Did you know...?
When King John (of Magna Carta fame) died, England was in the middle of the First Barons’ War and it was vital to have his son and successor, nine year old Henry, crowned as soon as possible in order to avoid a French prince becoming King of England. So young Henry was crowned King Henry III on the Feast of St Simon and St Jude, 28th October 1216, in the abbey church of St Peter, Gloucester (now Gloucester Cathedral), rather than the usual Westminster Abbey. As all the regalia had been lost during the uprising, a simple gold corolla was used as a crown. In 1220, a second coronation took place in Westminster Abbey with full ceremony.