The Queen acceded to the throne at the age of 25 due to the untimely death of her father, King George VI. However, it took just over a year for the coronation to take place due to the tradition of allowing time to pass after a monarch dies before holding such festivals. What was the new Queen’s body language like during such a public occasion, especially the first of its kind to be televised?
Judi James, a professional body language expert, shared her analysis with Express.co.uk.
She said: “Our modern eyes see a woman who looks even younger than her 27 years enduring the challenge of the formality and spotlight of her coronation with courage that appears incredible.
“We live in a time when a 40-year-old Kate is referred to as a young woman and a young mother and where William is still seen as being tutored for his future role as King.
“So where did the Queen get her obvious poise and her confidence from to enable her to survive her own coronation at such a young age?” the expert asked.
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Judi continued: “She looks fully in control and perfectly comfortable (or as comfortable as can be, given the weight of the crown and the robes she is wearing).
“There were no nervous glances or outward signs of stress or anxiety and her demeanour remained pretty perfect throughout the day: an epitome of regal self-control and focus,” the expert noted.
Judi offered four key reasons as to why this may have been possible.
She said: “27 was not considered ‘young’ back in the early 1950s.
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“The country had also been through WW2 and the Queen had joined the ATS as well as stepping in for her own father when she was still in her teens.
“Stoicism was very much in the DNA of both the country and the royals, meaning the self-doubt and self-pity that affects some of our current royals was not an option at the time.”
The fact the Queen was monarch for over a year before her coronation meant she had time to “acclimatise”, Judi claimed.
She said: “She had been Queen for over a year before her coronation. The ceremony might have been unique but she’d had time to acclimatise to the role itself and the status and power that came with it.
“She had powerful role models. Unlike some of the male heirs, the Queen’s namesake Elizabeth I provided the perfect template when it came to strength and bravery, plus she was a similar age of 25 when she was crowned.
“Queen Victoria was crowned at the much more tender age of 18 and took the experience in her stride.
“The Queen had support and back-up on the day from some extremely strong and equally brave-looking women.
“Her own mother had supplied the regal training and her bridesmaids look confident and slightly defiant, suggesting nerves were not an option.”
The programme ‘Secrets of the Queen’s Coronation’ will air tonight at 9pm.
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