86-Year-Old Beer Brewed for Edward VIII’s Canceled Coronation Goes for Auction

Bottles of Coronation Ale, brewed to commemorate the coronation of Edward VIII in 1937, are going to be auctioned off on May 5th, 2023.

The coronation of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom was due to take place at Westminster Abbey on May 12, 1937. Preparations had already begun, including brewing of the coronation ale, when Edward VIII abdicated in order to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson of the United States on December 11, 1936.

Back in 2011, 2,000 bottles of the coronation ale were found in storage in British beermaker Greene King’s cellars. Now, 86 years since it was brewed, the bottles are going to be auctioned off by Greene King on May 5. It has been noted by the brewery that the beer is no longer drinkable, and being sold purely as collector's items.

The auction will support The Prince's Trust, a charity that assists young people in obtaining jobs, education and training.