2023-05-06 17:42:36
- Fernan Gonzalez Torres
- Special for BBC World
A ceremony of more than 1,000 years full of rites, symbols and pomp took place this Saturday at Westminster Abbey in London to crown King Charles III.
The last coronation that took place in the United Kingdom before Charles’s was that of Elizabeth II 70 years ago.
In that ceremony the current monarch, who was barely four years old, was visibly bored, the first coronation to be broadcast on television.
his coronation no was as long as his mother’s, but yes equally lavish. While the coronation of Isabel II lasted three hours, that of Carlos III lasted 90 minutes.
Nails 2,000 people tosisteria the ceremonyincluding 100 heads of state, members of the British government and guests from other royal houses.
The total cost of the celebration is unknown at the moment, but critics of the monarchy point out that millions of dollars were allocated.
image source, Universal History Archive
Thousands filled the streets for Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
the first procession
The day began with a procession in which Carlos III and the queen consort, Camila, with moved from Buckingham Palace to the Awestminster bady in a majestic carriage drawn by six horses, old in appearance but with modern comforts such as heating, air conditioning and electric windows.
The king and queen were accompanied by the heir to the crown, Prince William, his wife, Kate, and their children.
The procession, which passed through London landmarks such as Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square, was escorted by several regiments of the royal guard dressed in full dress uniforms.
As the protocol ordered, when the kings arrived at the west gate of the abbey, they went in solemn procession to their thrones, in front of the main altar.
Before the arrival of Carlos III and Camila, dignitaries who carried the royal insignia, symbols of the monarchy, had arrived at the place.
What are the main insignia of the ceremony?
Several valuable objects were displayed during the coronation ceremony of Carlos III. These are some of the most iconic.
St Edward’s Crown: a rich goldsmith work of more than 300 years, which is a symbol of the power and dignity of the monarch as head of state.
the golden spurs: symbols of honor and courage, virtues associated with medieval knights.
The sovereign’s ring: emblem of royal dignity.
Among the symbols of the monarch there are also five swords:
- The sword of the offering: encrusted with precious stones, it represents the king’s commitment to his people and his kingdom.
- The sword of the state: symbol of the authority of the monarch.
- The eSpada of Temporal Justice: represents the king’s role as head of the Armed Forces.
- The espada of spiritual justice: symbol of the monarch as Defender of the Faith.
- The ethe sword of Misericordia o Curtana: symbolizes the mercy of the sovereign.
Among Camila’s insignia are the scepter and wand of the queen consort, the ring and a silver and gold crown encrusted with 2,200 diamonds.
Once the monarch and his consort arrived at the coronation scene, located in front of the main altar, the rites of the ceremony began, which consisted of 5 parts: acknowledgment, oath, anointing, investiture (including coronation), and enthronement and homage.
Recognition
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Church of England Justin Welby and three other dignitaries asked the audience if they recognized Charles as their monarch.
The public responded with the famous phrase “God save King Carlos”.
The oath
The king swore to uphold the laws of the United Kingdom and the domains and territories of which he is sovereign, as well as uphold the Church of England’s status as the state religion.
The anointing, the secret moment that no one could ver
This was the holiest part of the ceremony in which Charles III was consecrated as head of the Church of England.
The king took off his ceremonial robe and sat on the coronation chaira wooden throne made in the 1300s by order of King Edward I.
Under the chair was the destiny stonea rock on which the kings of Scotland sat.
On this occasion, a screen was placed around the monarch so that no one could see him, because the moment of anointing is considered so sacred that it should not have witnesses.
The Dean of Westminster used chrism oilor sacred oil, from the ampulla, a container in the shape of a golden eagle, to the coronation spoon, dating from the 12th century.
A fun fact about this spoon is that it is the only major royal regalia to survive the destruction ordered by Oliver Cromwell’s government in 1649.
