Farnborough Hill Welcomes the Armed Forces on Their Way to London for the King's Coronation

While we might not be as royally connected as we were in the Empress' time, we were thrilled that the school could play a small part in the Coronation plans...

Tomorrow, the UK Armed Forces will showcase pageantry at its finest when they parade through central London; over 6,000 British service personnel will contribute to the historic occasion, the majority joining sailors, soldiers and aviators from across the Commonwealth on two magnificent processions.

The logistics of moving 6,000 service personnel to London boggles the mind, but the School grounds were deemed to be an excellent staging and marshalling area for over 2,000 of them, from all over the country, who gathered here on their way to Farnborough Station, before travelling on to central London.  The Hill was lined with coach after coach as the troops moved in and out with precision and order that would impress a Bursar.

Estate Manager Rachel Barraud said 'it was a privilege to be able to play a part in the Coronation, and all the team involved in liaising with the Army and facilitating the operation were delighted to help.'

You can see a fantastic Royal snippet in the 1935 Hillside magazine!  King George V, Queen Mary and the soon to be Kings, Prince Edward (King Edward VIII) and Prince Albert (King George VI) drove by Hillside Convent College, cheered on by a long line of pupils.