King Charles's Coronation
Prince Charles is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was born on November 14, 1948, and is currently first in line to the British throne.
Millions of people celebrated King Charles III's coronation, a monumental occasion that combined a religious service with theatrics on 6th May.
The King was crowned at Westminster Abbey, becoming the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned there since 1066. Queen Camilla was crowned with him, followed by a massive procession returning to Buckingham Palace.
Here's how the day of splendor and formality transpired, complete with customs stretching back more than 1,000 years.
At 10:20 a.m. BST, a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey began the formal ceremonies.
Instead of the older, more uncomfortable Gold State Coach, King Charles, and Queen Camilla rode aboard the Diamond Jubilee State Coach.
There was a Guard of Honour outside the palace gates, consisting of around 160 members of the three military forces, with another 1,000 people lining the route along The Mall and down Whitehall.
Almost 4,000 invited guests, including veterans of the armed forces and NHS and social care workers, were on stands outside Buckingham Palace, with thousands more in viewing places along the route and official screening sites nearby.
Arrival at Westminster Abbey
More than 2,200 people from 203 nations gathered at Westminster Abbey before the King arrived, with processions led by faith leaders and delegates from certain Commonwealth countries.
They were accompanied by governors-general and prime ministers, including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who read aloud throughout the event.
The service began at 11:00 a.m. and was punctuated by music chosen by the King, including 12 newly commissioned works, one by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Greek Orthodox music in memory of the King's father, Prince Philip.
The King arrived at the abbey wearing a state robe of red velvet. Underneath, he wore pants rather than the more conventional breeches and silk stockings worn by previous kings.
The event was built around an Anglican Holy Communion service. It involved Charles being anointed with holy oil, receiving coronation regalia, and being crowned, emphasizing both his spiritual and secular roles.
The Church of England and the British royal family proclaimed their allegiance to him, and the people of the Commonwealth states were asked to do the same. Camilla was crowned in a brief and straightforward ceremony.
Following the service, members of the royal family conducted a state parade to Buckingham Palace, where they appeared on the palace's rear and front balconies. Charles and Camilla's coronation liturgy was shorter than Elizabeth II's coronation to represent many faiths, cultures, and communities across the United Kingdom.
In the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth states, the coronation prompted both celebrations and protests. In the United Kingdom, celebrations included street festivals, volunteerism, special commemorative church services, and a performance at Windsor Castle on May 7.
According to polls conducted in April 2023, the British public was ambivalent about the event; celebrations in London and Windsor drew enormous audiences but were also contested by Republican factions.
Commonwealth nations such as Antigua and Barbuda, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand celebrated, however, other groups used the occasion to highlight issues such as the impacts of British colonialism.
The coronation of Charles and Camilla was the first of a British monarch in the twenty-first century, and the 40th to be held at Westminster Abbey.
Charles III took the throne immediately after his mother, Elizabeth II, died on Thursday, September 8, 2022, at 15:10 BST. On Saturday, September 10, he was declared king by the United Kingdom's Accession Council, which was followed by proclamations in other Commonwealth states.
During Elizabeth's reign, planning meetings for Charles' coronation, codenamed "Operation Golden Orb," were held at least once a year, and attended by the government, the Church of England, and Charles' staff.
The coronation was a state event funded by the British government, which also decided on the guest list. Approximately 2,200 visitors from 203 countries were invited. Among them were members of the British royal family, representatives from the Church of England and other British faith communities, notable politicians from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and foreign leaders of the state.
The number of British political attendees has decreased dramatically since 1953 when nearly the whole Parliament of the United Kingdom participated. Invitations were sent to 850 community and charity representatives, including 450 British Empire Medal holders and 400 young people, half of whom were nominated by the British government.
The Cross of Wales, a new processional cross commissioned by Charles to commemorate the centennial of the Church in Wales, led the procession inside the abbey. It contains relics of the True Cross, which Pope Francis gave to the King. Aidan Hart designed and embroidered the screen that hid the King during his anointing. It has 56 leaves embroidered with the names of Commonwealth members.
Cost of Coronation
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) indicated that it would be "unable to give costs, or a breakdown of funding" until after the coronation, however unconfirmed figures of £50 to £100 million have been reported, while other reports suggest several up to £250 million.
Coronation Service
The coronation day events included a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, the coronation service, a procession back to Buckingham Palace, and an appearance by the King and Queen on the palace balcony for a flypast by the Royal Air Force.
The Church of England handled the coronation, which included numerous unique aspects organized around a Holy Communion liturgy. Charles and Camilla entered the abbey first, and then Charles was presented to the people and recognized as monarch. Following this, Charles took an oath promising to preserve the law and the Church of England. He was then anointed with holy oil and given the coronation regalia.
Following this, he was crowned and received homage from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Prince William of Wales, and the people were invited to swear allegiance. Camilla was then anointed, crowned, then crowned again. The King and Queen concluded the service by receiving Holy Communion and leaving the abbey.
