Women who witnessed the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 return to Buckingham Palace
Coronation Girls airs Monday, March 31 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the web, WXXI app (Android & Apple IOS ) and PBS App.
In the summer of 1953, philanthropist Garfield Weston put together a sponsorship to send 50 girls from rural communities across Canada to visit London. They were soon standing in Oxford Street to witness the coronation procession of Queen Elizabeth. Witnessing a princess becoming the queen of England transformed them instantly and forever. The elements of character they saw in her, a young woman so close in age to themselves who took on the weight of the Crown, inspired them and shaped a way of being that has guided their lives. Featuring guest appearances by actor Richard E. Grant and His Majesty King Charles III, Coronation Girls includes interviews with a number of the women who participated in the trip and follows them as they return one last time to Buckingham Palace.