Detail of an illustration from Francis Sandford's 'The History of the Coronation of the Most High, Most Mighty and Most Excellent Monarch, James II', showing Queen Mary sitting on a throne within Westminster Abbey surrounded by bishops, nobility and various attendants. The Queen is wearing a crown and holding two sceptres. The coronation ceremony of King James II (1685-8), which took place on 23 April 1685 in Westminster Abbey, was described and illustrated in Francis Sandfords book, published two years later. Commissioned by the King himself, it provides a remarkable insight into the day's events, including the preparations for the ceremony, the regalia, the order of the procession, the seating, the ceremony itself, the banquet and fireworks