Resident from Hanover Court shares memory of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation

Margaret Regardsoe from Hanover Court in Southampton shares her memory of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation with us and gives advice to King Charles III  

Margaret was just 6 years old when Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne but can clearly remember watching the event on a black and white tv with her family. Afterwards she attended a street party where there were lots of flags and balloons, and her brother was dressed in a red, white, and blue romper suit.  

At another party, Margaret was invited to sing a song about the Queen called “In a Gold Coach” by Dickie Valentine. She remembers the crowd cheering and having to stand on a chair to reach the microphone.  

When describing her feelings when the Queen was coronated, Margaret said: 

I was very proud because my parents loved the Royal Family and that resonated down through to us children. At school we all received a lovely blue coronation glass given to us by Southampton Town Council (which I still have now) before the event so there was a lot of excitement in the community.

Although she doesn’t think that King Charles III’s Coronation will be such a grand affair, she does have some advice she’d like to share with him. When asked what she would say to Charles, Margaret says:  

Remember what a wonderful woman your mother was, and you must follow in her footsteps.  The way she carried herself, the way she behaved and her whole demeanour.  She committed herself to our country and our commonwealth right until the day she died, and I would expect that sort of commitment and passion from our King. 

You can find out more about how we’re celebrating the Coronation here.