Coronation of King Charles III & The Historical Background of this Ancient Ceremony
On May 6th, 2023, the coronation of Charles Philip Arthur George took place, with him becoming King Charles III of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth Realms. It was a lavish ceremony, the biggest ceremonial event in seven decades since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles’ mother.
The British royal family, with its titles and elaborate uniforms, may seem outdated to some people. Nowadays, the power that the monarchy once had pretty much now belongs to the UK Parliament, led by the Prime Minister, currently Rishi Sunak. However, despite the monarchy serving a more or less ceremonial role, it is still full of tradition and significance to the UK. The British Royal Family generates a lot of revenue from tourism, and for many, just too old of an institution to suddenly abolish, as it’s so beloved worldwide. But the world felt a significant loss last year when long-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II died. Her eldest son Charles became king following her death. And days ago, Charles was officially crowned, while his wife, now Queen Camilla, was also crowned in another ceremony. Though there is a question: Why is a coronation necessary? After all, Charles already took up the title “king” after his mother’s death.
To understand that, we cannot use our modern world as context, even though it may just seem like a celebration of the new monarch. However, there is an underlying reason why throughout history, coronations took place. Today, the transfer of the throne is smooth, without any struggle. But going back hundreds of years, it wasn’t such a straightforward transition of power because many royals wanted the throne. And because the monarchy had much more influence and power back then, it only encouraged power struggles. So one needed to cement their claim to the throne through a coronation. Okay, that may have been the case hundreds of years ago. In modern times, the only notable sign of a coronation would be religious, as Britain’s monarch is the head of state and the head of the Church of England.
That’s all on the historical background of coronations. So what happens during one? Even though the specific events of a monarch’s coronation have changed over the centuries, it still has the same parts, each full of tradition dating back a long time. Those parts are in the following order: Recognition, Oath, Anointing, Investiture and Crowning, Enthroning, and Homage. One crucial part is the anointing, where the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Anglican Church, anointed King Charles with sacred oil consecrated in Jerusalem. The king sat on the Coronation Chair during the anointing, with the chair including the also sacred Stone of Destiny, while being shielded from public view. It’s a process that involves much spiritual and religious importance.
Other notable parts of King Charles’ coronation included the crowning, where the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the over 300-year-old St. Edward’s crown on the king’s head. Overall, these processes haven’t changed much over hundreds of years.
And just as the coronation is going on, another process is at work: The Bank of England is busily printing new banknotes with the new king on them. Slowly, banknotes and coins with Queen Elizabeth II will get circulated out of use, while new ones with the current monarch will replace them. Even though the loss of Queen Elizabeth II was devastating for the UK and the world, it is time to celebrate the beginning of a new era, that of HM King Charles III. As Charles is now king, his eldest son, Prince William, would be the heir apparent to the throne.
And that ends this production from the New News Newsminute regarding the coronation of King Charles III. It has been rough for Britain and its monarchy, including some complicated matters regarding Princes Andrew and Harry. Even though no one knows what’s next for the British royal family, let’s hope for the best. Thank you for reading, and tune in next time for more.