The Origins of British Coronations

British Coronations





King Edgar and St Dunstan

What is a Coronation?:  A coronation is a ceremony at which a person is made king or queen. It is is the public handing over of title and powers to a new monarch, usually with great pomp and celebration. The ceremony of the crowning a sovereign or a sovereign’s consort.

Coronations date back a number of centuries. The origins of the coronation of the British monarch lie with King Edgar the Peaceful or the Peaceable (c. 943 – 8 July 975). Edgar was crowned at Bath on 11 May 973 with his wife Ælfthryth some 14 or 15 years after he became King. Thus a precedent for a coronation of a queen in England also took place.

This imperial ceremony was to celebrate his reign, rather than a celebration of appointment and this was the start of the idea of the need to gain popular support for a new monarch from other contemporary regional reigning monarchs through acts of celebration. The ceremony was devised by Saint Dunstan based on ceremonies used by the Frankish kings and those used in the ordination of bishops. Several versions of coronation services, known as ordines or recensions have since evolved over time since then.

Pomp & Ceremony

Richard II
Coronation of Richard II

The 1377 coronation of 10 year old Richard II saw the evolution of the coronation to one which also sought to gain popular support for a new monarch from the general populous by making the ceremony a spectacle of pageantry for the ordinary people. The acts of public relations and regional diplomacy were both embellished with theatrics together.

The Anglo-Saxon monarchs used various locations for their coronations. These included Bath, Kingston upon Thames, London, and Winchester. The last Anglo-Saxon monarch, Harold II (c. 1022 – 14 October 1066), was crowned at Westminster Abbey on ‎6 January 1066. William the Conqueror, after successfully defeating Harold at the battle of Hastings (October 14, 1066), followed what had now become English tradition and was also crowned at Westminster Abbey the same day he became king on Christmas Day 1066. Since then the majority of coronations have taken place at Westminster Abbey.

Scottish Coronation Origins

Scottish coronations were traditionally held at Scone Abbey, with the king seated on the Stone of Destiny (Lia Fail). A few Scottish coronations were held at Holyrood, Kelso Abbeys, Stirling Castle and Kirk of the Holy Rude, Stirling. The Scottish coronations originated from rituals used by the kings governing parts of western Scotland and northeastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel as well as and by the Picts from whom the Stone of Destiny came. It is probable the earliest coronation or inauguration was that of Aidan by Columba in 574.

James I Coronation

When James VI of Scotland became James I of England and Ireland, the Scottish and English crowns were unified on 24 March 1603.  Charles I and Charles II had two coronations, one in Scotland and one in England in different years. All monarchs that have followed have only had one coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The presiding senior cleric of the coronation has usually been a bishop or archbishop. Since James VI and I the roles and responsibilities for officiating at the ceremony has been fulfilled by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Other ceremonial roles are performed by clergy and members of the nobility.

In general, the coronation usually takes place several months after the death of the previous monarch, in order to provide sufficient time for respectful mourning and time for organising such elaborate arrangements. The coronation of a monarch is considered a happy/joyous occasion thanks to King Edgar and those that followed.

How to Use AI Tools to Identify Unknown Faces in Old Family Photographs

AI-powered facial recognition tools have become invaluable for genealogists seeking to identify individuals in old family photos. Here’s how to leverage these technologies effectively:


Top AI Tools for Facial Recognition in Genealogy

  1. MyHeritage
    • Automatically detects faces in uploaded photos and tags them to profiles in your family tree.
    • Compares facial features across your photo library to suggest matches, even accounting for aging.
  2. Related Faces
    • A specialized genealogy tool that analyzes facial geometry (eyes, nose, mouth) to generate “Resemblance Numbers” between photos.
    • Creates comparison grids to visualize similarities and connects unidentified faces across user accounts.
  3. Google Photos
    • Uses built-in facial recognition to group similar faces, even across decades.
    • Helpful for spotting recurring individuals in large collections (e.g., identifying a younger version of a grandparent in an older photo).
  4. DeadFred.com
    • An online archive planning to integrate facial recognition to help users match unidentified photos with named individuals in public databases.
  5. Lightroom and Mylio
    • Photo management tools with AI tagging features to organize and cross-reference faces in digital archives.

Step-by-Step Process

  1. Digitize and Organize Photos
    • Scan or photograph old images at high resolution.
    • Add metadata (names, dates, locations) where possible to improve AI accuracy.
  2. Upload to AI Platforms
    • Use tools like Related Faces or MyHeritage to upload photos. The AI will isolate faces and create profiles for comparison.
  3. Analyze Facial Features
    • AI maps geometric patterns (e.g., distance between eyes, jawline shape) to create a unique “faceprint” for each individual.
    • Compare unknown faces against identified relatives to find matches.
  4. Review and Cross-Verify
    • AI tools provide similarity scores (e.g., “Resemblance Numbers”) but require human judgment.
    • Cross-check matches with historical records, family trees, or contextual clues (e.g., photo backdrops, clothing styles).
  5. Collaborate and Share
    • Use platforms like Related Faces to compare your photos with others’ collections, potentially identifying matches across distant relatives.
    • Share digitized photos with family members to crowdsource identifications.

Key Tips for Success

  • Combine AI with traditional research: Use census records, obituaries, and family interviews to validate AI suggestions.
  • Check photo details: Inscriptions, photographer stamps, or clothing styles can provide context that AI might miss.
  • Manage expectations: AI works best with high-quality, front-facing photos. Blurry images or extreme angles may yield unreliable results.

By integrating AI tools with traditional genealogy methods, you can transform unidentified faces into meaningful connections, uncovering stories that written records alone might never reveal.