These phrases will be chanted come Saturday, 6 May 2023, as Charles III and his wife Camilla are Coronated as King and Queen of the UK and the Commonwealth realms scheduled to take place at Westminster Abbey in England. These phrases are part of the UK’s national anthem and were adopted more than 250 years ago. The wording is adjusted depending on whether a King or Queen is reigning at the time. For many Britons, ‘God Save the Queen’ is all they’ve ever known. Since Prince Charles has become King Charles however, the lyrics will change to ‘God save the King!’
This version has not been used since the reign of the Queen’s father, King George VI, who died in 1952. Recall that the Coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, having being proclaimed Queen by her privy and executive councils shortly afterwards. Interestingly, while Coronations are typically an adults-only affair, 4-year-old Prince Charles became the first child to attend a parent’s Coronation.
The Coronation ceremony of the British monarchy as we know it today involves many elements that have been a part of the pageantry ever since the 11th century. The essential purpose of the British Coronation ceremony is to see the monarch swear an oath to uphold the Church and rule with honour, wisdom and mercy. The monarch is anointed with holy oil and given a sword, orb, ring, scepter and, finally, a crown. Then all the nobles and clergy present swear loyalty to their sovereign. The new monarch next embarks on a procession to be presented to the people and finally – although nowadays it has gone out of fashion – there was a great feast of celebration, a function now replaced by live television.
The Queen’s Coronation was the first British Coronation to be fully televised. Television cameras were not allowed inside the abbey during her parents’ Coronation in 1937. Queen Elizabeth II Coronation was the fourth and final British coronation of the 20th century. It was estimated to have cost £1.57 million. Celebrations took place across the Commonwealth realms and a commemorative medal was issued to the Queen. The ceremony was characteristically besieged with glitz, glamour, pomp and pageantry.
King’s Charles coronation is expected to begin with the anointing of Charles, symbolizing his spiritual entry into kingship, and then his crowning and enthronement, representing his assumption of temporal powers and responsibilities. His wife Camilla will be crowned in a shorter and simpler ceremony. The royal family will travel to Buckingham Palace afterward, in a state procession, and appear on the balcony to celebrate the occasion. In addition to the coronation ceremony, the event will be marked by public ceremonies and celebrations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the British Crown Dependencies and overseas territories.
Sitting on the historic Coronation Chair, known as King Edward’s chair containing the Stone of Destiny, Charles III will be anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, with holy oil consecrated in Jerusalem. It is the centre point of the ceremony and signals the conferment of God’s grace on the sovereign. It has also always retained at its heart, a kind of religious moment of transformation. Although the monarch is the monarch from the moment the predecessor has died, the language of the coronation ceremony from since it was locked down in the 14th Century has still articulated that the king or queen somehow changes during that ceremony.
Like his mother’s, his Coronation will follow a similar pattern of pomp and pageantry. Well, this is because the Coronation ceremony is an opportunity for the monarchy to remind everyone of its enduring role it has played in the history of Britain and the rest of the world. The British monarch is over a thousand years old and the event often showcases a mixture of political and religious rites rich in pomp, circumstances and symbolism with traditions dating back centuries ago. The ceremony reflects the monarchial efforts to show that the monarchy is still relevant in a country that is much more diverse than it was 70 years ago when Queen Elizabeth II was on the throne.
No other monarchy across the globe has an event in the same style as the British Monarchial Coronation. The ceremony when Charles III is crowned is unique to Britain and unique in its survival. The Coronation legitimizes the monarchy in a public way. Compared to other European monarchies all of which have abandoned coronations in favour of inauguration or enthronement ceremonies, the British still stay true to their elaborate coronation traditions. There are 12 sovereign monarchies left in Europe, with 10 of them hereditary, and two, Vatican City and Andorra, elective.
In an apparent departure to tradition to portray the British rich monarchial history, King Charles has decided to move on from the 900-year-old tradition by inviting his crowned friends, including European royals and rulers from Arab states. For centuries, convention dictated that no other crowned Royals should be present at the Coronation of a British monarch because the sacred ceremony is intended to be an intimate exchange between the monarch and their people in the presence of God. The ceremony will also for the first time include the active participation of faiths other than the Church of England.
As excitement continues to build in expectation of the display of pomp and pageantry that will celebrate the start of the new monarch’s reign, certain parts of it could spark a backlash with the UK public. The Coronation comes at a time when the cost of living crisis continues to tighten its grip on British finances. The UK has just narrowly avoided entering a financial recession, with the authorities warning the country is still not out of the woods. With public purse strings continuing to be tightened, some critics have questioned whether an event of such extravagance and cost is appropriate. Also,
Conversely though, the Coronation is also believed to be a boost for the economy – especially the London tourism sector. The Coronation is bringing millions of tourists and a cash infusion to London. There are reports that hotels have ramped up their prices by nearly two-thirds for the King’s coronation. There are also reports on the estimated total value of the Monarchy that the Coronation will drive an extra £1billion for the UK economy. Some other family issues have been threatening to overshadow the Coronation. Nonetheless, the world will be watching the magnificent and deeply religious spectacle on display, beaming the spotlight on British Monarchial traditional system.
As the world watches Great Britain do what it does best, pomp, pageantry and military procession, the public will be invited to swear allegiance to King Charles. This is a beautiful gesture that will give Britons the chance to participate in this rather splendid, marvelous, glorious, superb, romantic, unique and grand affair. The whole ceremony will be a sight to behold.
“Righty-ho, Britons, as we watch this piece of magnificent history unfold, one can just simply sing, “God save our gracious king!… Long live our noble king!… God save the king!… Send him victorious,… Happy and glorious,… Long to reign over us;… God save the king!
