2023-05-05 23:53:20
The ABC editor was full of praise and wasted adjectives that day: «A fantastic procession, the realization of a dream, a tale from ‘The Thousand and One Nights’… This is the royal coronation ceremony. There are no words to describe it, nor a human means of retaining all the details. The official accession to the king’s throne George V and the Queen Mary of Teck that June 25, 1911 he copied the newspaper; the pages overflowed with dozens and dozens of photographs, chronicles and analyzes from inside and outside the country. Although the event didn’t make the front page, taken over by an international boxing match in the Spanish capital… You can’t have everything.
That was an international ‘show’ and it must still be counted among the most massive of the royal monarchy. More than a century later, history repeats itself. This is what usually happens with traditions. Although, in this case, the protagonist will be Carlos III. The man in the shadow of Elizabeth II for years will become, this May 6, the fortieth sovereign crowned at Westminster Abbey. To top it off, the event has that little bit of novelty for many English people, since today’s is a ceremony that many British citizens have not seen since Elizabeth II received the crown in June 1953.
This year, however, the undaunted English tradition will presumably undergo some changes. One at least. According to the ‘Sunday Times’, what ABC called that 1911 as the “homage ceremony” will not have the participation of a posh guest. The decision comes from afar; Last January, as a result of the controversial memoirs published by Harry –entitled in Spain ‘In the Shadow’–, sources from the royal family already confirmed to the British newspaper that the prince would have no role in the coronation. The eyes will focus, at the official level, on his brother. Something unprecedented since William the Conqueror received such honors on Christmas Day 1066.
Although the truth is that, since January, the news continues to be surrounded by a halo of mystery and uncertainty. Little is known about her, in short. “Harry has been cut from the coronation script and will have no official role if he attends,” the Sunday Times noted in January. His source, an anonymous member of the Royal Family, stressed that the controversial character had been invited to the ceremony along with his wife, Meghan Markle, but that he would be left out. «Breaking with tradition, Carlos III will dispense with the act in which the royal dukes kneel and pay homage to the monarch. Only Guillermo will play that role,” the publication said. We will see the truth today.
traditional tribute
The ceremony of homage is the final ritual of the coronation and, since the 11th century, it follows the ‘Recognition’, the ‘Oath’, the ‘Anointing’, the ‘Investment’ and the ‘Enthronement’. It therefore has reminiscences of medieval times. Its purpose is more than simple: to honor the monarch and swear allegiance to him. In this case, the focus is on the royals; among them, those who treasure the title of duke on their shoulders. As explained in the 1820 essay ‘Ceremonies and ancient customs observed at the Coronations of the Kings of England’, the rite takes place after the Archbishop of Canterbury requests firmness from the king in his mandate.
Tribute ceremony during the coronation of Edward VII
After this exhortation, the ‘peers’ – the noble titles that were created in Great Britain and Ireland from the 19th century – present pay homage to the monarch in a specific way that details the aforementioned manuscript to the smallest expression. First, the Archbishop of Canterbury, kneeling in front of his Majesty, pronounces a few words accompanied by the rest of the bishops: «May faith and truth be for you, our Sovereign Lord, and his heirs, Kings of Great Britain» . After asking God to help him on his way to the front of the country, the priest solemnly stands up and kisses the king’s left cheek. Later, his colleagues do the same. The focus thus focuses on the nobility:
“Then the first duke, on behalf of himself and the other dukes, kneels and says a few words […] Likewise, the first marquis pays homage on his behalf and that of others. And the same goes for the 1st Earl, 1st Viscount, and 1st Baron. After which the dukes and other orders of the nobility ascend again, touch the crown that rests on the king’s head, vowing to uphold it with all his might, and kiss the King’s left cheek. After being kissed by the monarch, they descend.”
But the kisses were not the most bizarre part of this curious rite. As stated in the nineteenth-century essay, during the homage ceremony it was a tradition for the official Treasurer to throw among the public “gold and silver medals prepared for this purpose”; all of them, “donated by his Majesties” to commemorate the day. They spared no expense. It was also customary that, if there were actual pardons, they would be read at that time. All this, accompanied by music. “Meanwhile, the gentlemen of the Royal Chapel and the Westminster choir sing and play together this or another hymn as a solemn conclusion,” the text explains.
Changes from yesterday and today
The ritual, however, has undergone several modifications over the decades. Already in 1911, the ABC chronicler indicated in his article the very extensive list of personalities who paid homage to the monarch after the Archbishop of Canterbury:
«The peers of the kingdom cover their heads with the crowns they hold in their hands, and the effect is truly fantastic, wonderful… The homage begins… The King, a little pale, smiles on his golden throne, the scepter in the right hand, the globe, studded with precious stones, in the left… The first to pay homage to the Monarch is the heir to the crown, the Prince of Wales; then the members of the Royal Family advance; later, the heads of each Order and the high nobility of the kingdom… They all kneel and swear allegiance to the King».
Charles III of England
Years later, in 1953, during the coronation of Isabel II, it was the dukes who took on a capital importance in the homage ceremony. That day, the most senior pair present at the rite was the Duke of Edinburgh. As the ‘Sunday Times’ explained, he climbed the steps of the throne, knelt before the monarch, placed her hands in hers and spoke a few words. Then he touched the royal crown, kissed her left cheek, and withdrew. After her arrived the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, both cousins of women who had inspired the British to resist during World War II. They all showed her loyalty in this way.
And so, until today. This Saturday, always according to the British newspaper, he has eliminated the dukes from the tribute ceremony. On paper, to simplify the entire process and adapt more to the new times. Although, in practice, it couldn’t be more suited to your interests. And it is that, among those who will not be able to pay homage to him in public are the controversial Harry –appointed Duke of Sussex after his wedding– or Prince Andrew –separated from public life after being involved in the Epstein case–. In return, he will be accompanied by his brothers, Ana and Eduardo, with whom he has a close relationship.
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