The coronation ceremony of King Charles 3 will be held according to the plan of Operation Golden Ball
Photo: REUTERS
On May 6, for the first time in 70 years, Britain will officially acquire a new monarch – in Westminster Abbey, the Archbishop of Canterbury will proclaim the accession to the throne of Charles III. To witness this historical event, millions of tourists from all over the world will flock to Britain. Despite the fact that the monarch promised that his coronation will be more modest than the celebrations in honor of his mother Elizabeth II in 1953, and will cost the treasury less, the festive celebrations will still stretch for three days. “Komsomolskaya Pravda” learned the details of the operation “Golden Ball”: how the coronation ceremony of King Charles III of England will take place.
DOWN, CARL!
The coronation of King Charles III of Great Britain will begin at 11 am on May 6 in Westminster Abbey, where Charles III will arrive in a modern Diamond Jubilee carriage along with Queen Consort Camilla. In the cathedral, where English monarchs have been crowned for 900 years, about two thousand guests will be present – this is four times less than at the coronation of Elizabeth II. Among those invited are representatives of ruling families from all over the world, seven former British prime ministers, the English aristocracy, as well as the entire leadership of the European Union. French President Emanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda, US First Lady Jill Biden, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and others promised to come.
The invitations were designed by illustrator Andrew Jamison, who tried to take into account Carl’s environmentalism and love of gardening. The addresses are rich in flowers, birds and animals, filled with national and heraldic symbols. For example, the thistle is the symbol of Scotland, the daffodil is the symbol of Wales, and the English or Tudor rose is the traditional emblem of England.
During the two-hour ceremony, Charles III will sit in the coronation chair of King Edward. After the monarch has taken an oath to govern Britain and the Commonwealth justly and legally, the Archbishop of Canterbury will anoint the king with oil brought from Jerusalem. Olives for him were collected in two groves on the Mount of Olives, as well as in the monasteries of Mary Magdalene and the Ascension of the Lord. In addition to olives, ambergris, orange flowers, roses, jasmine and cinnamon are added to the holy oil. At the insistence of Charles 3, no ingredients of animal origin will be added to the oil. The oil was consecrated by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Hosam Naum.
The anointing ceremony will be followed by an investiture Charles III will receive the symbols of power – a scepter and orb made of gold and adorned with a scattering of amethysts, emeralds, rubies and diamonds. And then the golden crown of St. Edward the Confessor, adorned with 400 sapphires, diamonds and rubies, will be placed on his head. She weighs over two kilograms. Queen Camilla will be crowned with the crown of Queen Maria Terskaya, which was complemented with diamonds from the personal collection of Elizabeth II.
His Majesty will go to Buckingham Palace in an old gilded carriage, created in 1762 and drawn by eight horses. Elizabeth II complained about her inconvenience, but traditions should be observed. The entire route will take about 4.2 km per day – for comparison, Elizabeth II traveled 8 km after the coronation, greeting her subjects. The festive day will end with a traditional greeting: the royal family will appear before the audience on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
PROTECTOR OF BELIEFS
The upcoming coronation will also be more religious compared to the ceremony of accession to the throne of Elizabeth II. The fact is that Karl positions himself not just as a defender of faith, but rather a defender of beliefs.
– The Church is obliged to protect the freedom of religion of all confessions in the country, – said the monarch.
During the celebration (or at the opening of Parliament), Charles 3, as prescribed by the Bill of Rights of 1688, will declare that he is a faithful Protestant, ready to ensure the Protestant succession and will support the Anglican Church in every possible way.
Pope Francis, in honor of the coronation, decided to make the greatest gift to his British colleague (do not forget that Charles 3 will also become the head of the Anglican Church). Francis I gave the monarch two pieces of wood from the cross of the Lord. Tiny chips 5 and 10 mm long are fragments of wood of a genuine cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The organizers of the celebration promise that the relic will be placed at the head of the coronation procession.
And on the eve of the grandiose action, Charles 3 quarreled with the hierarchs of the Anglican Church. The monarch wanted to involve representatives of non-Christian confessions in the ceremony, which, according to the clergy, would be a violation of centuries-old traditions. The canon does not allow Muslim, Jewish and Hindu priests to read prayers during the coronation, but it does not forbid them to attend the celebration as guests.
ROYAL DRESS CODE
Fashion fans are looking forward to the regal attire that the Windsors will flaunt at the coronation of King Charles III of Great Britain. But it’s already known in advance that you should not expect traditional velvet, ermine robes and sparkling diamonds. Buckingham Palace insists on a modest, strict business dress code. It is known that Charles 3 himself will abandon the traditional silk stockings, embroidered shirts and breeches in favor of a military uniform. By the way, this has already been called a violation of tradition.
