From the religious symbolism of the anointing to the moment the crown is placed on the monarch’s head, what are the highlights of King Charles’s coronation ceremony on Saturday?
TIMETABLES
The coronation ceremony will start at 10:00 GMT (07:00 GMT) following a procession from Buckingham Palace. Although the coronation of Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth, took nearly four hours, Charles’ ceremony will last approximately two hours.
AUTO PROCESSION
For the coronation, Charles and his wife Camilla, who will be crowned Queen at the ceremony, will break with tradition and leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey, London, in the modern Diamond Jubilee State Coach, fitted out to commemorate 60 years of his mother’s kingdom.
They will return in the “Coronation Procession” in the Golden Carriage, a 260-year-old carriage weighing four tons and must be drawn by eight horses, first used by George III at the opening of Parliament in 1762 and at each coronation from that of King William IV in 1831.
UNCTION
During the service, Charles will be anointed with the oil of holy chrism, made with olives from the Mount of Olives and consecrated in Jerusalem.
The tradition dates back to the Old Testament of the Bible, which describes the anointing of King Solomon by Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and was retained to emphasize the spiritual status of the monarch.
CAMILLA
Charles’ second wife Camilla, whom he married in 2005, will be separately crowned queen at the ceremony and, like her husband, consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
MUSIC
The ceremony will feature 12 new works, which Charles has commissioned or selected, including a new coronation anthem by musical theater impresario and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Of the music used at coronations over the centuries, the most notable is “Zadok the Priest”, composed by George Frideric Handel as the coronation anthem for King George II in 1727 and has been sung at every ceremony since.
CORONATION
The key moment of the ceremony will be when Charles, seated in a coronation chair that dates back more than 700 years, will receive the regalia, from jeweled orbs and sceptres to swords and a ring.
The climax comes when the 360-year-old St Edward’s Crown, weighing 2.2kg and replacing an 11th-century original, is placed on Charles’s head by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
BALCONY SCENE
Back at Buckingham Palace, the grand finale – as with weddings, jubilees and other major royal events – is the appearance of the family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
GUESTS
There will be around 2,300 guests inside Westminster Abbey, far fewer than the 8,000 in attendance for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.
Among them will be the British royal family, including Prince Harry, but not his wife Meghan, or their two children, with the ceremony taking place on the fourth birthday of their son, Prince Archie.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
