Whatever your view on the Coronation (for my part, I didn't watch a single minute of the coverage), there's no disputing it was manna for photographers. This article showcases some of the pictures taken on the day by an array of Guardian photographers and incorporates their comments on what it was like being behind a lens in the thick of the action.
They were of course primarily charged with capturing the pomp and ceremony of an event that Christian Sinibaldi claims was "choreographed to perfection": "The number of army personnel and the colourful uniforms and garments create perfect geometries and lines which are a treat for any photographer."
But, as Sarah Lee notes, it was also an opportunity to people-watch, and there are as many images of damp, stoic spectators as there are of the newly crowned king. I can't help thinking, though, that Martin Parr (with his fascination for public events and spectacles and his "love-hate relationship" with Britain) would have done a more interesting job in that regard.
Credit to Jill Mead for getting this comment on the monarchy out of onlooking royalist Nigel: "Maybe you appreciate them as you get older, a bit like vegetables."
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