George III became King on the death of his grandfather, George II, on 25 October 1760. He married Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on 8 September 1761, just in time for her to be crowned with him on 22 September. Contemporary accounts relate considerable confusion at some stages of the coronation ceremonies, but the dignity of the royal couple and 'the reverent attention which both paid' to the service were favourably commented on. Feeling it would be wrong to receive Holy Communion wearing his crown, the King himself decided to lay it aside, since neither the order of service nor the Archbishop of Canterbury gave him guidance on this point.

Unlike the souvenir volume published after George IV's coronation, the Form and Order for George III's was for use on the day. John Cornish supplied fifteen copies red-ruled and bound in red leather. As this copy does not have the ribbon-ties and gold fringes of the sovereign's copies, it must be one of those for other members of the Royal Family. The binding is a late example of the cottage-roof style, the pitch of the 'roof' being much flatter than in earlier examples and with far less tooling. The tools and dentelle border roll were chosen with the coronation theme in mind, including crossed sceptres, crowns, eagles with wings outstretched, an ampulla for the Holy Oil, and entwined roses and thistles, the emblems of England and Scotland. The Royal arms, with Hanover in the fourth quarter, are as used between George I's accession in 1714 and the Union with Ireland in 1801.

Catalogue entry adapted from 'Royal Treasures, A Golden Jubilee Celebration', London 2002.

Binding Information

Bound in red calf, with ornate gilt tooling of arms and motto of George III to centre, with supporters and rose and thistle emblems, within frame made up of small tools of crosses, roses, thistles, crossed sceptres, crowns and curlicues, within cottage roof frame filled with delicate stem design, with decoration to interior corners and a border edge of dentelle fronds, with two small birds (griffins?) to top and bottom. Border of ornate gilt roll tool of design comprising eagles and doves and insects and Prince of Wales feathers, with winged orb to each interior corner, bordered by fillet and dog tooth roll tool. Spine divided into six compartments, with stylised design of roses and thistles to each, within frame border by small floral corner tools. Outside edge of boards and turn ins with triangular roll tool design. Floral marbled endpapers. All edges gilt.