2023-04-30 14:32:55
In May, King Charles III. and crowned Queen Camilla. The ceremony is said to include some new elements to reflect the “diversity of our society today”.
The countdown is on: until the coronation of King Charles III. and Queen Camilla will not last a week. British flags adorn streets and shops across the country. Many citizens are also involved in the preparations: in the village of Hurst near Reading, for example, members of the “Hurst Hookers” knitting and crocheting group make royal figures or crowns to decorate mailboxes. Buckingham Palace is releasing more and more details about the course of the historic ceremony on May 6th.
A coronation with many innovations
There will be many firsts around the coronation in London’s Westminster Abbey. The call to everyone in the United Kingdom to loudly swear allegiance to the monarch caused a stir. At the request of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the participants in the service, but also the millions on the screens, should say: “I swear true allegiance to Your Majesty and to your heirs and successors according to the law. So help me God.” This formula, called the “tribute of men,” replaces the traditional oath of allegiance that nobles and clergymen otherwise pledged to the monarch. The archbishop and heir to the throne, Prince William, will do this on his behalf.
For the first time at a coronation, representatives of other religions take on important roles. Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Sikh clerics will deliver a joint greeting to the king, and members of the religions will hand him the insignia. This symbolizes Charles’ deep-rooted belief in promoting unity between different faiths and his commitment to interfaith dialogue.
Also for the first time, languages from the rest of the UK will be heard at the service as the hymn ‘Veni creator spiritus’ (Come Creator Spirit) is sung in Welsh, Scottish and Irish Gaelic in addition to English. In addition, the litany “Kyrie eleison” sounds in Welsh – Charles, as heir to the throne, was known as the Prince of Wales for decades and learned the language before his appointment in 1969.
Special robes and a hidden ceremony part
Also new is the so-called coronation robe of Queen Camilla. The royal couple traditionally wears two different robes to the ceremony – one on arrival at Westminster Abbey and one on the way back to Buckingham Palace. While Charles wore the robes of his grandfather King George VI. from his coronation in 1937 and Camilla wears a robe from her mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II from 1953 on the way there, she wears the specially tailored garment made of violet velvet as the “Imperial Robe”. Incorporated insects and flowers refer to the natural and environmental themes dear to Charles and Camilla. Also shown are the national symbols for England (rose), Scotland (thistle) and Ireland (shamrock).
A key part of the ceremony remains hidden: the monarch’s anointing, which is considered his personal moment with God. The archbishop touches the king with consecrated oil in the shape of a cross on his hands, chest and head. For this, the bodyguard puts up a three-sided privacy screen – “anointing screen” (literally: anointing screen) – around the two men. The guard, 2.6 meters high and 2.2 meters wide, features a tree with 56 leaves embroidered with the names of the 56 members of the Commonwealth of Nations. Charles’ monogram at the root signifies that the monarch is a servant of his peoples. The design was personally chosen by the king, it said.
After the coronation is before the celebration
The coronation is the climax of the celebrations, but in all Britons celebrate their monarch for three days. A concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday night features stars including Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Now the BBC has announced other participants: Hollywood star Tom Cruise and the animal cartoon character “Winnie-the-Pooh” should also play a role. This raises expectations that there could be a scene similar to that at the jubilee concert for Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022, when the Queen met for tea for a much acclaimed video sketch with the animated Paddington bear.
Prince Harry is traveling alone
The preparations are overshadowed by the ongoing dispute with Charles’ younger son Prince Harry. The 38-year-old, who together with his wife, Duchess Meghan, had made serious allegations against stepmother Camilla and brother William, travels alone to the coronation from the USA, where he lives. As the newspaper “Sun on Sunday” reported, Harry will fly back immediately after the ceremony in Westminster Abbey. Son Archie turns four on the same day. Harry would hardly have been the focus anyway: there is no space for him in the traditional greeting from the Royal Family from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. (dpa)
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