The Glorious Royal Tiaras of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Opera Gala
Seventy-one years ago today, the British royals were joined by dignitaries from around the world for the special premiere of a new opera in Covent Garden
How do you honor a new queen regnant at the dawn of her reign? For the composer Benjamin Britten, the answer was to look to history for inspiration. Just days after Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey, the Royal Opera House was the site of the premiere of Britten’s coronation opera, which recounted the love story of Elizabeth I and the Earl of Essex.
Six days after Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, the royal family was still in the midst of a whirl of coronation celebrations. On June 8th, it was the Royal Opera House’s turn to take center stage in the festivities. On that evening, a special coronation gala performance of a brand-new opera was staged at Covent Garden. The British composer Benjamin Britten had been commissioned to write a new opera especially for the occasion. He produced Gloriana, an exploration of the ill-fated love between Elizabeth I and Lord Essex, with a libretto by William Plomer.
In March, members of the public were invited to apply by post for tickets for the opera’s premiere. With the Queen as the guest of honor, there were special requirements for each ticketholder for the performance. Full evening dress was required for all attendees “at least up to the balcony seats,” per the Telegraph. Everyone in attendance would need to find their way to their seats a full forty minutes before the performance began, giving ample time for the Queen and her royal entourage to sweep inside the building in tiaras, ballgowns, and tails.