The archbishop anointed Carlos III, making the sign of the cross on his hands, chest and head.
a different oil
The anointing oil was extracted from olives from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and was consecrated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Anglican Archbishop of that city in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The oil is often scented with sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli (obtained from orange blossom), benzoin, amber, and orange blossom.
But this time, for Carlos III, a monarch who has dedicated part of his work to defending the environment, the mix was different.
The traditional formula that includes products of animal origin such as ambergris, which is obtained from the viscera of the sperm whale, and an extract from the glands of the civet, was not used.
After the anointing, the king was dressed in the the colobium of the shroud, shroud robe in Latin, a sleeveless piece of white linen symbolizing the presentation of the sovereign in all simplicity before God.
About him the colobium of the shroud, a golden brocade mantle known as a supertunica was placed on him. It is a form of priestly cloak that symbolizes that the monarch has been consecrated before God and at his service.
investiture and coronation
This was the climax of the ceremony, when the king was crowned.
First, the monarch received the royal regalia.
And then the Archbishop of Canterbury brought st edward’s crown from the altar and placed it on the head of the monarch.
The crown is solid 22 karat gold. inlaid with precious stones. Date of 1661 and weighs more than two kilograms.
Enthronement and homage
In this final part, the king sat on his throne to receive the oath of allegiance known as homage.
Traditionally this oath corresponded to the high clergy, the heir to the crown, the dukes of the royal house and the principal peers of each noble title.
For the coronation of Carlos III, the rite was modified. Only the Archbishop of Canterbury, Prince William and the public present at the abbey were there.
The coronation of Camila, the queen consort
At Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, her husband, Prince Philip, was not crowned.
But this Saturday Camila, the wife of King Carlos, yes received her crown as queen consort.
And it is that the tradition of British royalty establishes that the wives of the monarchs are crowned, but not the men married to the queens.
Camilla was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury only on the forehead, and unlike King Charles, this was done in full view of all.
After the anointing, he received the queen’s ring, a symbol of royal dignity, and two scepters that symbolize equity and mercy.
Subsequently, the primate of the Church of England put him Queen Mary’s crownmade in 1911 for the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II.
Earlier this year, the royal house announced that Camila would not be crowned with the crown of the queen mother of Elizabeth II, which has been the subject of controversy for being associated with the colonial history of the United Kingdom.
One of your most valuable jewels, Koh-i-Noor diamond is claimed in India.
The Imperial State Crown
The rites over, the King and Queen briefly retired to St Edward’s Chapel, behind the high altar.
There, Carlos III changed his clothes and put on the Imperial State Crown, which has sentimental value for the monarch as it is the same crown that was placed on the coffin of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.
image source, Getty Images
Differences with other coronations
Carlos III had said that he wanted that his coronation will represent current UK valuesa country of different ethnicities and religions, very different from that of 1952, the year his mother ascended the throne.
For this, the ceremony had been modified, in which traditionally the main roles corresponded to the aristocracy.
These were some of the changes:
Women, people from ethnic minorities, and leaders of non-Christian religions had some of the ceremonial roles formerly held by noblemen, most of whom were not invited.
Given the limited space of the abbey, priority was given to individuals who have been decorated by the monarchy for their benefit to society.
The rite of the oath: Amended to include the Anglican Church’s promise to foster an environment in which people of all denominations and beliefs can live freely.
Music: for the first time in a coronation a gospel and a song in the Welsh language was heard.
the king’s clothing: a king was not seen dressed as in previous coronations with short pants but instead wore a military uniform.
Greetings from the balcony of Buckingham Palace
At the end of the ceremony at the abbey, the crowned kings returned to Buckingham Palace in a second procession in the traditional golden carriage used by British monarchs at coronations.
The carriagemade in the 18th century, is covered with gold leaf or thin sheets of this metal.
The king and queen were greeted with military honors at Buckingham Palace and then stepped out onto the central balcony with family members to watch an air parade.
And they finished with him traditional greeting that hill a historic day in the United Kingdom.
image source, Getty Images
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