Overview of KS2 history lesson* for HM The King’s Coronation

*This is accompanied with detailed notes for teachers so that it can be adapted depending on whether it is taught to Y3 or Y6.
1 2 3 4
Images of historical rulers wearing Brief discussion about rulers that Photograph of King Charles III corona = Latin for crown
crowns or ceremonial headdresses: pupils have studied. (The class visiting a school. Introduce the word coronation: the
• Cleopatra of ancient Egypt teacher will know which periods of He became king of the United moment when ‘the country’ places a
• Mansa Musa of Mali history and rulers pupils have Kingdom on 8 September 2022, crown on the king’s head. This will
• Darius II of ancient Persia covered in their curriculum) when The Queen died. be shown on tv.
• Queen Salote of Tonga e.g. Y3 might have studied Egyptian King Charles does not wear a crown Image of King Edward I’s coronation
• Haile Selassie of Ethiopia pharaohs who wore the Nile double when he visits schools, or hospitals, showing him holding the orb,
• Emperor Xing of China crown, Darius II, Alexander of or communities across the country. sceptre and wearing a crown.
(Teachers can add images of rulers Macedon who wore a diadem. In fact, King Charles has not worn a
that pupils have studied providing crown yet. Image of new £2 coin.
the ruler is wearing a headdress.)
 Overview of KS2 history lesson* for HM The King’s Coronation
*This is accompanied with detailed notes for teachers so that it can be adapted depending on whether it is taught to Y3 or Y6.
5 6 7 8
The coronation chair (without The Stone of Scone. The crown used for crowning the When Charles is crowned king on 6
the stone). Image of the Stone of Scone in King of the United Kingdom is May 2023, there will be symbols
Photograph of St Edward’s chair Edinburgh Castle. called St Edward’s crown: image. used at his Coronation.
with pupils describing with their Explain that Charles III is king of the
teacher the shape of the chair, what kingdoms of England and Scotland – Video clip of Queen Elizabeth II (58 (This will help pupils identify,
it is made from, and how high it is. the United Kingdom. Scottish kings seconds) examining the crown and recognise and explain them as they
were crowned on this ancient stone. describing how heavy it was. watch the Coronation.)
English kings were crowned in the Discussion about what bringing the Emphasise that this crown was only
chair. The teacher will point out the chair/stone together means. worn once by Queen Elizabeth. Let’s learn about some of the
large space beneath the chair. symbols. For each symbol, pupils
Shows pupils the Coronation chair Weighs 5lbs (2 litres of water) can draw a quick sketch for 3-4 mins
This is not a throne. The king will with the Stone of Scone. This will and then annotate, explaining what
never sit on this chair again. The symbolise Charles as King of the https://www.youtube.com/watch? it is and what it means.
next person to sit on this chair will whole of the United Kingdom. v=H6GVq5R0O1U
be King Charles’s son, William. The first is the crown, called St
Edward’s crown. It is the crown we
use today to crown British kings and
queens. It can only be worn once by
a king or a queen.
 Overview of KS2 history lesson* for HM The King’s Coronation
*This is accompanied with detailed notes for teachers so that it can be adapted depending on whether it is taught to Y3 or Y6.
9 10 11 12
The sceptre with the Cross. The orb. The Holy Oil on the spoon. Give pupils a copy of the official
Describe this golden stick with This is an ancient symbol showing This part you won’t see as it is Coronation motif to stick into their
jewels. It is a symbol of the king’s the world with a cross on top. This considered very special and books: identify the crown of St
power to make laws. Laws today as tells the king that, although he is the sacred. The Archbishop will pour Edward made up of the four floral
now made by the king but are signed king of the UK, there is someone Holy Oil onto the golden spoon and symbols (the rose of England, the
by the king after Parliament makes even more powerful than kings: will then anoint the King – making a thistle of Scotland, the daffodil of
the laws. God. (This needs to be handled sign of the cross with it – on his Wales and the shamrock of
carefully as some teachers and pupils head, his hands, and his chest.This is Northern Ireland). Pupils will have
will not believe in God.) a symbol that this is the man who is learned about the
King, no one else. (Church schools four UK nations in KS1. Pupils can
might like to discuss the concept of write a paragraph to accompany the
anointing: setting apart someone for motif explaining what it means to
a special, holy purpose.) say that, during the Coronation,
Charles III will be crowned king of
the United Kingdom. They should
try to use core knowledge in their
writing including: coronation, United
Kingdom, England, Scotland,Wales,
Northern Ireland, St Edward’s chair,
Stone of Scone, St Edward’s crown, orb,
sceptre.
The lesson for pupils begins after this slide.
Let’s look and talk.
King Edward

crown

corona - tion
Let’s learn a new word and say together:

“A coronation is when a king has a crown

placed on his head for the first time.”

Let’s look and talk.

 King Charles
has never
worn a
crown.
This is King Charles III.
He is the king of the United Kingdom.
King Charles is visiting some schoolchildren.
King Charles is waiting for his c________.
oronation

Let’s look and talk.

Charles became King of the United Kingdom when the Queen died.
Charles became King Charles last year on 29 September 2022.
King Charles
Do you is waiting
remember oronationmother?
for his c________.
the Queen, Charles’
Let’s see the Queen at her coronation over 70 years ago.
Let’s look carefully and recall our new word.
 Describe the
coronation chair
with your partner.

