AIUI, it is usual diplomatic practice for foreign heads of state to send a representative to such events rather than attend themselves, precisely to avoid issues of protocol/precedence.
(Wasn’t all this already discussed in another thread?)
That’s my understanding also, but it is not unheard of for heads of state to attend British coronations (note that this item is from June 3, 2022):
From the item:
At any rate, I’m sure that Jill Biden will be a fine representative of the United States at the coronation.
Queen Salote was invited as a ruler of a British Protectorate, along with the full range of Sultans from Malaysia and the Middle East.
Royals of sovereign states, even if close relatives, sent representatives:
Wasn’t the President of Ireland invited to Elizabeth II’s coronation, but declined to attend over issues with Northern Ireland?
While I’m not a big follower of the royal family, I have heard that, on a related note, Meghan isn’t going either, although Harry will attend.
Foreign representation at British coronations has traditionally mostly not been at head of state level, as already noted in the thread. Most countries are represented by their diplomats already in London; some send a delegation but it is usually representative of government, rather than of the head of state. For example QEII’s coronation was attended by a number of prime ministers, but relatively few monarchs/presidents. It is mostly Commonwealth countries that send a delegation, rather than being represented by London-based diplomats.
So I suspect that Ireland (not a Commonwealth country in 1953) was invited to be represented, but with no expectation that the President would attend, and probably no expectation that anyone would travel from Dublin for the purpose. In the event Ireland wasn’t represented at all.
Which shouldn’t have surprised anybody, since Ireland (then a Commonwealth country) was also unrepresented at the previous coronation, of George VI in 1937. The coronation before that was in 1911, so the question of Irish representation did not arise.
SFAIK there has been no decision yet about Irish representation at the 2023 coronation.
Apparently in 1953 feelings in the Republic were such that cinemas were pressured into not even showing the regular newsreels of the coronation let alone the official movie of record (though from today’s perspective they were spared an ordeal of oleaginosity in the latter case).
Well they’ve certainly had a long time to think abut how to pull one off since the last one.
In 1953, the USA sent General George Marshal. General Pershing Represented the USA at George VI.
Afaik, The President has never attended a British Coronation as the Representative of the USA.
Exactly.
Look, I know it has been like 7 decades since this last happened, but this is not a snub , in fact it would be surprising if he attended.
Yeah, part of the problem IS the 70-year break resulting in a majority of people being born after the fact and reacting based on their own head-canon of what they imagine it should be like or what they’d like to see.
And, of course, that no matter WHAT happened, half the audience would be yelling that was the wrong thing to do or that “anyway even of that’s the correct thing he SHOULD have done it different!”
Let’s hope the leftover Coronation Chicken hasn’t just been sitting in the freezer all this time! 
Why should the leader of a country who was elected by the people and whose constitution explicitly rejects hereditary titles and church having any say in government attend the enthronement of man who inherited his position and was elected by…God? Unlike a funeral, a coronation is a transition of power in complete opposition to democratic principles.
If we once got started attending inaugurations the President would end up never doing anything else. We have too many allies, with too many elections, to manage it. Setting the precedent would surely result in a foreign policy nightmare of perceived slights and retributive snubs.
I’m not even sure sending Jill was wise, as the invitation was bound to be pro-forma. They just haven’t quite gotten over Trump and his illusions of popularity.
Of course, this is complicated by the fact that, in the US, the same person is our head of government and head of state.
Are most other leaders going?
It’s a historical note that Elizabeth did not attend JFK’s funeral (she was pregnant at the time.) Rather than sending Prince Charles, who was 25 years old at the time and had already been elevated to Prince of Wales, Elizabeth instead sent her husband, Prince Phillip.
Chuck was 15 in 1963.
Oops.
Leaders from Commonwealth countries, most likely.
Other leaders (who have an invite) will likely be sending a representative. This is how it was for QE II’s coronation. Louis St. Laurent (Prime Minister of Canada) took a ship, along with Tommy Douglas, Ontario Premier Leslie Frost, Toronto Mayor Allan Lamport and hundreds of others. Not all attended the actual ceremony of course.
Yeah, I guess I meant those outside the Commonwealth.