will be devoted to my country and its people."

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953, after 16 months of solemn preparations.

On this much-anticipated day, the Queen's carriage first marched from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey has been the coronation site for the kings of England and Britain since 1066. Despite heavy rain, thousands of enthusiastic spectators chose to sleep overnight to get a good view of the ceremony and take their places in advance.

A massive pipe band of color guards led the way, followed by armed forces delegations from Commonwealth countries. Heads of state and foreign royalty traveled in carriages. Behind them was the Queen herself in her "golden carriage".

Some 3 million people lined the streets to cheer the new Queen. There were occasional showers throughout the day, but the rain held off during the parade.

Queen Elizabeth finally arrived at Westminster Abbey, where 8,000 guests were waiting. She wore a white silk dress embroidered with the symbols of the Commonwealth countries, covered by a velvet royal gown more than 5 meters long, with the hem held by seven ladies of the court.

The Queen took the Coronation Oath at the altar, vowing to uphold justice and law in the Territory and to defend the Anglican faith.

The Queen then sat on the Coronation Throne in the oldest and holiest moment of the ceremony and was anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury. After she received the scepter, the royal ball and gown and, finally, the crown, the crowd erupted in "God save the Queen!" The cheers.

"As God is my witness, I will fulfill and keep the promises I have made here."

After the coronation, the queen returned to Buckingham Palace in a golden carriage and made her first official balcony appearance of the day, accompanied by members of the royal family. The waiting crowds greeted her with huge cheers.

At 5 p.m., there was a flying review at Buckingham Palace, with more than 150 aircraft on parade***. The Queen's last balcony appearance of the day was at midnight.

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II became one of the great moments in the history of television, with less than a third of British homes having a television set in 1952, but the demand to watch the coronation was high. In the run-up, the BBC was feverishly busy expanding its coverage, and sales of television sets soared.

On that day, people across Britain crowded into living rooms, theaters and concert halls to watch the 11-hour, black-and-white broadcast, which was watched by an audience of about 20 million people, or 40 percent of the British population. This marked the beginning of television as the mainstay of British entertainment.

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, marked the beginning of an extraordinary era.

During her reign, she made countless visits to foreign countries and Commonwealth nations, making her the most visited head of state in history.

During her reign, Britain and the world changed dramatically, and the power of the British Empire was progressively weakened.

The royal family suffered several traumas, including the breakdown of the marriages of three of her four children and the untimely death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.

But the Queen, accompanied by Prince Philip, remained steadfastly dignified and responsible. She maintains a huge popularity at home and abroad and she remains the spiritual leader of the British people. This was shown by the huge enthusiasm of the British people for her special speech during the epidemic this year.