Sometimes, when something has gone so well and without an externally visible problem or issue finding the right words to use to say thank you can be extremely difficult. That is exactly how I feel today in attempting to sum up the two-hour long Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla on Saturday and which I watched on television with my wife before moving on to a most enjoyable celebratory event at her golf club in Richmond, Surrey – along of course with some of what took place in the gardens of Windsor Castle last evening .
Happy and Glorious are two words that should certainly be used. The sheer perfection of the military procession and pageantry along the route taken to Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace and the later return plus the magnificence and precision of all members of the military involved – particularly those on horseback – stood out.
Saturday was a justifiable proud day for all members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and Royal Air Force involved and it will be a day that they will never forget. As I watched the Abbey ceremony on television, I would have to say that what stood out most for me was when Prince William pledged his allegiance to the King and of how King Charles was so visibly moved. Equally so where the words chosen by HRH Prince William to describe the work and beliefs so deeply held by his farther King Charles and the reference to how his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth would have so proud of her son which he said at Windsor Castle last night.
In respect of people involved at and in making the Coronation such a success, may I highlight the professionalism of the Lord President of the Council, Penny Mordaunt who carried the Sword of State and performed several other hugely important duties. She is a Hon Commander of the Royal Navy and for very good reason. In additional, former Chiefs’ of the Defence Staff who carried and stood with swords raised in honour throughout – the Lord Houghton of Richmond carrying the Sword of Temporal Justice, Air Marshal the Lord Peach carrying the Sword of Mercy, General the Lord Richards of Herstmonceux with the Sword of Spiritual Justice and former Vice Chief of Defence Staff, General Sir Gordon Messenger, Constable of the Tower of London and in his capacity for that day as Lord High Steward of England, with the great responsibility for carrying the St Edwards Crown to the alter.
To the above I must include the Clergy who were superb throughout and no more so than the Archbishop of Canterbury who was exemplary in every respect. I cannot mention everyone here of course but suffice to say that all those of all faiths who had a specific role to play, serving and retired members of the Military, Clergy of all faiths and denominations represented, Politicians, Peers, Musicians, Choristers and in the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey itself, those broadcasting, were exemplary. As ever, the Duke of Norfolk and his team and all those in Government involved are also deserving of significant praise for what they achieved.
Weather Didn’t Spoil The Day
As it had done at the Coronation of King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth in 1937 and that of Queen Elizabeth the Second in June 1953, rain was not in short supply on the day for the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla on Saturday. Yes, it rained but it wasn’t that heavy and there was little or no wind to speak of.
However, the military powers that be in MOD and in what back in 1953 would have still been known as the Air Ministry, decided in their infinite wisdom, that to have anything other than the Royal Air Force ‘Red Arrows Aerobatic Team’ flying down the Mall and over Buckingham Palace would be unsafe. The Red Arrows flypast lasted for just two and a half minutes!
I will temper my words and what follows carefully but suffice to say that I am not alone in expressing disappointed that what little of the Flypast that remained was an unfortunate anti-climax to what had been an outstanding military ceremonial event. I could well ask, if the weather was good enough to allow a nine-ship team of ‘Red Arrows‘ using aircraft that are now close too forty years old could fly across the Palace why was it not possible to for at least some of the other ‘planned’ formations of larger aircraft such as Voyager, C-17, A400M, C-130J, P-8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint let alone F-35 and Typhoon to fly?
Someone is I suppose tis going to reply suggesting low cloud cover or public safety to wit I would reply to the former, that in 1953 cloud cover was around 1,000 feet but despite that and being forced to make changes, the Royal Air Force back then did at least have a plan B. As to the second suggestion, I make no comment.
On Saturday there were supposed to have been 60 ‘military’ aircraft and helicopters of varying types flying along the Mall and over Buckingham Palace. Clearly, if the weather is bad smaller aircraft including some rotary and elderly BBMF aircraft should not fly. But in respect of what we actually got, was that really the best that we could do and it begs the question, can we now no longer fly when it rains or is this simply down to lack of capacity, will and rather too much emphasis on de-risking? Indeed, was there ever a Plan B?
Back in 1953 there certainly was a Plan B – one that would mean that the RAF would have 7 wings totalling 168 aircraft flying past at 30 second intervals rather than as a single large formation.
The weather for the Coronation Day flypast in 1953 was pretty similar to that of this past Saturday so we may perhaps reasonably ask why a fall-back Plan B of that kind could not have been safely executed with a mere 50 aircraft? Add to that the sophisticated navigation aids and excellent Air Traffic Control systems available today and that were not available in 1953, It would be very interesting to see whether we hear any further explanation as to why this decision to put only the Red Arrow up was taken?
Given the manner that Royal Air Force aircraft and rotary capability along with so much of our overall air power capacity as a whole has been allowed to be axed over the past few years without any fight being put up top retain capability my senior chiefs, I rather doubt that we will ever again witness a planned Coronation flypast of 60 aircraft drawn from all 3 Services.
As mentioned, for the Queen’s Coronation Flypast on 2 June 1953 there were 168 Royal Air Force aircraft planned to be involved comprising 6 wings of 24 Meteor Mk 8 jet aircraft – all part of No 11 Group, Fighter Command, plus one wing of 24 Royal Canadian Air Force F-86 Sabres based at North Luffenham. The Meteor Wings came from a mix of Duxford, Biggin Hill, Odiham, Waterbeach, Wattisham and Horsham St Faith.
The conceptual plan had been that all 168 aircraft would fly over Buckingham Palace in one big formation, having joined up over the Thames Estuary before turning gently starboard over the Chanel and then coasting in at Dungeness for a straight run in to the Palace, with the leader, then Wing Commander Jimmy Wallace and his Duxford Wing, getting check steers from an ATC controller on the roof of Buckingham Palace! In the event, because the weather had deteriorated and which I readily accept that for a short time also occurred in London on Saturday afternoon as well, with the weather producing a visible cloud base of less than 1,000 feet, the Plan B decision was to fly past by wings at 30 second intervals.
To put things into a broader context, note that none of the No 12 Group stations or any of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons of Fighter Command took part in the Coronation Fly Past in 1953. Neither did aircraft from other Royal Air Force Flying Commands (Bomber, Coastal, Transport, Signals, Flying Training, 2nd TAF in Germany or those deployed to Near, Middle or Far East Air Forces.
For the record, about 6 weeks later on 15 July 1953, the Queen’s Royal Review Flypast took place at RAF Odiham when some 600 aircraft – yes, 600 aircraft from the Royal Air Force alone flew past and with many more aircraft on static display on the ground.
On the 17th June 2023 the King’s Birthday Parade (Trooping of the Colour) will take place marking the Sovereign’s official birthday. I am not holding my breath but if the skies are clear one may reasonably expect to see the Red Arrow yet again and maybe perhaps, aircraft of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. In my view, the public needs to know that the RAF isn’t only about the Red Arrows and in order to do that, they need to see real military aircraft capability of all types rather than simply another flypast by a brilliant aerobatic team and whose aircraft, without replacement, may soon be past their sell-by date.
CHW (London – 8th May 2023)
Howard Wheeldon FRAeS
Wheeldon Strategic Advisory Ltd,
M: +44 7710 779785
Skype: chwheeldon
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