What was the 1911 Suffragette Women’s Coronation Procession?

This procession was organised by the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), led by Emmeline Pankhurst. It aimed to rival the official coronation procession, and draw the attention of the public and the new king. It included both Suffragettes, who used militant tactics in their fight for the vote, and suffragists, who campaigned peacefully.

Between 1906 and 1914, Suffragettes regularly took their activism to the streets. Their demonstrations and processions made it impossible for politicians and ordinary Londoners to ignore their campaign – and the women behind it. Their public profile paved the way for women to take a more active role in society.

The organisers felt the spectacular coronation procession had shown the scale of support for their cause. But Parliament and the king weren’t convinced. Many Suffragettes abandoned hope that marches might help them win the vote, and turned towards more radical tactics instead.

The Women's Coronation Procession was organised by the WSPU in central London on 17 June 1911.

This spectacular procession was held a week before the coronation of George V. It aimed to win the support of the new king for the proposed Conciliation Bill, which was set to be debated in Parliament.

The bill, which never passed, would have allowed women who met certain property qualifications to vote in general elections.

Although organised by the militant WSPU, the event brought together women from all organisations fighting for the right to vote, including the non-militant National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies.

Despite the march’s show of strength, King George V made it clear he did not support the campaign.

The Women’s Coronation Procession was one of the largest and most spectacular public events organised by the WSPU in the fight for the vote.

Over 40,000 delegates marched four miles from Westminster via Trafalgar Square to the Royal Albert Hall, where Suffragette leaders gave speeches. They dressed in national and historical costume, and were accompanied by floats, music and thousands of banners.

The procession included hundreds of Suffragettes who’d been to prison for their involvement in the militant campaign. There were also women representing all corners of the British empire – New Zealand, Australia, India, South Africa and more.

London Museum holds a large collection of photographs of the event, including some taken by the press photographer Christina Broom.

The photos not only help us to see the many different groups involved, but also the passion, strength, energy and creativity of the movement. The image of Suffragette Marjorie Annan Bryce dressed as Joan of Arc is a great example.

The Car of Empire float was made to represent the supposed “unity of the British empire” in the fight for the vote. It was one of the most visually spectacular features of the procession.

At the top of the horse-drawn float were two figures representing “East and West”, and on the lowest tier were women depicting “the King’s dominions overseas”. Young Suffragettes from Croydon surrounded the float “carrying garlands of roses, the emblem of England”.

In this section, women dressed in historic costumes as Mary Queen of Scots, Boudica, Anne Boleyn, Queen Eleanor, Lady Jane Grey, Henrietta Maria and Ethelflaed.

The women marched in front of the New Constitutional Society for Women's Suffrage, a non-militant organisation which campaigned against government candidates at by-elections. You can see the banner of the society, which was probably green and white, in the background of the photo below.

The small Indian group was organised by Jane Fisher Unwin. She and other WSPU members contacted Indian women living in the UK in the weeks leading up to the procession. They organised the decorations and the collection of subscriptions for the elephant banner, which cost between £4 and £5.

The India procession was part of what the organisers called the Imperial Contingent. It aimed to show the strength of support for women’s suffrage throughout the empire. The social reformer and Indian independence campaigner Annie Besant also took part in the India procession.

Among the photographs in our collection is one featuring Lolita Roy, who’d moved from India to Hammersmith in west London with her children in 1901. Roy, a supporter of female suffrage in India, became President of the London Indian Union Society.

Little is known about the other women, but historian Sumita Mukherjee has identified two as Bhagwati Bhola Nauth (far left, holding the elephant pendant) and Mrs Mukerjea. It is likely Roy’s daughters were also there and may appear in the image.

The procession also celebrated great women from history. For the Famous Women pageant, Suffragettes dressed as notable figures, including Florence Nightingale, soprano singer Jenny Lind, heroic lighthouse-keeper Grace Darling and the Scottish scientist Mary Somerville.

The nurses and midwives formed on the Embankment, between Charing Cross Station and Horse Guards Avenue. Joining them were the women pharmacists and sanitary inspectors, the ethical societies, the Fabian Women’s Group, Hampstead Garden Suburb and the gardeners.

In the weeks leading up to the procession, the Votes for Women newspaper urged midwives, maternity nurses and nurses to join the procession. The WSPU wanted the procession to be visually spectacular. Those wishing to take part were asked to wear indoor uniforms, “which always looks so fresh and attractive”.

The event was impressively organised, beautifully choreographed and well-attended. Despite this, the Conciliation Bill was defeated by MPs in the House of Commons and disappeared from parliamentary debate.

Frustrated by the new king’s lack of support and the defeat of the bill, the WSPU leadership felt they had no choice but to take more militant action. The policy of attempting to persuade through spectacle and pageantry ended. A new era of militant campaigning began.