Camilla turned to her friend, British fashion designer Bruce Oldfield, who made outfits for Princess Diana and Hollywood stars, to create a coronation dress. The image of the queen consort will resemble the outfit of Elizabeth II at the coronation in 1953: a light satin dress and a dark red velvet mantle.
The heir apparent, Prince William, is likely to appear at the ceremony in his military uniform, but it is possible that he may also prefer an elegant suit. His wife Kate Middleton also revealed the secret, admitting that her outfit will be dominated by shades of her favorite color – blue. Fashion experts suggest that the outfit will be complemented by sapphire jewelry that once belonged to Diana. Rumor has it that the Princess of Wales may ditch the tiara in favor of a large headband.
DISPOINTED COUPLE
The main question that tormented many is whether it is worth waiting at the coronation ceremony of the King of England Charles 3 of the Dukes of Sussex. English journalists have calculated that about 4,000 articles have already been devoted to this topic in the press! All doubts were dispelled on April 12, then Prince Harry announced that he would arrive in London alone. His wife Meghan Markle will remain in California with the children. Fans of the Windsors exhaled in unison at that moment, and British reporters happily rubbed their hands, because this decision is an excellent occasion for a new portion of materials in the spirit of “What does this American woman allow herself ?!”.
Such a question is quite justified, since the absence of Megan at the coronation is another proof of serious disagreements between the Sussexes and the palace. Many have already regarded Markle’s decision as a disdain for the royal family, saying that they chose the birthday of their son Archie (the coronation on May 6 coincided with the boy’s 4th birthday), and not the long-awaited accession to the throne of her father-in-law. According to the Telegraph, the American refused to travel because of the unsatisfactory efforts of the palace in the fight against racism.
Experts, in turn, are digging deeper and saying that the negotiations that went on between the disgraced couple and the Windsors ended up deadlocked on a number of key topics, for example, where Harry and Meghan will sit, whether they will be included in the carriage procession from Westminster to Buckingham palace, whether they will appear on the balcony of the palace with the rest of the family. For Harry, these questions were important, as he was extremely dissatisfied with his place in the service in honor of the platinum jubilee of Elizabeth II.
TASTING TO THE KING
On Sunday, May 7, grandiose coronation dinners will be held throughout the country. Carl and Camilla together chose a signature dish – a coronation cake (see the recipe under the heading “Note to the hostess”). By the way, the signature dish of the coronation in 1953 was “Queen Elizabeth’s chicken” with cream sauce and curry – all done in an Indian style.
And in the evening there will be a concert at Windsor Castle. The headliners will be Take That, Lionel Richie, Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli and singer Katy Perry, who is an ambassador for the British Asian Trust, a charity led by Charles III. In addition, the official Coronation Choir, formed from amateur British choirs, will perform on stage.
Monday 8 May will be a public holiday for the British. All these days, the authorities have extended the work of pubs, bars and clubs throughout the kingdom by two hours, so that everyone can drink to the health of the new king.
BY THE WAY
Anti-monarchists from the Republic and Just Stop Oil groups are preparing provocations during the passage of Charles 3 through the streets of London. The activists are planning to worm their way among ordinary spectators and make a shrill sound during the appearance of the royal carriage, which should frighten the horses. According to the plan of the provocateurs, the horses should suffer and fly into the crowd at full gallop. In addition, activists at the sight of the royal carriage will whistle and chant “Not my king!”.
The British security forces compared the plans of the activists with a terrorist act, and the head of Scotland Yard, Mark Rowley, swore an oath to thwart the plans of opponents of the monarchy.
CORONATION PIE RECIPE
Dough:
125 g flour
a pinch of salt
25g cold butter, diced
25 g fat
2 tablespoons of milk
or 250 g of ready-made shortcrust pastry
Filling:
125 ml milk
175 ml heavy cream
2 medium eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
salt and pepper to taste
100 g grated cheddar cheese
180 g lightly chopped spinach
60 g boiled beans
Cooking method:
1. Sift flour and salt into a bowl; add the oil and rub the mixture with your fingertips until you get a crumbly texture similar to breadcrumbs. Add milk little by little. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
2. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough into a circle slightly larger than the edge of the pan and about 5mm thick.
3. Put the dough into the mold, making sure that there are no holes, otherwise the filling may leak out. Cover and leave for another 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat the oven to 190C.
5. Cover the dough with parchment paper, put a few beans on top and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 160C.
7. Whisk milk, cream, eggs, herbs and seasonings.
8. Spread half of the grated cheese over the baked crust, top with the spinach, beans and herbs, then pour over the liquid mixture.
9. If necessary, gently stir the mixture so that the filling is evenly distributed.
10. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until set and slightly golden.
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