Main content

The Crowning of Everest (Omnibus)

1953: Britain prepares to crown a new Queen and waits to hear whether Mount Everest has been conquered. With Wade Davis.

It’s 1953 and Britain is preparing to crown its young Queen, Elizabeth II.

The nation also waits with bated breath to hear news from Mount Everest.

Has the British team made it to the top?

The story of Mount Everest spans the life of the new Queen and beyond, from the height of the British Empire to the rebirth of Britain as a nation.

Presenter Wade Davis - Canadian explorer and anthropologist - looks at events taking place in Britain in 1953 and how the nation was poised for the coincidence of two monumental events.

Omnibus of five parts.

Sound design: Richard Hannaford
Editor: Tara McDermott

Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2023.

16 days left to listen

1 hour, 15 minutes

Last on

Sun 28 Dec 202502:30
BBC Radio 4 Extra

Broadcasts

  • Sat 27 Dec 202507:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sat 27 Dec 202512:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sat 27 Dec 202518:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sun 28 Dec 202502:30
    BBC Radio 4 Extra