The coronation process in the UK has remained unchanged for over a thousand years, and organizers now rely on this structure.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her eldest son, Charles, succeeded to the throne. In the following days, he was officially proclaimed as Charles III and the country’s new monarch, and now, after several months of meticulous preparation, his coronation is imminent.
The ceremony will take place this Saturday, May 6, at 11:00 British time (13:00 Kyiv time) in Westminster Abbey. Charles will be crowned with his wife Camilla, queen consort. According to Buckingham Palace, “the coronation will reflect the monarch’s role now and in the future, while drawing on ancient traditions and lavish displays.”
What is coronation?
Coronation is both the symbolic religious ceremony in which a sovereign is crowned and the physical act of placing a crown on the head of a monarch. It formalized the monarch’s role as head of the Church of England and marked the transfer of title and authority.
However, a monarch does not actually have to be crowned to be king. Edward VIII reigned without a coronation, and Charles automatically became king on the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
humble ceremony
The coronation process remains much the same as it was a thousand years ago. The British ceremony is the only remaining event of its kind in Europe.
Charles’ coronation procession is expected to be more modest. Elizabeth’s procession numbered 16 thousand participants. This time, the King and Camilla will travel to Westminster Abbey in a relatively modern horse-drawn carriage with electric windows and air conditioning. Specifically, they will ride in the Diamond Jubilee State Carriage, first used in 2014, and then return to the Gold State Carriage, which has been used at every coronation since the 1830s.
At the same time, more than six thousand military personnel will participate in the coronation, making it the largest ceremonial military operation in the past 70 years.
What happens during service in a monastery?
The service consists of several stages:
- Confession: Standing next to the 700-year-old coronation chair, the monarch will be introduced to the abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The assembly must exclaim: “God save the king!”
- Oath: The sovereign will swear allegiance to the law and allegiance to the Church of England.
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Anointing: The king is stripped of his ceremonial clothing and sits on the coronation chair. The Archbishop of Canterbury will anoint the king’s hands, chest and head with a holy oil prepared according to a secret recipe but known to contain ambergris, orange blossom, rose, jasmine and cinnamon. The oil created for Charles does not contain animal ingredients.
- Investment: First, the king will be given a globe, a scepter with a cross and a scepter with a dove, and a sovereign ring will be placed on his finger, symbolizing royal dignity. Finally, Charles will be crowned with the Imperial State Crown, also known as the 17th century St. Edward’s Crown in solid gold. It is only used during coronations because of the large weight. Note that after the coronation on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the king will wear the imperial state crown, which was made for the coronation of George VI. He has 3000 gems.
- Enthronement and homage: The king will rise from his coronation and be enthroned. Traditionally, this is followed by an oath of allegiance taken by the archbishop and other clergy, after which peers and members of the royal family must swear allegiance. On their knees, they vowed to serve the king “without sacrificing their lives” and kiss his right hand.
The queen consort will be anointed with oil and crowned in the same way.
Where to watch the coronation?
Charles and Camilla’s coronation will be available to watch live and on YouTube on British TV channels BBC, ITV 1 and Sky News.
The British Royal Family also has its own YouTube channel. The Royal Family Channel will also likely broadcast, as it did on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral.
Note that some channels will begin broadcasting an hour earlier, at 10:00 British time (12:00 Kyiv time), when Charles III and Camilla begin their procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.