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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Antony Thrower

Unusual Coronation details you might not have spotted - from spare change to a famous mum

Hundreds of millions of people watched transfixed yesterday when King Charles and Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey.

Thousands lined streets and braved the elements to see the historic occasion, while more decided to enjoy the comforts of home and watch from there instead.

With so many eyes pointed at the cathedral several oddities in the ceremony were bound to be spotted - although there were many more which may have gone missed.

Below we take a look at some of the moments which were easy to skip over given the pomp and ceremony going on at the time.

Catch up on the latest on the coronation with our live blog here

The carriage is a mere 13-years-old, compared to the Gold State Coach (AFP via Getty Images)

What was the state coach made from?

Thousands of people had lined the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the King and Queen making their way to and from the ceremony.

On their way there they were aboard the 13-year-old Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which many believe was a sweet nod to the late Queen by her monarch son.

The carriage has a fascinating ancestry as it is made up of objects donated from more than 100 historic sites across Britain.

Its interior panels come from materials from the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Canterbury Cathedral, Downing Street and even Henry VIII’s Mary Rose flagship.

Its seat handrails are from the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Queen’s beloved vessel retired in 1997.

Their return journey to Buckingham Palace was aboard the Gold State Coach which is just a little older at 260 years old.

Recognise the pageboy’s famous mother?

Twelve-year-old pageboy Ralph Tollemache has a mother who is no stranger to fame herself as a youngster.

His mum Sophie was just six when she appeared alongside John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline in 1988 classic comedy A Fish Called Wanda.

Ralph was one of four Pages of Honour and the grandson of Lord Timothy John Edward Tollemache, the fifth Baron Tollemache.

He joined Prince George, nine, Nicholas Barclay, 13, and Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, also 13.

Page of Honours Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Prince George of Wales, Nicholas Barclay and Ralph Tollemache (Getty Images)

Say, the orb looks a little crooked

With many of the elements of the coronation dating back centuries, a little wear and tear is only to be expected.

The King’s crown features a slightly wonky orb which was the result of being dropped by thief Colonel Thomas Blood who in 1671 who had attempted to make off with it.

He had swapped sides to fight with Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War and later tried to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London.

When he was captured he demanded to answer to anyone but the monarch and was taken to see King Charles who pardoned him for the crime.

To this date the reason remains unclear.

The orb on the King's crown is a little off centre (AP)

What’s with the spare change?

Penny Mordaunt became one of the surprise stars of the coronation as she held aloft a huge sword for more than an hour.

She later was seen exchanging a bag of coins for the ancient custom of the Jewelled Sword of Offering.

The purse contained 100 newly minted, cupro-nickel 50p pieces with an effigy of the crowned King.

Penny Mordaunt during the ceremony (Getty Images)

Do I recognise the gospel choir?

Royal fans very possibly recognised members of the wonderful gospel choir - one of the firsts for a British coronation.

The Ascension Choir, led by Abimbola Amoako-Gyampah, captivated the congregation - and royal fans may have recognised some of the singers who are also members of the Kingdom Choir.

Back in 2018, the Kingdom Choir delighted fans when they performed at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The gospel choir performed at Prince Harry's wedding (Getty Images)

Carpet

A fitting royal blue carpet was laid out at Westminster Abbey.

Its weave was designed to not snag on the robes as the King and Queen walked across the floor.

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