The Coronation of King Charles III on 6 May 2023: An Overview
King Charles III and his Queen Consort (soon to be Queen) Camilla will be crowned on 6 May 2023, almost seventy years to the day of the coronation of Charles’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on 2 June 1953. Charles only acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, meaning that he had to wait even longer than the sixty-four years separating the coronations of Queen Victoria (28 June 1838) and her son King Edward VII (9 August 1902). The proceedings during the first Coronation Day of the 21st century will reportedly be less lavish and more “inclusive” than on the last occasion. Even so, the meticulously planned, thoroughly rehearsed, and tightly choreographed ceremonial, mostly of symbolic importance only, will undoubtedly impress viewers and encourage outpourings of loyalty to the new monarch, notwithstanding the anti-monarchist sentiments of republicans.
The coronation ceremony dates back to the crowning of King Edgar by Saint Dunstan at Bath Abbey in 973 CE, which set a precedent for the ritual of investiture of today. Thirty-eight coronations, involving 39 monarchs, have been held at Westminster Abbey since, starting with that of William the Conqueror on Christmas Day 1066. This makes King Charles III the fortieth reigning monarch to be crowned there. A coronation ceremony is, however, no longer essential to validate the royal authority of a new monarch in a hereditary monarchy, in which succession is determined by the principle of primogeniture, yet the UK is the only European monarchy to have chosen to retain this tradition. Only three British monarchs have ever missed a coronation: Edward V, Lady Jane Grey, and, most recently, Edward VIII, who abdicated before his planned coronation on 12 May 1937, when his brother George VI was crowned instead.
The Coronation Weekend has been extended by the proclamation of Monday (8 May) as a bank holiday. Coronation Day, on Saturday (6 May), will be followed on the Sunday by a Coronation Concert, broadcast live from the grounds of Windsor Castle, and the Coronation Big Lunch, to be held in streets, gardens, parks, and community spaces across the country. It is expected that many celebrants will partake of coronation quiche- “a deep quiche with a crisp pastry case, and delicate flavours of spinach, broad beans and fresh tarragon.” On the concluding Monday, the Big Help Out will see volunteers flock to support local community projects in a spike of temporary, but entirely worthwhile, activities.
The Coronation Day proceedings will be organised by Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk- the hereditary Earl Marshal of England-with a helping hand from the UK Government, the Royal Household, the Privy Council, the Church of England, the Armed Forces, and the Commonwealth Realms. The day will open with a State Procession, along a 1.4-mile route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey-shorter than Elizabeth’s 5-mile route. The monarch’s outward journey will be in the Australian-built Diamond Jubilee State Coach, while he will return in the traditional Gold State Coach. The finale will be marked by the appearance of the new monarch and other members of the royal family at Buckingham Palace.
The order of service within the Abbey is laid out in the Liber Regalis (Royal Book), a venerable text dating back to the 14th century. The ceremony opens with the Recognition of the sovereign by his/her people. It will be followed by the administration of the statutory Coronation Oath and Accession Declaration Oath to the monarch by the Archbishop of Canterbury-the Most Reverend Justin Welby. The new monarch will then be anointed with ‘holy’ oil- a combination of various oils mixed together in a secret ancient recipe and consecrated in Jerusalem- from an ampulla, using the Coronation Spoon (unction). The formal investiture will follow, which includes crowning of the monarch with St. Edward’s Crown, presentation of sacred Coronation Regalia (swords, sceptres, an orb, a ring, spurs, and armills or bracelets) and vestments, and his enthronement. The ceremony will culminate in the Homage, when the archbishops and bishops, and members of the royal family, will swear allegiance to their newly crowned monarch. Music will play an important part in the ceremonial, including both old stalwarts such as Handel’s setting of Zadok the Priest, commissioned for George II’s coronation in 1727, and twelve new compositions (six orchestral, five choral, and one solo organ recital), all personally commissioned by the current king.
Coronation Day will draw large numbers of visitors to central London to witness the pageantry at first hand, while others, both at home and abroad, will choose to follow the events on large screens in public spaces or on television in domestic locations. Images of the King and Union Jack bunting will abound, people will camp overnight, and merry crowds will mill around, sharing in the jollities. But coinciding as it does with a cost-of-living crisis, concerns will undoubtedly be raised over the costs of the coronation celebrations, as yet undeclared but estimated to run into tens of millions of pounds, and some will once again question the continued relevance of the monarchy. However, considering the time, effort, and money invested in the day, we should feel reassured that the spectacle lives up to expectations and that the beleaguered hospitality and retail sectors will reap the gains, just as the debate is deferred to a later day.
Ashis Banerjee
PS. On Coronation Day, sneaky “April showers” failed to dampen the spirits of excited spectators, nor stifle the resolve of parading troops, and did not even prevent the planned flypast by helicopters and the Red Arrows during the finale, although not on the scale originally envisaged. The Coronation Service was distinguished by the diversity of the 2,200-strong congregation within Westminster Abbey, by the active participation of leaders from a variety of faiths, alongside the liturgical contributions of female Anglican bishops. In the background, the Metropolitan Police clamped down on anti-monarchy protesters, resorting to what some described as “heavy-handed” tactics. Overall, the day appears to have been a success. What it really means for the future of the United Kingdom remains to be ascertained.