Coronation Service: Concerns For Prince Philip Charles Tried on Coronation Crown Updated: 2:50am UK, Tuesday 04 June 2013 A young Prince Charles attempted to put on the Queen's crown on the day of her Coronation according to one of the six maids of honour chosen to assist the Queen at Westminster Abbey. Lady Mary Russell, who was 19-years-old at the time, said: "He was only four at the time and was running all over the place proudly wearing hair oil he'd borrowed from his father. Then he ran over to where the crown was sitting on a table or stool, picked it up and tried to put it on his head. "One of us went over to persuade him not to put it on," she added. Prince Charles created history when he became the first child to witness his mother's Coronation as Sovereign. Lady Mary and five other woman aged 19 to 23 were chosen to help carry the Queen's 21ft train into the Abbey on June 2, 1953. "It was very heavy," Lady Mary added. We had handles sewn in, so between the six of us it didn't feel too heavy but we were very anxious to get it arranged once the Queen arrived. It was quite extraordinary. She got out of the carriage as if she did it every day in all that paraphernalia. Then she turned to us and asked: 'Ready girls?' Despite succeeding her father King George VI after his death in 1952, it was another 16 months before the Queen's Coronation. The three-hour Coronation service began at 11am and was watched by an estimated 27 million people. Millions more tuned in to the radio broadcast. Because everybody realised there was a possibility one of us might faint, we were all given a small vial of smelling salts to tuck into our gloves. Of course no-one could see because our gloves went right up to the shoulder. It was just simply wonderful to be there, full of colour, full of pageantry and full of ancient ceremony. The Queen was so young, so vulnerable and yet she was taking on this great burden. We were full of admiration. But duties didn't end at Westminster Abbey. Before long, all six maids of honour found themselves on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Going out on the balcony was a huge thrill. We weren't expecting it and to look out and see the throngs of people pouring down the mall, it was great. Towards the end of the day each maids of honour was presented with a gift from the Queen. We were lined up and the Queen said I'm going to give you a memento. We were given identical diamond brooches which spelled ER in the Queen's handwriting," explained Lady Mary. Even now, 60 years later, I still remember it as one of the great moments of my life, probably the greatest. It was an honour.