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George Gross

Dr George Gross

Visiting Research Fellow

Biography

Dr George Gross (@drgeorgegross) founded the British Coronations Project at King’s College London (KCL). He was educated at KCL and the University of Cambridge (Sidney Sussex) studying Theology and Early Modern History. His work has featured on the BBC (BBC Coronations), CNN, CBC, France 24, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and History Hit Podcasts - Gone Medieval. He is a co-convener at ‘The Religious History of Britain, 1500–1800’ seminar held at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) in London. He has given papers at inter alia Westminster Abbey, UCL and the British Academy. Dr Gross lectures and examines for modules on Reformation history, British Christianity and the Restoration to the twenty-first century, and early modern religious/political thought. Publications include a co-edited book Reformation Reputations (2020); The Last Coronation in Scotland 1651 in the Court Historian; articles on Coronation perceptions and Anglo-Russian communications between Ivan IV and Elizabeth I; and socio-cultural history perspectives in The World of Fine Wine, entitled ‘Magnificent Occasions: Coronations, Royalty and Wine’. A monograph on British Coronations and the Shaping of National Identity, c.973–present is forthcoming.   

Research interests and PhD supervision

  • Coronation History (International)
  • The English Reformation
  • Politics and Religion
  • British Christianity from the Restoration to the 21st Century
  • History of Monarchy and Royal History

Teaching

Reformation history; early modern religious/political thought; Coronation and ceremonial history; British Christianity from the Restoration to the 21st Century.

TV, Radio & Documentaries

Horizon - Associated Press historical consultant for 'Trooping the Colour' (15 June 2024)

Ukrainian TV 1+1 reflections on the anniversary of King Charles III's Coronation (6 May 2024)

Ukrainian TV 1+1 discussion on the health news of King Charles III (8 February 2024)

BBC News Special Programme discussion on the King's Cancer diagnosis (5 February 2024)

France24 Special Programme coverage for the State visit to France of Charles III & Paris Ceremony (20 September 2023) 

Ukrainian TV 1+1 Reflecting on the anniversary of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II (8 September 2023)

BBC Radio Wales - The Phone In with Jason Mohammad - on questions of Support for the Monarchy in the UK (5 September 2023)

BBC Radio Northern-Ireland Scottish Honours thanksgiving service discussion (5 July 2023) 

CBC Review of the Scottish Honours thanksgiving service for Charles III (5 July 2023)

CNN Special programme with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo on the Scottish Honours celebration for Charles III (5 July 2023)

BBC One Coronation Street Parties Special programme 'The UK Celebrates' - discussion of the history of Coronation Street Party celebrations (7 May 2023)

France 24 Coronation interview (6 May 2023)WGN-TV Chicago Coronation interview (6 May 2023)

CNN Coronation coverage at Buckingham Palace (6 May 2023)

BBC Radio 5 Live Coronation coverage by Westminster Abbey (6 May 2023)

Seven.One (German TV) Coronation documentary (6 May 2023)

RAI (Radio Italy) Coronation coverage interview (6 May 2023)

Mexican TV - Coronation interview (6 May 2023)

AP News/The Independent, Parliament Square Coronation interview (5 May 2023)

CBC interview on the forthcoming Coronation of Charles III (4 May 2023)

Ukrainian TV 1+1 - two episodes on the history of Coronations (1-2 May 2023)

BBC Radio 5 Live Royal Power discussion (29 April 2023)

Historical consultant for Channel 4's Britain's Most Historic Towns Series (Feb-March 2020)Historical consultant for the Mary Berry BBC series 'Secrets From Britain's Great Houses', Scone Palace episode (March 2017)

Expertise and public engagement

Events, Seminars and Lectures

F.D. Maurice Lecture III, King’s College London – ‘Westminster and the Wider World: The Reach and Impact of British Coronations’ (4 May 2023) 

F.D. Maurice Lecture II, King’s College London – ‘British Coronations and the Lord’s Anointed’ (3 May 2023)

F.D. Maurice Lecture I, King’s College London – ‘The British Coronation Oath: Why an Age-Old Custom Still Matters’ (2 May 2023)

‘The Coronation of Charles III: Continuities and Change Conference’, King’s College London – paper given focussing on the anointing and sacred aspects of the Coronation (13 April 2023)

Lecture given at the Gray's Inn History Society: "The Lord's Anointed: English Coronations" (29 September 2022)

Coronations, Royalty and Wine series - The Rebecca Lamont Wine School (https://www.therlws.com/) (Summer 2021–October 2022)

Coronations, Royalty and Wine seminar with Berry Brothers & Rudd (1 June 2020)

Constitution Unit School of Public Policy Seminar discussion on Royal Accession and Coronation Oaths (July 2017)

Kent University British Churches Conference in collaboration with Canterbury Christ Church University, paper given entitled – ‘1651: The Last Coronation in Scotland – An Anomaly?’ (June 2017)

British Academy Seminar with UCL, paper presented ‘A Pillar of the Constitution: The Coronation Oaths in Historical and Political Contexts’ (October 2016)

Co-organiser and Paper given at Westminster Abbey Symposium, The Jerusalem Chamber – ‘Binding the Nation: The Coronation Oath and the Monarchical Church of England’ (October 2014)

Paper given at ‘The Religious History of Britain, 1500–1800’ seminar at the Institute of Historical Research (London) – ‘The Divine Right of Kings and God’s Nation: British Coronation Sermons in Context, 1661–1714’ (February 2014)

Podcasts

Radio New Zealand (RNZ), 'Dr George Gross: Coronations - the good, the bad, and the ugly' - Saturday, 6 May, 2023

National Public Radio USA (NPR) - Leila Fadel, 'British Coronations Project' examines 10 centuries of Coronation History - Friday, 5 May, 2023

Premier Radio - breakfast with Esther Higham - 'The Symbolism of The Coronation' - Friday, 5 May, 2023

The Leader, Evening Standard - 'Is King Charles III's Coronation the last of its kind?' - Friday, 5 May, 2023

The Leader, Evening Standard - 'King Charles III's Coronation explained' - Thursday, 4 May, 2023

Gone Medieval (History Hit) - 'Why Do We Have A Coronation?' with Matt Lewis - Saturday, 22 April, 2023

Selected publications

G. Gross (trans. Ju. S. Frolova), ‘From London to Moscow coronations: perceptions of monarchy’, Systems psychology and sociology, № 2 (26) (2018), pp. 97–110. Via http://systempsychology.ru/

G. W. C. Gross, ‘Ivan IV and Elizabeth I: The influence of the Tsar’s matrimonial endeavours on the development of Russo-English relations, RUDN Journal of Russian History, № 4 (18) (2019), pp. 938–61

G. W. C. Gross, ‘Ivan IV and Elizabeth I — a comparative study: personality and politics as seen through their coronations’, II INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC-PRACTICAL CONFERENCE "ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF PERSONALITY, EDUCATION AND SOCIETY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES", conference proceedings publication, Moscow (2020), pp. 223–33

D.J. Crankshaw and G. W. C. Gross (eds), Reformation Reputations (Basingstoke, 2020)

G. W. C. Gross, '1651: The Last Coronation in Scotland - An Anomaly?'The Court Historian, vol. 26 (2021) Featured as part of the history of Scone Palace.

G. W. C. Gross, 'Royalty and Wine' - The RLWS (May 2022)

G. W. C. Gross, 'OBIT ER II' - The RLWS (September 2022)

D.J. Crankshaw and G. W. C. Gross (eds), British Coronations and the Shaping of National Identity, c. 973-1953; Crown and People (forthcoming)

'King Charles III's Coronation Oath', The Conversation (May 2023)

G. W. C. Gross, 'Magnificent Occasions: Coronations, Royalty and Wine', in The World of Fine Wine, Issue 80 (June) (2023), pp. 134–41

G. W. C. Gross, 'The Scottish Honours Ceremony 2023', in The Daily Telegraph (4 July 2023)

Research 

Contributors - Nonreligion in a Complex Future Project (nonreligionproject.ca)

Research

Liber regalis
British Coronations Project, c.973 - present

The passing of our longest monarch (the late Queen Elizabeth II) and the accession of Charles III and accompanying royal proclamations.

Project status: Ongoing

News

Coronation helped create a bond between King Charles and British children

The Coronation helped children in the UK feel more connected to King Charles and more aware of his values, according to new research released on the...

Coronation King Charles III 6 May flag

Primary school children favour British monarchy more than adults

Children in the UK are more in favour of the British monarchy than young adults, suggest new findings from a national survey.

King Charles III & Queen Camilla

Pupils get a history lesson in British Coronations ahead of King Charles III being crowned

Thousands of schoolchildren across the UK have been learning about the forthcoming Coronation of King Charles III thanks to a bank of new educational...

Coronation Pupils

New evidence about British coronations unearthed by royal historians

Researchers at King’s are leading an extensive research project into the history of British Coronations – revealing what the upcoming ceremony for His Majesty...

King Charles

Events

03MayBritish Coronations project

'British Coronations and the Lord's Anointed' - Lecture 2

The F D Maurice Lectures 2023: British Coronations of Past and Present.

Please note: this event has passed.

04MayWestminster Abbey

'Westminster and the Wider World: The Reach and Impact of British Coronations' - Lecture 3

A series of three public lectures on aspects of British coronations throughout history.

Please note: this event has passed.

02Maycoronation painting

'The British Coronation Oath: Why an Age-Old Custom Still Matters' - Lecture 1

The F D Maurice Lectures 2023: British Coronations of Past and Present.

Please note: this event has passed.

Features

Not quite a Coronation, not quite an Investiture – a ceremony for the Scottish Honours in 2023

This summer His Majesty King Charles III will be presented with the Honours of Scotland, the most powerful symbols of Scottish nationhood. Dr George Gross...

Untitled design (1)

Isn't Charles already King?

There has been a lot of coverage about King Charles III’s Coronation, what will happen on the day, who will attend and how people will celebrate, but isn’t...

Coronation chair hero

Consecration of the new King: what is Anointing?

Following the tradition set by Elizabeth II, the anointing of His Majesty King Charles III will not be broadcast during the Coronation on 6 May. Dr George...

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Why will the coronation take place at Westminster Abbey?

On 6 May, His Majesty King Charles III will become the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey since 1066. Ahead of the coronation, Dr George...

shutterstock_488566078

King's Coronation experts in the media

Academics from King's are sharing their expertise in the media, discussing the Coronation of King Charles III.

news

Bunting, wine and music – a history of the British Coronation street party

Ahead of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, Dr George Gross explores the centuries-long tradition of how the UK celebrates the Coronation of a...

Mall celebration

Research

Liber regalis
British Coronations Project, c.973 - present

The passing of our longest monarch (the late Queen Elizabeth II) and the accession of Charles III and accompanying royal proclamations.

Project status: Ongoing

News

Coronation helped create a bond between King Charles and British children

The Coronation helped children in the UK feel more connected to King Charles and more aware of his values, according to new research released on the...

Coronation King Charles III 6 May flag

Primary school children favour British monarchy more than adults

Children in the UK are more in favour of the British monarchy than young adults, suggest new findings from a national survey.

King Charles III & Queen Camilla

Pupils get a history lesson in British Coronations ahead of King Charles III being crowned

Thousands of schoolchildren across the UK have been learning about the forthcoming Coronation of King Charles III thanks to a bank of new educational...

Coronation Pupils

New evidence about British coronations unearthed by royal historians

Researchers at King’s are leading an extensive research project into the history of British Coronations – revealing what the upcoming ceremony for His Majesty...

King Charles

Events

03MayBritish Coronations project

'British Coronations and the Lord's Anointed' - Lecture 2

The F D Maurice Lectures 2023: British Coronations of Past and Present.

Please note: this event has passed.

04MayWestminster Abbey

'Westminster and the Wider World: The Reach and Impact of British Coronations' - Lecture 3

A series of three public lectures on aspects of British coronations throughout history.

Please note: this event has passed.

02Maycoronation painting

'The British Coronation Oath: Why an Age-Old Custom Still Matters' - Lecture 1

The F D Maurice Lectures 2023: British Coronations of Past and Present.

Please note: this event has passed.

Features

Not quite a Coronation, not quite an Investiture – a ceremony for the Scottish Honours in 2023

This summer His Majesty King Charles III will be presented with the Honours of Scotland, the most powerful symbols of Scottish nationhood. Dr George Gross...

Untitled design (1)

Isn't Charles already King?

There has been a lot of coverage about King Charles III’s Coronation, what will happen on the day, who will attend and how people will celebrate, but isn’t...

Coronation chair hero

Consecration of the new King: what is Anointing?

Following the tradition set by Elizabeth II, the anointing of His Majesty King Charles III will not be broadcast during the Coronation on 6 May. Dr George...

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Why will the coronation take place at Westminster Abbey?

On 6 May, His Majesty King Charles III will become the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey since 1066. Ahead of the coronation, Dr George...

shutterstock_488566078

King's Coronation experts in the media

Academics from King's are sharing their expertise in the media, discussing the Coronation of King Charles III.

news

Bunting, wine and music – a history of the British Coronation street party

Ahead of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, Dr George Gross explores the centuries-long tradition of how the UK celebrates the Coronation of a...

Mall celebration