The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct a religious ceremony for the coronation of the 73-year-old monarch on May 6 at Westminster Abbey.
Following the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at her remote Balmoral residence in September, Charles III immediately ascended to the throne. He was legally proclaimed the next monarch of Britain in the days that followed, and his coronation is finally here after months of laborious planning.
Charles, who has held the throne for 70 years, will be formally crowned in a stunning and very spiritual event. To witness this magnificent show of British pageantry, thousands of people will congregate and encircle the streets of central London.
The Crown
The King will be enthroned with St. Edward’s Crown. It was created for Charles II in 1661, after the monarchy had been restored the previous year. Its mediaeval predecessor, Edward the Confessor, the English king who reigned from 1066 to 1649, was melted down in 1649.
It is not a perfect reproduction of the older designs, but it does have the same number of arches, fleurs-de-lis, and crosses as the original. Made with solid gold, it is adorned with 444 precious stones, which include rubies, sapphires, amethysts, and other gems, and fitted with a purple velvet cap and ermine band. A second crown was made for Charles to wear out of Westminster Abbey since historically it was intended to stay there.
The Imperial State Crown, the second crown, was frequently used for formal events like the state inauguration of Parliament. There are 2,868 sparkling diamonds in total, including the enormous Cullinan II. It is a close reproduction of Queen Victoria’s former Imperial State Crown and was created in 1937. Its arches were intended to show that England was independent of all heavenly powers.
Camilla will be crowned Queen, but unlike the three most recent queen consorts, she won’t have a crown specially made for her coronation. She chose to put on Queen Mary’s crown instead. Throwback to 191: when Queen Mary bought the silver crown, she planned for it to be the consorts’ everlasting crown.
The Procession
On the day of the coronation, there will be two processions through the streets of the British capital. One will carry Charles, and after the service there will be a larger parade back to Buckingham Palace, where the monarch and members of the royal family will witness a flypast from the balcony.
Compared to the Queen’s five-mile trip to Westminster Abbey in 1953, the path itself is substantially shorter. Following the service, King Charles will leave Buckingham Palace and ride in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach towards the Mall, with the Household Cavalry serving as the monarch’s escort. The parade will pass through Admiralty Arch before turning on to Whitehall and travelling along Parliament Street and on to the abbey. Charles will be transported this time in the Gold State Coach along the same 1.3-mile journey.
The coronation service
The ceremony will be presided over by Canterbury Archbishop Justin Welby. The oath, the anointing, the investiture, the crowning, and the homage are the main components of the service. The Archbishop anoints the monarch, Charles with holy oil after he takes the coronation oath, which is a pledge to uphold the Church of England, reign in accordance with the law, and administer justice with mercy.
The most sacred aspect of the liturgy is thought to be this moment. This moment is when Charles will be set apart for service to the people of his country and to God. The sovereign is then given the monarchy’s emblems and clad in sacred coronation garments. Towards the end of the ceremony, the crown will be placed atop the Charles’s head before princes and peers make their way to the sovereign to pay their respects, also known as homage.
