The coronation of a new King of England, as the world is soon to see, is a most splendid affair. The last king, father of the late Queen Elizabeth II, was born His Highness Prince Albert of York, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary, in 1895.
On the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in late 1936, he ascended to the throne and was proclaimed George VI, King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the Commonwealth, and Emperor of India (the last to hold the title). An extravagant coronation, with all the pomp and ceremony one could expect, followed on May 12, 1937.
Image: The Royal Family on the occasion of the coronation of King George VI, May 12, 1937. From left to right: The Princess Royal, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Gloucester, Queen Mary, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Kent, the Duchess of Kent, and the Queen of Norway. Standing in front are the young princesses: Margaret and Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II.
One cannot have a merry coronation without bells. Bells and bell towers erupted into sound to commemorate the occasion. Up at Leicester, a couple hours’ drive from London, preparations were underway to recast Leicester Cathedral’s historic bells to pay tribute to the new king.
The Cathedral Church of Saint Martin, Leicester, commonly known as Leicester Cathedral, has a proud tradition of bell ringing. Standing at the city’s heart for over 900 years, it is the final resting place of King Richard III. Five bells graced the early church during the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547), with bells added and reconfigured over subsequent generations. By 1937, the Cathedral boasted 10 bells of assorted quality and age.
To commemorate the coronation of King George VI, the bell foundry of John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough was tasked with recasting and rehanging the set. An additional three bells were commissioned.
Image: The Coronation Bell of King George VI (left) and additional peal bells (right) hang at the Cathedral Church of Saint Martin, Leicester. Courtesy: Andrew Higson, Leicester Cathedral Steeple Keeper.
The Freemasons of Leicestershire and Rutland underwrote the recasting. The largest of the bells, the tenor bell in the ring, was rededicated as the Coronation Bell of King George VI. It is inscribed across the bell’s waist as follows:
THE CORONATION BELL OF HIS MAJESTY
KING GEORGE VI
RECAST BY
THE FREEMASONS OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND
12 MAY 1937
F. B. MACNUTT, PROVOST / C. F. OLIVER, PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER
GOD SAVE THE KING
The Coronation Bell continues to ring in service of the Cathedral, calling the faithful to worship and tolling at other moments of distinction. Of note, Leicester Cathedral is one of the few grand sanctuaries with a side chapel dedicated to St. Dunstan, the patron saint of bell ringers.
Cover image: The Coronation Bell of King George VI at John Taylor & Co. bell foundry in 1937. Photograph: Hulton Deutsch/Corbis via Getty Images.
