The British are preparing for the coronation of Charles III.
Photo: REUTERS
On May 6, Britain will officially acquire a new monarch: in Westminster Abbey, the Archbishop of Canterbury will proclaim the accession to the throne of Charles III. Millions of tourists from all over the world will flock to Britain to witness this event. The monarch promised that his coronation would be more modest than the celebrations in honor of his mother Elizabeth II in 1953 and would cost the treasury less. But the celebrations will still stretch for three days.
Oil from Jerusalem
On May 6 at 11 a.m., Charles III, along with Queen Consort Camilla, will arrive at Westminster Abbey in a modern Diamond Jubilee carriage. In the cathedral, where English monarchs have been crowned for 900 years, there will be about 2,000 guests (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.
During the two-hour ceremony, Charles III will sit in the coronation chair of King Edward. After the monarch’s 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 III, 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.
Then Charles III will receive symbols of power – a scepter and orb, made of gold and decorated with a scattering of amethysts, emeralds, rubies and diamonds. On his head will be laid the golden crown of St. Edward the Confessor, adorned with 400 sapphires, diamonds and rubies. She weighs over two kilos. Queen Camilla will be crowned with the crown of Queen Mary of Teck, which was complemented by diamonds from the personal collection of Elizabeth II.
This crown weighs over two kilograms. Photo: © The Royal Households of the United Kingdom
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 for the day will take about 4.2 km. The festive day will end with a greeting: the royal family will appear before the audience on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
As a gift – a piece of the Cross of the Lord
Pope Francis I, in honor of the coronation, decided to give his British colleague (do not forget that Charles III will also become the head of the Anglican Church) the greatest gift. Gave the monarch two pieces of wood from the Cross of the Lord. It is believed that tiny chips 5 and 10 mm long are fragments of wood of the original Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The relic will be taken at the head of the coronation procession.
Clothing is modest and businesslike
Fashion aficionados are looking forward to regal outfits. It is already known that one should not wait for traditional velvet, ermine robes and sparkling diamonds. Buckingham Palace insists on a modest and business dress code.
It is known that Karl will put on a military uniform, but Camilla will have a lighter outfit. Photo: Keystone Press Agency/Global Look Press
Charles III himself would abandon 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 British fashion designer Bruce Oldfield, who made outfits for Princess Diana and Hollywood stars. 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 military uniform. His wife Kate Middleton admitted that shades of her favorite blue color will prevail in her outfit. Experts suggest that the outfit will be complemented by sapphire jewelry that once belonged to Diana.
Disgraced couple
Should we wait for the coronation of the Dukes of Sussex? About 4,000 articles have already been devoted to this topic in the press! All doubts were dispelled in April when Prince Harry announced that he would arrive in London alone. His wife Meghan Markle will remain in California with the children.
British reporters gleefully rub 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 ?!”. Like, the upstart actress chose the birthday of her son Archie (the coronation coincided with the boy’s 4th birthday), and not the long-awaited accession to the throne of her father-in-law.
Prince Harry will leave his wife at home. Photo: Stephen LOCK/Global Look Press
According to one version, the American refused the trip because of the unsatisfactory efforts of the palace in the fight against manifestations of racism. Connoisseurs say negotiations between the disgraced couple and the Windsors stalled on a number of key topics, such as 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 palace balcony with the rest of the family. For Harry, these questions are important, because he was extremely unhappy with his place in the service in honor of the platinum jubilee of Elizabeth II.
Toast to the King
There will be a concert at Windsor Castle in the evening. Performers include 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 appear on stage.
Monday, May 8 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.
The golden carriage for the British monarchs was made back in 1762! Photo: Yui MOK/Getty Images
THREAT
Horses will fly into the crowd?
Anti-monarchists are preparing provocations during the passage of Charles III through the streets of London. They plan to get into the ranks of ordinary spectators and, during the appearance of the royal carriage, make a piercing sound that should frighten the horses. They use special devices that scare off robbers and rapists. According to the plan of the provocateurs, the horses should carry and fly into the crowd. In addition, activists at the sight of the royal carriage will whistle and chant: “Not my king!” The British security forces compared these plans with a terrorist act, and the head of Scotland Yard, Mark Rowley, swore an oath to thwart the plans of opponents of the monarchy.
