King Charles III Coronation to Take Place
Queen Elizabeth died at her rural Balmoral home in September which automatically called for a different leader. Her son Charles III automatically became a King instantly. In the days that followed, he was formally proclaimed Britain’s new monarch and now, after months of painstaking preparation, his coronation is upon us.
Heir to the throne for 70 years, Charles will be officially crowned in a magnificent and deeply religious ceremony on May 6. Thousands will gather at Westminster Abbey and the surrounding streets of Central London to take absorb the glorious display of British pageantry. Charles’ accession took place when the Queen died. It was, as expected, a deeply somber period when the nation came together to bid farewell to its longest-reigning sovereign. Eight months on, the coronation will feel very different. This will be a moment of public celebration of the new king.
It will be a fabulous top notch event attended by dignitaries around the globe and probably watched by billions.
The word “coronation” is derived from the Latin word “corona” meaning a crown. But it’s so much more than literally placing the crown on the sovereign’s head. It’s a symbolic coming together of the monarchy, church and state for a religious ritual during which the monarch makes vows to both God and country.
Buckingham Palace has said it “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”
The ceremony itself is set to begin at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET) on May 6, with live coverage from famous TV stations like CNN which starts from 10 am to 5pm. Charles’ coronation is expected to be shorter than his mother’s seven decades ago. Back then, the ceremony – which was the first live royal event to be televised – ran for more than three hours.
Political analysts and experts are projecting the coronation to take roughly around 2 hours.
What happens during the coronation service?
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will conduct the ceremony. The core elements of the service are the recognition, oath, anointing, investiture, crowning and homage. The recognition is when the sovereign stands in the theater of the abbey and presents themselves to the people. After taking the coronation oath – which is a vow to rule according to law, exercise justice with mercy, and maintain the Church of England – the monarch is anointed with holy oil by the archbishop. This moment is considered the most sacred part of the service.
