When crowds of well-wishers gather in Westminster to celebrate the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29 April, British Red Cross volunteers and staff will be on hand to give first aid.
But this wedding isn’t the first time our first aid volunteers have helped crowds at royal occasions. In fact, we’ve provided first aid cover at royal events for 100 years now.
Coronation of HM King George V
22 June 1911
At the Coronation of King George V, the British Red Cross undertook its first ever public first aid duty. Nearly 400 volunteers and staff reported for a 12-hour duty at 5am at the corner of Princes Street and Tothill Street, facing Westminster Abbey. They were on duty to ensure the well-being of the public who had turned out in large numbers for the occasion.
During the day, the team dealt with fainting, epileptic fits, nosebleeds, grit in eyes, indigestion, sprained ankles and dehydration. One or two people had more serious conditions and were transferred to Westminster Hospital, including a pregnant woman who went into labour.
All of those on duty received the Police Coronation Medal for their service. Another 260 members were on duty for the firework display that evening and for the Royal Progress, which took place later that week. In total, 1,963 members provided first aid cover at some time during Coronation Week.
Coronation of HM King George VI
12 May 1937
©InfoThe Coronation route was divided into sectors. Each sector had a dressing station and several first aid posts.
The Red Cross provided first aid along Oxford Street from Cumberland Mews to Duke Street, and along Constitution Hill from Knightsbridge to Buckingham Palace. The dressing stations had to be ready by 5.15am. In total, 944 personnel and four ambulances were on duty for the Red Cross. They came from 19 different Branches across England. Five commandants were also on duty in the Abbey itself. During the course of the day, 1,428 people were treated.
Volunteers were given a handbook, “Coronation orders for the day”, instructing them to take great care to make sure their uniform, medals and badges were clean and in good order. Smoking on duty was prohibited and information was not to be given to the press. Instead, all press enquiries were to be passed to New Scotland Yard.
Our archives contain an account by M Norris-Elye, assistant commandant in Berkshire, who said: “We were all issued with equipment in blue attaché cases bearing Coronation labels…The first thing I was asked by an agitated Gold Staff Officer was whether I could sew on a detached shoe buckle…I managed to fix the buckle with safety pins…”
Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip
20 November 1947
Detachments from the County and City of London Branches worked together with members of St John Ambulance during the royal wedding. They lined the north side of the route from St James’s Palace to Buckingham Palace and staffed a dressing station near Canada Gate. They dealt with 324 casualties on the day.
Funeral of HM King George VI
15 February 1952
During the period of lying-in-state at Westminster Hall, our first aid volunteers were on hand in case any of the visiting crowd fell ill. During the funeral, volunteers set up and staffed three first aid posts alongside St John Ambulance. Fortunately, the crowds were relatively small and only minor injuries were treated.
Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II
2 June 1953
During the Coronation, 1,540 volunteers and staff were on duty in Hyde Park. They were responsible for nine first aid posts and seven dressing stations. The weather was bad and they treated 1,089 casualties. Fainting was a common problem. Fifty-two people had to be taken to hospital.
Five commandants from England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man were also on duty in Westminster Abbey during the service.
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