The date has been set: Saturday, May 6th. And it’s already sending out some important signals.
First, the palace and the government are on the same wavelength. Aware that the monarchy was not the greatest ally of the struggling British economy, the king is adding two public holidays to the 2022 calendar (one for Her late Majesty’s Jubilee and one for her funeral).
So the coronation will take place over a weekend. It also falls at the end of the week that already includes May Day. Should additional party time be required, May 1st may be moved to later this week. A socialist invention first adopted by Jim Callaghan’s Labor government in 1978, the holiday was never dear to Tory hearts anyway.
This also tells us that the King is not consciously framing his big day around Her late Majesty’s. All of these predictions of an early June date on the 70th anniversary of the last coronation—June 2, 1953—inevitably invited close comparisons. This points to a new monarch doing his own thing, or as the palace put it last night: “Recognizing the spirit of our times”. Palace sources assure me we don’t have to fear a “scaled down” or diminished event.
I expect to see two main differences. First, the church will be much smaller than last time. Second, we will not see a post-imperial horse-drawn cavalcade weaving through London, attended by everyone from the Wali of Swat and the Queen of Tonga, to a separate carriage procession just for the Prime Minister.
The coronation takes place over a weekend. It also falls at the end of the week that already includes May Day. (Pictured: The Queen Consort, Camilla and King Charles III
While we may not see Liz Truss in a state landau, I have no doubt it will still be a colossal and spectacular statement of the place our monarchy holds in the life of this nation.
Now that we’ve entered the date in our diaries, let the bickering begin. In no particular order, I look forward to the squabbles from dress code (too big/not big enough) to the Queen Consort’s crown (should she still be wearing the 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond of several nations, including India , to be adorned, to claim?). I am sure we will see many hysterics on social media about the coronation oil used to anoint the sovereign. Because it is made according to a sacred and ancient recipe that contains not only jasmine and cinnamon, but also civet and ambergris.
With the civet derived from the glands of an African cat and ambergris being a waxy material from the stomach of a sperm whale, howls of outrage are to be expected on that front.
But what all of this ultimately shows is that deep down, we still care deeply about this ritual. And that must be good. There has been a lively debate over the last few days about the tone of the ceremony. Republicans, of course, will always argue that there shouldn’t be a coronation at all, so let’s put them aside.
Many others have been dismayed by reports that this will be a “downsized” affair. However, the congregation needs to be smaller. Modern safety regulations simply will not allow Westminster Abbey authorities to increase its capacity from 2,000 seats by 400 per cent like last time by erecting temporary grandstands on temporary grandstands.
Think back to the BBC’s aerial footage from last month during the Queen’s funeral. Would we prefer to see the majesty of the occasion overloaded with scaffolding just to accommodate every MP and colleague (plus spouse)? (Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation in 1953)
Even if they were allowed to, it would spoil the view for billions of television viewers. For modern production, the values are light-years away from the sizzling black-and-white shots the public was content with in 1953.
Think back to the BBC’s aerial footage from last month during the Queen’s funeral. Would we prefer to see the majesty of the occasion overloaded with scaffolding just to accommodate every MP and colleague (plus spouse)?
The main parts of the coronation will be the rituals and the regalia – and I have no doubt that they will still form the essence of that event, as they have at every coronation since King Edgar’s at Bath in 973 (the earliest). have done for which we have details).
These include the handing over of the new monarch, an oath, the anointing and an investiture with a crown. Much of this comes from the Old Testament. King Karl will not part with an age-old tradition.
Similarly, the jewel house in the Tower of London is emptied of every last constitutional trinket, from the many royal crowns to the orb, ampoule and coronation spoon. Just because we don’t see older earls in ermine doesn’t mean we’ll see the royal family dress up.
I would also envision a strong multi-religious presence at the prayers and processions. This will also not be an innovation of Charles III. be. The late Queen made this a feature of the Abbey’s annual Commonwealth Day service. However, I expect this to remain a distinctly Christian ministry at its core.
