A decorated street during Edward VII's coronation

This watercolour by Charles Edwin Flower (1871-1910) depicts St James Street during the celebrations which took place for the Coronation of Edward VII on 9 August 1902. St James Street runs from Piccadilly down to St James Palace and Pall Mall (the view of the watercolour) and was on the Coronation route back from Westminster Abbey in 1902 which may explain why it was so heavily decorated. The work is very similar to a photograph taken at the time and Flower may have based his composition on that.

Although the watercolour is dated June 1902 the coronation was delayed two months because Edward VII had been taken seriously ill with appendicitis. On 24 June two days before the proposed coronation the King was taken ill and had a lifesaving pioneering operation. Many streets removed their decoration as it was feared the King would not survive.

The watercolour is brightly coloured with flags featuring prominently on the left. On the right the sign Imperator is shown indiating that for the first time in a coronation a British monarch was also to be crowned Emperor of India.