This is witness history on the BBC World Service. Today we look back to when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in a spectacular ceremony in 1953.

In this programme, first broadcast in 2013, Claire Boes brought together the memories of two of her Majesty's maids of honour.

Welcome to Coronation London. This city, transformed by excitement and joy and loyalty, the true centre of this June morning of the emotions of the whole wide common world.

June 2, 1953, and all eyes are on London.

Her Majesty's London home is the right place to begin our rejoicing, and the day, while a little chill, for the early morning rain has gone, there's even a hope of sun.

Queen Elizabeth would travel from her home at Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey to be crowned.

And before us, the fine eastern front of the palace, so impressive, because alone of all the buildings of central London, it remains undecorated.

Lady Anglen Conor, then Lady Angcook, was one of six young women chosen to be the Queen's maids of honour.

They had two jobs to carry the long velvet train of the Queen's coronation robe, and to look lovely.

My grandmother thought I should have a perm, and I went off, and I think had one of the very last perms where it was strung up to the ceiling.

Anyway, when it was eventually unrolled, I looked like a sort of shorn sheep, it was completely fizzy.

I remember absolutely weeping and thinking, well, I just can't be a maid of honour, but I look so hideous with this crinkly hair.

The young Queen had insisted that her coronation be televised for the first time.

The ceremony, parts of which date back 900 years, was to be seen by more people than ever before.

Well, this is the scene here before Buckingham Palace.

But all along the route, there's the same excitement, and we've got our commentators stationed at key points,

who'll describe for you both the outfit procession and the return journey from the Abbey.

We also broadcast the whole of the impressive service.

In all, we'll be over seven hours in this thrilling coronation London.

Well, I was sleeping on the floor, because beds were to premium in London the night of the coronation, and I was at my uncle's house.

My mother was there too, so we sort of dressed together, and Gail from Elizabeth Arden came and made me up, because they were very worried,

that it was the first time anything had been televised, and the lights were very, very bright.

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