It is opposite the Obelisk called the Coronation Memorial, which commemorates the 1911 Durbar, when George V laid the foundation stone for the new capital city of New Delhi.

[2][7] The site was developed as a park and venue to hold the first Durbar, or imperial pageant, in Delhi under the supervision of the British Raj.

[7] Three Durbars were held by the British monarchy during a period of forty years in the park, which was located near the soon to be created New Delhi, just south of Shahjahanbad.

In addition, the location helped emphasise the grandeur of the British monarchy to the native rulers and the people who attended the Durbars.

The Durbar was an extravaganza of pomp and ceremony including a parade on a decorated elephant by Lord and Lady Lytton in the presence of nearly 70,000 people.

Lord Curzon, the Viceroy and the chief architect of the show, planned meticulously what was considered an extravagant display of pomp and splendour.

Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, Commander-in-Chief, India, organised daily parades, band practice and polo matches.

The festivities lasted for a fortnight and the Delhi Durbar parade became a standard feature of early 20th century spectacle in India.

There was no disappointment for Lord Hardinge, the Viceroy at the time, when he was authorised to plan the event by a British government communication which stated:[11] Royal intention to hold at Delhi on the twelfth day of December one thousand nine hundred and eleven an Imperial Durbar for the purpose of making known the said solemnity of Our Coronation and We do hereby charge and command Our right trusted and well beloved counsellor Charles Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, Our Viceroy and Governor General of India, to take all necessary measures in that behalf.Lord Hardinge organised the Durbar with great care and effort ensuring that everything was done with the utmost glitter and pomp since the King-Emperor, George V, was to attend.

[13] The Imperial Hotel in New Delhi, considered a legacy of the colonial times, continues to display pictures of the Durbar in a Coffee Shop named "1911".

The construction of Viceroy's House (as it was officially called), the present Rashtrapati Bhavan, was started after World War I and completed in 1931, when the City of New Delhi was inaugurated.

The inscription on the Memorial testifies the final Durbar event and states:[2][3][12] Here on the 12th Day of December 1911, His Imperial Majesty King George V, Emperor of India accompanied by the Queen Empress in solemn Durbar announced in person to the Governors, Princes and Peoples of India his Coronation celebrated in England on the 22nd day of June 1911 and received from them their dutiful homage and allegiance.Today, the park is a well-guarded open space whose desolateness stands in stark contrast with the heavy traffic of northern Delhi's urban sprawl.

The statues were moved from various locations (including Rajpath) to the red stone plinths built in the park's specially designed enclosures, just opposite the Obelisk.

[2][5] The park is enclosed by high steel fencing, whose well guarded entrance gate has a plaque which proclaims:[2][3][6] This memorial was erected to commemorate the Coronation Durbar of King George V and Queen Mary held in December 1911.

On this occasion the King announced the transfer of the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi.In 2005, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Government of Delhi resolved to restore Coronation Park, which was in a state of neglect.