THE coronation of Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday in London will be a complex multi-stage ceremony, rooted in tradition but slightly modernised, after which the UK will experience three days of festivities.
The day begins with the ‘King’s Procession’, a 2km journey through the city centre, from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
the royal couple will travel in the modern carriage built for Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, drawn by six Windsor Gray horses and escorted by members of the Royal Household Cavalry.
They will arrive at the church for the beginning of the ceremony at 11 local time (7 in Argentina).
Charles will be crowned at noon and the service, led by the Church of England’s highest priest, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, will conclude an hour later.
The guests
Some 2,000 people will be in attendance, ranging from foreign leaders and members of the royal family to elected officials and civil society representatives.
The ceremony has been largely the same for over a thousand years.
The king is first introduced to the faithful, who respond to the cry of “God save King Charles!” Trumpets are sounded after each recognition.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will administer the “coronation oath”, in the form of questions to the monarch.
The wording has varied over the centuries.
Carlos will answer questions with his hand on the Bible and then say, “I will keep what I promised. God help me.”
Will also supply separately an oath in which the king claims to be a “staunch Protestant”.
The monarch, seated on King Edward’s throne, the coronation chair, under a canopy, is “anointed, blessed and consecrated” by the archbishop.
Rites
The consecrated oil is poured from a gold vial and administered with a 12th-century silver-gilt spoon which is the oldest artefact of the Crown Jewels.
The anointing will be “the one part of the ceremony that the public won’t see,” Welby said.
The coronation chair was made in the 1300s. Beneath it is the ‘Stone of Scone’ or ‘Stone of Destiny’, an ancient symbol of the Scottish monarchy seized by King Edward I.
After receiving the orb and sceptres, representing the king’s spiritual and temporal powers, St Edward’s Crown is placed on the monarch’s head.
This solid gold relic set with gemstones, such as rubies and sapphires, is only worn when the monarch is crowned.
The monarch sits on the throne.
Traditionally, the archbishop and heir to the throne, followed by royal dukes and aristocrats, kneel and swear allegiance.
But this time Crown Prince William will be the only royal duke to pay homage to Charles.
And instead of aristocratic homage, the Archbishop of Canterbury will urge all people, wherever they’re watching or listening, to swear allegiance to the new king, a historic first that seeks to democratize the ceremony but has drawn strong criticism.
The coronation of Camilla
Camila will be crowned separately in a similar but simpler ceremony.
The King and Queen will return to Buckingham Palace in the golden carriage, in a large procession known as the “coronation procession”.
The carriage, first used in 1762, weighs four tons and will be pulled by eight Windsor Gray hairs.
They will be joined by other members of the royal family and some 4,000 soldiers in full uniform.
At the palace, the royal couple will appear on the balcony at around 2.15pm local time to say goodbye and watch an airshow.
Block parties dubbed the ‘Big Coronation Meal’ will take place across the UK on Sunday.
At 8pm local time, the Windsor Castle venue in west London will welcome around 10,000 people for a concert featuring artists such as Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Take That and Andrea Bocelli.
Monday was declared a holiday and the royal family invited the British to volunteer that day.
Source: AFP
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.