As Charles is officially crowned the King of the United Kingdom on Saturday, it seems only appropriate to list some of the best coronation scenes.
All hail the King! As Charles officially ascends to the throne and is crowned King on Saturday, we take a look at some of the best films and scenes with a coronation theme.
As we at whynow like to think of ourselves as very witty and funny, we’re adding a little twist. You won’t find The Crown or The King’s Speech here; instead, we’re looking at some of the more unconventional coronation scenes from genre films.
The Lion King
“THE LION KING”
(L-R) Simba (voice by Matthew Broderick), Rafiki (voice by Robert Guillaume), Kiara, Nala (voice by Moira Kelly)
©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Just to be clear, we’re talking about the animated film. While it technically doesn’t include a coronation scene, per se, Simba taking his place as the rightful ruler of the Pride Lands is about as majestic as it gets.
Simba isn’t crowned in the traditional sense; he fights for it and takes it from Scar, a tyrannical ruler who brought nothing but ruin to the Pride Lands. He roars in victory as the rain starts falling over the Lands, which has been suffering from severe drought; his reign will reinvigorate the Pride Lands once more.
Black Panther
Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther. Credit: Marvel Studios
Talk about a dramatic coronation. T’Challa (the late, great Chadwick Boseman) returns to his homeland of Wakanda, following the death of his father, to be crowned King. He is then challenged for the throne by M’Baku (a towering Winston Duke) from the Jabari tribe.
They battle it out and while T’Challa is victorious, he spares M’Baku’s life, announcing himself as a merciful ruler of Wakanda; at least until he is challenged by his cousin, Erik Killmonger. The sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever further complicates our understanding of Wakandan royalty and who is fit or right to rule over the kingdom.
Frozen
Credit: Disney Studios
What’s life without a little magic? Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) sure would like to find out. She possesses mystical powers she has fought to keep hidden for years, but after the death of her parents, the King and Queen of Arendelle, she is to be crowned the new Queen.
Elsa, like myself, is a little ball of anxiety in general and has to do a little performance of accepting a golden apple and a spectre. She nearly lets her powers out, but she is successfully crowned the Queen.
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
After several hours of travelling, duelling, fighting and witchcraft, the Lord of the Rings trilogy finally came to a close with the coronation of Aragorn as the King of Gondor. The One Ring has been destroyed, thanks to Frodo and Sam’s tireless efforts and Middle Earth is safe once again. Aragorn goes on to marry Arwen and, presumably, they live happily ever after.
It’s a satisfying, rightful end to one of the most epic, iconic sagas in cinematic history. Peter Jackson’s trilogy is considered one of the best trilogies of all time and Aragorn’s coronation feels like being able to breathe again.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Credit: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Who in their right mind would let a bunch of kids rule a kingdom? Author CS Lewis apparently. The four siblings – Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy – are crowned rulers of Narnia and they look after the kingdom for the better part of 15 years until they accidentally stumble back into the real world as children, as if nothing happened.
Game of Thrones
Credit: HBO
It almost feels like cheating to include Game of Thrones on here. It’s hard to pick just one coronation from the series which constantly saw rulers rise and fall over eight seasons. We’ve settled on including the final one; Sansa’s rise as Queen in the North at the very end of the series’ run.
Say what you will about the series finale, but Sansa’s rise to power was a brilliant, well earned move. The Starks have certainly been tested, but they have prevailed and Sansa, the oldest of the siblings, has a strong moral compass and the tenacity needed to rule over the North.
House of the Dragon
Credit: HBO
If you include Game of Thrones, you also have to include its prequel House of the Dragon. Currently in production for season two, the first season concluded with Rhaenyra on the throne in “The Black Queen”. The episode before, “The Green Council” saw Aegon rise to the throne.
There are two very different royals here, and a case could be made for both to be fit to rule over the kingdom. Rhaenyra’s ascension comes as she mourns the devastating loss of her son and her coronation is a much more sombre, private affair compared to the bombastic show of Aegon’s coronation.
Midsommar
Credit: A24
Dani (Florence Pugh) isn’t doing particularly well following the traumatic murder-suicide of her parents and sister as she arrives in the small community of Hårga in Ari Aster’s trippy folk horror Midsommar. She ends up competing in a dance competition which sees her crowned as the May Queen.
It’s all downhill from there really. Long-story-short, all her friends are dead and her boyfriend is burned alive inside a bear carcass as Dani looks on with a blank face, wearing a beautiful crown and dress made of flowers.
Unwelcome
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Unwelcome could have done with more goblin action, but the ending is truly spectacular. Jamie and Maya, pregnant with their first child, are terrorised by a local family after moving to a quiet village. They’re warned of Red Caps living near their house, but it’s not until the end of the film that Maya comes to realise their power.
The Red Caps, having helped Maya to get rid of the Whelans, take Maya’s newborn child as a form of payment. Maya chases them down their lair where she discovers an old, frail woman, who is a previously kidnapped child. Maya furiously kills the woman and claims her child back, only to be crowned by the Red Caps as their new Queen by drenching her in blood and placing the skull of the dead woman on her head. It’s a bloody, gruesome coronation, but a coronation of sorts nonetheless.
