Beau Roddis
The coronation of King Chares, codenamed Operation Golden Orb, will take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Camilla will also be crowned as Queen Consort. and the ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
It has been reported that it will be a rather slimmed-down affair compared to that of the Queen in 1953.
It is understood that Charles wants the ceremony to reflect “modern” Britain and felt that much of the traditional pomp and ceremony could appear out of touch as the United Kingdom navigates a cost-of-living crisis.
However, the service will retain the pivotal traditions.
What to expect
- The archbishop will introduce the new monarch to the audience.
- The sovereign then pronounces the oath of coronation. He will vow to govern the British people according to the laws passed in parliament, to enforce law and justice “with leniency”, and to “do everything possible” to preserve the Anglican Church and the Protestant religion.
- Charles will be anointed with consecrated oil using a 12th-century gilded silver spoon, the oldest of Britain’s crown jewels.
- Charles will be blessed on the throne of King Edward I, which was made in 1300 and has been used at every coronation for nearly 400 years.
- The sovereign receives the royal ornaments, including a sceptre and the crown.
- After the ceremony, there is a long procession through the streets of London.
Differences
The new King will not have as many outfit changes during the ceremony and several ancient rituals will be cut. This means the service will be just over an hour long compared to the usual three hours.
Rituals aren’t the only thing being slashed. The guest list will also be cut from 8,000 to 2,000 attendees. The guests will also reflect different faiths and communities.
Overall, the event is set to be shorter, smaller and more diverse than any coronation in the past 1,000 years.
Camilla’s Coronation
Camilla will be crowned Queen Consort in a shorter and simpler ceremony.
February 2022, Queen Elizabeth II expressed that it was her “sincere wish” that Camilla would receive the title of Queen Consort when Charles became King.
Until this point, it was intended that Camilla would be “princess consort”, given that she is not Charles’ first wife. The decision was also made as a mark of respect for the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
The title of Queen Consort recognises Camilla as the wife of a reigning King.
Charles’ will be the second-ever televised coronation. It will be a far cry from the spectacle Britain witnessed in 1953 when Queen Elizabeth II was coronated.
Featured image courtesy of Bob Franks on Pixabay. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