We will see King Charles

sit in the coronation chair
on 6th May 2023.

The coronation
chair was made
hundreds of
years ago.

Look at the special chair that the Queen sat in at her coronation.
1200 1300
The chair 1400the coronation
is called 1500 1600chair,1700
or King1800 1900chair.2000
Edward’s
26 kings and queens have sat in the coronation chair.
Let’s look, think and talk.
You have divided a page
into four boxes.

You will draw and label

the coronation chair in
the first box.

Let’s draw and write.

 Let’s draw the
coronation chair.

Let’s explain the

coronation chair.

Who sits in it?

What is it made from?

You could draw

some lions.

Let’s draw and write.

 Describe the shape of
the Stone of Scone
with your partner.

We are not sure

how old the
Stone of Scone is.

Look at this very old piece of stone.

1200 stone
This 1300 1400the Stone
is called 1500 of 1600 1700
Scone (skoon). 1800 1900 2000
Kings of Scotland were crowned sitting on the Stone of Scone.
Let’s look, think and talk.
 We will see King Charles
sit on the Stone of Scone
and the coronation chair
on 6th May 2023.
What does this mean?

King Charles is King of

England and Scotland –
the United Kingdom.

We are not sure

how old the
Stone of Scone is.

Find the1300
1200 Stone of Scone.1500
1400 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000
It is sitting as part of the coronation chair.

Let’s look, think and talk.

 Let’s draw the
Stone of Scone.
Let’s explain the
Stone of Scone.
What country does
it come from?

Why is it in the
coronation chair?

Or you could draw You could add the

an arrow to where stone to your
the stone is placed. coronation chair.

Let’s draw and write.

 Describe
St Edward’s crown
with your partner.

We will see King Charles

wearing St Edward’s
crown on 6th May 2023.

The crown
was made
hundreds of
years ago in
1661.
Look at the crown that the Queen is wearing.
1200 1300 is called
The crown 1400 St Edward’s
1500 1600
crown.1700 1800 1900 2000
The King will only wear this crown once: at his coronation.
Let’s look, think and talk.
Listen to the Queen describing St Edward’s crown.

Let’s watch this clip.

 Let’s draw
St Edward’s crown.

What is St Edward’s
crown used for?

How often does a king or

queen wear this crown?

What will the king be

sitting in when he wears
this crown?

Let’s draw and write.

 Describe
the sceptre with
your partner.

We will see King Charles holding

a sceptre on 6th May 2023.

The sceptre
was made
hundreds of
years ago in
The Queen is holding a sceptre. 1661.
The golden sceptre is a symbol of the power to make laws.
1200 1300
The King today 1400
does not1500 1600laws.
make our 1700 1800 makes
Parliament 1900 our2000
laws.
The King signs the laws that Parliament makes.
Let’s look, think and talk.
 Describe
the orb with your
partner.

We will see King Charles holding

an orb on 6th May 2023.

The orb
was made
hundreds of
years ago in
1661.

The King will be given an orb.

1200
The orb 1300 1400that 1500
is a symbol 1600 1700
there is someone 1800
more powerful1900
than the2000
King...
God. The orb was made when almost everyone in the UK was a Christian.
Let’s look, think and talk.
 Let’s draw …or draw
the orb. the sceptre.

The orb tells the king The sceptre is a symbol

that there is someone of the power to make
even more powerful laws. Who makes our
than him: ...? laws today?

Let’s draw and write.

 How many of these objects, that will be used
in the King’s Coronation, can you name?

St Edward’s
orb
crown

Stone of Scone coronation chair sceptre

Let’s check we remember.

There is something that The beak of this golden
we will not see during the bird has a hole in it. Oil
king’s coronation. will be poured onto the
golden spoon.
It will be hidden from us.
Some oil will be dribbled
This is because it is the onto the King’s head,
most important part of chest and hands.
the coronation.
This means the King has a
The King will take off his special job for the rest of
special robes and open his life.
his shirt.

Some Christians believe that this is when the King makes promises to God.

Let’s look, think and talk.

 Describe this crown.
How is different from
St Edward’s crown?

Can you see

anything else
that you
recognise?

Let’s look at another crown. It is different from St Edward’s crown.

The King1300
1200 will wear this crown
1400 1500 at the end of1700
1600 his coronation.
1800 1900 2000
You can see this crown when the King said goodbye to his mother (The Queen).

Let’s look, think and talk.

 Let’s write in our last box.

Find the word coronation.

1. What is a coronation?
2. What will we see at
the King’s Coronation?
3. What won’t we see at
the Coronation?

Let’s draw and write.

 Can you find St Edward’s
crown? It is made up of
the four flowers of the UK.
The rose
represents England.
The thistle rose
represents Scotland.
thistle daffodil
The daffodil
represents Wales.

shamrock
The shamrock
represents
Northern Ireland. You can label the four
flowers of the UK.

You could label the four flowers (and the countries) in your book.

Let’s draw and write.

Resources for teachers
Children will divide a whole page into four boxes into which they will draw and write.
This limits the space for drawing, focusing children on the writing.

Coronation chair
St Edward’s crown
and Stone of Scone

In the middle of the page,

pupils will stick in the
Coronation logo with space
around it for circling,
arrows, annotating and
explaining.

Pupils will summarise what they have

the orb or sceptre
learned about the Coronation in this box.
1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000