Nurses at the coronation share pictures of ‘rather fantastic day’
Posted 09 May 2023 - 13:47
Nurses relive memorable moments representing the profession at Westminster Abbey, from carrying the monarch’s regalia up the aisle, to rubbing shoulders with the stars
Nurses who were among the 2,300 guests at Westminster Abbey to see the coronation in person on 6 May have been looking back on a day they’ll never forget.
Retired community nurse Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, who was the first sickle cell nurse specialist in the UK, had been chosen to be the bearer the ceremonial orb through the Abbey. Dame Elizabeth tweeted she had a ‘rather fantastic day’, pictured alongside Baroness Floella Benjamin who carried the sceptre.
She told Nursing Standard she had been ‘very nervous’ about processing up the aisle carrying the orb, but focusing on the choral music helped keep her calm.
‘It was scary but I got over that by just looking ahead and listening to the gorgeous music. It was like being on a cloud, an out-of-body experience,’ she said.
She added that the response from fellow nurses had been overwhelming: ‘I feel so proud that they think I represented them well, especially on such an international stage. It was really incredible, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.’
Former chief nurse’s coronation role
Dame Sarah Mulally, a former chief nursing officer for England read a passage from the Bible.
The Rt Rev Mulally left the profession to enter the Anglican priesthood and is now the Bishop of London.
My seat at the coronation, courtesy of the Australian government
London-based Australian nurse Emily Regan had been chosen to represent her home country at the ceremony and was also invited to the coronation concert at Windsor Castle on 7 May. She was the only nurse to be among the guests of the Australian government at the service, taking her place alongside musician Nick Cave and comedian Adam Hills.
Coronation concert was electric
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital cardiology nurse Michelle Beaver, named a ‘coronation champion’ because of her voluntary work, received an invitation to the concert. She described the atmosphere as electric.
A group of nurses from the Philippines working in the UK took centre stage when they performed in the Basingstoke Filipino choir.
We were in prime position outside Buckingham Palace
Milton Keynes University Hospital Trust nutrition nurses Jane Radice and Charlotte Durham were also among those representing the NHS in the coronation day grandstand outside Buckingham Palace.
‘It was an incredible day and an honour to be representing the NHS at such a historic event. As you can see from the photo, we had close-up views of the entire procession,’ Ms Radice said.
Elsewhere, NHS nursing staff showed you didn’t have to be there to celebrate the coronation. At London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust the nurses’ station was decorated with paper crowns and union jacks.
In other news