The Coronation Chair
Recognition
The Archbishop of Canterbury led the ceremony, which began with the King and Queen praying silently before seating themselves on their estate chairs created for the 1953 coronation. Sir Bryn Terfel performed Paul Mealor's "Coronation Kyrie" in Welsh. Following that, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lady Elish Angiolini (representing the Order of the Thistle), Christopher Finney (representing the holders of the Victoria Cross and George Cross), and Baroness Amos (representing the Order of the Garter) stood facing east, south, west, and north and asked the congregation to recognize Charles as king; each time, the congregation responded: "God save King Charles!"
Previously, in 1953, the section was made up of high officers of the state with the Archbishop; now, the officers have been replaced by holders of the nation's highest decorations and orders. The Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly then presented Charles with a new Bible.
Oath and Declaration of Accession
The Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledged the existence of multiple faiths and beliefs in the United Kingdom before administering the oath. Charles then took the coronation oath, promising to govern each of his kingdoms by their laws and customs, to administer law and justice with mercy, and to defend Protestantism in the United Kingdom and protect the Church of England. He then made the statutory accession declaration. Charles then signed a written version of the oath before kneeling in front of the altar and praying.
The Holy Communion service was then resumed. The collection was read by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the epistle and gospel were read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Bishop of London, respectively.
Anointing
Charles removed his state robe and sat in the Coronation Chair The Archbishop of Canterbury then anointed him with holy oil, using the ampulla and a medieval spoon, the latter being the oldest element of the crowning regalia. The anointing stressed the sovereign's spiritual function. It was a private part of the service, as it was not aired in 1953, and Charles was hidden behind a screen. The choir sang the anthem Zadok the Priest during this time.
Crowning and investment
The St. Edward's Crown, the Orb, the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross, the Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove, and the Sovereign's Ring are all symbols of the monarchy.
Following that, Charles was given numerous items from the crowning regalia.
The King was given the stole royal, robe royal, and orb of the sovereign, as well as the sovereign's ring, which he touched but did not wear. The glove, the sovereign's scepter with a cross, and the sovereign's scepter with a dove were then bestowed upon him.
The instant Charles is crowned, an army cannon salute is fired at Stirling Castle.
The Archbishop of Canterbury then crowned the King, with the Archbishop and the assembly singing, "God save the King!"The abbey's church bells ring at the moment of crowning, and 21-gun salutes were fired from 13 places across the United Kingdom and on deployed Royal Navy ships, as well as 62-gun salutes and a six-gun salvo from the Tower of London and Horse Guards Parade.
The Anglican Archbishop of York, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain, the Moderator of the Free Churches, the Secretary General of the ecumenical Christian organization Churches Together in England, the Roman Catholic Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, and the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury then read a Christian blessing to Charles.
King Charles III wore the Imperial State Crown after the service on the procession to Buckingham Palace and for his balcony appearance.
Honor and enthronement
Charles ascended to the throne (which was originally intended for George VI in 1937), and the Archbishop of Canterbury and William, Prince of Wales pledged their allegiance to him. The Archbishop of Canterbury then invited the citizens of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth kingdoms to take the oath of allegiance to the King for the first time
Coronation of the Queen
Camilla was the focus of the following half of the service. She was anointed in public, which is regarded to be a first, and then presented with the Queen Consort's Ring. The Archbishop of Canterbury then crowned the Queen using Queen Mary's Crown. Camilla was then presented with the Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross and the Queen Consort's Rod with Dove (which, unlike earlier Queen Consorts, she elected not to carry), before seating on her own throne beside the King (which was originally constructed for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1937).
This was the first coronation of a consort since that of Charles's grandmother Queen Elizabeth in 1937.
Holy Communion
Following the offertory, presents of bread and wine were brought before the King and prayed over; the prayer was a translation from the Liber Regalis, which dates from around 1382 and is one of the oldest sources for the English coronation liturgy.[64] The Archbishop of Canterbury then gave Charles and Camilla Holy Communion, and the crowd performed the Lord's Prayer before a final blessing.
End of the service
At the end of the service, the King changed into the Imperial State Crown. Charles and Camilla then proceeded to the west door of the abbey as the national anthem, "God Save the King", was sung. At the end of the procession, the King received a greeting from leaders and representatives from non-Christian faiths (Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist), during which the Imperial State Crown was temporarily removed from the King's head and held by the Crown Jeweller.
State Procession to Buckingham Palace
The second procession took the same path as the first, but in reverse and on a grander scale. The King and Queen rode in the Gold State Coach, which was drawn by eight Windsor Grey horses, with other members of the royal family riding in different vehicles.
The military forces on parade gave the King and Queen a Royal Salute and three cheers when they arrived at the palace soon after 13:30.
Flypast of Buckingham Palace
Since the coronation of Edward VII in 1902, it has been customary for the new monarch to meet the throng in The Mall from the Buckingham Palace balcony; King Charles and Queen Camilla kept the practice, appearing soon before 14:30 with the royals who had taken part in the procession.
