Published to coincide with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

A heartwarming and tender story of a family’s winding journey to witness Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation

Coronation Day, 2 June 1953

The Claggs, a humble, working class family from Sheffield, are offered tickets to a once-in-a-lifetime-event – the Queen’s coronation. Forsaking their annual seaside holiday for the promise of a prime viewing spot of the procession route and luxurious champagne, the Clagg family take the plunge and buy tickets for the momentous day.

But in true Gallico fashion, not everything goes smoothly. Will their tickets be everything they hoped and dreamed? Will granny stop grumbling that it’s all a waste of money? Most importantly, will they ever get to see their beloved Queen?

Rife with nostalgia and charm, Paul Gallico brings to life the joy and fervour that swept the nation during the last royal coronation—and provides a delightful historical perspective on the upcoming coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla.