Dr George Gross

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

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

• Coronation Project research featured in The Times (Print edition) Nicola Woolcock (Education Editor) 'Children at state schools 'are more royalist than private pupils' (17 February 2024)
• Coronation Project research featured in The Daily Telegraph examining children's attitudes towards the monarchy and coronations 'Survey finds increased support for royals among six to 12-year-olds in state education' (16 February 2024)
• Coronation Project research featured on BBC Radio 4 Bulletin examining children's attitudes towards the monarchy and the 2023 Coronation (16 February 2024) 
• Coronation Project research featured in BBC News article examining children's attitudes towards the monarchy and the 2023 Coronation (16 February 2024)
• Historical consultant for BBC article on the Scottish Honours and forthcoming ceremony for Charles III (5 July 2023)
• Associated Press historical consultant on the Scottish Honours ceremony 2023 (5 July 2023) 
• Expertise featured in the Washington Post on the Scottish Honours Ceremony (5 July 2023)
• Expertise featured in the Washington Post on the Stone of Destiny (5 July 2023) 
• Expertise featured in The Daily Telegraph, 4 July 2023, on the forthcoming Scottish Honours ceremony
• Expertise featured in The Daily Telegraph, 30 June 2023, on the new Elizabeth Sword
• CNN article in advance of the Scottish Honours 2023 ceremony (30 June 2023)
• Coronation interview, Famiglia Cristiana, 5 May 2023, covering history and theology. 
• Expertise featured for the BBC, 20 April 2023, covering the purpose of a Coronation in the 21st century.
• Article/Historical Consultant in The Daily Telegraph, 20 April 2023, on the Coronation Oath and changes to the wording.
• Article/Historical Consultant in The Times, 14 April 2023, on the Anointing not being shown on TV as per the 1953 precedent.
• Expertise featured in the Express, 1 April March 2023, covering the role of Prince George at the Coronation.
• Expertise featured in the Express, 29-31 March 2023, on King Charles III's role in the planning of his Coronation and the choice of crown for the Queen Consort
• Expertise featured in the Express, 17 March 2023, on the Clementine Churchill precedent, and whether the young royals will attend the Coronation.
• Expertise featured for the BBC, 1 March 2023, on the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey.
• Expertise featured in The Daily Telegraph, 27 February 2023, on the Crown Jewels/Regalia for the Coronation of Charles III.
• Article/Historical Consultant in The Times, 27 February 2023, on the Gold State Coach and a break with tradition for the forthcoming Coronation of Charles III.
• Article/Historical Consultant in The Sunday Telegraph, 26 February 2023, on the Gold State Coach and a break with tradition for the forthcoming Coronation of Charles III.
• Expertise featured in Tatler, 17 February 2023, on the Coronation Robes for the forthcoming Coronation of Charles III.
• Article/Historical Consultant in The Daily Telegraph, 16 February 2023, on the Coronation Robes for the forthcoming Coronation of Charles III.
• Article/Historical Consultant in The Times, 13 February 2023, on the potential absence of a Coronation Naval Review in the Coronation celebrations for 2023
• Articles/Historical Consultant in The Daily Telegraph 2-5 February 2023 on the Court of Claims and the music for the forthcoming Coronation of Charles III
• Articles/Historical Consultant in the Express 21-23 January 2023 on the forthcoming Coronation of Charles III
• Historical consultant (Feb-March 2020) for Channel 4's Britain's Most Historic Towns Series 
• Historical consultant (March 2017) for the Mary Berry BBC series 'Secrets From Britain's Great Houses', Scone Palace episode.

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)