On May 12 1937 the Duke and Duchess of York were crowned as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland at a ceremony in Westminster Abbey. The occasion marked the end to months of anxiety and speculation over the future of the British crown following the abdication of George’s brother, Edward VIII.

As the second son of King George V, Albert (as he was known before his coronation) was not expected to inherit the throne and spent his early life in the shadow of his elder brother, Edward. He served in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force during the First World War, and afterward took on the usual round of public engagements. He married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923 and they had two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret. George's elder brother ascended the throne as Edward VIII upon the death of their father in 1936.

However, later that year Edward revealed his desire to marry the divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin advised Edward that for political and religious reasons he could not marry a divorced woman and remain king. Edward abdicated in order to marry, and George ascended the throne as the third monarch of the House of Windsor. Upon his death in 1952, his eldest daughter became Queen Elizabeth II. This image is of the cover of the New Zealand official souvenir programme for the coronation. It comes from a series of records of Internal Affairs Visits & Ceremonial Office, records of Distinguished Visitors (including Royal Tours), and Public Service Garage photographic prints.

Archives reference: AAAC W5843 Box 1 [1]

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