Hyde Park, London during the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953

In 1959 Topolski was commissioned by Prince Philip to paint a mural of the Queen's coronation in 1952. He divided the mural into two lines of narrative: 'In the Streets', preceding the event, and 'In the Abbey', of processions leaving Westminster Abbey after the coronation. In this sketch of Hyde Park it is just possible to make out two figures in ceremonial military dress standing either side of the horse. The figures with them seem to be those of women in hats and long dresses, conveying the popular, communal atmosphere of the day.