Bottles of ale brewed in 1936 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VIII to be auctioned for charity

Rare bottles of beer created to commemorate the coronation of Edward VIII in 1937 are to be put to auction. The beer has been discovered in storage at the Greene king brewery cellar having never seen the light of day due to King Edward VIII’s abdication from the throne in 1936.

To mark the coronation of King Charles III, several crates of the unearthed beer will be auctioned off on May 5, with all proceeds going to the charity founded by King Charles III, the Prince’s Trust. The trust aims to support young people aged from 11 to 30 who are from disadvantaged communities to develop essential life skills.

Jack Palmer, head brewer at Greene King, said: “We know a thing or two about being a King and there’s nothing like a Royal event to bring the nation together, with thousands of Brits across the UK due to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III in their local pub next month. We’ve been brewing beer for over 200 years and creating special brews, such as the 1937 and the 2023 coronation ales, means we can capture moments in history to share with generations further down the line.

“Such a historic occasion as this deserves a truly standout beer, and Coronation Ale is just that. The fragrant and thirst-quenching style make it incredibly versatile, meaning our customers can enjoy it while celebrating with their friends, or while enjoying a classic pub meal at one of our pubs.”

Royal historian and author, Professor Kate Williams said: “It is absolutely fascinating that these beers have been lying in the cellar for 86 years, having originally been brewed to celebrate the Coronation of Edward VIII on May 12 1937.

“We know that when Edward succeeded his father as King in January 1936, there was already doubt in his mind that he wanted to proceed, due to his relationship with Wallis Simpson. At the time, members of the Royal Family weren’t permitted to marry divorcees, and this clearly weighed on his mind.

“The elaborate Coronation preparations took over a year to arrange, but by the time the event came around he had already abdicated, leaving the ceremony, and these celebratory beers, redundant.”