On 6 May 2023 at 11.00 am, London time, Charles Windsor will enter Westminster Abbey to be crowned King Charles III of the United Kingdom and 14 other realms (including Australia, Canada and New Zealand). He will be the 40th monarch crowned in Westminster Abbey since William I (the Conqueror) in 1066.
Coaches, crowns, sceptres, holy oil and Greek Orthodox music
The coronation will be a spectacle. At around 10.15 am, Charles and his wife Camilla will leave Buckingham Palace- where Charles was born 74 years ago – in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, an air-conditioned carriage, built in 2012, and pulled by six horses. The coach will be escorted by around 200 members of the Sovereign’s Escort, the Household Cavalry. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the King, tens of thousands of people will crowd along the route to the abbey, which, from the palace, takes the pink asphalt road of the Mall, passes through Admiralty Arch, and then makes a right turn down Whitehall, where it will be watched by the statue of King Charles I, who was beheaded there in 1649.
The 2,000 guests in the abbey will include the Royal family, kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers from all around the world. Prince Harry’s wife, Megan Markle, will not be there. She will be in California looking after their children, as, seemingly, no one else could do it. Another absent American will be US president Joe Biden. No US president has ever attended the coronation of a British sovereign, which is, apparently, something to do with a quarrel over American independence some 250 years ago. However, First Lady, Jill Biden, will attend.
The ceremony will feature some of the world’s finest regalia – the Crown Jewels, most of which were made for the coronation of Charles II, in 1661, when the monarchy was restored after 11 years of republican rule following the English Civil War. The regalia include the Sceptre with Cross – a golden rod that includes the Star of Africa, one of the world’s largest diamonds. Charles will be anointed with holy oil from a golden ampulla and spoon and crowned with the St. Edwards Crown, which is only used for coronations. Its frame is solid gold and, set with gems, including rubies, amethysts and sapphires, it weighs more than 2kg.
The Queen consort, Camilla, will be crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown, which weighs 590g and is covered in 2,200 diamonds. Before leaving the abbey, the King will switch crowns and wear the Imperial State Crown, made in 1937,which is lighter, weighing just 1kg, and covered with2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires and a ruby reportedly worn by King Henry V in battle against France. King Charles III and Queen Camilla will return to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach. Built in 1762, the coach is notoriously uncomfortable – for royalty, presumably – but it has been used for every coronation since 1831 and so Charles’ probably did not have much choice.
The coronation will be set to music that Charles has selected and will include Greek Orthodox music in memory of his father, Prince Philip.Charles is also known as a frequent visitor to Greek Orthodoxy’s Holy Mountain – Mount Athos in northern Greece.
A diverting distraction
Many in the UK will be captivated by the coronation. Others will find it an archaic relic of an imperial past that protects privilege by birth that has no place in a modern democracy. The ceremony is expected to cost around €115m. Some think that the money could be put to better use and the coronation has been called a ‘royal pantomime at the taxpayers’ expense’ on social media. Among the mainly cheering crowds, some protests are expected. Protesters are being encouraged to dress in yellow and hold up signs saying, ‘Not my king!’.The invite for everyone to participate in the ceremony by swearing allegiance to the new king in a ‘homage of the people’ has been strongly criticised. Those who oppose the monarchy argue that, in a democracy, the head of state should swear allegiance to the people, not the other way around.
Whatever the view, the coronation and its celebrations, which will last three days from 6 to 8 May, will be a marvellous show. Few countries do pageantry, pomp and circumstance as well as Britain. The coronation will involve directly, for the first time, Christians with Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs, as well as those of no faith. Also, for the first time, the ceremony will include other British languages(Welsh, Scottish and Irish Gaelic). This diversity, along with the coronation’s organisation, colour and theatre may restore some cheer and esteem to a country experiencing difficult times.
In some ways the coronation, and indeed the monarchy, is an extravagant irrelevance that will provide entertainment and distraction for a day or two. Despite the great tradition, the importance of the monarchy is fading. The annual British Attitudes Survey shows that, in 2023, only 29% of people say the monarchy is ‘very important’, the lowest level since the survey began in 1983. Among those aged between 18 and 34 the figure drops to 12%.There were plans to hold the coronation on 3 June, but that would clash with the date of English football’s FA Cup final. In the end, perhaps reflecting some people’s priorities, it was the date of the coronation that was moved.
Of much more importance to people will be the results of the local elections in England held on 4 May, a couple of days before the coronation. The results will give some indication of who may win the next UK general election expected at some point in the next 18 months. They will also show if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is restoring the popularity of the Conservative party following the disasters of Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, or if the opposition Labour party remains on course to regain power. The reality of the UK’s problems of public sector strikes and falling living standards will return soon enough once the coronation holiday ends.
