Queen Elizabeth II Coronation 1953. The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, broadcast live on 2 June 1953. It was the event that did more than any other to make television a mainstream medium. More than 20 million people watched the Service on television, outnumbering the radio audience for the first time. The BBC knew the event would be popular – based on the reaction to the limited broadcast of George VI's Coronation Procession - but could not foresee that it would mark the coming of age of tele